Lupita Nyong'o freestyle raps as Troublemaker alter ego for Jimmy Fallon

Oscar winner, Tony nominee, author, Beyoncé lyric, and budding hip-hop star. Lupita Nyong’o can do it all.

While promoting her new children’s book, Sulwe, as well as her role in Little Monsters, the actress indulged Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show by assuming her rap alter ego Troublemaker to spit some freestyle lyrics with The Roots as backup.

“I was baptized as Troublemaker by Common. So, I feel like it’s legit, and it’s something I do in a car,” she said.

Troublemaker is all about the sunglasses. Once Nyong’o puts on the shades, she transforms and conjures the bars she needs. Fans have seen her rap about Black Panther with her co-star Letitia Wright and also for fun on Instagram. But, as Nyong’o tweeted on Monday night, this was “the first time Troublemaker came out to play with Jimmy & The Roots.”

“I’m a fraud,” Nyong’o said with a laugh. “I feel like in my past life… I’m supposed to be a rapper, but I’m not. So, I do it for fun. I like to play a rapper, but I’m really not one.”

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