From paying homage to the African continent to packing a punch with boxing ring-ready jams, R&B and rap artists and producers have made memorable movie soundtracks that can fit any scene and that are filled with their own all-star casts. Eminem not only had his first starring role in the 2002 semi-autobiographical movie 8 Mile , but he also executive produced its soundtrack. Thirteen years later, Slim Shady helmed the official soundtrack for Southpaw .
Eminem was originally supposed to play the lead role of Billy Hope, and Southpaw screenwriter Kurt Sutter told Deadline in 2010, “in a way, this is a continuation of the 8 Mile story, but rather than a literal biography, we are doing a metaphorical narrative of the second chapter of his life.” (Eminem eventually passed on the lead role, which went to Jake Gyllenhaal, to focus on music.) Jay-Z executive produced The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann’s Film in 2013, with Jeymes Samuel (also known by his stage name The Bullitts) as executive music consultant.
Almost a decade later, the two worked together again on The Harder They Fall in 2021, which Samuel directed, co-wrote and co-produced; Hov co-produced the film and executive produced the soundtrack. Jay-Z, Future , Pharrell Williams and Shawn Stockman have all pulled double duty by producing the films they also helmed the soundtracks for, while Eminem and Metro Boomin are the only stars featured on this list who star in the films they also helped make the music for .
