Rise of Saigon

In its constant quest for Hollywood vérité, HBO's Entourage didn't just hire an actor to play an unsigned rapper in its Aug. 21 episode, they snagged a real-life rhyme spitter. Through a contact at Atlantic Records, show creator Doug Ellin found buzzed-about MC Saigon, casting him in a two-episode arc as Turtle's first client as a manager. ''We were looking for an unknown rapper who had potential to break,'' says Ellin. ''We heard the music, we flipped over it, then we met him and that was it. We never met with anyone else.''

The role wasn't a stretch for the first-time actor: ''The hardest thing was keeping a straight face during takes,'' says the 27-year-old. ''Kevin Dillon is hilarious!'' Unlike his character, Saigon is from New York, not L.A., plus he's already got a manager and a record deal with producer Just Blaze's Fort Knocks Entertainment (distributed by Atlantic). So Saigon's future may be looking bright — but what about Turtle's? ''Because he's a great salesman, I think he can find success,'' says Ellin, adding: ''Whether he'll cut the best deals and be able to handle the logistics, I'm not so sure.''