Hip-hoppers who beat the gangster rap in film roles

For decades, hip-hop artists have been Hollywood's favorite muggers, drug dealers and pimps. Increasingly, though, rappers are stretching beyond stereotypes; the latest is Ice Cube, who dons spectacles and false teeth to play a failed boxer in "Lottery Ticket," which opened Friday. (Morgan Freeman he ain't, but at least he tried.) Here are five of the best non-thug roles by hip-hoppers in the movies:

Diddy in "Get Him to The Greek." Playing Sergio Roma, a ruthless music mogul, wasn't exactly a stretch. But with his uncanny comic timing - who knew? - Diddy stole the show from co-stars Jonah Hill and Russell Brand.

Queen Latifah in "Chicago." As the convict ringleader Mama Morton, Latifah got an Oscar nomination. The suggestive song "When You're Good to Mama," about life in a women's prison, was an interesting choice for a woman long dogged by rumors about her sexuality.

Tupac Shakur in "Gang Related." Shakur is remembered for playing a heroin addict in "Gridlock'd," but in this underrated film - his last - Shakur was riveting as a cop in a web of corruption.

Mos Def in "Cadillac Records." His acting career has been hit-and-miss, but in this excellent film about the early days of rock, he was a natural as Chuck Berry, the duckwalking, smart-talking, redneck-baiting showman.

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness." Smith's movies tend to be either silly ("Independence Day") or overly serious ("Ali"), but in this film, based on the true story of a single father trying to escape homelessness, he struck the perfect balance.