Jay Pharoah might want to watch his throne. Saturday Night Live's resident impressionist has some serious competition for the best Jay Z impersonation in the biz — from Denzel Washington, no less.
While promoting his new shoot-em-up flick, The Equalizer, Washington stopped by The Queen Latifah Show for a chat. When talk turned to the actor's relationship to hip-hop (he grew up with Ludacris's dad, Wayne Bridges), Washington delighted the audience when he busted out his spot-on Hov impression.
"Yeah, D, Imma play this for you, D,’” Washington said in Jay 's signature drawl, while recalling their time in the studio together. "It was Change Clothes," he added. "He’s like, so what’d you think, D?’ I was like, ‘Play that again.’ He was so nonchalant with it.”
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Washington's ability to mimic the biggest rapper in the game should come as no surprise. The two icons partnered up on the 2007 biopic American Gangster, for which Jay Z made a corresponding concept album. Still, despite Washington's secret talent, Pharoah need not worry. The Equalizer just finished atop the box office thanks to a stellar $35 million opening weekend, which prompted Variety to call Washington "The Last Pure Movie Star."
Something tells us he'll be keeping his day job. (Vulture)
Photo: BEImages/Gregory Pace.