Marcc Rose to Portray Tupac Shakur in USA Network's UNSOLVED: THE MURDERS OF BIGGIE AND TUPAC

Marcc Rose will play Tupac Shakur. A poet, actor and legendary rapper, Shakur was as brilliant as he was self-destructive. He was shot and killed in Las Vegas in 1996, and his murder still remains unsolved today. Rose is a true discovery, making his acting debut as the iconic rapper Tupac in Universal feature"Straight Outta Compton," directed by F. Gary Gray. The 24-year-old hails from Brooklyn, NY. He is repped by ICM Partners.

In his first acting role, Wavyy Jonez is set to play Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Wallace quickly went from HONOR STUDENT to small-time drug dealer to the face of East Coast rap. Wallace was shot and killed in Los Angeles just six months after his one-time friend Tupac Shakur. His murder also remains unsolved today.

Newcomer Jonez was discovered during a nationwide open casting call to fill the role of Biggie Smalls. Of the hundreds of hopefuls that submitted, Jonez's video audition captured the attention of casting directors and Emmy Award®-winning director Anthony Hemingway. A rapper with a metaphorical style reminiscent of New York artists of the 1990s, Jonez has released his first mixtape, entitled "R.E.D. D.O.P.E." (Real Everyday Drama Doing Over People's Expectation). Jonez is repped by Yasmine Pearl at First Access Entertainment.

Rose and Jonez join previously announced cast Josh Duhamel as Detective Greg Kading, Jimmi Simpson as Detective Russell Poole and Bokeem Woodbine as Officer Daryn Dupree.

From Universal Cable Productions (UCP), UNSOLVED: THE MURDERS OF BIGGIE AND TUPAC (WT) is a scripted true crime serial that chronicles the two major police investigations into the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. Emmy winner Anthony Hemingway ("The People v. O.J. Simpson: AMERICAN CRIME Story") is set to direct and will executive produce along with Mark Taylor through their Hemingway | Taylor production company. The drama is based on the experiences of former LAPD Detective Greg Kading, who is consulting on the pilot script and will also serve as co-executive producer. Kading led multiple law-enforcement task forces investigating the murders and authored the book "Murder Rap: The Untold Story of Biggie Smalls & Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations." Kyle Long (SUITS) is writing the pilot and will also executive produce.

Photo by: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage

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