Summer is officially over. With concert tours by MIA, Kelis & Robyn, Rihanna, Maxell and Jill Scott among the big go-to “urban” cool radio monsters to sell-out concert halls and arenas, it’s cool to see that the autumn may also have its share of luster. Among the various tours that have been announced, there are two concerts we can not wait to attend:

Mary J. Blige, the undisputed queen of hip-hop soul, recently announced her ninth consecutive tour (the cheese-fest fromage titled Music Saved My Life). Why are we so excited in the first place? Well, “Bust Your Windows” princess Jazmine Sullivan and up-and-comer soulman Miguel (who crooned “All I Want Is You” aside J. Cole) will tour in her native United States. That’s why! Mobo-winner and Briton R&B scribe Lemar and the iconic El DeBarge will also make appearances…and with Mary J. Blige celebrating her 18 years of fabulosity, its easy to fall head-over-heels in love with the great expectations we know that she will fulfill on stage.

10/01/10: Mobile, Ala. (BayFest Mobile Music Festival)
10/02/10: Atlanta, Ga.
10/03/10: Virginia Beach, Va.
10/05/10: Raleigh, N.C.
10/07/10: Washington, D.C.
10/08/10: Atlantic City, N.J.
10/10/10: Mashantucket, Conn. (Fox Theatre at Foxwoods)
10/11/10: New York, N.Y. (Radio City Music Hall)
10/12/10: New York, N.Y. (Radio City Music Hall)
10/15/10: Detroit, Mich.
10/16/10: Chicago, Ill.
10/19/10: Los Angeles, Calif. (Gibson Amphitheatre)
10/20/10: Los Angeles, Calif. (Gibson Amphitheatre)
10/22/10: Las Vegas, Nev.
10/23/10: Oakland, Calif.

Then there’s the ultimate WTF, I mean, “OMG” zeitgeist; R&B dance-pop prince Usher—who abandoned his crunk and quiet storm ponderings for a Europop electro sound—tapped crooner heartthrob Trey Songz for his 25-date OMG Tour. Songz, who just wrapped up his Passion, Pain & Pleasure Tour in New York City with Monica, will embark on his third tour of the year after a guest appearance on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 Tour.

There will be mayhem, bedlam and absolute pandemonium as sultry-and-sexy ladies go hoarse after bloodcurdling screams reverberate in the atmosphere and the smell of pheromones ooze from the arena walls. Get ready for all the shirtless and tightrope choreography of lifetime! And make sure to bring water. Fellas, be on your best behavior. Wink. Let the murderball began. The tour kick starts  November 10th at Seattle’s Key Arena!

11/10/10: KeyArena Seattle, WA
11/12/10: ORACLE Arena Oakland, CA
11/13/10: Mandalay Bay Events Center Las Vegas, Nevada
11/14/10: Honda Center Anaheim, CA
11/17/10: San Diego Sports Arena San Diego, CA
11/18/10: STAPLES Center Los Angeles, CA
11/19/10: Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ
11/23/10: Toyota Center Houston, TX
11/24/10: American Airlines Center Dallas, TX
11/26/10: Scottrade Center St. Louis, MO
11/27/10: Sprint Center Kansas City, MO
11/29/10: Air Canada Centre Toronto, ON
11/30/10: Centre Bell Montreal, QC
12/02/10: TBD Detroit, MI
12/03/10: Allstate Arena Chicago, IL
12/05/10: Phillips Arena Atlanta, GA
12/07/10: Greensboro Coliseum Greensboro, NC
12/08/10: 1st Mariner Arena Baltimore, MD
12/10/10: Prudential Center Newark, NJ
12/11/10: Scope Arena Norfolk, VA
12/13/10: Madison Square Garden New York, NY
12/14/10: TD Garden Boston, MA
12/16/10: Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA
12/17/10: Verizon Center Washington DC
12/18/10: XL Center Hartford, CT

Rihanna Kicks It Poolside With Katy Perry [PHOTOS]

Drake Still Doesn’t Feel Completely Successful [VIDEO]

Okay, we get it already. Lady Gaga loves her gays! And, it is because of her merits that the fame-starved shock art electro-pop princess is destined to be a gay icon well-before she has released her magnum opus.

On September 16, the outré singer-songwriter sat down to deliver a scripted speech on the notorious Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy via YouTube, only a few days after appearing at the Video Music Awards pre-show on Sunday with members of the coveted U.S. Armed Services who were discharged because they are homosexual.

“I am here to be the voice of my generation,” says Lady Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, eyes jotting across the screen like a ping pong. Advocating against the controversial DADT, the “Bad Romance” starlet who was last spotted wearing the Peta-provocateur meat dress at the MTV Video Music Awards, asks fans and anti-DADT supporters to repeal the law that infringes on our civil liberties, such as anti-gay sentiments.

The seven minute clip features the Fame Monster who dailed the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network hotline, connecting to the office of Sen. Charles E. Schumer only to have the phone rang until it disconnected.

Rallying anyone with an open heart, the longtime gay rights advocate urged home state senators to conclude “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” by voting alongside Sen. Harry Reid and Sen. Carl Levin the week of September 20 in Washington, D.C.

Since its inaction in 1993, over 14,000 solders were discharged because of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, nigh 400 have been discharged since the presidency of Barack Obama.

Following the footsteps of Cher, Janet Jackson and Madonna as being an outstanding LGBT activist, Lady Gaga is on-the-rise of being post-Prop 8 poster child celebrity.

Nicki Minaj Talks Bisexuality In Hip-Hop In “Out” Magazine

Ranking The Best HBCUs In Movies And TV

2010 MTV Video Music Awards [PHOTOS]

Diversity: To the whitewashed, mega-conservative übermensch of modern-day, the very word goes to seems into the brain like red kryptonite, depleting one’s functionality like spider venom. But there’s an elephant in the room. Last year, the Screen Actors Guild found that the percentage of black film and television roles had reduced from a menial 14.8 percent in 2007 to staggering13.3 percent the 2008. It unanimous: Hollywood still has a problem in the age of the Obama Administration.

A lot of the criticisms have been of NBC in particular, who will air Undercovers—a tongue and cheek espionage thriller—with a African-American man and a black Britannia woman as the sitcom’s protagonists. Even U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., claimed the network tried to bribe her with gifts and other material items in an effort to bat an eye at the autocracies in a House of Representatives committee meeting amidst the 111th Congress. This is echoed by a 2008 report conducted by the NAACP that noted a plunge in black actors on the TV primetime circuit by three of the four powerhouse studio networks between the 2003-04 broadcast seasons to the 2006-07 broadcast seasons.

J.J. Abrams, renowned for his recent reboot of the Star Trek franchise directed the spy drama pilot that has talking heads raving and the pen-toting National Association of Black Journalists critique happy. With competitors NCIS, CSI, Law & Order and every other high profile machine gun legal dramas making headlines, this show lands a collateral sucker punch every time. We’re sure to see brilliance with this show.

Starring Soul Food actor Boris Kodjoe and Shakespearean starlet Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Undercovers premiers debuts Wednesday, September 22 on NBC.

Oprah Winfrey To Receive Kennedy Center Honors

On August 11, Yahoo! Movies debuted the premier theatrical poster for the upcoming Julie Taymor film The Tempest, the latest reimagining of William Shakespeare.

Taymor, who has directed visually stunning feature length films like Titus, Frida and most recently Across the Universe is also known for having exciting casts. The feminist re-visioning of Billy’s acclaimed play will feature a silver skinned, arsenic eyed spirit Ariel and most disturbingly, a crater-faced, burn victim brute. The latter, played by Beninese-American thespian Djimon Hounsou—a two-time Academy Award nominee—is that of Caliban, one of Billy’s most beloved characters.

Billed as a fantasy drama, Hounsou portrays a savage and one of the main antagonists of the play. While his character is evil in his appearance and has an air of feral ferocity to him, we can’t help but note the uncomfortable ties blacks everywhere may feel towards this. Look at how blacks have been drawn (and erased) throughout history. Look at Mickey Mouse and his gang, King Louie from The Jungle Book or Sunflower the Centaur from Fantasia. African-Americans aren’t necessarily portrayed as human, but as heathens. Considering Paul Robeson, Michael Clarke Duncan and Tom “Zeus” Lister Jr. have all portrayed golems while achieving fame, we’re absolutely turned off by the studio’s decision in casting Hounsou.

It’s pretty much a damned if you do, damned if you don’t dilemma as dissected in the book “Black male fiction and the legacy of Caliban” by James Wilmouth Coleman. The book, which argues that Billy created an archetype that black fiction writers unconsciously revisit through liberation and revolution, make us question Hollywood’s cultural insensitivity.

However, playing Devil’s Advocate, there are pros in being cast in the role Caliban:

1.

Diversity: There’s an unspoken rule in post Civil Rights-era Hollywood that blacks need to fit in where they get in. Since, there a few black actors with the same opportunities as their peers, we’re just happy they gave Hounsou the role.

2.

Trailblazing: There are only a handful of black characters in Shakespeare land, literally. (Okay, so that’s a stretch. Two major characters is not a handful.)  Since Taymor did an update on Titus Andronicus over a decade ago with Harry Lennix in the role of Aaron—even Mekhi Phifer in O—we’re glad to see a black male being the primary foil in the film.

3.

Passages: Despite his physique, grotesque facial façade and jambalaya mushmouth ideology, Caliban is known for producing some of the most gorgeous passages Shakespeare has ever written. Ever:

Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again; and then in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open, and show riches
Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked
I cried to dream again.

4.

Caliban’s name: “Traditionally,” the brute’s name which means blackness in Romani as well as “wild dog” is Arabic, its probably a no-brainer why the studio went with a black actor to play a rogue beast man a la The Hills Have Eyes.

However, we’re still on the fence. Get your cardboard signs ready just in case. The Tempest will splash on to the silver screen in theaters nationwide on December 10.

OPINION: Sagging Pants Dehumanizes Black Men

OPINION: What “Precious” Tells Us About Images Of Blackness

From his tall, dark and handsome gentleman caller bravado as Dwight in The Bold and The Beautiful to his breakthrough role as the jaw-dropping, get-it-girl short-shorts aficionada and pseudo-psychopath Guy from Logo’s legendary prime-time phenomenon Noah’s Arc–Renaissance Man Ben Patterson has quickly become one of the most striking faces to hit 21^st century cameras. With his toned, gridiron physique, Ben Patterson came to the public conscious merely five years ago in a short stint as a patron on the reality show “Model Citizens.” Now, the apotheosis of the eccentric subterranean tabula rasa actor, Ben has an established fan base as one of the elite black indie actors, and has become friends with some of the best in the business. Embodying the sex-on-a-stick rocker with ferocious blowtorch-intensity in his freestyle funk band Sapphire Sky, Ben is hardly a paint-by-numbers kind of guy.

Walking almost in bullet time on the Los Angeles streets as passing traffic moves as if in time-lapses, Ben shops in bazaars and superstore outlets, doing what he does best: being cool. Giving us the 411 as he walks the streets of La La Land, we chat it up in a casual phone interview and get the T on how he got into the film business, landed the role that made him an indie superstar, his connections with Rufskin and got a glimmer into his personal life.

Giant: There’s little about you that the public really knows about you. So, let’s start with something simple. Where are you from and describe what it was like growing up?

Ben: I am from Oakland, California. Born and Raised, and it was it was absolutely terrific. I had a great childhood. The Bay Area itself is a very diverse place, so you see a lot of different things within a one mile radius, I mean, a lot of families, different cultures and different types of people every where. I think I had a well-rounded [childhood], being right across the Bay from San Francisco and Berkeley being right there, and not far from the beach.

Giant: Now, you were born in Oakland, California, and attended Bishop O’ Dowd High School.

Ben: Yes, Bishop O’ Dowd High School, home of the dragons!

Giant: You then went on to attend San Diego State University where he was a psychology major. Can you describe your school life?

Ben: I actually went to a junior college for about a year before I went to San Diego called Laney. I played football for about a year there and then decided I was done with that. San Diego was really cool because it was my first away from home college experience where, I was pretty much calling the shots and for anybody. For anyone who goes away to school, you identify within the first month that you have to be your own person; it was very interesting because that time wasn’t into acting, and I wasn’t into music like I am now. I was actually deejaying at a lot of frat parties, and I started meeting people in bands and started getting further along as a drummer than anything else. On the academic side, being a psychology major, you start to learn a lot of things that you take into the world, and start to apply them and you start to question things. You start to question things like why does the lady with the oxygen tank still lighting up to smoke cigarettes and try to figure things out.

Giant: How did your work in psychology impact your acting?

Ben: Well, the way I have kind of applied it–and I still do–is that you figure out what works for you and then you start to realize the people looked upon our society as being unique and whatever, those are the people, for the most part, that have a pretty good sense that they are responsible for their own well-being. Be it or psychological, financial or emotional. What I started to figure out was as long you are doing you, and as long as your not caught up in the high of who’s hot and who’s not, what to wear, and don’t get tattoos or don’t do your hair this way or don’t portray this role…then you start to figure out how people are doing all these great things in life and how people are maintaining their sincerity. In the news, you’ll see more negative news stories but you don’t see the people that are doing it right because it’s not as much as a compelling story to the masses. It may not be as interesting to see someone that doing [projects] on the side, they’re making $20 million on the side and a couple of million a film , and they are not out in the public eye acting crazy but it maybe a little more fascinating to see someone drunk this weekend or gets arrested. I don’t want that, so that’s not the way I want to affect myself. You know what I mean?

Giant: From psychologist to actor, how did you transition from academia to film?

Ben: It was actually, about ’99, before I finished at San Diego, I decided I wasn’t going to pursue that as a career because I have a very passionate teaching side of me. I love to help people learn something. I used to coach and teach swimming lessons when I was a lifeguard back home and anyone that is close enough to know me or ask me for advice know that I am a world of information, but I am very good at finishing things. If I don’t know, I’ll be the first to tell somebody about that I don’t anything about that, but if we don’t know we can figure it out together. I was approached by and acting/model company and they were like, “Hey have you ever thought about modeling?” and then I was like, “Not really, but I’ll give it a shot,” and I ended landing some modeling jobs [beginning] in 2000. But as I progressed, acting seemed like something much easier than people were making it out to be and it was intriguing. That was the same story with music. I always wanted to be in a band or some kind of musical integration but everyone had all these horror stories about how hard it is and how treacherous it is–same with acting–but it still intrigued me enough that I was able to find my way in without having to deal of all of that.

Giant: What first prompted you to continue acting and furthering your interests in entertainment?

Ben: I look at is as, is this something I can see myself doing for however long a period of time and I looked at modeling as “Well, this is cool now,” and I can travel and make good money… I could make great money, but is there more that I can offer. I have a couple of great friends, that’s all they do, and they make good money at. I feel like, for myself, that there is more to me than just that…there isn’t one facet [to me]. I know how I am as far as creating, and acting seemed like the perfect next step. So, the more I got serious about it, I started thinking that this is something I really can do. Plus, one of the really big benefits of it–when you see somebody that’s really been affected by some of the things you’ve done–like that’s an award that any amount of money can give you. Because you know that you’ve helped somebody that was dealing with something that didn’t have a voice or nothing and it was something you did or said that gave them in a positive way, and give them the strength to have the conversation with somebody or strength enough to walk away from something that wasn’t healthy for them. That’s when I knew modeling didn’t have that avenue for me.

Giant: What about workshops or theatre programs?

Ben: When I first started, I did like a lot of people and jumped into the first class I could find and there were a lot of benefits from that. There are certain fundamental things you end up having to do–and everyone comes into a situation differently, so I want anyone to fell like they have to do anything a certain way–but the reality is that I’ve met people who have been a friend of a friend and you kind of learn as you go. Then there are people who come from college and were trained and were in these plays and came from New York who have that advantage. Because I didn’t have any of those, I jumped into an acting class, but I also figured out once you get the tools to access the emotions or whatever,  once you get the tools of how to do what it is you are on camera to do…that was it for me as far as the schooling went because I didn’t feel like if I didn’t get this job, I’d have to go back to class for six more months. It’s a situation of, I know how to book the job so now I need to book the job. I did, for a little bit, go to a couple of classes around LA and once I was finished with them, I just pushed through work.

Giant: Why are you interested in film as opposed to theatre?

Ben: I am interested in film as opposed to theatre because of the expansiveness of film. I enjoy acting and I believe it as a craft and as an art form–I just think that the limitations I have in the theatre as opposed to flying to a location and shooting for six weeks, and going to another location, there’s that aspect of it that I enjoy other than watching a Lord of The Rings or Return of The Jedi or Matrix or any of those types of films–that you can’t get inside of a theatre. There is the actual going to a city or another country or wherever and actually becoming that character. I think that the benefit of film is you’re that character for that amount of time and you can take off and be down with it. The beauty of it is that you can that one character–Brad Pitt can be in Fight Club, and the move on to Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen, and then you next time you see him he’s in Mr.& Mrs. Smith–so, you can be you be a different person four times a year as opposed to theatre, you’re delivering a character but the other dynamics haven’t changed and that’s the part I think is more fun for myself.

Giant: It’s no secret. You have an amazing body.

Ben: Aww, thank you.

Giant: How many times a week do you train and exercise?

Ben: I work out probably between four to five days a week with no more than 45 minutes each day. I don’t have enough time in the gym. As far as right now though, if there was a project like Will Smith did with Ali, where he had to put on 40 or so pounds, and if there is that situation where I need to bulk up a bit or get more cuts, then absolutely I’ll do that but as it is right now, between music and everything else going on–between 30 and 45 minutes, I’ve got it done. And it’s a combination of lifting and swimming, so I stay… I stay loose.

Giant:You moved from San Diego to L.A. after winning Male Model of the Year at I.M.T.A. 2000 (in LA). That’s how you into modeling?

Ben: That is exactly how I got into modeling. I went to that competition and really wasn’t focused on winning it. I was more along for the ride then everything and it was a fun and interesting experience, but I wasn’t coming into it focused on winning. I am competitive and I always want to give the best that I can to something

Giant: In 2003 alone, you were featured in various ad campaigns like Skyy Vodka, Budweiser, Target and Mervyn’s. Since then, you’ve has been featured in numerous commercials for Gap, Ford, Marshall’s, Pepsi, and Macy’s. That’s pretty impressive. Was this the magic of a good agent or you there every day looking for work?

Ben: It was late-2001/early 2002, I was really getting to a point where I was really getting to know the modeling side of it, because when you book your first job and you get a couple of hundred bucks and you’ve never done it before–you [figure], “wow this is great!” and then you book that one job for a 1000 bucks and you go “Holy Shit! That’s a lot of money! This is where it’s at!” Once the pay steps up in increments, naturally you began to focus more on like “Naturally, I made $1500 for seven hours of work, how can I do that again?” You began to focus on “Well, this is what I’m going to do.” So, it’s a combination of going to an addition, and being charming and all those types of things and staying in shape, but having an agent that’s submitting you definitely comes into play.

Giant: Your training and exercise, I assume, has helped get your great gigs, like modeling for Rufskin in PIX Magazine. How’d you get into modeling in the first place and what was it like modeling for the brand?

Ben: Interestingly enough, I think I was getting my car washed or something and there was this magazine stand not to far from where I was. I like to go there to look at magazines and write and I think I came across one of their ads. I was like, “Dude, that is like one of the hottest pair of jeans I’ve ever seen,” like I never saw pants like that before. So, I looked up them up online and found where they were located which is in San Deigo, so I got their number and called them. I was, “You don’t know me but my name is Ben Patterson, I did the show Noah’s Arc, and we are looking to shoot soon, and I have some say as far as what I am wearing and I’d like to come down to your shop in San Deigo and get some things.” The owners were more than happy to accommodate me, so I drove down there and I wound up hanging out all day, and I had a show coming up. They asked me when my next show was coming up and asked me to wear it at my next show, and that’s how we started the relationship. I make sure that every time I am doing something public, and I am actually wearing Rufskin jeans right now, if you can believe that… I really am. Its like every time I get a chance, I wear them because it’s a really working relationship and I really do like the clothing. The guys are great. I booked a Chevy commercial and call them up, and said “I’m in this commercial and I’m wearing the pants, so look out for it.” So, it works both ways. They have a product, and I happily endorse it.

Giant: The brand is famous for marketing to young, fit and attractive straight and gay men. You played a gay man recently in Maurice Jamal’s Ski Trip sequel, “Friends and Lovers” as Jayson. Tell us what the show is about and what your character was on the show?

Ben: The show is a continuation of the movie (The Ski Trip), and its kind of interesting because it has a lot of our input as far as humor goes. Without giving away the story, but I will say it was lot of fun and it should be out pretty soon and its one of those things where you have a great up-and-coming writer and director and actor, and his projects tend to be really funny. We had a really good time.

Giant: How’d you land the role and how has this impacted your acting career? In 2004, you were landed many small theatrical roles and also landed acting roles in numerous television series such as “Something New,” “Beauty Shop,” “Eve,” and “Days of Our Lives.” Working on the set of Days of Our Lives, how did that impact your acting?

Ben: It affected my acting in the most positive away because I was now in a situation where 1.) I’m around a league of professionals. Some one the leads have been on that show since like the early 80s, but it helped me exercise [my acting]. There were times when you walk into the studio, go home, come back and they got a new script for you. Or you get into a situation where, the main characters–this happened on Brothers & Sisters, when I did that show–where the main characters feel that the script is saying something else and they’ll change it right on the spot, and the beauty of it is that that’s the stuff the acting classes prepare you for… [those skills] you don’t really get to use until you’re in that situation. Because you go through so much training and all this other stuff, but go “Okay, when I am going to use the whatever technique, or this technique or that technique?” and now you’re in that position, and now its fun because now you’re up for a challenge–and here it is. Everybody is waiting for it to be a thing that’s processed, and you know people go in to it as “I don’t want to mess up, I don’t want to mess up,” and here I am thinking it’s my time to shine, so let’s do this. You just kind of kick back and let things roll. It’s like playing double-dutch: you just jump in when it’s your turn, and if you mess up, you mess up but that’s not the intent. [It's almost all about] focus.

Giant: You began acting on the LOGO series, “Noah’s Arc” in June of 2005. The show gave you the green light as Guy, the pseudo-psychopathic platonic/unrequited love interest of Trey. You also became somewhat of a gay sex symbol because of the role. What was it like playing the role of Guy?

Ben: It’s been absolutely wonderful. So far, its been one of the most fun projects I’ve worked on and I’ve been very thankful for all the people that were involved mainly because my character was so much different than everyone else. Jensen plays Wade, and has such a great character arc and then Noah has his whole storyline. Everyone has got their interesting storylines going but my storyline was so much different in way that I felt like, looking back on it, I really picked a better role to play… from the first season to the second. I was very fortunate, and of course, when you work on any project that you are really passionate about you want to give it all this energy and when you actually get that, it is something bigger than what’s on the surface. It’s still kind of strikes me as fascinating and interesting when someone actually knows who I am before I even say anything. It’s like “Wow, this is pretty cool, someone actually knows who I am.” It’s really good, really good. I still see someone of the guys from time to time. It was fun being able to work with Darryl. We were friends before we worked on the show are still friends.

Giant: Did you like, know someone when you got the gig?

Ben: Oh, no. It was the classic, “You have an audition, then you have the call back,” and then “Hey, we really liked you and we would like for the table read.” Then it was, “They don’t want you quite yet.” Then I had to wait, and if you want a really E! True Hollywood story, I didn’t book it actually. Another actor booked the role. These are rare aren’t they? (laughs) And I was going to get dropped by my agency, not necessarily contingent on this job, but they were kind of done with me, I guess. I don’t know what the accurate term would be, but I guess they were “moving on in a new direction.” Long story short they said, “We’re going to drop you.” I was like, “Well, I have this one job,” and they said, “Well, you haven’t booked it yet.” So, I was like, “Okay… cool,” but they said, that if anything happens “give me a call.” They never called me. So, I never went back with the agency. Two weeks went by and I got a phone call from the casting director saying they would like me for the role, [and] that they would like me on set right now. Let’s go. Let’s do this. Let’s roll and roll. And that was that. Next thing, I know. I’m shooting, they’re directing, and the rest as they say is history (Baritone laugher, “Ha, Ha, Ha”).

Giant: Do you think playing gay or questioning has pigeonholed you?

Ben: Not at all. I feel that playing any role on TV, or in film or short film–nothing limits you, except for you. That’s always been something I’ve grown up with and something I really, truly believe. If you’re going from this role to that role and the whole time you’re thinking Oscar winner, then you fast-forward and you’re Halle Berry. Because she played crack head! She’s played everything under the sun, and she’s played them to death, and as much as she can. She will give that role as much as she has. You know, that’s when we see a person playing a convincing role, and that’s the part that I feel when we look past who they are, and you’re just observing at that point. If I decide my experience is going to be, that’s what it’s going to be. That’s what I expect to do as an actor, so is really out of the question for someone to ask that.

Giant: You have a big following in the LGBT community and you are very supportive of the community as well. Would you ever play gay again?

Ben: Yes, I really truly love what I do and because of how, in a sense of how groundbreaking Noah’s Arc was–the story hadn’t been told and there are so many stories that haven’t been told. You can go from Brokeback Mountain to Queer As Folk to The L Word. The underlying person that speak for themselves, and I am there to step into their place and say it for them in a positive way–and sometimes its not so positive–that’s one of the one things you take on gracefully, and understand that there’s a certain honor you take with that comes with portraying someone who lives a different life or have lived through something you have lived through. It’s something you have to understand the gravity of, not “Oh, I’m playing this gay dude.” Think Sean Penn playing Milk, you know. “I’m playing someone who changed the world, and you don’t know it.” [You see] it gets switched around. It’s “will you please let me?”

Giant: Since playing Guy, you also appeared on “Brothers & Sisters” and “C.S.I. Miami.” How have these separate sitcom series’ changed your acting and your perspective from playing the role of Guy?

Ben: It broadens your perspective. At first you don’t think you can do it, but you get more experience and more life experience and you go on from there. To me, it was kind of an easing into “Yeah, I can sit at a table with Queen Latifah and have a conversation,” and that will be that. It wouldn’t be “Oh my God, I’m sitting at a table with Queen Latifah. She’s Phenomenal.” It’s “I’m an actor, she’s an actor we’re going to make it work, it’s going to be great and by the way, we’re both phenomenal.” It takes away that element of “I can’t do it” to “I can do this” and have fun with it, because now you’re part of it. That’s what becomes more prevalent. It’s like you’re looking at the great neighborhood from inside the biggest house on the street, instead of just driving by wondering how I can get into this really great house. It puts in perspective that you are there to create a product, and that you are there to create. It you understand that and allow yourself to do that, then you find that magical things that happen.

Giant: What has been your favorite on-set experience working in the industry thus far?

Ben: My first…I would have to say Noah’s Arc and you know the scene. My second–It’s the scene when I jump off of the coach with my get-it-girl shorts on. I got to lay the big one on Greg who plays Trey. We probably shot that scene close to 12 or 15 times, and it really got to a point where the director was getting mad because people were screwing up their lines, people were laughing at stuff and we were having a really good time. We really had to get it together because you know, set time is money and that is definitely the reality of the situation. Doing that scene was the most fun, out of everything thus far… [and] I’ve had a lot really cool scenes!

Giant: You started to say your second?

Ben: CSI. I mean, that’s a show that’s been for a long ass time and I got to play a guy who was pushed off a building. My mom watches everything I do, so when she watched it she was like, “Oh my God, how did you do that? How did you jump?” So, doing all the really cool sci-fi looking things was pretty cool.

Giant: Who would you like to work with next? Actors? Directors?

Ben: One of my favorites so far is Jamie Foxx. I love his comedy, I love his drama, I love his music, I love what he does. I mean, he’s [deserved] that award. I won’t lie, I don’t know a lot of director, but movies like 300–that style of epic story. But those are good. Sanaa Lathan, I worked with her once, she’s great. I worked with Raven Simone and she’s actually really cool, and I’d like to do that with her again. It was like “I saw you when you were three years old, now I’m playing your boyfriend. Dude, what the hell…”

Giant: Even more so, you’re a musician! In fact, you taught yourself guitar, bass, drums and piano and started composing music for your own band. Is that right? What the name of the band and what’s the reason behind it?

Ben: The same is Sapphire Sky, like the color or gin drink. I saw an Oprah magazine and I was just sifting through it, and it happened to be at 7:30 at night, early summer. Something caught my eye, “Come to the beautiful blah, blah, blah, Sapphire Sky.” Some travel destination she had, but I kept repeating that in my head and thought that something that has a really good name. I always thought my music should be memorable and that’s I’m more than an actor. I really reflect that I’m legit, I do this and I do it well and I know it and you go to come see it.

Giant: Whose in the band? Is it just you or you and some guys?

Ben: Actually in the studio, I have my own studio and I actually coming my third CD right now. My writing’s composed everything by myself, and by choice. What I did is that I filed an ad on MySpace and found some people, that already what the sound was and all that stuff, and it was “Hey, would you like to play with me?” From then, I kind of formed a friendship with these guys and have for a year and half now. They’re all involved with project. I’m really proficient in reading music, but I listen…

Giant: In high school, you played drums in the school band each year. As a musician, your first album is titled “Affordable Vacation”. First of all, where did the name come from and what genres of music do you play?

Ben: The name came from… I was in Miami actually, sitting on the beach in the morning, writing. All these deejays were playing and there was a whole lot of music going on, and it just popped up. If you read the lyrics, it’s kind of self explanatory really. It’s just about being in a good state of mind. I kind of followed this standard, where this is the theme of album, and have a good time and throw some party stuff into it too. I was also able to squeeze in some positive stuff in there too, because I feel that as far as I am concerned as far as music goes…there are things that I will and won’t do. One of those things being a horrific amount of cussing on the recording because I don’t think it goes into the context of what my music is saying, it’s not really relevant, really.

Giant: You’re worked on a third album too. What type of music did you want in this record and how will it differ from your first album, “Affordable Vacation”?

Ben: Not necessarily, a change in the style. But I there’s a song I uploaded on MySpace called “Psychology 08.2,” check it out. It’s on iTunes. But Psychology was a bigger, more planned project. But I learned a lot of things, and that’s one of the benefits of being self-taught. How to make certain sound happen or how to make certain vibes acceptable…I was learning how to compose better on the piano and on the guitar. Everything else was falling into place. I was able to do what I wanted to do on the first project, but just more of it on the second. Because I’m not signed to a label yet or have to answer to anyone else at this point, I did whatever it is I wanted to do. I did a light ballad, I did a complete piano. Not necessarily different from the sound I created for myself, but within the context of what I created, they’re just different things. The difference with this third project is, now that I know there aren’t any roadblocks. Like if I wanted to play a raga or reggae song, I know how to play it. It’s like Jamiriquoi: you’ll have a disco sound, a house sound, and a little reggae, but it’s still his voice, and you can still recognize him.

Giant: You’ve been in the ‘industry’ for a little over a while now, what are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned?

Ben: First and foremost, read your contract! If you don’t understand anything, and its written so you don’t understand anything, then you spend money and get somebody to read it for you that is attached to anyone else. Find a lawyer that will read it for you because I was in a situation in which I signed a contract stating one thing, and it was kind of understood, but not really articulated that pay structure would go down another way. When there was no money involved, there was no issue raised. But as soon as a significant amount of money came up, then the disagreements started and once the contract was raised, that’s when they said, “Hey, you signed something that may not like it, but you have to agree with this or we’ll go to court.” It just finished about a year and a half ago, but I’ve met so many people who have been signed with somebody and the first thing I ask is what is their contract limited to? More often than not, they people don’t understand what they are saying. Read your contract!

Giant: For curiousity…What is your dream role?

Ben: I want to do a Star Wars type of lead role. Like a dude… where there’s at least five films where there’s a guy got to deal with something and figure it out. Like a Matrix or Lord of The Rings, something like that. I enjoy those really big George Lucas, Steven Speilberg [epic movies]. I really enjoy those types of stories. There’s a certain draw of the unseen that I really enjoy in the creation process. Throw a little fanatasy in it…Johnny Depp, he’s a very free and emotional actor, but if you look at Pirates of the Caribbean, anything he’s done… he’s so available for the role to get it done. He can do anything, sky’s the limit.

Giant: Tell us what’s next on the horizon for you. Any other films?

Ben: I did a project with Tom Sizemore, I think about a year ago, and it may do DVD release. So, that’s definitely going to be available in the coming months. It’s kind of like Gene Hackman and Denzel, when they were arguing in the submarine. What movie is that called? Not Red October, but what that movie is called, it’s kind of like the clash of the titans type of battle. I just happen to be the private that’s on the computer that’s got to type all these coordinates to sent to all the bombers there. I shot somebody.  I mean, like if you’ve never done it before, its [bad]. But if you do it in a movie, it’s alright. (laughs) But he’s a cool guy and very much himself the whole time, and he knows how to party. Obviously, Maurice Jamal’s project should be out soon. There’s a couple of projects I can’t name just yet until they’re done, because  we’re actually shooting, but there are a few others that are definitely in the works. I’m actually launching a release party for my third CD, so in the mean time, I’m be doing promo tours for Psychology.

Giant: Lastly, other than music and acting… is there anything else you do in your spare time?

Ben: I really, really enjoy photography and forgot that I’m actually pretty good at it. I’ve been shooting headshots and fashion for two years now. I usually try to tie that into something I’m working on or with. Like if I go to a pretty cool location or something. I take my big camera. Like when I was in Vancouver shooting Noah’s Arc, I kind of too sometime by myself and walked, and really got a feel for downtown. That’s one of the things I like to do, and take with me on trips…you know, that’s what I like to do.

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Check out the behind-the-video from sultry Amerie’s recent photo shoot for GIANT.