US rapper P Diddy has praised actor Jamal ‘Gravy’ Woolard, who plays Notorious B.I.G. in forthcoming movie about the late rapper.

P Diddy, whose real name is Sean Coombs, said he finds Woolard’s portrayal of the hip-hop legend “eerie”.

"Gravy's killing it. If I tell you he's killing it, then that's all we need to say, you know what I'm saying?” the rapper told MTV.

“I don't think anybody could have done a better job."

Coombs also said that he was impressed with Derek Luke, who plays him in the film.

“It's rare that you get a movie made about you when you're still relevant, but [they] took on the challenge," Combs said.

"People asked me years ago who you'd want to play me, and I said Derek Luke ... so it was just destined. I got to see him do his thing, and it was scary for me. I had to leave, 'cause he was acting just like me."

The film, entitled Notorious, tells the story of Notorious B.I.G’s rise to international stardom which came to a tragic end in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in 1997.

The film is scheduled to be released next January.

(by Jason Gregory)