Despite some media outlets calling his so-call foray into hip-hop "an elaborate hoax," the former actor Joaquin Phoenix says it's far from it.

As ridiculous as it may seem, the actor says his hip-hop career is real. Via an interview with MTV, Phoenix explained that he can't be concerned with the criticism. And also blamed the hoax on a former, disloyal colleague.

"Somebody who is an old friend, or somebody that I worked with on music, [spoke to the press]," the actor told MTV. "I've worked with a lot of people on music, and oftentimes those things don't work out. Sometimes you have some bad blood between people. ... I realize that [my hip-hop career] might seem ridiculous to other people, but I can't concern myself with that."

Phoenix also confirmed early reports that Diddy would be involved. However, it's still unclear if Diddy will produce or take part in the creation of his upcoming music debut.

"We are going to work together shortly. As to whether that will be a complete album or not, I don't know. But Diddy said to me, 'You've gotta get out there,' " Phoenix revealed, crediting the hip-hop mogul for his early club appearances. "I have 10 songs now, and three of them I think are really good, and the others I think are pretty crap. But I'll work on them."

So far, Phoenix has showcased his rap skills at two small shows where he didn't get the warmest welcome. One in Culver City and the other in Las Vegas.

When MTV asked how his rap career is going thus far, he responded with "Terrible." "I've gone to little small places, and I guess some people there filmed it and sh** and put it on [the Internet], which was really nerve-racking, because there's literally people there heckling you. ... The show in Vegas, I just don't think you could tell on the video, but it was a lot better than people think. ... I just figure, put yourself out there and crash, and then you rebuild yourself and find your way into it."

To make things even weirder, Ben Affleck's brother Casey has been filming Phoenix's run as a rapper, which is supposed to be released as a feature-length documentary.

According to MTV, the actor's debut album will be released later this year.