A$AP Rocky is turning heads in Hollywood as his acting chops in Highest 2 Lowest spark early Oscars chatter, with his name now circulating for a potential Best Supporting Actor nomination.
Variety’s Oscars Prediction List recently spotlighted Rocky’s breakout performance as Yung Felon, a sharp tongued and ambitious rapper whose scenes opposite the legendary Denzel Washington have become some of the film’s most talked about moments. For an artist celebrated first and foremost for reshaping the sound of modern rap, the recognition marks a rare crossover into serious Hollywood awards territory.
In the Spike Lee directed project, Rocky’s character finds himself pulled into Washington’s world, forming an alliance that drives the heart of the story. Their exchanges, charged with intensity and charisma, have critics raving about Rocky’s ability to match the energy of one of cinema’s most respected actors.
“Yeah, don’t sleep on A$AP,” Spike Lee said during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in July. “In this film, Denzel and A$AP go toe to toe.”
Lee also noted the striking physical resemblance between the two, remarking that “What’s interesting is, even before I got involved with this film, I always thought that A$AP looked like he could be Denzel’s son. There’s a big resemblance. So when you see it on the screen, it adds an element of father and son. Don’t sleep on A$AP. Don’t sleep on A$AP.”