RZA, T.I. And Common Appear In Gangster Flick

Rappers RZA, T.I. and Common have joined the cast of the upcoming film, American Gangster, a '70s crime drama starring Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington.

The Ridley Scott-directed movie is based on the life of drug kingpin-turned-informant Frank Lucas (Washington), who shipped heroin to the U.S. in the coffins of soldiers killed in Vietnam. After Lucas is brought to justice by lawman Richie Roberts (Crowe), the two work together to expose crooked cops and foreign nationals.

RZA, a member of the Wu-Tang Clan, will portray one of Crowe's partners who's an expert in surveillance. T.I. and Common will play members of Washington's drug empire.

"Right now I'm learning everything I can about my character," T.I. told Billboard.com. "I'm just there to soak things up.

"There's a bunch of Academy Award winners on this cast and I'm just there to learn. I'm in school."

Though still a novice in the world of acting, T.I. has some on-camera experience. He starred in this year's ATL and, in 2004, he filmed a music video while jailed. More recently, he was in the news when his friend and personal assistant was killed in a shootout.

RZA has had parts in Derailed and Coffee And Cigarettes. He wrote music for the Tony Jaa film, The Protector, which came out this weekend, as well as a Samuel L. Jackson-voiced animated series called Afro Samurai.