Earlier this week, 50 Cent revealed that Eminem will guest star as White Boy Rick, the infamous Detroit teenager turned undercover FBI informant, in his upcoming Starz TV series BMF. It looks like the real-life White Boy Rick, Richard Wershe Jr., has since caught wind of the casting choice and he couldn’t be more pleased about it.
“It’s Eminem, so that’s an honor to have him portray me in a series,” Wershe Jr. told TMZ in a video statement. “He was actually one of the first people that was looking at doing a movie about me. It’s pretty cool that later down the line he gets to take on this role. I don’t think I have to tell him anything at all; he’s a professional… His music speaks for itself. He’s an icon, he’s a legend, and this, for him, will be a small thing… From one Detroiter to another, just kill it.”
BMF is inspired by the true story of two brothers from southwest Detroit who became one of the most influential crime families in the ’80s after raking in $300 million by selling cocaine in 11 states. According to Deadline, the show will revolve around “Demetrius ‘Big Meech’ Flenory’s charismatic leadership, Terry ‘Southwest T’ Flenory’s business acumen, and the fraternal partnership’s vision beyond the drug trade and into the world of hip-hop that would render the brothers iconic on a global level. Their unwavering belief in family loyalty would be the cornerstone of their partnership and the crux of their eventual estrangement.”
Not to spoil any real-life history for those who are unfamiliar, but White Boy Rick was crucial in the demise of the Black Mafia Family, so Eminem’s role in the TV show will likely be pretty serious. Wershe Jr. earned the moniker back in the ’80s during his drug trafficking trial. He was just 14 years old when the FBI recruited him to be an undercover informant, but he went rogue selling drugs again and inevitably got caught. Wershe Jr. was sentenced to life in prison in 1987 and was granted parole in July of last year.
This is Eminem’s first TV part since he played a fictionalized version of himself in Entourage in 2010. Considering White Boy Rick’s important role in the fall of the Black Mafia Family, the upcoming BMF series might be Eminem’s biggest part since 8 Mile.
Slim Slady isn’t the only big name from the music industry to join the cast. Snoop Dogg, Kash Doll, and La La Anthony are slated to appear in BMF, too. Also joining the Music to Be Murdered By rapper are actors Da’Vinchi, Russell Hornsby, Michole Briana White, Ajiona Alexus, and Eric Kofi Abrefa as well as cast members Wood Harris, Serayah, Myles Truitt, and Steve Harris.
Tasha Smith will direct multiple episodes and executive produce BMF alongside 50 Cent. However, Eminem’s cameo in episode 7 is directed by 50 Cent himself. The show is currently scheduled to premiere on September 26th on Starz.
Earlier this year, Gen Z tried to cancel Eminem for his notoriously sexist, violent, and homophobic lyrics of the past, but the rapper fired back with a new track called “Tone Deaf.” Nobody can reverse his influence or fame, but they can come for his crown. Case and point: a few months ago, Eminem was dethroned by Pop Smoke for most weeks at No. 1 on the hip-hop albums chart.
