Rappers are turning into actors in 2011 with 50 Cent and Bruce Willis teaming up, and Al Pacino and Drake rumoured to costar in Arbitrage.

Why are rappers focusing on film and is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Some might argue that the transition between music and film is a sacred one, and musicians should stick to their game, however, what if they are really good at acting?

This year, Rihanna stars in a remake of the board game Battleship, while a new DMX thriller The Bleeding gets released. The transition between hip hop and film was not made over night, starting out in the 90s, and becoming more mainstream as stars like Jet Li, DMX and the late singer Aaliyah turned up the heat.

Rappers on screen is not new, but 2011 looks like a big year for music artists and actors coming together. Let s see how this turns out, although for some Al Pacino fans, a 50 Cent collaboration doesn t compare to De Niro.