Your Favorite Rappers as Film Directors

“Is Kendrick Lamar the John Singleton of Rap?”, a simple question that was posed in a room on Clubhouse, the infamous app you’ve been hearing about on Twitter. During the conversation, some other rappers were mentioned and compared to other directors and quickly it became apparent that the comparisons between Kendrick and Singleton could be drawn between lots of other artists across the two mediums. So, we had another conversation on Clubhouse, lots of gems were dropped, and we decided to write about it. By now, you’ve seen our Twitter thread and probably had some questions. Here, we break down the reasons why we chose some of our pairings. Enjoy!

Jay Z as Orson Welles

Jay Z and Orson Welles are the OG Don Dadas of their crafts. Jay is often considered the greatest rapper of all time and Orson Welles is also considered one of the greatest directors, if not the greatest director who’s ever lived. His magnum opus, Citizen Kane, is always mentioned on greatest films of all time lists and is a masterclass in storytelling, even used as a primary example of a technique called the “MacGuffin”. Welles has an extremely prolific career, spanning decades, and has proved his prowess as a director, actor, producer, writer, editor and more. Jay Z arguably is one of the best rappers of our generation— from Reasonable Doubt to 4:44 HOV has consistently put out classic bodies of work spanning two decades.

2. J. Cole as Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay and J. Cole are two artists that are both commonly thrown into the “woke” category of Black creatives. Ava is known for her films like Selma and 13th, while J. Cole is known for his “conscious” lyrics on songs like Immortal and Be Free. However, more recently, both have shown that their politics or their praxis don’t necessarily match up to what they preach. Whether it be Ava blocking young Black women on Twitter who disagree with her wishing Trump well so we can vote him out of office, or J. Cole recording Snow On Tha Bluff calling out Noname because she asked him to do the required reading, both have shown that the work they put out, might not entirely reflect what they think and believe.

3. Tyler the Creator as Wes Anderson

Tyler the Creator, leader of the infamous Odd Future gang, is as meticulous with his use of color in his music videos as Anderson is in his films. As an avid Tyler/OF fan and die hard Wes Anderson obsessive I find myself drawing parallels between the work Wes does and the visuals Tyler creates. Both Wes and Tyler use the same respective DP's for each and every one of their bodies of work. Robert Yeoman and Wes are attached to the hip in the way that Luis Perez and Tyler are which provides a level of continuity throughout. They both pull from the same pool of talent. Tyler makes sure the OF boys get their shine and you’re bound to have a Bill Murray sighting in a Wes Anderson production. 

4. Missy Elliot as Guillermo del Toro

Missy Elliot and Guillermo del Toro feel like they’re cut from the same cloth. They both love to play with magical realism, del Toro setting his stories in fantastical worlds with never before seen creatures and Missy with her futuristic styling and music video concepts. Both are constantly innovating their fields and bringing forth concepts that feel fresh and new. I mean who else could rock a black suit that looks like a trash bag and stump people with lyrics played in reverse OR make a film where a woman f*cks a fish and have it win Best Picture at the Oscars…only they can.

5. Childish Gambino as Jordan Peele, Donald Glover + Spike Lee

I could totally write about how both Peele and Gambino come from a comedy background, Mad TV and 30 Rock respectfully. Or how they both utilize comedy to talk through some heavier conversations about race and class. OR you can watch Jordan Peele talk about his love of Donald and why he chose to include “Redbone” in Get Out.

6. Nicki Minaj as Agnès Varda

If there’s one thing that Nicki Minaj and Agnes Varda have in common, it’s that they’re both bad bitches. Varda was the most influential female director of the French New Wave movement in cinema and Nicki was the undisputed Queen of Rap for most of the late 2000s to early 2010s (and to some people she still is). Both women are pioneers in their art form who have set themselves apart with their distinct style— Nicki, notably in her Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded/ Pinkprint days, for her campy outfits, glorious wigs, ability to show anyone up on their own track, and her overall take no prisoners attitude; Agnes for her films such as Le Bonheur, Cléo de 5 a 7, and Faces Places, which highlighted 60s counterculture, women’s liberation, and her quirky, curious, experimental directing style.

7. Kanye West as Stanley Kubrick + Brian de Palma

Kanye’s work has spanned across such a wide period of time, that we needed two directors to encompass all of his eras. Kubrick conveys the essence of Kanye’s earlier eras all the way up to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. MBDTF is largely considered Ye’s magnum opus the same way 2001: A Space Odyssey is Kubrick’s. Both men have work that explores themes of grandeur, sex, lots of idolatry of the female body, mystery, and epic-ness. De Palma embodies these same themes in his work, but his work is often hit or miss and sometimes he is called out for his tendency to “copy” Hitchcock. Not to say Kanye copies, but he has a penchant for sampling and lately, his work has been hit or miss, specifically miss if we’re talking about albums post Yeezus.

8. Rick Ross as Martin Scorsese

Nobody delivers luxury bars like Ricky Rozay. I mean, the man named his record label after a luxury car. You know that meme where Khaled’s sitting in the Ashton Martin while his fur’s blowing in the wind? That’s exactly how I feel listening to “Diced Pineapples.” American film director, Martin Scorsese, best known for films like Wolf of Wall Street, Taxi Driver, and Goodfellas, often explores similar themes in his work— money, greed, power, and ultimately how all of these ideas can contribute to the downfall of a man.

9. Drake as Steven Spielberg

Drake is a big time artist, certainly one of the biggest out right now, and constantly part of the conversation. Spielberg is no different. Often, he’s the only director or the first director most can name. Drake is known for his ability to cross between genres: “Jamaican Drake”, “Dominican Drake”, “Arabic Drake”, “Down South Drake”, “Toronto Drake”, etc. Spielberg has had many different moments in film as well. He has the versatility to give you Jaws, The Color Purple, ET, and Schindler’s List. You can’t pigeonhole hole either of them into a specific genre.

11. Cardi B as Quentin Tarantino

Okurrrttt! This might seem like a strange pairing, but Cardi B and Tarantino are two peas of the same pod. Both are known for their loud, explosive ways of communicating. Both are very active participants in their careers. Both are outspoken about how they’re viewed and don’t give a fuck whether you like them or not (Cardi often posts on social media about her haters and Quentin lashes out at them in interviews). Both also cause quite a bit of controversy for their use of the n-word (but we won’t get into that). With debut projects like Invasion of Privacy and Reservoir Dogs, Cardi and Quentin established themselves as newcomers with more than enough vision and capability to establish longevity in Hollywood. Cardi doesn’t have as many years in the game, or as many projects as Tarantino (who will retire after his 10th film), but she certainly is a household name, just like he is.

12. Kendrick Lamar as John Singleton

No one does a coming of age story like South Central LA- born John Singleton. His 1991 directorial debut, Boyz in the Hood tells the story of Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr.) who’s sent to live with his dad in South Central LA where he’s surrounded by gang culture and violence. Similarly Compton’s own, Kendrick Lamar tells the story of young Kendrick navigating young adulthood in Compton, LA. Both utilize LA as central characters in their stories in a way that’s super special.

13. Outkast as The Coen Brothers

Rap groups are more common in the music industry than director teams are in the film industry, but still these duos share lots of similarities. Outkast were known for their unique style, lyrical abilities, fashion statements, and the way the put on Atlanta rap in the early 2000s. They let everyone know that “the South got something to say”. In the same way, the Coen brothers are the fraternal embodiment of kinetic energy, are known for their quirky, yet curious dialogue, and have a distinct style across their most well known films Fargo, Burn After Reading, The Big Lebowski, and No Country for Old Men.

14. Lil’ Kim as David Fincher

After parting ways with Junior M.A.F.I.A in 2001, and ending her business relationship with Diddy, Kim gave us La Bella Mafia in 2003. With singles like Magic Stick and Jump Off this was without question her “Gone Girl Moment” and Jump Off was her “cool girl” moment. Fight Club is to Fincher what Hardcore is to Kim. Think about it. 👁

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Brainwash Club room “Rappers as Directors” on Clubhouse for their input on this piece.