Tyrese claimed in a recent interview on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast that he nearly came to blows with his co-star, Ving Rhames, while filming the 2001 thriller Baby Boy, a role that he said was NOT acting.
“I was not acting in Baby Boy. That n***a Ving Rhames definitely triggered the s*** out of me. I don’t like the n***a to this day,” said Tyrese.
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Tyrese Allegedly Almost Fought Ving Rhames.
During his appearance on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast on Aug. 23, Tyrese revealed a wealth of previously untold stories about his iconic role as Jody Summers, a 20-year-old bike mechanic navigating life in the tough streets of Los Angeles.
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The “Sweet Lady” crooner shared with hosts Gillie Da King and Wallo 267 that he was so immersed in his character that he almost came to blows with Ving Rhames, who famously played Melvin, an ex-con dating Jody’s mother, Juanita. As fans will recall, Jody and Melvin had a contentious relationship in the film, culminating in a memorable fight scene.
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“I was not acting in Baby Boy. That n***a Ving Rhames definitely triggered the sh*t out of me. I don’t like the n***a to this day,” Tyrese revealed of his real life beef with the Hollywood actor. “I run into that n***a to this day. I don’t give a fuck where we at, what clothes we got on, what we doing, what event— it could be the Golden Globes— I see that n***a across the room I be like, ‘Man, fuck that n***a back there.’”
Tyrese Also Claimed John Singleton Compared Him To Tupac During Casting
Tyrese, who has grown somewhat of a reputation for making outlandish remarks about himself and others, claimed that he was a “real hood n**** at heart,” which made him perfect in the eyes of Singleton, who was looking for someone with raw and unfiltered energy to inject into the role of Jody.
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According to the Fast & Furious star, Singleton likened his spicy demeanor to that of the late great Tupac, whom Singleton had his eyes on casting for the lead role shortly before his passing.
“John Singleton was like, ‘You the only n****a that remind me of Pac,’” Tyrese shared. “’Everybody out here want to be Pac. They are getting tattoos trying to become Pac. They out here trying to rap and sound like Pac. They trying to be super thug like Pac, they getting Pac tattoos, they doing whatever.’”
He also claimed to have received praise from Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, whom he grew close with over the years.
“You know who else said it? Pac’s Mama, who became the godmother to my daughter at the time,” the singer-turned-actor gushed.
On Instagram, fans shared their thoughts about Tyrese’s untold Baby Boy stories, with some noting how it wasn’t hard to believe that the singer was a real thug at heart.
“Tyrese definitely from Watts,” wrote one user, noting how the Hollywood star was from one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the L.A. area.
“He had real OG’s around him to tell him to keep doing what he was doing & stay out the streets but just know that they are 1 call away if he ever needs them to put that work in. OGs like the ones he had ain’t around Nomore…the new OGs tell you to be a crashout.”
While several users claimed he was “capping” with the comparison anecdote, others argued that Tupac may have not been able to pull off Jody’s authenticity like Tyrese did in the iconic film.
“Tbh RIP Tupac but no one could have done that movie better than Tyrese,” one person penned.
Another user chimed in;
“Tyrese is really from Watts, Ca. Thee worst place to grow up in Los Angeles…. John Singleton wrote Baby Boy exclusively for 2pac. Why would he even do that movie if he didn’t feel like Tyrese didn’t remind him of Pac and in my opinion 2pac wouldn’t have pulled that roll off like Tyrese did… that’s just my opinion though.”
Baby Boy grossed approximately $29 million at the domestic box office upon its release in 2001. The film was a modest success, especially considering its budget of around $16 million, according to Box Office Mojo.
Have you watched Baby Boy? What do you think of Tyrese’s performance?
