A$AP Rocky Is Receiving Oscar Buzz For Best Supporting Actor Opposite Denzel

A$AP Rocky is making serious waves in Hollywood as his performance in Highest 2 Lowest garners early awards-season attention, including consideration for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

According to Variety’s Oscars Prediction List, Rocky’s performance has landed him in the running for a Best Supporting Actor nod, putting him in rare air for a recording artist breaking into Hollywood.

Known primarily for his genre-defining work in music, Rocky’s latest turn as Yung Felon — a sharp-witted, ambitious rap artist — places him directly alongside screen legend Denzel Washington in some of the film’s most talked-about scenes.

In the film, directed by Spike Lee, Rocky’s character Yung Felon finds himself in Denzel’s orbit, setting the stage for a powerful and unexpected alliance. Their chemistry is electric, and critics have taken notice of Rocky’s ability to hold his own against one of the most revered actors of our time.

“Yeah, don’t sleep on A$AP,” Spike Lee said during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in July. “In this film, Denzel and A$AP go toe to toe.”

Lee went on to highlight the uncanny resemblance between the two stars, suggesting it added a layer of unspoken depth to their scenes.

“What’s interesting is, even before I got involved with this film, I always thought that A$AP looked like he could be Denzel’s son. There’s a big resemblance. So when you see it on the screen, it adds an element of father and son. Don’t sleep on A$AP. Don’t sleep on A$AP,” he emphasized.

Lee added, “I’ve done five films with Denzel, and when he’s in a scene with somebody, they just get overwhelmed. He’s one of the world’s greatest living actors. But A$AP wasn’t having that. Toe to toe. I mean, they were going at it.”

While Highest 2 Lowest marks Rocky’s most significant acting role to date, he’s no stranger to the screen. His previous film credits include Dope, Monster, Zoolander 2, and the indie short If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

Rocky’s musical contributions to the film, including the moody single “Trunks” and the introspective “Both Eyes Closed,” have also added to the film’s cultural weight, reinforcing his versatility as both an artist and performer.

With names like Mahershala Ali (Jurassic Park: Rebirth), Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Life of Chuck), Miles Caton (Sinners), Delroy Lindo (Sinners), Damson Idris (F1), and Idris Elba (A House of Dynamite) also in the Best Supporting Actor mix, A$AP Rocky’s inclusion speaks volumes about the impact of his performance — and his undeniable presence on screen.