Joaquin Phoenix Hoax Or Not

VIDEO: Kreayshawn freestyle rapping proves this has to be a performance art hoax

I’m going to soapbox this for a minute and preface this by saying that, obviously, I know nothing about the exact circumstances of this particular girl BUT..

Is anyone shocked she’s not actually a capable rapper? Freestyling may seem difficult to the average person but it’s a staple in the life of anyone growing up in a hip-hop culture. Even the most mediocre person making a living as a rapper can drown you in witty punchlines or, at the very least, clever references to his dick. But not Kreayshawn.

You know why? Here’s my theory.

This is all an elaborate art project. Kreayshawn, whose real name is Natassia Gail Zolot, has a background in performing arts schools, even attending the Berkeley Digital Film Institute on a scholarship. Her mother, Elka Zolot, is a former punk musician for a mildly successful band called the Trashwomen. She now makes a living leveraging her personal branding for a line of skincare products . And she’s not an idiot; the Red Hot Chili Peppers recently recruited her to direct a video of theirs.

Joaquin Phoenix Doc 'No Hoax'

The beard and weight gain were real, but was Joaquin Phoenix's big "bye good" to Hollywood just for the cameras? According to Casey Affleck, who directed I'm Still Here , the new doc about Phoenix's would-be downward spiral, "there's no hoax."

The flick, which tails Phoenix -- Affleck's brother-in-law -- as he uses drugs, trolls for online sex, decks spectators at his rap shows and other hobbies befitting a former Oscar nominee, screened Monday at the Venice Film Festival. And in response to reporters wondering whether the film is more mockumentary than documentary, Affleck had this to say:

"Elliptically, I would say ... I sincerely don't want to influence people's interpretation," Affleck told reporters on Monday, reports Reuters . "I can tell you there is no hoax. It makes me think of Candid Camera or something."

Phoenix announced his retirement from acting in late 2008, and while his public appearances since then have been infrequent and bizarre (e.g. his David Letterman appearance, that YouTube video with Miley Cyrus), the (former?) actor was in Venice to support the film. As Affleck put it, Phoenix is "not hiding from the movie."

"I know that he is someone that doesn't shy away from letting me see all the different aspects of his personality and if he was willing to do it and I was willing to do it I owed it to him to make it as unflinching look at him as I possibly could," said Affleck.

I'm Still Here will get its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival Friday night.

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