Tyrese Speaks On Black-Ty Reaction and Possible Musical Retirement

It's been a good year for Tyrese Gibson. With a hit movie ( Waist Deep ) and one on the way ( Transformers ), as well as a successful collaboration with rapper Chingy ("Pullin' Me Back), the crooner/thespian is riding a wave of good fortune. Couple this with the unveiling of his rhyme persona Black-Ty and Gibson becomes a humbled soul in the midst of the love he's received. "I feel blessed, like I've sold 10 million records already. I feel like I can die in Hip-Hop heaven," Gibson said about Black-Ty's acceptance in the rap community. "It wasn't the fans that was the hardest challenge because sometimes it takes a minute for things to grow on the fans. For me the hardest challenge was my peers, everybody in this industry who make the music business run, who run the game. Everybody that's in this rap game that's embraced me. Those are the cats that I was concerned about." Fellow emcees aren't the only ones embracing Black-Ty. The rapper's latest mixtape Ghetto Royalty has received more than 450,000 downloads in four weeks. The mixtape's success comes as Gibson prepares for the release of his forthcoming album Alter Ego, a double disc featuring R&B from the singer as well as rhymes from Black-Ty. The album boasts cameos from Snoop Dogg, Game and Method Man, David Banner, Lil Scrappy, Kurupt, Too Short, R. Kelly and Lil' Jon. Production comes courtesy of Mannie Fresh, Scott Storch and the Frontline Boyz. Gibson is planning a 35-city outing where concertgoers must wear black to see the singer perform as well as hear music from the album before it hits stores on Dec. 12 Although he enjoys making music and interacting with fans, Gibson hints that Alter Ego could be his musical swan song. "This could definitely be the last," admitted the balladeer, who is leaning toward acting full-time. "If this for whatever reason don't stick, this could be it. It ain't no gimmick but this could definitely be it. I told J Records 'you better get me while you can because if this s*** for whatever reason don't take off, I'm done.'" Black Ty's Ghetto Royalty mixtape is available at www.headquarterentertainment.com.