Snoop: Cynthia Erivo Plays Tupac's Mother in the Snoop Dogg Biopic
Jonathan Daviss will appear as Snoop Dogg
The Snoop Dogg biopic has added another high-profile name to its cast. As The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reports, "Wicked" star Cynthia Erivo will play the role of Tupac's mother in "Snoop".
The actress, who has already won a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy and has also received three Oscar nominations, will portray Afeni Shakur. Afeni was a member of the Black Panther Party and had a difficult relationship with her son. At the same time, she was a major inspiration for his song "Dear Mama", which became one of his best-known hits.
What It's About
"Snoop" centers on the career of Snoop Dogg, who evolved from a young rapper from Long Beach into a major figure in the international music and entertainment industry. The biopic will not only explore his breakthrough in gangsta rap but also show how he established himself over the years as an entrepreneur, entertainer, and pop culture icon.
Jonathan Daviss, best known for the Netflix series "Outer Banks", will portray Snoop Dogg. Tupac Shakur, on the other hand, will be portrayed by Camron Jones, who has appeared in the Amazon Prime series "Panic", among other projects.
The connection between Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg is one of the most fascinating chapters in hip-hop history. Both artists were signed to the legendary label Death Row Records and worked closely together at times. Among other collaborations, they worked together on the song "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted". Their relationship, however, was not always harmonious. Tensions arose particularly during the famous West Coast–East Coast feud.
Cast and Crew
In addition to Erivo, Daviss, and Jones, the cast includes a number of other actors. Among them are "White Men Can't Jump" actor Myles Bullock as Dr. Dre, Lauren London as Beverly Tate, Algee Smith as Warren G, and Tre Hale in the role of Suge Knight. Craig Brewer, who most recently worked on "Song Sung Blue", is directing. The biopic is being produced by, among others, Brian Grazer and Allan Mandelbaum of Imagine Entertainment. Grazer is already very familiar with music films: he served as a producer on "8 Mile." Snoop Dogg himself will also be working behind the scenes as a producer. "Snoop" hits theaters on August 6, 2027.