seem like a real performance. It's doing real good, it made it into the Sundance Film Festival and she is getting a chance to make another film because of it, so it's working out well.

Did you have a lot of knowledge of schizophrenia beforehand?

It's a lot of niggas that just seem schizophrenic. I had a little bit of knowledge on it, but walking around in New York you see people talking to themselves and being in two different places at one time so I did a little bit of studying on them.

Were you intimidated at all acting for the first time and working with someone with much more experience?

Usually I don't really get too intimidated. I feel like if I get into a situation I'll be able to handle myself. Aside from that I did the most I could do in the time I had, so I felt pretty good.

Do you see yourself getting

any more acting roles in the future?

Well, Dream and I are going to do another film and it's going to be a feature length with Aunjanue Ellis in it again as well. Dream has a film company and it showcases her approach to filmmaking and its kinda fresh and new.

Did they allow you to adlib or bring your own ideas into the character?

Her script was more like a skeleton. It was basically what needs to happen in this scene. For example it might be like you go into this boxing gym and you've been there before, they know you crazy, and they are about to kick you out. All right roll.

So it's almost like freestyling a movie

Yea, yea its definitely hiphop

I believe that each artist is always his worst critic. When you first saw yourself onscreen were you extremely critical or did you

sit back and watch it weeks or so later and have a better appreciation for what you did?

It's a dual thing with me. Not wanting to see myself is a mixture of insecurity and conceit. I got an image of myself based on aesthetics that I like to see and when that is tampered with I'm like I don't want to see that. But in the end that's not really what's important. No one is going to see you like you see yourself. I just threw it all out the door and tried to step away from it and analyze my performance in the whole piece with the other actors, cinematographer, and the director. At that point I stopped thinking about myself as an individual and concentrated on did I give a good piece of myself to the art.

Has your acting experience inspired you to pursue writing scripts and coming up with your own ideas for a vehicle?

I'm inspired by Dream, she made me think about writing some scripts and trying to get my ideas onto the screen. She showed me what its like to film something and what it means once it gets on film. A lot of it relates to my music because spontaneity was the key to everything. You could practice, but why practice when you can make something. You'll further your abilities and then when you get into a situation where you need to be spontaneous you can do some slick moves. So yea I definitely want to make some films.

Since it was a short film how long did it take you to shoot?

Its 17 minutes long. We shot for like a week straight, they did some pick up scenes and some editing. It took about five months all together.

You stated once that music makes you feel things. I agree. I believe music can put you into certain moods and stir up different