![]() ![]() “Like, where am I gonna survive in a world of 2 Chainz and Drake? Frank, Miguel and all of these guys. ![]() ![]() In actuality, being a double threat is a minor handicap (Wilds auditions for film roles regularly “to keep it sharp,” he says). The music is comfortable in its own skin.” It’s New York to its core, which is what he exudes, yet not in a typical way. “He’s not putting on for the crowd, trying to portray something he’s not,” says Ne-Yo, who co-wrote Wilds’ single, “Own It.” “I like the raw, realness of Mack’s album. It’s hard to imagine him as an undercover jerk, and those who’ve worked with him will corroborate that the modesty is real. He doesn’t abuse the bottle service-he only drinks “for celebratory occasions.”Īctors are masters at deflecting and playing faux humble, but Wilds is the instantly likable type whose unpretentiousness seems genuine. But when a particularly aggressive stripper shoves a set of dimpled cheeks in my face, he extends a hand, Prince Charming-style, to rescue me. He’ll toss singles and entertain the dancers at Lust, per expectations. His peers are easily classified as either vocalists posturing as hardcore rappers (Ty Dolla $ign, his covermate August Alsina), ethereal penmen (Miguel, Frank Ocean) or Chris Brown. But he’s quick to stress his own work ethic. Mack knows that JT’s evolution from Mickey Mouse Club to boy band star to pop icon-slash-reputable actor is incomparable. He’s brilliant and he’s funny and has charisma.” When he jumps into acting, he’ll have actors like, ‘Oh my god, what is he doing?’ But he’s good. “It’s that initial feeling, like, Why would he do this? I can’t be mad at that. “People don’t even realize there’s an album out-and that it’s actually kinda good,” says Wilds, only mildly frustrated. ![]() The mainstream validation upped Wilds’ stock, and his summer schedule now includes an opening spot on the Under the Influence of Music tour with Young Jeezy, Wiz Khalifa and Tyga. “I’m still in awe by this whole process,” he says. A stream of soft, moody ballads and club tracks seasoned with East Coast rap beats (from legends Pete Rock, DJ Premier and Salaam Remi), the album earned him a 2014 Grammy nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album, which surprised everyone, including him. But Wilds surpassed low expectations with his debut project, 2013’s New York: A Love Story. Drifting into music from Hollywood (his respectable post-HBO roles include the George Lucas-produced Red Tails and The Secret Life of Bees) generally attracts skepticism. It’s hard not to dismiss his recording pursuits as mere recreation. Club Lust is one of his many appearances. So for the past year, Wilds has been the Waldo of New York events. And he’s aiming for a career track that might place him in the company of actors who’ve made that improbable (and profitable) leap into music-Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Lopez, instead of, say, Eddie Murphy. He’s on to his second act-convincing us that he’s not just a singing actor. Mack Wilds, the 25-year-old R&B singer, still looks like a boy in the face, though he no longer needs saving. On HBO’s The Wire, Tristan Wilds, as Michael Lee, looked like the kid worth saving from Baltimore’s criminal corners. “You rap? Or sing?” she asks, with a little hood in her voice. Chlöe, Quavo, And Druski's 'Praise This' Is Where 'The Fighting Temptations' Meets 'Pitch Perfect' ![]()
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