An American author named Jack Canfield once said that everything we want is on the other side of fear, and Ginuwine‘s latest magic trick on Criss Angel‘s Magic With The Stars reaffirms this statement.
Despite his reluctance toward a specific stunt, the R&B legend decided to ride with the tide. The stunt in question required the R&B legend to hold his breath underwater while confined in a 30-inch cube. Initially, Ginuwine could only hold his breath for 15 seconds, but after doing regular exercises, he broke his personal record!
The episode, which airs on November 12th, is a magic tussle between GINUWINE VS JEFF TIMMONS. The two must battle it out in the name of sorcery by impressing the judge’s Lance Burton, Criss Angel, and Loni Love with a series of magic performances. Beforehand, they are trained by Criss, who helps them get specific techniques down pat.
During our interview, Ginuwine said taking his fear head-on was worth the outcome.
He continues,
“I learned how to hold my breath a little longer. So that was one of the main things I was happy about. As time passed, I could hold my breath for a minute and 40 seconds after about an hour. When you say ‘magic show,’ people assume that there’s some trickery with it, but people don’t understand that I was truly underwater. Even my kid said, ‘Dad, for real? Don’t scare us.’ I told him, ‘No, I really did it.'”
He advises individuals looking to “eat the frog” to go all in.
“The only way that you lose out is if you don’t try. If you keep telling yourself you can’t, you never know what you can do,” he states.
Ginuwine has always been an avid fan of wizardry. After watching Criss Angel’s Mind Freak, which debuted via A&E Network in 2005, he was impressed with his iconic illusions. So once the opportunity to meet him presented itself, Ginuwine took his chance.
Applauding Angel’s teaching skills and professionalism, the self-classified GODs Child remarks that the magician is A1.
He continues, “It’s great to sometimes get out of your element and what you’re used to and watch and observe how other people work and do their thing. And I picked up a few pointers from him and many things from his crew.”
When the “Pony” chartbuster was asked to be on The CW series, he respectfully declined. But, after some pep talk from the magic guru, Ginuwine decided to give it a go.
“Once he asked me what my fears were, I told him. And I guess he had something already set up for one of the fears that were mine,” he says. “So, when he asked me initially, I said, “I’m good. I have to do something.” But we talked again, and he told me everything would be good, that he had my back. So, I was happy about that.”
After witnessing what his stunt would require, the former Swing Mob member felt chills down his spine.
He adds, “I went there confidently until I walked on the stage and saw the box. Once I saw it, I was like, ‘Okay, are you thinking I’m going to get in there?'”
“That’s when I got a little edgy and wanted to turn around and get out of there. But it was all about facing my fears, so I wanted to do that. So, it was something that I stuck out, and I said, “Hey, man, you got to face this head-on.” And so, I did. I’m happy I did.”
Another trick he’d like to excel at is an illusion that gives someone access to walking on ladders, walls, etc.
The result of battling his uneasiness fostered a victory that once felt unattainable. Ginuwine has exhibited valiance not only currently but also during his humble beginnings.
“People shot me down. I got turned down. I tried for years. I didn’t make it until I was 26 years old. I was going from job to job and sleeping at friends’ houses. But I believed in myself,” he adds. “I face the fact that it’s possible that I can’t, that I won’t, but I didn’t want to take no for an answer. And so, I just kept trying.”
In turn, he accumulated multi-platinum and platinum-selling albums and singles like “Pony,” “Differences,” and “In Those Jeans,” to name a few. He’s considerably an icon in the R&B/soul industry based on his compelling spin on love ballads.
He says about the current R&B scene versus the ’90s,
“I still am biased as it pertains to the nineties because most people still will say, ‘Yeah, there’s nothing like the nineties.’ And it’s proven repeatedly because many younger artists are making their music. However, there is still that ’90s influence.
“We did make some mark in the music business. Timbaland, myself, and Missy Elliott came out when music was slightly stagnant. And then Tim put a jolt back into hip-hop, R&B. That’s when it switched up, and he inspired several upcoming producers. Now we’re here. I was a part of that big wave. I believe that has a lot to do with me being still here.”
Expect to see Ginuwine alongside Dru Hill and Jagged Edge on November 27th at their R&B Show. He’ll also have a special show around cupid season: Valentines with Ginuwine on February 10th, 2023. His hit songs, “Differences” and “Pony,” will exude joy from the singer once he hits the stage.
