The Oscar-nominated actress joins Jonathan Daviss, Lauren London and an expanding ensemble in Universal Pictures’ upcoming film about the life and career of Snoop Dogg.
Cynthia Erivo has joined the cast of Snoop, Universal Pictures’ upcoming biographical film about hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg, in the role of Afeni Shakur, the political activist and mother of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur.
The casting adds another prominent performer to a film exploring the people, relationships and music that shaped one of hip-hop’s most influential figures.
Directed by Craig Brewer, whose credits include Hustle & Flow and Dolemite Is My Name, the biopic stars Jonathan Daviss as Snoop Dogg and Camron Jones as Tupac Shakur.
The film is scheduled to open in theaters on August 6, 2027.
Cynthia Erivo Takes on the Role of Afeni Shakur
Afeni Shakur was a prominent member of the Black Panther Party and an influential figure in her son’s life.
Born Alice Faye Williams in North Carolina, she became involved in political activism in New York during the late 1960s. She was among the defendants in the high-profile Panther 21 case and was acquitted in 1971.
Her experiences with activism, poverty and personal hardship helped shape Tupac’s understanding of politics, racial inequality and the challenges confronting Black communities.
Tupac later honored his mother in his 1995 song Dear Mama, one of the most enduring tributes to motherhood in hip-hop.
Afeni Shakur died in 2016 at age 69.
Erivo, whose performances in Wicked, Wicked: For Good and Harriet have earned international acclaim, brings experience portraying historical figures to the role.
RELATED: Exclusive: Cynthia Erivo Talks Widows, Bad Times At The El Royale, and Harriet
Her performance as Harriet Tubman in the 2019 biopic Harriet earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Although the extent of Afeni Shakur’s role in Snoop has not been disclosed, her inclusion underscores the film’s attention to the relationships surrounding Snoop Dogg’s emergence in the early 1990s hip-hop scene.
BlackFilm.com previously covered Danai Gurira‘s portrayal of Afeni Shakur in All Eyez on Me, the 2017 biopic about Tupac Shakur.
RELATED: Watch Teaser Trailer To Tupac Shakur Biopic ‘All Eyez On Me’
Who Else Stars in the Snoop Dogg Biopic?
Jonathan Daviss, known for Netflix’s Outer Banks, will portray Snoop Dogg.
The ensemble also includes Myles Bullock as Dr. Dre, Lauren London as Snoop’s mother Beverly Tate, Camron Jones as Tupac Shakur, Algee Smith as Warren G, and Tre Hale as Suge Knight.
Additional cast members include Olly Sholotan as Kurupt, Corey Champagne as Nate Dogg, and Jonica Booth as The Lady of Rage.
Hercy Miller, the son of rapper and music executive Master P, will make his feature-film debut portraying his own father. Master P played an important role in Snoop Dogg’s career after signing the rapper to No Limit Records in 1998 following his departure from Death Row Records.
The additional casting also includes Zachariah Rogers as rapper The D.O.C. and actor and comedian Tyquan Givens, also known as Watts Homie Quan, as an original character named B. Mack.
Together, these artists and music-industry figures represent a defining period in the development of West Coast hip-hop.
Craig Brewer Brings Snoop Dogg’s Story to the Screen
Brewer is directing the film from his rewrite of a screenplay originally written by Joe Robert Cole, whose credits include Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The filmmaker previously explored the relationship between music, ambition and personal identity in Hustle & Flow, which starred Terrence Howard as an aspiring Memphis rapper.
Universal Pictures previously brought another chapter of West Coast hip-hop history to theaters with Straight Outta Compton, the 2015 film chronicling the rise of N.W.A.
Snoop is being produced by Snoop Dogg, Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer and Allan Mandelbaum, and Death Row Pictures president Sara Ramaker.
The project is the first film under Death Row Pictures’ overall agreement with NBCUniversal Entertainment.
The production will also incorporate music from Snoop Dogg’s extensive catalog.
When Will the Snoop Dogg Biopic Be Released?
Universal Pictures has scheduled Snoop for a wide theatrical release on August 6, 2027.
The film arrives as Hollywood continues revisiting the lives and legacies of influential Black musicians and the cultural movements that shaped their careers.
With Erivo portraying Afeni Shakur and an ensemble depicting some of hip-hop’s most recognizable names, Snoop is positioned to explore a chapter of music history that extends beyond one artist’s rise to fame.
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