The rapper Rami Malek said “epitomises the American dream”
Rami Malek is one of the most talented actors of the past decade. The 44-year-old made his breakthrough in 2015 with the television series Mr Robot, for which he won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. That success led him to playing Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, winning an Oscar for Best Actor. His journey up until that point was something he saw in the rise of one of his rap friends.
Joey Bada$$ may be best known for his music, but he’s also had a successful career on screen. The Brooklyn rapper played Inspectah Deck in Wu-Tang: An American Saga and had roles in Grown-ish and Power Book III: Raising Kanan. He also starred in Netflix’s Two Distant Strangers, which won Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards.
One of his earliest roles was Leon in Mr Robot. In the series, Joey plays an inmate and close friend of Malek’s character, Elliot. Their friendship on screen also transferred off screen, with Malek speaking to Joey for Interview Magazine in 2018.
During their conversation, Joey told the story about how posting a video called “15-year-old freestyles for WorldStar” to YouTube got him his first start in the music industry. Despite the video not being on WorldStarHipHop, his first manager, Jonny Shipes, was fooled by the title and eventually signed him.
In response, Malek said, “You seem to epitomise the American dream: starting out at zero and working your way up and doing it all by yourself. I’d say that’s worthy of shedding a tear. I remember every one of those monumental events, too. Those are moments to be proud of.”
Joey explained how he always wanted to rap like his cousins in Bed-Stuy, but his mother wouldn’t let him. She didn’t want him to fall into the wrong crowd in the street, which crushed him. However, the fact that she stopped Joey from hanging out with them was also how he learned to do things independently. He called his first mixtape the proudest moment of his life.
The rapper described himself as a “control freak” who wants to do everything himself, whether producing or engineering his vocals. Malek could relate to his words, explaining that he also likes to have control over his work despite trusting others.
“I can’t tell you how similar I feel,” he said. “I finished this film where I had the honour and privilege to play Freddie Mercury. I put my heart and soul into it, and now it’s done and being edited, and I just want to get in that editing room and put my hands on it. I put my trust in other people, but, ultimately, I’m a control freak like you.”
He added, “I want to see it all the way through. It’s hard to leave anything in somebody’s hands when you know it so well. I also agree that those moments when you’re the most proud are in the beginning. I think everyone wants to return to that space at some point.”