Joaquin’s singing debut

The well-groomed and styled Joaquin Phoenix that we all know seems to have vanished the day he announced his retirement from acting. He said that he was to embark upon a new career – music, and what we expected was an upbeat funky dude. Instead, we got a nice plump shabby rapper! Or at least that’s the look he sported when he debuted his singing skills at a Miami nightclub and then at a Las Vegas club. The saving grace was that the actor, who had a tough 2008 (including a rehab stint for drug abuse), looked genuinely happy, though unkempt!

"This is me saying this is who I am. This is my story," the actor-turned-rapper said before he ascended the stage at the nightclub Club Lavo, where he performed three songs from his upcoming album. The still-untitled album will release in mid-2009, his rep informs. Let’s hope that by the time he’s ready to make music videos, he’ll consider frequenting the gym and his hair stylist!