Joaquin Phoenix has performed his first rap concert.
01/16/2009 - Joaquin Phoenix - Joaquin Phoenix Special Appearance at Lavo Nightclub in Las Vegas on January 16, 2009 - Lavo Nightclub at the Palazzo Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, NV, USA © PRN / PR Photos
The 34-year-old 'Walk the Line' star - who announced he was retiring from acting last October - performed three songs from his new album at Las Vegas club LAVO on Friday night (16.01.09)
The star - who looked unkempt with a scraggly beard and bushy hair - jumped around the stage, pumping his fist in the air and encouraging the crowd to dance.
The audience didn't dance, but they did cheer for Phoenix at the end of his performance, inspiring him to shout out: "You hold a very special place in my heart".
The actor said he is not afraid of what people will think of his music debut.
He told People magazine: "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."
"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."
Following the performance, a happy-looking Phoenix spent the rest of the evening hugging friends and taking photographs with friends before leaving the club at around 1.30am.
Friends and family have recently expressed concern about Phoenix's bizarre behaviour and disheveled, bloated appearance.
A source said: "For people who know Joaquin, it's been an incredibly traumatic year, filled with chaos. Everyone wants to help but nobody's been able to break through. His bizarre behaviour has everyone worried. It's just getting scary."
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