 In 2006, Parker played the male lead in "Rome & Jewel", a hip-hop take on "Romeo and Juliet" that got mothballed and re-released in 2008.Parker's title character, who is supposed to be the modern day Romeo, was a Compton youth with both tenderness and toughness.Despite a troubled script, Parker's rap performance earned comparisons to Will Smith from Nathan Lee of "The New York Times".