Cynthia Erivo to play Tupac’s mum in Snoop Dogg biopic

Cynthia Erivo has joined the cast of a Snoop Dogg biopic, playing Afeni Shakur, Tupac Shakur’s mother and a prominent Black Panther activist. The casting links the film to Tupac’s story as well as Snoop Dogg’s, reflecting the artists’ friendship and later distance during the East Coast–West Coast rap rivalry.

Jonathan Daviss will play Snoop Dogg in the film, which is due in cinemas on 6 August next summer and will be directed by Craig Brewer. The cast also includes Camron Jones as Tupac, Myles Bullock as Dr Dre and Lauren London as Snoop’s mother, Beverly Tate; the script is by Joe Robert Cole, with Snoop among the producers. The film is expected to feature music from across Snoop’s career.