Idris Elba is an English actor, DJ, and record producer. He has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Grammy Award.
Idris Elba is an English actor, DJ, and producer. He has appeared in over 30 films including The Wire, Luther, and Thor. His career began when he landed a role in Ridley Scott’s 2001 film Black Hawk Down where he played Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Company.
While Idris Elba is most recognized for his roles in television shows like The Wire, The Office, and Luther, as well as feature films like American Gangster, Thor, and Pacific Rim, he has also established a reputation for himself in music as a DJ, producer, rapper, and vocalist. Elba’s music is influenced by hip-hop, African music, and reggae, and his deep, resonant voice lends weight and depth to the atmospheric, edgy rhythms. Elba is a team player who often collaborates with other musicians and singers on his albums. Idris Elba Presents: The Yardie Mixtape was a reggae-oriented set tied into his directorial debut, Yardie, in 2018. His debut album, Mi Mandela, was inspired by his experience playing Nelson Mandela and the music of South Africa, Murdah Loves John was an exercise in moody hip-hop, and Idris Elba Presents: The Yardie Mixtape was a reggae-oriented set tied into his direct
Idris Elba was born in Hackney, London, England, on September 6, 1972. Winston’s father was born in Sierra Leone, while his mother Eve was born in Ghana; the couple married in Sierra Leone and subsequently moved to England. Elba started performing in student plays while attending school in Canning Town, and at the age of 14, he began working for his uncle, who operated a wedding DJ business. Elba and his friends established their own DJ company a year later, and in 1988, he dropped out of school to apply for the National Youth Music Theatre, which he attended thanks to a Prince’s Trust grant.
Elba began performing under the stage name DJ Big Driis in London nightclubs in 1991; three years later, he began getting minor roles on British television programs, and in 1995, he guest-starred on Absolutely Fabulous and Branwell. Elba became a regular on British television shortly after, and in 2002, after moving to the United States, he got his breakout role on HBO’s drama series The Wire as Russell “Stringer” Bell. Elba’s calendar was packed with film and television appearances, but he continued to work on musical projects: in 2006, he released an EP under the moniker Driis called Big Man, and the following year, he composed and produced a tune for Jay-album Z’s American Gangster. In 2010, Driis released another EP, High Class Problems, Vol. 1, and he appeared as a guest on Pharoahe Monch’s album W.A.R. in 2011. He sang guest vocals on Milk’s Tales from the Thames Delta in 2012, and he handled backup vocals and drumming on Macy Gray’s 2012 album Covered.
In 2013, Elba was cast as South African activist and president Nelson Mandela in the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, which became one of his most acclaimed performances. Inspired by his time as the renowned leader, he put together an album of music based on South African themes and styles, including James Blake, Cody ChesnuTT, Mr. Hudson, George the Poet, the Mahotella Queens, and Nothembi Mkhwebane, among others. Mi Mandela, the album, was released in November 2014. Prior to its debut, he presented a BBC Radio 2 radio show called Journey Dot Africa, which focused on African music.
Murdah Loves John, Elba’s second album, was a gloomy blend of hip-hop, R&B, and African music inspired by his character in the TV series Luther, and was released in 2016. With the 2018 drama Yardie, he made his feature film directorial debut, and he released The Yardie Mixtape, a compilation of reggae and hip-hop music inspired by the film. In December 2024, Elba released “We All Move Together,” a song he co-wrote with Inner City and Detroit Will Breathe, a Michigan-based anti-racism organization. “We All Move Together” was written in response to the murder of George Floyd and the Detroit police department’s frequent accusations of racially motivated violence. Elba’s next release was a lighter affair: “Fudge,” a house tune he collaborated on with Latvian DJ Eliza Legzdina during a break from filming in Australia.
Idris Elba is a British actor, musician, and producer. He was born on 7th October 1972 in Johannesburg, South Africa to Ethiopian parents. His first acting role was in the 1995 film Mandela. Reference: idris elba netflix.
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