MOS DEF WITH....D E N I R O !

[myrealname]

Brooklyn MC Mos Def is most definitely looking to expand his resume in his second profession, acting. He has a small role as Billy Bob Thornton's mechanic in "Monster's Ball," which will see a limited release on December 26, and has already wrapped up production for next year's releases "Showtime" and "Brown Sugar." According to his spokesperson, he's now looking to trek from Hollywood to Broadway.

Mos is currently in negotiations to play one of the lead roles in the play "Top Dog/ Underdog." In the production, he'll star as Booth, a small-time hustler from a broken home who can't seem to get along with his seemingly hapless brother, Lincoln. Last summer, "Top Dog/ Underdog" had its first run with Don Cheadle and Jeffery Wright playing the lead roles.

"Showtime," which is slated for the spring, stars Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro as police officers in a reality-based TV show that centers around them catching bad guys. Info on Mos' character is not yet available.

He'll join a cast that includes Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan and Method Man in the romantic comedy "Brown Sugar." In it, Mos stars as a cab driver who yearns to be a rapper.

As for his real-life endeavors on the mic, a spokesperson for his label, Rawkus, said he's headed back in the studio at the top of the year to finish work with his rock group, Blackjack Johnson. The band's debut LP should be in stores sometime next year.

If you can't wait for his film and theatre projects to pop off, you can catch Mos in your living room every Friday night on HBO — he hosts Russell Simmons' "Def Poetry Jam."