Now showing at the Sundance Film Festival -- featured in two movies -- is Universal Records rapper, Sticky Fingaz.
Sticky Fingaz, who released his debut solo album, Black Trash: The Autobiography of Kirk Jones, on February 27, 2001 on Universal Records, has a parallel career as an actor and has, in fact, been acting almost as long as he has been rapping.
At the Sundance Festival, he will be a featured performer in Lift (as a member of a shoplifting ring) and in MacArthur Park ("kind of a pimp role in crackhead society," he says).
Sticky the Actor was previously lead voice in the platinum-plus group, Onyx, before branching out on his own, and began getting small movie parts, mainly in action films such as Ride and the soon-to-be-released Lockdown. His other credits include In Too Deep, Clockers, and Dead Presidents and, joining his Sundance movies, Sticky Fingaz had major roles in True Vinyl, The Price of Air and in fellow rapper-actor Ice Cube’s Next Friday.
As an actor, Sticky Fingaz has had parts in a number of TV series, including NY Undercover, 413 Hope Street, and Good News. He remains active in this area, too, with upcoming roles in G. vs. E., The Parkers and Nash Bridges.
Ever the businessman, Sticky has negotiated a three-picture deal with the independent Miramax Pictures.
Sticky Fingaz says, "Rappers have always been actors because, if they’re good, they work with words and scenarios, act out stories for the ear and for the mind. When I started going to a lot of open audition calls, it just seemed natural to me.
"Rapping and acting are part of the same thing."
In fact, Sticky Fingaz designed his latest recording, Black Trash, to unveil much as a movie does. There is a Black Trash animated movie in the works that will star, of course, Sticky Fingaz.