Did Taraji P Henson Sing Rock Steady?

Taraji P. Henson has accomplished much in her illustrious acting career. Hailing from DC, she has appeared in comedies, dramas and action movies both as a leading lady and supporting actor. Music is another passion of Henson’s; she has shown it off through various projects demonstrating her singing chops; even producing her own recordings!

Henson excelled as Nola, an expectant prostitute in the 2005 film Hustle & Flow. This performance earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination as well as performing Three 6 Mafia’s song “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp”, earning an Oscar nomination and ultimately winning her one for Best Original Song performance at the Oscars.

Hustle & Flow may have come out over a decade ago, yet Taraji P. Henson continues to find new audiences through various mediums. She recently made an appearance in Fox series Empire as Cookie Lyon, an allusion to Memphis rap scene of 1980s; Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson) runs her elite record label while managing Jamal (Jussie Smollett) and Hakeem’s (Yazz) careers respectively.

Henson isn’t the only talented vocalist on Empire; Lee Daniels, its creator and executive producer, is also an accomplished singer-songwriter who has written songs for Beyonce, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez and Usher as well as performing them live or writing them for Broadway and movie screen adaptations.

Henson has also performed live for her fans both on the show and during concerts, sharing the stage with artists like Janet Jackson and LL Cool J. Her singing career kicked off back in 2005 when she provided vocals for Three 6 Mafia single “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp.”

She continues to showcase her talent on stages across the country and recently released an album of soulful music entitled TPH by Taraji. This collection of tracks was recorded with some of the industry’s most esteemed producers such as JD McPherson and Alfonzo Bailey.