‘Empire’ Star Bryshere Gray on Juggling Multiple Rap Personas (Video)

“As far as Yazz, he’s more personal and what’s going on in my life,” Gray tells TheWrap’s Stuart Brazell in a new installment of “Drinking With the Stars”

(Spoiler alert: Do not keep reading if you are not caught up on season 2 of “Empire”)

Bryshere Gray, who plays Hakeem on the hit Fox series “Empire,” sat down with TheWrap to discuss the differences between his character and his real life rap persona, “Yazz the Greatest.”

“When I write the music for Hakeem, it’s playful, it’s trendy. It’s throw away. It’s really for the storyline and what’s happening on ‘Empire,’” Gray told TheWrap’s Stuart Brazell in a new edition of “Drinking With the Stars.” “As far as Yazz, he’s more personal and what’s going on in my life, the struggle, the ups and downs.”

As we saw in the midseason finale, Hakeem turned on his father when he voted to remove Lucious as the CEO of Empire. But Gray doesn’t have time for scheming on that level, as his current career path keeps him pretty busy.

“Writing my own music, acting, filming, modeling, my foundation…You Are the Greatest. It’s basically going out and talking to kids,” he said. “We’re going to Tokyo in two weeks. Go out to these kids in hospitals and give them inspiration.”

Season 2 of “Empire” resumes tonight at 9/8c on Fox.

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