Nick Cannon has been drafted to play Rick Ross on the big screen. No, not the rhyme-spitting Ricky Rozay, but former drug trafficker "Freeway" Rick Ross.
Cannon was chosen by Ross himself for the Nick Cassavetes-directed biopic. "I chose Nick [Cannon] based on a few factors. The role is 17 to 25 in age, many of our award-winning actors are much older than that range," Ross told Allhiphop.com, adding that he is "a guy who captures my character when I was in custody in San Diego."
The film's plot is set to revolve around his dealings in the drug world during the '80s and his subsequent incarceration. There's no word on whether his feud with rapper Ross over the use of his moniker will make it into the film. (A second suit over the Ross name was dropped back in March 2012, allowing the MC to continue using the moniker.)
"This story will be real, and show how the War on Drugs took young kids and turned them into criminals and set them for prison practically overnight," Ross said. "It's not just an LA story. My reach was across the nation into black, white, and all communities regardless of class. Our goal is to tell the truth, not a vanity piece."
Cannon and Ross first announced their plans to work together on the film in a YouTube video on Sunday. During the brief clip, Ross shared that he first wanted Cannon to play him in a film back in 1996. In the video, Cannon said, "We family now. We gonna get this thing right however long it take."
Before they finally do get it right, Cannon has plenty of other projects to keep him busy. He currently hosts "America's Got Talent" and recently resurrected his his MTV series, "Wild 'N Out."
What do you think of Rick Ross' choice to cast Nick Cannon in his biopic? Sound off in the comments!