Cynthia Erivo Cast as Afeni Shakur in Snoop Dogg Biopic: What We Know

Cynthia Erivo is officially joining Universal’s Snoop Dogg biopic as Afeni Shakur, the Black Panthers activist and mother of Tupac Shakur. The casting adds serious star power and emotional depth to a film that’s already generating buzz for its stacked ensemble, which includes Jonathan Daviss as Snoop Dogg, Camron Jones as Tupac, and Myles Bullcok Be as Dr. Dre, with Lauren London and Ice-T also on board. Craig Brewer, known for Hustle&Flow, is directing, and the film is currently in production in Southern California.

For music fans, the Afeni role carries real weight. Her turbulent but deeply loving relationship with Tupac inspired his 1995 hit“Dear Mama,”a song that reached No. 9 on the Hot 100 and remains one of hip-hop’s most celebrated tracks. Bringing in Erivo, who recently hosted SNL UK and played a Hollywood Bowl show, signals that this biopic is aiming for emotional resonance beyond the usual rise-and-fall story arc. She is also set to play Miriam Makeba, so her run of powerhouse roles keeps building.

Brian Grazer, Allan Mandelbaum, Snoop Dogg and Sara Ramaker are producing the film, which will feature songs from Snoop’s catalog. With production underway, fans already have opinions about how Erivo will handle such a beloved figure, and about how the film will portray the Shakur family legacy on screen. Which Snoop song do you hope makes the soundtrack?