‘I’ve grown up a hip-hop head since I was mad young,’ ‘MacGruber’ star says. By Eric Ditzian Ryan Phillippe Photo: MTV News At first it seemed like a joke. Ryan Phillippe appeared on “Saturday Night Live” in a sketch called “Hip-Hop Kids” that had him challenging a grizzly bear to a rap battle. “The only thing that bear is going to eat is my rhymes!” he boasted. But maybe he wasn’t just playing around with the world of hip-hop. In an interview published weeks after his “SNL” gig, the 35-year-old actor claimed he’s a seriously gifted rapper. “I rap really well,” he told Women’s Health, of all people. “I can sound like Lil Wayne or Ludacris. I’m dead serious…I can spit!” [ Really? This was something MTV News had to investigate, and we got the chance when Phillippe was promoting his upcoming action-comedy, “MacGruber.” Does he really harbor hip-hop aspirations? “True,” he said. “I would like to, at some point, produce an artist down the line. It’s always been a passion of mine. I’ve grown up a hip-hop head since I was mad young.” So who’s he listening to these days to get inspiration for the day he heads into the recording studio with an up-and-coming lyricist? Turns out Phillippe just checked out one of hip-hop’s hottest acts when he made his way to Drake’s sold-out show at Los Angeles’ Club Nokia earlier this week. “[H]e was amazing,” Phillippe said. “Not only was it Drake, but he brought out Nicki Minaj. Birdman came out and Tyga and Soulja Boy.” “There’s this guy Jay Electronica that I’m really into right now,” he added, going on to name-check some of his other favorite artists. “Jay-Z. Biggie. All of ’em, everybody, the whole gang!” Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘MacGruber’ Related Artists Drake Jay-Z
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Ryan Phillippe On Drake, Jay-Z And His Hip-Hop Aspirations
