Ludacris will apparently be playing a cop in the upcoming season of Empire, based on the photo he posted on Instagram with star Terrence Howard. No word on whether rumors the character is named "Rick Ross" are true or not (we made the last part up).
The image shows the rapper dressed as a corrections officer, while Howard appears in an orange inmate uniform. As fans of the show will recall (spoiler alert), Lucious Lyon—Howard's character and the head of Empire Entertainment—was arrested during the Season 1 finale for his role in the murder of Bunkie. We would guess, based on Luda's enrollment, that producers plan on Lyon being in prison for at least a few episodes.
The emcee joins a crowded lineup of guest stars that have already been announced, including Alicia Keys, Chris Rock, Kelly Rowland and Zac Efron. No word on how many of those stars will portray themselves and who will play different characters. If we learned anything from Season 1, it's that the universe of Empire is tied into our own: Snoop Dogg, Rita Ora, Juicy J, Patti LaBelle, Sway Calloway and more all played themselves in the show. Then again, other stars—such as Mary J. Blige—played fictional characters.
We suppose we can't assume that Ludacris isn't playing himself. Maybe in the universe of the FOX drama, Luda has found a new interest in law enforcement.
Empire's second season will debut on September 23.
