Tyga is making a power move that goes well beyond the recording booth. The multi-platinum rapper born Michael Ray Stevenson has landed his first-ever leading film role in Baby, You’re a Star, a coming-of-age musical drama currently in production in Portland, Oregon. And in a move that signals this isn’t just a vanity project, Tyga is also co-writing the screenplay and serving as a producer on the film — putting his creative and financial fingerprints all over it.

Reported exclusively by Deadline, the announcement marks a significant pivot for the “Rack City” architect, who has quietly been building toward a serious entertainment career beyond music. While Tyga has appeared in films before — with credits in Mac & Devin Go to High School, DOPE, November Rule, Sleight, and Barbershop: The Next Cut — those were supporting roles. Baby, You’re a Star is his first time carrying the full weight of a feature film on his shoulders.

The film is set in 1989 and follows an ambitious young artist determined to break free from the limitations of his environment as he navigates love, identity, and the pursuit of artistic expression. The project has drawn comparisons to the Prince era in tone and aesthetic, with the inclusion of Prince protégé Apollonia also part of the cast — lending the film a heavy Prince vibe.

According to the film’s official press release, Baby, You’re a Star aims to blend “music, nostalgia and raw emotional stakes” in an effort to “capture the spirit of a generation on the brink of cultural change.” That’s an ambitious mandate for what is shaping up to be one of the more culturally textured hip-hop adjacent films in the pipeline.

Tyga co-wrote the script with Curtis Bryant. Director Arrad Rahgoshay — known for his music video work with Tyga and Cardi B — is making his feature directorial debut on the film, with Brian Sher and Eric Tomosunas producing alongside Tyga.

The ensemble cast is no joke. Co-starring alongside Tyga are Madison Bailey (Outer Banks) and Ashton Sanders (Moonlight), with the supporting cast also including Apollonia, Clifton Powell, Patrick Cage, David Alan Grier, and Mike Epps. That’s a lineup built to generate serious awards-circuit buzz and crossover theatrical appeal. Sanders, in particular, brings significant prestige credibility — his Oscar-winning turn in Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight remains one of the defining performances of the last decade.

Tyga is repositioning himself as a full creative enterprise. By co-writing and producing this project, he retains creative control and equity in the production — a model that the savviest hip-hop artists have been executing for years. This isn’t an artist being cast in a movie. This is an artist building one.

Tyga has been a rap staple for nearly 15 years since his breakout Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “Rack City,” which reached No. 7 on the chart in early 2012. Among his 34 Hot 100 entries, he has notched top 10 anthems with “Taste” alongside Offset (No. 8 peak) in 2018 and “Loyal” with Chris Brown (No. 9 peak) in 2014. His catalog has earned billions of global streams and numerous multi-platinum certifications. That level of proven commercial track record gives him real leverage in Hollywood packaging conversations.

The project also arrives at a moment when music biopics and period musical dramas are among the highest-performing theatrical properties in Hollywood. Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic hits theaters this month, Snoop Dogg’s biopic is also on deck and Sony has four Beatles films mapped out for 2028. The appetite for music-driven theatrical storytelling is at a premium — and a Prince-era aesthetic set in 1989 could tap a serious nostalgia vein with audiences who came of age during that cultural golden era.

What’s Still Unknown

As of publication, no distribution deal or release date has been publicly announced for Baby, You’re a Star. Filming is underway in Portland, but no wrap date has been confirmed. The absence of a named distribution partner is worth watching — it will ultimately determine the film’s theatrical reach and awards positioning.

Tyga’s most recent album, NSFW, arrived in February 2025 with a heavy-hitting features list that included Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Cher, Flo Milli, Shenseea, Lil Tjay, and Ty Dolla $ign. He has been relatively quiet on the music side through the first quarter of 2026, which tracks for an artist with his focus locked into pre-production and now production on a major film project.