“I Write My Lyrics from a Place of Truth” – Keith Robinson on Acting and Music

Keith Robinson is an actor and R&B singer from Louisville, Kentucky, who’s been lighting up both the screen and the music world. He first gained fame as the Green Ranger in Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue and later made waves with his role as C.C. White in Dreamgirls, even performing the Oscar-nominated song "Patience" live at the Academy Awards.

Keith’s musical journey began in high school, where he started writing and recording music. While acting has been a significant part of his career since he was 17, he sees himself as a multi-faceted artist who channels his creativity through both music and acting.

In this “10 Minute Chats” interview, we talked about what he’s most proud of in his journey and why music has always come first.

— In your Instagram bio, you wrote "Believer." What do you believe in?

— I believe in my Savior. I believe in myself. I believe in the good of mankind. I believe in my principles. A number of things. Basically just overall, I believe in the positive vibes of the universe.

— In your ISINA profile, you describe yourself as an actor, songwriter, and Oscar-nominated vocalist. Is that order based on what's most important to you?

— I see myself as an artist primarily. I'm a multi-faceted, multi-hyphenated artist. I started in music, and acting came second, but I consider myself a creative. Through music and acting is how I express myself primarily.

— When did you start writing and creating music?

— So, I was in a singing group in high school when I first started writing music. And then I went to college for a couple of years, got in another group, and we ended up landing a recording contract with Motown Records. After we got out of that deal, the deal fell through, we moved out to Los Angeles, and that kicked off my acting career once I got to Hollywood. I've been doing both ever since.

— Would you say that making music is a more effective way for you to express yourself?

— I think so because I write almost all of my lyrics, so a lot of those lyrics are coming from a place of truth out of my own experience, so yes.

— You've won a number of awards. Which one are you most proud of?

— I mean, I'm proud of everything that I've done, to be honest with you. Some projects resonate more with people or have been seen by more eyes, like Dreamgirls or This Christmas, but I'm proud of all the work that I've done. It's hard for me to choose one particular work because everything that I do, I put my whole self into.

— You were nominated for an Oscar. How do you feel about that?

— For a song, yes, for the song "Patience." Musically, that song was nominated for an Oscar, and I was the lead vocalist in that song, so yes.

I feel great about it. It’s something I never even fathomed. It was a great project to be a part of, and it’s something I can always hang my hat on as a benchmark that legitimizes me as a vocalist.

— How did you first hear about ISINA?

— I found out through a great producer, Davix, who I've done a number of records with. Some of the records I actually performed at ISINA Studios, and he was the one who brought it to me.

I think it's great. It gives artists a great opportunity to let people hear their work. It's a collective community of artists, and ISINA does a great job of showcasing it very professionally. I think we're right at the beginning of a movement, so I'm glad to be one of the first artists to be involved with it. I think it's headed in the right direction.