After announcing his retirement from acting a few months ago, Joaquin Phoenix made his debut as a rapper on Friday at a Las Vegas Club. He told the press that he wanted to put his real self in the spotlight and stop hiding behind some characters.

"This is me saying this is who I am. This is my story," the former actor, current wannabe rapper told PEOPLE before taking the stage at club LAVO.

I for one, respect Joaquin Phoenix for some of his roles. I loved his role as country legend Johnny Cash in the 2006 biopic “I Walk the Line.” But I find it rather difficult to take him seriously as a rapper. After seeing his performance at the club LAVO on YouTube, I don’t know what to believe: Is he for real? Or it’s all just a big joke?

The 34-year-old “rapper” performed three songs from his soon-to-be release album which has not yet been named. The album is reportedly being produced by Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Phoenix’s brother-in-law Casey Affleck is doing a documentary on his transition from acting to rapping so he was also on stage with the camera recording the event. He also had to record when Phoenix fell on stage.

Well, it looks serious enough and the actor/rapper underlined it.

"Are there people out there who think I'm a joke? I'm sure there will be ... I can't worry about that," he told People.

However, he’ll have to worry about being taken seriously then. I couldn’t understand a single word of his rap. Phoenix doesn’t sound like a rapper and with his hippie-grunge look he doesn’t look like one either. But hey! If that’s who he really is and it makes him happy, I wish him good luck.