Tyrese Gibson got his start crooning jingles on a bus in a Coca-Cola commercial. Now with nearly 20 years of showbiz experience behind him as an actor and a singer, the superstar who often goes by simply Tyrese, has gone back to his soda pop roots as a celebrity mentor to six young filmmakers as part of the Sprite Films program. Since 1998, the program has given student filmmakers from colleges and universities across the country the opportunity to showcase their talents on a national stage. On September 5, a panel of renowned film industry professionals will select the winning film, which will be shown in select theatres this November.
Tyrese took a break from shooting his latest film to talk with BlackEnterprise.com about mentoring the next generation of moviemakers, his own filmmaking ambitions–and his mission to bring true R&B back to the masses.
As a mentor in the Sprite Films competition, what type of wisdom did you impart to the participants?
I was there to offer clarity and help them work through certain things. I think a lot of times people don’t think beyond the moment. It can be very discouraging if you don’t win. You can go home and start to doubt yourself. I had to remind them that some of the biggest stars who started on Star Search, American Idol and some of these other shows end up being way bigger whether they made the final cut or not. I would offer small tidbits to remind everyone how blessed and fortunate they were to be finalists.
Do you have any filmmaking ambitions?
I do. I actually just told a friend of mine that if they’re going to do anything for me for Christmas or my birthday– to put me through film school. I want to do a four-month course of some type–just get away and start having some fun playing with the cameras. Of course I’ve done plenty of movies and I’ve seen the gist of what happens and how it all works, but I want to see everything through a director’s point of view.
As a director, what genres are you most interested in directing?
I think the dramas are a little easy for me right now, and then eventually you want to lighten it up and get into some funny stuff. I want to do something that may be a little dark and then go to the next level after that.
You have a great relationship with director John Singleton. Is he someone you look up to as a mentor and director?
Oh, absolutely. John Singleton changed my life forever. I was just talking to him on the phone last night.
How do you juggle both your film and music career?
Scheduling is everything. I think a lot of people get overwhelmed with doing so many things at one time. I’ve always been a multitasker, and ultimately I just love what I do. So, I don’t look at it as work.
You have a collaboration album coming down the pike. What can your fans expect?
It’s called TGT: Tyrese, Genuine and Tank. We’re calling ourselves the R&B Avengers. Everybody
has their own fan base, identities and individual hits and songs that people love and have embraced over the years–and it’s time to bring our energies together and get on stage and have some fun with it. We’re going to remind people why they fell in love with true R&B in the first place. No house. No techno–R&B music through and through. We want to try and pick up where Jodeci left off.You used an indie approach to market your last album by hosting an online listening party. Do feel like you have to do creative things to survive as a music artist today?
Absolutely. There was no limit to how far I was willing to go to create energy around the Open Invitation album. We’re almost at 400,000 records sold independently. And the industry is till trying to wrap their head around how I was able to pull it off. It’s about doing music that people believe in. R&B is lacking conviction. And I think that’s what people were able to connect with on the Open Invitation
album. It had been five years since I last dropped. I had a lot of stuff that happened to me over the years and I put my heart on the mic.Speaking of authentic R&B, the incomparable Anita Baker recently covered your hit song, “Lately.†How does it feel to have someone of her stature remix your material?
My version of “Lately†was an appetizer. Anita Baker has blessed my life beyond words; she’s [like] my mom. I just had one of the best conversations I’ve ever had in my life with her the other day. I know she’s been through a long, rough patch and I’m just happy that she’s finally going to be able to sing, dance and smile after all that she’s gone through. I hope she sells millions of records and wins 12 Grammys. She deserves it.
For a chance to win a trip for four to Universal Orlando Resort, check out the short films and vote for your favorite at Sprite.com through August 31.