Talented Actors With Surprisingly Good Rap Skills
Earlier this month, Guardians of the Galaxy actor Chris Pratt surprised fans around the world with a memorable radio appearance in which he showcased his impressive rapping skills. Contact Music looks at some other talented actors who are surprisingly good at rap.
1) Chris Pratt
Earlier this month, the actor set the internet alight when he flawlessly rapped Eminem’s verse on ‘Forgot About Dre’ live on a US radio show. The Guardians of the Galaxy star surprised host DJ Whoo Kid by declaring his love for Eminem and Dr Dre before working his way through the song word-for-word for over a minute.
At the time, Pratt said: “Me and my friend liven in van in Maui and we listened to that and smoked weed every day, and I know every word [to every song on the album, The Chronic 2001].” The interview and subsequent rap can be seen here.
More: Chris Pratt raps Eminem, disses Orlando Bloom and Justin Bieber
Pratt isn’t the first blockbuster star to flaunt their talents for hip hop. Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock impressed audiences during an appearance on British TV show 'Friday Night with Jonathan Ross' by reciting the Sugar Hill Gang’s 1979 track 'Rapper’s Delight.'
After requests to give the actress ‘some beats, yo’, Bullock proceeded to successfully burst out rhymes to the hip hop classic, before laughing off her performance to the cheering audience. The Gravity star explained how she had learned the words to the track in order to impress a boy when she was still in high school. Bullock joked: “And sadly, it worked.”
More: How Sandra Bullock Became The Highest Paid Actress In Hollywood
More: Pop Stars You Never Knew Could Rap
Next Page: Gwyneth Paltrow raps N.W.A and more…
3) Gwynyth Paltrow
Perhaps one of the more surprising actresses who showed off her skills in the rap world was fellow Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow. The Iron Man star stunned the audience when she appeared on 'The Graham Norton Show' in 2011, when the star showed her love for the West Coast by rapping a section of N.W.A’s breakthrough track ‘Straight Outta Compton.’
With actor Geoffrey Rush and comedian Jason Byrne (sort of) providing the backing music, the performance showed that rapping is 'Nothing But A G Thing' for Gwyneth.
While 'Saturday Night Live' has brought us some memorable sketches over the years, one of the most surprising featured Black Swan actress Natalie Portman revealing some of the more… errr… unexpected aspects of her ‘private life.’
Casting aside her sweet, wholesome image by portraying herself as a violent thug, the Oscar winner raps with The Lonely Island in between a fake interview about her status as a role model - hilarity (and profanity) ensues.
More: Natalie Portman Among Famous Fans At Beyonce and Jay Z concert
5) Emma Stone
Okay, technically the Amazing Spiderman actress was miming for this one, but to be able to lip-sync DJ Khaled’s star-studded track ‘All I Do Is Win’ as convincingly (and aggressively) as Emma Stone did on her appearance on 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon' earlier this year is no mean feat.
The actress was declared the winner of the show's lip-sync battle ahead of the funnyman host following her fast-paced rendition of the song. Similarly, it is worth checking out other heroic lip-sync rap performances from the show by Sin City 2 star Joseph Gordon Levitt (miming Nikki Minaj’s ‘Superbass’) and British comedian Stephen Merchant (Fresh Prince - ‘Boom Shake The Room’).