Joaquin Phoenix: Confirms about doing hip-hop music

Joaquin Phoenix has confirmed that he has given up acting to become a hip-hop musician. Phoenix has been spending his time laying down tracks for a rap album in the recording studio that he built at his home. He said during an interview on Tuesday to promote what he claims is his final movie, "Two Lovers."

Last month after the video hit the internet capturing part of Phoenix's debut rap performance at a Las Vegas club, rumor swirled that he was perpetrating an elaborate practical joke.

Phoenix continued, “I don't know where that comes from," "If it comes from people that I've had a falling out with, that are (ticked) off at me?"

The video shows Phoenix singing rap songs that were nearly inaudibly and ends with him losing his footing and falling off the stage. It was an inauspicious start, but Phoenix was adamant that his hip-hop career is real.

Phoenix's friend and brother-in-law, Casey Affleck, was on hand with a camera crew as he did interviews for "Two Lovers." Affleck added that his friend is completely serious.

Phoenix himself made the comment that he had not expected anyone to care when he made the surprise announcement that he has planned to quit Hollywood for music. According to Phoenix he is a longtime fan of hip-hop, speaking fervently about Public Enemy, Ice Cube and other artists he admires.

Joaquin also made it very clear that he has no intention of returning to film after "Two Lovers," a romantic drama co-starring Gwyneth Paltrow and reuniting him with James Gray, his director on "The Yards" and "We Own the Night." The movie is scheduled to be released on 13th February.

While Phoenix regrets that his coming-out party as a rapper came through poor-quality video over the Internet, he said that people would have ridiculed him no matter how good his debut was.

Phoenix continued, "It sucks that, yeah, the footage is out there as like this incredibly bad sound, and you literally can't hear what's happening," who still has his bushy beard. "It was much better in the club, and I don't know who said that people were booing ... because that was not happening.

He further added, "Unless, of course, it's a pretty big place, and maybe it was happening," laughing. "But it was not my experience. My experience afterward was I had a lot of dudes come up and say, `We really respect you for doing it, putting yourself out there, and going with it.' Because I think true hip-hop heads know that it's hard, it's going to be a hard transition, and people are going to be lining up just to make fun of me."