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 Roots to Rap
Rahiel Tesfamariam
Columnist Page
Friday, December 10, 2004; Page 19
No One Can Put Out Foxx’s Fire
In the early 1990s, the hit comedy series “In Living Color” introduced to the world a stand-up comedian and comedy actor named Jamie Foxx. While many of the show’s cast members have gone on to achieve great success, it is Foxx who has surpassed all expectations.
His series “The Jamie Foxx Show,” which was launched in 1996, ran for five years and gained him the recognition that made his 1999 debut on the big screen possible. His role in “Any Given Sunday” as Willie Beamen led many to believe that he was not a here today-gone tomorrow entertainer, and they were right; Foxx has proven to Hollywood that he is there to stay.
Many African Americans are raving about this next Great Black Hope for entertainment after seeing his portrayal of Ray Charles in this year’s hit film “Ray.” Talks of an Oscar have been brewing for some time now and rightfully so. I don’t believe that a Black actor has accomplished what Foxx did in “Ray” since Denzel Washington’s unforgettable, unrewarded portrayal of Malcolm X. As Denzel makes one believe with all truth that the incomparable El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz is still with us, Jamie brings Ray Charles’ humanity to life so well that the absence of the late musical genius undoubtedly makes the heart go fonder.
Nonetheless, Foxx makes it clear that while Denzel “laid it down” for him by bringing attention to his talent before the world had really learned who he was, he’s not the next Denzel, stating that’s because “if something is a little off in my picture, I can go touch it up by doing the comedy. I can actually talk about my short comings…Denzel can’t get up and do that. He’s got to be whatever it is.”
Foxx knows the power of comedy all too well. When fans had a hard time taking his debut album seriously, his next attempt at music was singing the chorus to a song with comedic elements, “Slow Jamz” by Kanye West, featuring Twista. The song implies that Foxx will never fully adapt the ways of Tinseltown. The actor/comedian/singer/musician, who started out as the outrageous Wanda, doesn’t hesitate to add a blemish to his resume every now and then.
“I have that outlet. It’s like a different animal. It’s like a section of me that is like the Denzel, the actor, but then there’s that other section that has been my bread and butter for so long. That’s the difference. It alleviates the pressure,” Foxx told reporters when he was in Washington, D.C. this past September.
While many established Black comedians feel a sense of competition between themselves and rising stars, Foxx says that it only serves to inspire him. He spoke of the time in his life when he was completely disconnected from his audiences, making jokes about luxury and fame when most of his fans come from working class backgrounds. Hearing the then-unknown Chris Tucker reminded him that he could never forget the struggles of his people. Foxx added that success is hard to measure when there are always more steps to be taken.
When asked what keeps him grounded in the midst of great stardom, he said that he views music as an escape from the limits placed on Black men in the South. “My grandmother always taught me to get in the system. Any kid coming from the South- it’s hard to get out of there,” stated Foxx. After speaking of having witnessed racism on a global front, he emphasized the need for others to see the world and go beyond their immediate environment.
“We gotta get rid of the disparity and the ‘I don’t care’. There’s never going to be a sure fire plan to get everybody in this perfect world but you do have to believe that, as an African American artist, that when you have a voice, you have to use it,” he said. Many artists have been criticized for being disconnected from reality but Foxx stresses the importance of being taken out of the comedic element and being able to speak on all types of subject matter, pointing to Richard Pryor as his hero because he believes that the late entertainer was successful in doing that.
Foxx says that his ultimate goal is that “hopefully, the art combines with the commerce- meaning that I can still make artistic things that make money but at the end of it, you gotta use it to elevate our consciousness.”
For Rahiel Tesfamariam send email to rahielt@washingtoninformer.com. |
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