Won an award from the Speech and Theater League Festival

Received critical accolades as rapper Tupac Shakur in the Off-Off Broadway play "Up Against the Wind"

Appeared in the New York stage production of "Talk"

Was an understudy to Don Cheadle in Suzan-Lori Parks' play "Topdog/Underdog"

Feature film debut as the fearsome Papa Doc in "8 Mile"

Appeared as a young art student in acclaimed drama "Brother to Brother"; earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination

First lead role in Spike Lee's "She Hate Me"

Appeared as a loud-mouthed boxer in Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby"

Had a small role as a dealer in the independent film "Half Nelson"

Played real-life college football player Nate Ruffin in "We Are Marshall"

Had a supporting role in Kathryn Bigelow’s film about the Iraq war, "The Hurt Locker" (released theatrically in 2009); earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Male

Again portrayed Tupac Shakur in the biopic "Notorious," about the life of rapper The Notorious B.I.G.