Joaquin Phoenix�s hip-hop debut

10 months ago 19th Jan 11:00

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix might be one of the most beautiful actors of all time, but he showed he was more than just a pretty face when he stunned partygoers at a Las Vegas club as he stepped to the stage to show off his newest endeavour - rapping.

The star, who announced his retirement from acting in October, performed three hip-hop tracks from his forthcoming album for a full house at nightclub LAVO in Sin City on Friday.

Phoenix, who was sporting a scraggly beard and long hair, bobbed along the catwalk, rapping while trying in vain to urge the crowd to dance. After his set, he was left red-faced after he tripped and fell into the crowd as he attempted to step off the stage. (If only it was right in my arms!)

Despite his performance and the audience's unenthused response, Phoenix insists he is passionate about pursuing a hip-hop career. He tells People.com, "This is me saying this is who I am. This is my story. After all the years of reading scripts and reading lines, this is my chance to do something straight from the heart and put it out there.

"When I was young I liked punk rock music but then I discovered rap. I love the storytelling aspect of hip-hop. Are there people out there who think I'm a joke? I'm sure there will be. Are there people who think it's going to suck? Probably, but I can�t worry about that."

The performance was reportedly filmed by Phoenix's brother-in-law Casey Affleck for a forthcoming documentary tracking the star's new career in music. If no-one else buys the record, Joaquin can be sure I will.