COMBS SHOCKED BY BIGGIE BIOPIC CAST'S LIKENESS.

Rap mogul SEAN 'DIDDY' COMBS has lavished praise on the cast of the upcoming NOTORIOUS B.I.G. biopic, because the actors bear an uncanny resemblance to the hip-hop stars they portray on screen. The film, Notorious, tells the story of the late rapper's rise to stardom in the mid-1990s, and features portrayals of stars like Lil' Kim, Tupac Shakur, and Combs himself.

And, after a visit to the movie's set, the 38-year-old came away especially impressed by actor Derek Luke, who has been cast as Diddy. He tells MTV.com, "It's rare that you get a movie made about you when you're still relevant, but (they) took on the challenge. "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." But Combs reserved his highest praise for Jamal 'Gravy' Woolard, a young rapper who has landed the lead role.

He adds, "Gravy, the guy playing B.I.G., it was just too eerie for me to be on that. 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? I don't think anybody could have done a better job." Notorious B.I.G., real name Christopher Wallace, was gunned down after a Vibe magazine party in Los Angeles in 1997. There's Biggie and Faith Evans actors above...