Johnny Depp appears on compilation CD featuring Kentucky artists

LOS ANGELES, May 28 (UPI) -- Film star Johnny Depp can be heard performing on "The Hookah Lounge Vol. 1," a new album featuring urban music by Kentucky artists, producers said.

Executive produced by Jonathan Hay, the CD is being released through Hoopla Worldwide, a record label in Louisville. Depp's nephew, Billy Rassel, serves as the marketing supervisor for the album.

"I had never really asked him to be involved with anything I was ever doing with music," Rassel said in a statement Tuesday about his famous actor uncle, who also occasionally sings and plays guitar.

"However, I decided to reach out to him while he was in Utah filming 'The Lone Ranger.' I texted him with the idea we had for the song and about an hour later, he hit me back completely open to the idea and told me to send him the parts and he would record it in between shoots. I sent it to him, and he got it back to me in about two days with three separate versions."

"Obviously, people know that Johnny Depp and Nappy Roots are both from Kentucky. But then you also have Renzo Charlez, Audio Stepchild, Shevy Chase from The Elephant Room, Junior Jackson and DJ B-Rite who are all from Kentucky, too. Also, a former University of Louisville student, Stop Sign Tandy, is featured on the compilation with the multi-platinum Ying Yang Twins. Michael Barber, also a former (University of Louisville) student, appears on the album with the Grammy-nominated Buffalo Stille. It's a great look for the city of Louisville," Michael Paoloni of Jonathan Hay Publicity said of the album's lineup.