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.