Azealia Banks and the RZA connect?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the legendary Wu-Tang Clan rapper/producer turned director has tabbed Banks to star in the movie It Doesn’t Have to Rhyme. The Lionsgate production, which The Hollywood Reporter likens to 8 Mile, will have Banks portraying a female rapper and college student who explores her passion for slam poetry.

RZA has reportedly also recruited Common, Jill Scott and Lorraine Toussaint to appear in the flick, which will begin shooting in New York City this week. Common will serve as Banks's mentor while Scott is playing a professor who thinks rapping and slam poetry clash.

Banks, who is nominated for a 2015 BET Award, continues to take her young career to new heights. Her step into acting follows the critically-acclaimed release of her debut album, Broke With Expensive Taste, last year.

Click here for a chance to win a trip to the 2015 BET Awards!

BET.com is your No. 1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.

(Photos from left: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for NYLON, Rommel Demano/Getty Images)