More than Hakeem Campbell: 5 facts you should know about Lamont Bentley
Hakeem Campbell was a character who represented the true definition of a best friend. He always ate at Moesha's house, and her family saw him as one of their own. Hakeem and Moesha grew up together, and like all best friends, they would argue and make up. It wasn't until the college episodes of Moesha that both realized they were soul mates and started dating. However, if you've watched since the beginning, you can tell the two were made for each other.
Lamont Bently brought the character to life, and although we associate him with his breakout role, the actor was more than just the teenage boy who lived next door to the Mitchells.
Here are five facts about Lamont Bently that you should know.
He moved to Los Angeles with his mom.
Back in the day, if you truly wanted to kick off your dreams of becoming a singer or actor, you had to move to Los Angeles — so that's what Lamont Bentley's mom did — not necessarily for her son, but for her. She wanted to kick start her singing career, and, of course, he followed her to the City of Angels.
He dropped out of high school to pursue an acting career.
At 12, Bentley began practicing his autograph signatures with a new dream of becoming an actor. He dropped out of high school to focus on the dream, taking on odd jobs here and there to support himself. He worked at movie theaters, a fish market, and a grocery store, among other places, waiting for his dream to be a reality.
Bentley's on-screen debut was in a popular candy commercial.
In 1986, the actor made his on-screen debut in a Starburst commercial. His career slowly took off, as he appeared in minor roles on television until a massive opportunity arose in 1994.
This 1994 short-lived series was the reason he was cast as Hakeem in Moesha.
Bentley snagged the recurring role of Rashad in the short-lived 1994 series South Central. The series starred Larenz Tate, Tina Lifford, Tasha Scott, and Keith Mbulo but lasted ten episodes.
It followed the lives of the Moseley family as they dealt with societal and family issues in the '90s. In 1992, a film of the same name premiered and became a classic movie in Black culture.
Although the series was short, one of the creators, Ralph Farquhar, cast Bentley as Hakeem in his then-upcoming sitcom, Moesha.
After Moesha ended, Lamont pursued a rap career.
Moesha ended on a cliffhanger, as the series was canceled, and Bentley never got the chance to film a proper finale. Bentley still appeared in minor roles in films and on television, but he shifted his primary focus to a rap career.
On the series, writers allowed Bentley to showcase his talents, creating a group on the show with Countess Vaughn and Fredro Star's characters called "CPQ," which included each of their character's initials.
He was a member of the recording group UPRIZE.
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