All Empire's Celebrity Guest Stars, Ranked by Real-Life Street Creed

Let's work on getting clear on who she is or what she does before assigning her respect in the streets, OK?

Wonderful singer; zero street cred.

These two probably couldn't hail a taxi without an assistant so let's go with zero. Negative one if you add Joel.

Oh come on. No.

More sequins than street life. But she's kind of related to Jay-Z!

Gladys is music royalty and while the devoutly religious singer has never been known for any kind of drama, she has leant her name to some Atlanta-based restaurants, Gladys Knight's Chicken & Waffles, that have no doubt hosted a fair share of hangry gangstas.

Jennifer Hudson grew up singing in the church choir; unless you can count a high-pitched holler as a weapon, Jennifer isn't the friend you call when it's time to brawl.

Running in heels and beating a face are the closest he'll get to street cred, honey.

Only if Ne-Yo became a video game character who can decapitate someone with a single fling of his fedora-turned-circular saw would he ever be menacing in any way.

If settling that lawsuit against the notoriously badass Sean Penn is any indication, Empire's executive producer is all bark with very little bite.

Poor Don Lemon is often portrayed as a media laughingstock but, to be fair, he does hold his own when being shouted down by rappers and government officials alike. Sort of.

Mean side-eye, but no street cred. She'll always be a Cosby kid!

Mr. "Show Me the Money" himself has zero street cred - unless you count barhopping.

He's actually got more cred in the art world as a renowned collector than in the streets.

Though Sway knows a ton of rappers as a result of his career spent interviewing them (and he's from the not-exactly-prim Oakland) most people know Sway as that kinda goofy guy in the hat.

Maybe, if you count his turn as the crack-smoking Pookie in the seminal '90s hip-hop film New Jack City, Chris Rock has some street cred, but when "sex in the Champagne room" is something that goes on in your life, you're pretty sheltered.

The king of lightly Caribbean-flavored mom rap is definitely not about that life.

Luda is much more likely to shut a party down with Earth-shaking bass and booty dancing than he is a squad of goons.

Fun fact: The super-successful music producer was at one time seriously pursuing bodybuilding, which would've had him basically looking like a black Incredible Hulk (good for street cred), yet by his own admission, wearing "the little thong shorts" (not good for street cred). Whatever. He knows Jay-Z, so that counts a lot.

Remember those early days, when Alicia Keys was all cornrows and Timberlands? She grew up in New York's Hell's Kitchen and has probably done things with a statute of limitations longer than one of her soulful wails.

This one's tricky. Rosie is a daytime TV host once labeled "the Queen of Nice." On the other hand, she's an unrepentant loud mouth who's never afraid to back down - even when she was being bullied by Donald Trump. So while she's not the first choice of companion for walking through a bad neighborhood at 1 a.m., you do get the sense that anybody who stepped to her would regret it.

Radio host Charlamagne served time in prison and got kicked off Wendy Williams' New York City radio show for being too blunt with the show's rapper guests. Just as he did on Empire, Charlamagne has irked a fair share of hip-hop heavyweights, including Birdman, who famously instructed him to "put some respeck" on his name. The man has cred!

Al Sharpton doesn't look like the type who can land a punch, but it's fair to say he can walk through any hood without getting robbed. So let's give him his props.

Remember that time Patti LaBelle kicked that fan off a stage for trying to strip during her set? Or when she paid $100,000 to a family who accused her of going OFF on them, calling the mom the c-word and throwing water on them? Patti is NOT. THE. ONE.

Courtney Love is gangsta. She's repeatedly proven to give zero f--ks, and will go upside your head if you come at her wrong.

Everyone knows Mary will cut a bitch.

Yes, the legendary ALT has dined with princesses and could lull you to sleep extolling the virtues of crinoline and tulle. He also worked alongside Anna Wintour for decades, meaning he can stop your heart with a glare or pop your eyes out with a brooch.

This rapper spent time in federal prison for trying to bring a gun on a US Airways flight so...yeah.

Despite the ever-present smile and pop collaboration with Katy Perry, Juicy J was a founding member of Three Six Mafia, which, have you heard the group's early music? It'll give you nightmares.

The longtime Hot 97 DJ can make or break a rapper's career, hasn't backed down from feuds with Drake and even Jay-Z. He likely knows where a whole lot of bodies are buried.

Um, Da Brat that went to prison for hitting somebody upside the head with a bottle? She has more street cred than Andre, Jamal and Hakeem combined.

Go ahead and see "Uncle Snoop" as a harmless friend of Martha Stewart if you want to: he's a devoted Crip and was on Death Row records around the same time Tupac was killed. The man knows things, if you know what I mean.