Tyrese takes Atlanta

ATLANTA — In his first live performance in five years, Tyrese Gibson will take the stage at the Atlanta Civic Center on Friday night.

The R&B singer and actor said he was excited to be in what he called "the real chocolate city." He stopped by WSB-TV studios to promote his new album, "Open Invitation," which features the popular single "Stay."

In recent years, Gibson has been better known for taking the big screen, appearing in the "Fast and the Furious" movies, and the "Transformers" series. But he said music is his first love.

"It was in my heart to do it again. I love music," he said.

Gibson said he wanted more control of his latest this album. He took a risk releasing it on his independent label, Voltron Recordz, but he said it paid off.

"This is my most successful album to date," he said.

He also took a moment to weigh in on the news of the day, notably the high-profile Trayvon Martin case. Gibson questioned whether the teen's alleged killer should have been granted $150,000 bail earlier in the day.

"If that was a black man in that courtroom, wearing that suit, I just want to believe that things would've been very different," he said.

He sent his prayers to the family, saying, "Justice is all we're after, not just black people, all people."

Refocusing on his upcoming performance, Gibson said he's determined to sell out the concert. He said it's being marketed as "Tyrese and Friends" because of other VIP acts set to perform. He said if you want to know who, you'll have to attend.

"The album's called 'Open Invitation,' and everyone's invited," he said.

WSBTV