Rapper Swings, born Moon Ji-hoon, who declared his ambitions as an actor, has been revealed in first-look stills from the upcoming crime film "Tazza: Beljebub's Song," also known as Tazza 4.
Distributor CJ ENM released several stills from the film.
Swings immediately draws the eye, his face and arms covered in tattoos. In one image, he pins a man by the throat with an intense, piercing stare — a presence that carries a different quality from the charisma he projects on stage as a rapper.
Given that the film is a gritty crime thriller centered on gambling, observers say his character fits seamlessly into the world of the story.
Swings plays Abraham, a high school classmate of Jang Tae-young (played by Byun Yo-han) and Park Tae-young (played by Noh Jae-won), who becomes entangled in the two protagonists' tale of betrayal and revenge.
His casting came about at the suggestion of actor Byun Yo-han, who reached out after watching Swings practice his acting in a video the rapper had posted online through an SBS variety program. "Byun Yo-han contacted me and asked to meet," Swings said. "The director was there too, and we talked about the role — everything was decided in 15 minutes."
"Tazza: Beljebub's Song" follows Jang Tae-young, who built his fortune running an online casino, as he crosses paths again with his closest friend-turned-enemy Park Tae-young at a global gambling table, setting off a revenge thriller. The film is the final installment in the Tazza franchise — following "Tazza: The High Rollers," "Tazza: Hand of God" and "Tazza: One-Eyed Jack" — and arrives seven years after the previous entry. Starring Byun Yo-han, Noh Jae-won and Swings, the film is set to open during the chuseok holiday next month.
paq@heraldcorp.com
