No Hoax about Rapper Joaquin Phoenix, Rep Says

The other day, while the world was still having trouble coming to terms with Joaquin Phoenix’s rather disastrous debut as a rapper, word got out that it was nothing but an elaborate hoax. Today, the former actor’s representative is telling the media that Joaquin is sincere in his intentions of crossing over.

Whereas most fans and the media still believe that this is nothing but an attempt at covering what was clearly a leakage with the potential of ruining Joaquin’s upcoming “art project,” the actor’s rep is adamant that what the world sees is what it gets. He really wants to make a name for himself as a musician - a rapper, to be more specific -, so his live gigs and forthcoming musical products should not be doubted from now on.

“The transition from one career to another is never seamless. It should come as no surprise to anyone that Joaquin came from a musical family, in addition to winning a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Johnny Cash. He intends on exploring his musical interests despite speculative, negative or positive reactions.” the rep said in a press statement just released.   

If true, this would mean that the rumor of earlier this week, according to which Joaquin was basically still acting, but for a mockumentary on celebrity meltdowns, shot and directed by Casey Affleck, was nothing but pure gossip. “He said, ‘It’s a put-on. I’m going to pretend to have a meltdown and change careers, and Casey is going to film it.’ It’s an art project for him. He’s going full out. He probably has told his reps that he’s quit acting. Joaquin is very smart. This is very conscious. He has a huge degree of control.” a source said at the time.

In all fairness, Phoenix’s singing abilities have never come in question, since he showed what he was capable of, musically speaking, with his hit “Walk the Line,” where he sang all Johnny Cash tracks. However, from that to a career in rap music is a huge step, and it is precisely this that got fans talking of a Sacha Baron Cohen-like project.