Rapper Yazz The Greatest, aka actor Bryshere Y. Gray, was asked to rap for a TV show audition. He killed it, nailing the role as Hakeem Lyon in FOX’s pilot EMPIRE which premieres Wednesday, January 7 on FOX. His character, Hakeen, is the youngest son of Luscious Lyon (Terrence Howard), a former drug dealer who turned hip hop mogul and CEO of Empire Entertainment. Hakeem is Luscious’ favorite child, a rising hip hop star.
EMPIRE is Gray’s television debut. Gray hails from Philadelphia’s Overbrook Hill School and seems to be following in the footsteps of fellow Overbrook alum Will Smith, who also went from rapping to TV–before becoming one of the world’s biggest film stars.
