Rappers on Sitcoms

Nicki Minaj is back on TV.

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The Story of Onika on Your TV Screen - Sometimes mics and stages aren’t enough for our favorite rappers. That’s where TV comes in, and there’s nothing rappers love more than an old fashioned sitcom.This past Friday it was announced that Nicki Minaj will be joining the ranks of the sitcom rapper with her own show titled Nicki, based on her own childhood. Young star Ariana Neal will play the star role of Nicki and the real-life Nicki will executive produce and appear on the new show. Because, you know, she’s a boss. —Jon Reyes & Alex Gale(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

2 Chainz - "Two broke girls, one rich Black man," 2 Chainz joked when he visited the set of the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls. The Atlanta rapper made his acting debut on the show, playing himself in an episode. (Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images)

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2 Chainz - "Two broke girls, one rich Black man," 2 Chainz joked when he visited the set of the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls. The Atlanta rapper made his acting debut on the show, playing himself in an episode. (Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images)

Will Smith - The king — or prince, rather — of rap sitcom stars is Will Smith, of course, who parlayed his successful music career into the titular role of the hit sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.  (Photo: NBC)

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Will Smith - The king — or prince, rather — of rap sitcom stars is Will Smith, of course, who parlayed his successful music career into the titular role of the hit sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. (Photo: NBC)

Notorious B.I.G. on Martin - Notorious B.I.G. played himself on an 1995 episode of this classic sitcom, asking Martin's help to audition backup singers.     (Photo: FOX)

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Notorious B.I.G. on Martin - Notorious B.I.G. played himself on an 1995 episode of this classic sitcom, asking Martin's help to audition backup singers.   (Photo: FOX)

1995 - Kim Wayans starred with LL Cool J and Debbie Allen in the sitcom In The House.(Photo: CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)

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LL Cool J on In the House - LL Cool J starred in this NBC and UPN sitcom, which aired for five seasons from 1995 to 1999. (Photo: CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

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Eve - In 2003, the Philly MC landed her own show on UPN. The comedy ran for three seasons and centered around Eve's character, Shelly Williams, as she struggles through life and love while running her own fashion boutique.(Photo: UPN)

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Eve on Eve - Eve played the title role on this UPN sitcom, which lasted from 2003 to 2006, about three women who run their own boutique and clothing line. (Photo: UPN)

Fredro Starr on Moesha - Onyx rapper Fredro Starr landed an unlikely recurring role on Brandy's Moesha sitcom playing Quinton "Q" Brooks, her love interest.   (Photo: UPN)

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Fredro Starr on Moesha - Onyx rapper Fredro Starr landed an unlikely recurring role on Brandy's Moesha sitcom playing Quinton "Q" Brooks, her love interest. (Photo: UPN)

Master P and Romeo on Romeo! - Master P and his son Romeo played bizarro versions of themselves on this Nickelodeon sitcom about an aspiring rapper and his record-producing father.    (Photo: Nickelodeon)

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Master P and Romeo on Romeo! - Master P and his son Romeo played bizarro versions of themselves on this Nickelodeon sitcom about an aspiring rapper and his record-producing father.  (Photo: Nickelodeon)

Childish Gambino on Community - Rappers often aspire to be actors, but Donald Glover did it the other way around: He was already famous for playing Troy Barnes on NBC's Community before he started releasing music under his rap pseudonym, Childish Gambino. (Photo: NBC)

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Childish Gambino on Community - Rappers often aspire to be actors, but Donald Glover did it the other way around: He was already famous for playing Troy Barnes on NBC's Community before he started releasing music under his rap pseudonym, Childish Gambino. (Photo: NBC)

Travie McCoy in Malibu Country - Travie McCoy made a cameo on Reba McEntire's sitcom Malibu Country on ABC last November.(Photo: ABC)

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Travie McCoy in Malibu Country - Travie McCoy made a cameo on Reba McEntire's sitcom Malibu Country on ABC last November.(Photo: ABC)

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Khadijah James (Queen Latifah) in Living Single - Manhattan has Sex and the City and Friends, but magazine editor Khadijah and her eccentric neighbors showed us how Brooklyn does single. Even though 'Dijah got her fairytale ending — a relationship — she managed to keep the single life far more real than Carrie or Rachel. After all, the theme song said it best, "In a '90s kinda world, I'm glad I've got my girls!"(Photo: Courtesy Fox)

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Queen Latifah on Living Single - Another rapper-actor pioneer, Queen Latifah starred as Khadijah James, a magazine publisher and editor, on the classic FOX sitcom Living Single. (Photo: FOX)

Method Man and Redman on Method & Red - Method Man and Redman played fictional versions of themselves on this short-lived FOX sitcom, which ran for just three months in 2004.  (Photo: FOX)

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Method Man and Redman on Method & Red - Method Man and Redman played fictional versions of themselves on this short-lived FOX sitcom, which ran for just three months in 2004. (Photo: FOX)

Diddy on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Diddy made a hilarious turn as a character called Dr. Jinx on an episode of this FX sitcom last year, which featured him picking up a guitar to play a bit of Parliament.  (Photo: FX)  

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Diddy on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Diddy made a hilarious turn as a character called Dr. Jinx on an episode of this FX sitcom last year, which featured him picking up a guitar to play a bit of Parliament. (Photo: FX)