You know the song. That haunting, tinkling synth line. The heavy bass that defined West Coast hip-hop in the mid-90s. Luniz’s "I Got 5 On It" is an undisputed anthem, a track so iconic that Jordan Peele literally turned it into a horror score decades later for Us. But if you’re scrolling through TikTok or deep-diving into 90s nostalgia lately, there’s one specific question popping up more than the lyrics themselves: Was Drew Sidora actually in the music video?
It’s a weird bit of trivia that feels like a fever dream. Drew Sidora, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star and Step Up actress, is often linked to the 1995 smash hit. Honestly, the timeline is what trips people up. Let’s look at the facts.
The Reality of the Drew Sidora I Got 5 On It Connection
Most people know Drew from her RHOA days or her role as T-Boz in the TLC biopic. She’s been in the industry forever. But when "I Got 5 On It" dropped in May 1995, Drew Sidora was just a kid. Literally. She was born in 1985, making her about ten years old when Yukmouth and Numskull were filming their masterpiece in the Bay Area.
So, no. She wasn’t the leading lady in the video.
The confusion usually stems from a mix-up with other 90s music videos she actually appeared in, or simply the fact that she’s been a staple in Black entertainment for so long that our brains just slot her into every major cultural moment from that era. She did, however, start her career incredibly young. By the time she was a teenager, she was already booking major gigs, which is why her face feels so synonymous with that gritty, vibrant 90s and early 2000s aesthetic.
Why Does This Rumor Keep Surfacing?
The internet is a giant game of telephone. Sometimes a fan makes a "lookalike" post, it gets 50,000 likes, and suddenly it’s accepted as gospel. There are several actresses in the original Luniz video who share a similar vibe or look to a younger Drew, particularly with the styling—the baby hairs, the gold hoops, the specific lip liner look that defined the decade.
Also, Drew has a history of being "the girl in the video" for other massive hits. She was the love interest in Trey Songz’s "Last Time" and appeared in Sean Paul’s "Give It Up To Me." When you’ve been the face of several R&B and Hip-Hop staples, people start retroactively casting you in every video they remember from their childhood. It’s a compliment to her longevity, really.
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Understanding the "I Got 5 On It" Legacy
To understand why people care about who was in this video, you have to understand the gravity of the song itself. It wasn't just a radio hit; it was a cultural shift. It sampled Club Nouveau’s "Why You Treat Me So Bad," and in doing so, created a blueprint for the "stoner anthem" that wasn't just about the lifestyle, but about the struggle of pitching in five bucks because you’re broke.
It’s relatable. It’s gritty. It’s Oakland.
The video itself featured a massive cast of locals and cameos. If you watch it back now, it’s a time capsule. You see the fashion of the 510—oversized jerseys, Ben Davis gear, and that specific Bay Area swagger. Because the video utilized so many different people from the community, it’s always been a "Who’s Who" for eagle-eyed fans.
Drew Sidora’s Real Early Career
While she wasn't pitching in five dollars with the Luniz, Drew was busy building a resume that most child actors would kill for. She was part of the "Hook Players" at the Richard Pryor Theater. That’s a heavy start.
- She appeared in That's So Raven.
- She had a recurring role on Girlfriends.
- She starred in Step Up (2006) as Lucy Avila.
- She played Chantel in White Chicks.
When you look at that list, you realize she’s been a "face" in our living rooms for nearly thirty years. That kind of familiarity breeds the kind of "Mandela Effect" we see with the Drew Sidora I Got 5 On It rumors. We feel like we’ve seen her everywhere because, frankly, we have.
The Viral Nature of Celeb Myths
We live in an era where "vibes" often trump "dates." On platforms like Instagram and TikTok, aesthetic accounts post grainy 90s screengrabs constantly. Often, these accounts mislabel people. I’ve seen posts claiming a young Jada Pinkett Smith was in videos she never touched. Once a post like that goes viral, the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) starts to catch up. People search for "Drew Sidora 90s video," and the algorithm does the rest, linking her to the biggest song of that year.
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It’s also worth noting that Drew did have a music career. Remember "For The Love"? She was signed to Slip-n-Slide Records. She knows the music industry inside and out. Her transition from actress to singer to reality star makes her a unique figure in Hollywood—someone who is perpetually "adjacent" to every major trend.
Clearing Up the Timeline
Let’s be precise here.
- 1995: "I Got 5 On It" is released. Drew is 10.
- 2003: Drew makes her big splash in That's So Raven.
- 2006: Step Up and White Chicks make her a household name for the younger generation.
- 2020: Drew joins The Real Housewives of Atlanta, sparking a massive resurgence in interest about her past work.
When she joined RHOA, fans started digging. They wanted to see everything she’d ever done. In that frantic search for nostalgia, the lines between "90s icon" and "90s video extra" got blurred.
What This Says About Our Obsession with 90s Nostalgia
There is a reason we keep trying to find modern stars in old videos. It’s a way of validating the current stars we love. If Drew Sidora was in the Luniz video, it would give her an "OG" status that is highly currency-efficient in the world of reality TV. On Real Housewives, your pedigree matters. Your "receipts" matter.
While she doesn't have the Luniz receipt, she has plenty of others. She worked with Disney. She worked with the Wayans brothers. She played a literal icon (T-Boz) in a biopic. That’s a higher level of industry clearance than being an extra in a music video at age ten would ever provide.
The Jordan Peele Factor
We also can't ignore the Us effect. When Jordan Peele brought "I Got 5 On It" back into the mainstream in 2019, it sparked a massive wave of "Where are they now?" articles and videos. People went back and watched the original music video with a magnifying glass.
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In that frantic re-examination of the footage, people started spotting familiar faces. Or, more accurately, faces they thought were familiar. Because Drew Sidora has that timeless look—that classic R&B starlet aesthetic—it’s easy for a casual viewer to pause the video at 2:15 and say, "Wait, is that Drew?"
How to Verify These Cameos Yourself
If you’re ever unsure about a celebrity cameo, there are a few places that are better than a TikTok comment section.
- IMDb: Usually lists music video appearances for actors, though it can miss smaller, uncredited roles.
- MVDBase: A specialized database specifically for music videos.
- Official Credits: Many high-budget 90s videos actually listed their primary dancers and models in the production notes.
In the case of the Drew Sidora I Got 5 On It mystery, the math simply doesn't add up. But the fact that we’re even talking about it shows just how much she’s moved the needle in pop culture. You don't get rumored into legendary music videos unless you’ve reached a certain level of fame.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you’re a fan of Drew or just a 90s hip-hop head, here is how to navigate these kinds of viral rumors:
- Check the birth year: This is the easiest way to debunk any "was she in this 90s video" rumor. If they weren't at least 16-18, it’s highly unlikely they were playing a "party-goer" in a rap video.
- Watch the credits: Look for "Music Video Filmography" on Wikipedia. Fans are incredibly meticulous about updating these for stars like Drew Sidora.
- Separate the person from the aesthetic: Just because someone has the same hairstyle or "look" as a celebrity doesn't mean it’s them. The 90s had a very specific "uniform" for music video models.
Drew Sidora remains a fascinating figure in entertainment because she bridges the gap between the "old" Hollywood of the 90s/2000s and the new world of reality-driven social media. Whether she was in the Luniz video or not doesn't change her status. She’s an actress who survived the child-star transition and came out the other side with a peach in her hand and a legacy that people are still trying to piece together.
Next time you hear that "I Got 5 On It" beat drop, enjoy the song for what it is: a Bay Area masterpiece. And when you see Drew on your screen, appreciate her for the roles she actually played, which are far more impressive than a background cameo.