#chrisrock-homepage

#chrisrock-featured

kevinjameszookeeper

Hip-Hop Karaoke: When Actors Kick Rap Verses in Movies

As trends fade and budget cuts continue to change the landscape of hip-hop music videos, few things have remained staples over the years. The slow motion shot is still mandatory, the superstar cameo as always is necessary, video models, though not as prominent as they once were, are still mandatory, and last but not least, the out-of-touch-white-person-trying-to-be-down never seems to get old. Filmmakers are apparently in on the joke as well, as Hollywood's love affair isn't <a href="http://www.xxlmag.com/features/2011/03/10-mainstream-movie-trailers-featuring-rap-songs/">restricted to featuring songs in movie trailers</a>. In his latest flick, <em>Zookeeper</em>, hitting theaters today (July 8) Kevin James is a security guard who discovers he's able to communicate with animals a la Dr. Dolittle. In one scene, James recites Flo Rida's "Low" with a gorilla as they drive to TGI Friday's. But James isn't the first movie star to play hip-hop karaoke. For years now, movies have banked on actors reciting popular rap songs for comic relief. <em>XXL</em> looks back at 10 memorable rap scenes in movies.—<em>XXL Staff </em>

1x1

Justin Timberlake channels his inner Mack Daddy/Daddy Mack for a quick karaoke-like performance of Kris Kross's "Jump" in <em>Friends With Benefits</em>.

<object width="620" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pi270Jh9AuY?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pi270Jh9AuY?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="620" height="400" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

1x1

In <em>CB4</em>, Chris Rock (MC Gusto) and Allan Payne (Dead Mike) do their own interpretation of N.W.A's "Straight Outta Compton" titled "Straight Outta Locash."

<object width="620" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mwc4gCVXTcM?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mwc4gCVXTcM?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="620" height="400" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

1x1

Big Mike, played by Quinton Aaron and S.J., incarnated by Jae Head, go back and forth as they spit along to Young MC's "Bust a Move" in <em>The Blind Side</em>.

<object width="620" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V6n_7-y4vFA?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V6n_7-y4vFA?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="620" height="400" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

1x1

David Herman (Michael Bolton) rhymes along to Scarface's "No Tears" in this hilarious clip from <em>Office Space</em>.

<object width="620" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pWTXOr_HUm4?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pWTXOr_HUm4?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="620" height="400" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

1x1

The perpetually hilarious Ellen Albertini Dow does her best "Rapper's Delight" rendition in <em>The Wedding Singer</em>.

<object width="620" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q0IGepU7ICc?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q0IGepU7ICc?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="620" height="400" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

1x1

Sandra Bullock damn near touches her toes as she dances and recites Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz's "Get Low" in <em>The Proposal.</em>

<object width="620" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XnKqT2u4lWc?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XnKqT2u4lWc?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="620" height="400" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

1x1

In one of his funniest moments as Dr. Evil, Mike Myers remixed Will Smith's "Just the Two of Us" in <em>Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me</em>.

<object width="620" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2SzE08aInn4?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2SzE08aInn4?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="620" height="400" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

1x1

Myers once again flipped a rhyme in <em>Austin Powers in Goldmember</em>. This time, he rapped his own version of Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life."

<object width="620" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oh_ex3VGHIM?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oh_ex3VGHIM?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="620" height="400" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

1x1

Posing as white girls, Sean and Marlon Wayans drop the N-word as they rhyme along to 50 Cent's collaboration with Biggie Smalls, "Realest Nigga" in <em>White Chicks</em>.

<object width="620" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ixxKKPkxz5o?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ixxKKPkxz5o?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="620" height="400" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

1x1

Facing what appears to be certain death, Mike Epps (Day-Day) and Justin Pierce (Roach) begin reciting the chorus to Whodini's "Friends" in <em>Next Friday</em>.

<object width="620" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PXFzKCIKsZw?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PXFzKCIKsZw?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="620" height="400" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

1x1

Kevin James (Griffin) raps along to Flo Rida's "Low" in <em>Zookeeper</em>.

<object width="620" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pNJxxRi7AeE?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pNJxxRi7AeE?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="620" height="400" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>