Kendrick Lamar’s stance in the music scene has long been solidified. With a Pulitzer Prize, multiple Grammys, chart-topping tracks, an upcoming Apple Music Superbowl Halftime Show, and a rap beef win under his belt, the “We Cry Together” rapper has nothing left to prove. But, over in the acting world, Lamar is still a novice.
According to Don Cheadle, though, Lamar could have popped up in another musician’s biopic. During the actor’s recent appearance on Way Up With Angela Yee, Cheadle claimed that Lamar was offered a role in the Miles Davis movie, Miles Ahead.
“To talk about acting, when we shot [the ‘D.N.A.’] video, Kendrick was so with it,” he said. “He stayed in character the whole video. He was really committed. He was someone that I had thought about casting in my movie I did, Miles Ahead, and have him play the role of Junior. We talked about it for a long time, and ultimately he said, ‘I don’t think I’m ready to do that. I’m kind of working on a project right now, and I have to see that through, and I also don’t wanna come in here halfway,’ and I was like, ‘No, I get it.’ And it was [his 2015 album] To Pimp A Butterfly, and I’m like, ‘I think you made the right choice on that one!’”
Ultimately, the role of Junior went to LaKeith Stanfield. Lamar, though, at least appeared in 50 Cent’s Power series.
Watch Cheadle’s full appearance on Way Up With Angela Yee above.