His last album may have been a disappearing act, but the film career of Mos Def remains as real as ever.

Mos Def

The rapper has signed on to play legendary guitarist Chuck Berry in Cadillac Records, a forthcoming feature film about the turbulent but exciting lives of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess and the artists signed to the legendary Chicago-based label, which included Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Willie Dixon, and Howlin' Wolf, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The flick, currently being filmed in New Jersey, is set in Chicago during the 1950s.

Its cast also includes Beyonce Knowles as Etta James, Jeffrey Wright as Waters, Gabrielle Union as Muddy Waters' girlfriend Geneva Wade, and Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess. Cedric the Entertainer will play Dixon.

Prison Song director Darnell Martin wrote and is directing Cadillac Records.

Mos Def will next be seen in the William H. Macy-directed film Keep Coming Back, as well as Next Day Air. He was recently seen in Michel Gondry's comedy Be Kind Rewind.

As for his music career, which took a big step backward when Geffen Records recalled his Tru3 Magic album just two weeks after a promo-free release, Mos apparently has a new album on the horizon. The Ecstatic is expected to be released by Downtown Records, with Kanye West, Madlib, Oh No, and the Neptunes' Chad Hugo producing.