Exclusives 6 July 2018
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GRM Exclusive: 7 shocking Times Non-rappers rapped

6 July 2018
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With artists such as Drake and Kendrick Lamar making waves in the mainstream music world in the states, it’s no wonder that hip-hop is the most popular genre on the planet. Even on this side of the pond, rap continues to dominate the charts as demonstrated by the success of Nines’ LP ‘Crop Circle’ and AJ Tracey and Not3s’ Top 20 single “Butterflies”. As well as record labels signing more rap acts to keep up with the times, Hollywood actors and legendary athletes are also getting in on the action by publicly stepping to the mic to drop some lyrics. Some are surprisingly good while others should, well, stick to their day job. Check out the list below to see seven times famous non-rappers shocked the world with their raps.


1. Anthony Joshua’s Off-The-Dome Freestyle

Since winning the super heavyweight gold medal in the 2012 Olympics, Anthony Joshua has managed to become the people’s champ by consistently displaying good sportsmanship both in and out of the ring. However, earlier this year AJ swapped his powerful punches for some playful punchlines while at an event at JD Sports’ flagship store on Oxford Street. Jumping on the instrumental to Eminem’s hit single “Lose Yourself”, AJ drops an off-the-dome freestyle and looks as comfortable on the mic as he does in the ring. It’s clear Joshua is a natural with the bars and it wouldn’t be a total surprise if he decides to start a career in music when it’s time for him to hang up his gloves.


2. Tom Hardy’s Boom-Bap Mixtape

Before Tom Hardy was killing people in Oscar-nominated films, the A-list actor was killing hip-hop beats for fun under the moniker, Tommy No 1. In an interview in 2011, Hardy mentioned he had “recorded loads of stuff but it’s never been released” but that all changed earlier this year when a mixtape he made in 1999 surfaced on the net. The project, titled ‘Falling On Your Arse’, contains eighteen tracks and sees “Tommy No 1” deliver some impressive lyrics over some equally as sick, boom-bap instrumentals. Hip-hop was still pretty much an underground phenomenon back then so it was hard for Hardy to break through because of his middle-class background. It’s still a quality tape nonetheless.


3. Kevin Hart VS Stormzy Rap Battle

Kevin Hart’s alter ego, Chocolate Droppa, has delivered a number of hilarious hits over the years but the funny man took things further when he engaged in a rap battle with Stormzy back in 2016. Hart was with Ice Cube doing a press run for Ride Along 2 when Stormzy interviewed the pair for Lad Bible. It’s not quite clear how the battle came about but it begins with Kevin Hart supplying some hilarious lyrics over JME’s classic “Serious” instrumental, before Stormzy jumps on the same beat to show the comedian how it’s done. The interview ends with Ice Cube jokingly crowning Kevin Hart the winner and expressing his respect for Stormzy’s mic skills.


4. Daniel Radcliffe’s Magical Rap Performance

Daniel Radcliffe first rose to fame when he appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 2001 and despite starring in several films since then, fans of the film have always struggled to detach Radcliffe from his role as Harry. In 2014 however, the A-List actor proved that he’s more than just Harry Potter – and more than an actor – when he performed Blackalicious’ “Alphabet Aerobics” on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Although the song is made up of several tongue twisters and long words, the Harry Potter star recites the track with ease and the magical performance even receives a standing ovation from the crowd.


5. John Boyega & Daisy Ridley’s Star Wars Rap

The on-screen chemistry between Daisy Ridley and John Boyega is responsible for much of the success of the last two Star Wars films and their off-screen friendship appears to have been cemented through rap. While out promoting Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the pair showed off a light-hearted, Star Wars-inspired collaboration the pair worked on between takes on-set. Ridley delivers some insightful and humorous lyrics about their experience filming the blockbuster, while Boyega assists her with his fast-paced beatboxing. If their rap proves anything, it’s that The Force also comes with surprising MCing abilities.


6. Shia Labeouf’s Classic Freestyle

Most famous for his role as Sam Witwicky in the Transformers franchise, Shia LaBeouf shocked the world when he transformed from a Hollywood actor to a highly-skilled MC on his Five Fingers of Death freestyle with Sway. LaBeouf’s FFOD freestyle isn’t only impressive because he’s an actor, it’s also shocking because he freestyles on the spot – a skill many real rappers can’t do! Shia LaBeouf bodies five classic instrumentals and in return creates a freestyle that’s a classic in its own right.


7. Shaquille O’Neal’s Massive Music Career

Around the same time he was drafted into the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal kickstarted what turned out to be a pretty successful rap career. The track in the video above featured on his debut studio album Shaq Diesel, which peaked at 25 in the U.S charts and is now certified platinum. Since retiring from basketball in 2011, O’Neal has dabbled in and out of the music world; in 2017 he was engaged in a hilarious rap beef with Michael Daapah’s character, Big Shaq, and O’Neal recently provided a verse on the remix of Afro B’s massive Afrobeats hit, “Drogba”.