If you’ve watched The Wire, then you know that Stringer Bell, played by actor Idris Elba, is nothing short of a entrepreneur-albeit a crooked one. When he’s not managing Avon Barksdale’s finances, he’s at his Copy Shop pretending to play nice or meeting with Clay Davis about possible investments. Well, perhaps Elba’s role in the critically acclaimed drama has rubbed off on him in a good way. In a classic entrepreneurial move, Elba will break from acting for a while to focus on music.
To do so, the British actor has adopted the nickname “Driis” and has already released one song, “OMAR COMIN’!!!!” “The Best I Can” for DJ play. Elba told NME that he plans to release another single in June before a full album later within the year. Driis described his sound to NME as “a hybrid, everything from drum’n’bass to jazz,” and talked about the change: “My personal agenda has always been about musical ambitions [. . . ] Music’s a jealous bitch – I want to take time out [from acting] to finish the album.”
Additionally, Elba plans to tour 2010’s summer’s festival circuit with his band, the Trampions. A full interview with Elba is available in NME’s latest print edition.