Emmy-winning actor Idris Elba enjoys his side work as a DJ and artist. He’s released a slew of singles and collaborative tracks over the years, including “Gospel 21,” Apple Crumble,” and “What’s Not to Like.” He initially gave music lovers a preview of his rap skills on the dance track “Boasty” with fellow U.K. rappers Wiley and Stefflon Don and Jamaican legend Sean Paul.
In a new interview with Variety, Elba revealed that he’s ready to “lean away from the acting work” and focus more on music. He hopes audiences will support his ability to write rhymes as much as his ability to recite lines.
“Some may think, ‘Well, it will be the death of your acting if your music’s sh-t,’” said the 49-year-old to the outlet for its annual Hollywood Issue. “I’ve dealt with the internal struggle of that over the years. So now I’m at peace and I’ve chosen: This is what I’m doing, and I’m going to do it. Some will love it and some will hate it.”
The “Luther” actor said the time to make the transition from Hollywood to music is now, considering its almost impossible to record an album while filming a movie.
“The thing about making music is it’s a very consuming process. It’s very difficult to shoot a movie and then go off into the studio or make a song. It’s like trying to build a soufflé while making a brick wall,” he explained.
Idris Elba has seen a recent wave of momentum and excitement around his acting and music career. However, the British actor’s passion for came music long before he founded his record label, 7Wallace, in 2015. Fast-forward years later, and he performed a DJ set at the 2019 Coachella Festival in front of over 100,000 people.
That same year, Elba portrayed a struggling DJ who takes a position as a nanny in the film “Turn Up Charlie.” Variety has also learned that “The Harder They Fall” star inked a first-look deal to produce both series and features for Apple’s streaming platform, Apple TV Plus through his Green Door Pictures production company.
But his longetivy and influence as an actor cannot be denied. Next, Elba will portray diverse roles in the “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” the fantasy feature film “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” and the survival thriller “Beast.” He’s also in the running to take over the role of the spy James Bond.
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