The list of movies inspired by hip-hop — or at least, featuring hip-hop music — over the last five decades is likely in the hundreds, if not thousands. It’s hard to narrow down the films that truly exude the genre from start to finish, but we’ve found a select few that have plotlines focused on those at the top of their game in hip-hop culture or aspiring artists fighting their way to fame.
There are films like “Brown Sugar,” a romance about hip-hop diehards who turn their friendship into something more, and “On the Come Up,” which follows a teen with ambitious rap dreams. On our list, there’s also not one but two true story films about some of the most iconic rappers currently in the game, with each of those artists playing fictionalized versions of themselves.
Keep scrolling to watch your favorite actors — and rappers who act — live out their hip-hop fantasies in these 10 movies about rap and hip-hop.