Double Dipping: When The Going Gets Good, Should Music Artists Explore Acting Roles?

Musical artists such as Tyrese, Eve, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, Don Omar and Ludacris, just to name a few, have had their share of roles and publicity on the big screen as well as on television. The temptation to do more than a musical act is there and Up-incoming artists, who have witnessed their predecessors’ crossover into film, are more than ever curious and are following in their footsteps. Sources recently reported that Hip Hop diva and songstress Nicki Minaj is said to be contemplating whether she will continue her musical career to pursue her life-long dream of being an actress. So, should she and others like her dive into film? 


For the artists that have made the crossover successfully onto film and television, their on-camera roles, have taken these artists and their musical careers to the next level. In other cases, the artists that make the crossover and are not so fortunate, end up losing some if not all of their star power. So why take this risk in the first place? Artists, who started out with a bang in their musical careers and are now facing a decline in their stats, would prefer to drop their not-so thriving musical careers, to save their current hype and popularity. When faced in this crisis artists are more likely to explore other career options, which they should specially, when an opportunity such as an acting gig presents itself.  If the acting gig turns out to be a success, the artist will save not only their popularity but also this will also increase the chances of the artist having a career opportunity in film or in television. Lastly, there are those few musical artists, those rare gems, who astonishingly continue to further grow their stardom and manage to be successful in their multifaceted careers regardless of whether they switch from an acting role to their musical role at any given time.

When should an artist set aside their musical career to pursue other out of music industry career endeavors? Is it wise for artists to put their musical careers on hold to pursue an acting career? If so, when is the right time and should the artist sacrifice one role over the other or manage both roles? Regardless of the genre, we've seen many artists during pivotal points in their careers take that step and more so when they are losing their momentum in the music industry, seeking exposure or using other talents to maintain or increase their celebrity buzz. The artist turned actor/actress trend has been happening for quite some time and as the music industry becomes more competitive, it is highly likely that artists will have multiple roles in years to come. 

Most recently jumping in on the artist turned actor trend wagon is R&B and contemporary urban music artist Trey Songz, who recently reported to media sources that he will playing the lead male role in the remake of Tobe Hopper's 1984 horror classic, 'Chainsaw Massacre.' Sources say the artist will play one of the leads as the boyfriend to Alexandra Daddario from the previous cast. The Millennium/Nu Image picture will be released, in theaters, in 3D on October 5, 2012. Sources say the horror flick will be the Emmy-nominated artist's first debut on the big screen, which will capture the artist, performing in physical, romantic and in heroic scenes. Throwing the acting gig aside, Trey Songz has had great stats in the music industry since his early beginnings and his stardom is not only growing but is also flourishing. He has had numerous awards and other successes including being named as the Best Male R&B Artist at the 2010 BET Awards, having a series of top ten singles, touring as a headliner on the famous BP3 Tour 2010, has done numerous television appearances, has participated in Roc A Wear Clothing and Kodak advertisements, has attended several star recording events, has participated in charity benefit concerts and a also completed a docu-series. 

It is evident that there are sacrifices that are made when an artist steps into a new role outside of the music industry. To that effect if an artist decides to take advantage of an opportunity such as a role in a movie, the artist must take not only precaution, but he or she must also consider and understand the commitment and hard work that is involved in the new role as well as realize that, there may be multiple losses regardless of the pluses when undertaking a new role. Artists who land acting gigs have a tendency to place their musical careers on hold, leave their musical endeavors completely, and or juggle multiple roles, which often leads to many sacrifices. On the other hand an artist whose musical career isn't doing very well and gets an offer to star in the next blockbuster hit, the artist should certainly take advantage of that opportunity because it just may allow the artist to attain stardom in another industry. Artists, crossing over to film and television will continue to rise and whether or not these artists will have successful careers in the roles they undertake and in the industries they pursue, this will be entirely up to the artists. 

Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUAORS8FvR8


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/singer-trey-songz-joins-cast-213001


http://www.treysongz.com/bio/


http://kysdc.com/national/mmartin/5-music-stars-who-should-try-acting-the-wednesday-5/


http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/61282433.html?page=2


http://www.rap-up.com/2011/07/19/trey-songz-to-make-big-screen-debut-in-texas-chainsaw-massacre-3d/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg2Z15IfBXM