Starring as Denzel Washington’s wife in a Spike Lee‘s “Highest 2 Lowest” was a dream come true for Ilfenesh Hadera. But she admits she was skeptical when she heard A$AP Rocky was also cast in a starring role in the film.
“I mean, like total transparency, I asked Spike who was cast as the kidnapper. He said [A$AP] Rocky and I was like, ‘oh…’ I’d never seen him act before,” Hadera told Variety on Monday at the movie’s New York City premiere.
In “Highest 2 Lowest,” a modern reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic “High and Low,” Rocky takes on his most substantial role yet as the film’s central antagonist.
This isn’t Rocky’s first time on the big screen. He made his feature film debut as a drug dealer in “Dope,” but it was his supporting role in the 2018 legal drama “Monster” that caught Lee’s attention.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 11: (L-R) Denzel Washington and A$AP Rocky attend the “Highest 2 Lowest” New York Premiere at Brooklyn Academy of Music on August 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
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Rocky plays Yung Felon, a wannabe rapper obsessed with music mogul David King (Washington) who stages an elaborate kidnapping to get his attention. At the climax of the film, Rocky and Washington go head-to-head in a rap battle fueled by hard truths and timeless wisdom. At one point, Yung Felon even mentions feeding his lady and newborn baby (Rocky’s wife, Rihanna, is expecting their third child).
“I love him as a rapper, he’s my Harlem brethren,” Hadera explained. “But, you know, you have these musicians who decide they want to act, and because they have relationships, start to do it. And in this film, if that’s not a solid performance, everything kind of falls apart.”
After seeing the final cut of “Highest 2 Lowest” at the film’s world premiere at Cannes in May, Hadera said any doubts she had about Rocky’s casting disappeared.
“When I saw that man act at Cannes, he had this charisma and God-given talent that blew me away,” she said. “I can’t imagine that his calendar is not full with pre-production plans for years to come after this movie comes out. He’s so great in it.”
Alexander Soroken and Ilfenesh Hadera attend the “Highest 2 Lowest” New York Premiere at Brooklyn Academy of Music on Aug. 11 in New York City.
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Rocky, arriving fashionably late to the New York premiere on Monday, trotted down the carpet line at the BAM Harvey Theater with infectious enthusiasm. When asked if he sees a prolific movie career ahead of him, he responded with three simple words: “I hope so.”
During his May cover story with Variety’s Angelique Jackson, Rocky’s conviction was clear after being asked whether he was nervous going up against Washington.
“Nah, I was born for this,” he said. “I’m not gonna waste nobody’s time. This is what I do — this is the same approach you would take to making an album or to directing or designing anything: You’ve got to give it your all… If somebody don’t got integrity, and they’re just doing it for the check or the look or the next opportunity, it never works out for them.”
Rocky’s creative ambitions left a lasting impression on his younger castmate Elijah Wright, son of Jeffrey Wright, both on-and-off the call sheet.
“A$AP is the best,” Elijah said. “I grew up with his music, so it’s really cool and inspiring to see that he’s tackling music and acting and doing everything. That’s something that I aspire to do too.”
Later this year, Rocky will hit the circuit again to promote his turn in the Sundance hit “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” Whether his next move keeps him in front of the camera or takes him into another creative lane, Spike Lee has no doubt about the outcome.
“He’s multi-talented,” Lee told Variety. “He’s going to excel in whatever he does.”
“Highest 2 Lowest” opens in select theaters Aug. 15 before streaming on Apple TV+ on Sept. 5.
