Joe and Jada - Omar Epps on NEW FILM ‘Moses the Black,’ Tupac in ‘Juice’ & ALL-TIME Black performances

You know what it is. Big energy today. Netflix love in the air, and our guest is a legend with range for days. He can carry a badge, run a court, or scrub into a hospital. Make some noise for Omar.

Appreciate the love. I grew up with y’all, so this feels like family. The chemistry here is crazy natural, like a classic duo show you can’t turn off.

Take us to Juice. What was working with Pac like back then?

I was seventeen, fresh out of high school, and it felt like our real lives on screen. Pac was just Pac—spitting verses in the trailer, not yet the icon the world would meet after. LL slid through, dropped game, and I remember thinking how young he was when he turned into a movement.

The Wood still hits. How did that brotherhood feel on set?

It was a grown version of the bond. Same roots, new responsibilities. We shot it like we lived it, and it was pure fun.

House flipped the script for you. Was that the point?

Exactly. I wanted to zag. I even asked to keep the tattooed hand so kids saw a Black doctor with a real past. Images matter. They tell a kid, you can wear the white coat too.

Art hits deep. I lost my mom and couldn’t listen to her music for a while because it puts you right back in the room. That’s the power we hold. I stay grateful, take care of myself, and enjoy my family. That’s the real glow.

New joint time. What’s Moses the Black, and how was it working with the crew on that?

I play Malik, a man fresh out who realizes he has to become the change he’s chasing. It runs alongside the true story of Saint Moses the Black, a former outlaw who transforms. The parallels are raw. Everyone showed up for the right reasons, and seeing folks step into storytelling with respect for the process was dope.

Quick PSA. Stop surprise FaceTiming me in public. I might be shirtless at the crib. Call first. Boundaries are healthy.

Paint the 90s for us. What was Black Hollywood like, and what changed in hip‑hop?

It was love. People popped into each other’s videos just because. When real money hit, egos grew and crews got territorial. I don’t blame the kids for getting big bags early, but wisdom needs time. Growth takes room to breathe.

I had to work on myself too. I was feared, and that blocks blessings. Even then, my heart was for the people. When Pun passed, we had a real conversation that humanized the game. A mentor later told me I survived the hand I was dealt. In any community, people hustle—some wear suits, some don’t. We just get spotlighted different.

How do you and your superstar wife make it all run?

She’s my world and beautiful to the core. We built a family out West, and with our son about to finish high school, we’re almost empty nesters. I like the idea of a quiet town, but for now we move with purpose and catch flights when we want.

You still hungry for the craft? What’s next?

Always. Acting doesn’t leave you. I’m evolving and will direct. The more you live, the more you can pour into the work.

Give us a scene that shaped you.

Sidney Poitier’s slap in In the Heat of the Night. First time seeing a Black man do that on screen. It shook the room and set a bar for what truth can look like.

Juice is timeless. I still bump into folks from that world at award shows and laugh at the full‑circle moments.

Before social media, seeing an artist in person was electric. Pac would move through a crowd like a comet. Pun had that too. Presence like that turns a hallway into an arena.

Albums raised us. We’d loop Midnight Marauders and just drive. Those nights stick to your bones. Music and culture carried us, and we left it in strong hands.

I remember a kingpin pulling up when I was broke, tossing me in a cherry red ride. One lap around the block felt like my life flipped. Moments like that change your lens.

Run to the theaters for Moses the Black. The shared energy, the laughs, the gasps, the whole vibe—you can’t stream that feeling.

Facts. Grab your popcorn and lock in with strangers who become a crowd. That’s cinema. And before I dip, major love to Teyana Taylor. One of one. She keeps hitting home runs.

We’re proud of you, Teyana. Big love to Omar. Legendary sit‑down. Make some noise.