Lakers C SHAQUILLE O'NEAL has released his fifth album
and is now "a more credible rapper than [he was] on his '93
debut, `Shaq Diesel,'" according to Dan DeLuca of the
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. The album, "Respect," was released
under O'Neal's "The World Is Mine" (TWIsM) label and is a
collection of "his own part-hearty rhymes that are
inoffensive, but far from exemplary." DeLuca: "Not
surprisingly, considering his image and commercial
endorsements, `Respect' is one hip-hop album that doesn't
need an alternate `clean version.'" O'Neal, on the album's
content: "Corporate-wise and marketing-wise it wouldn't be
intelligent for me to pretend to be a gangsta rapper. I
know kids look up to me, plus I have a little daughter who's
going to listen to it." O'Neal: "I could sell 250,000 of a
`Super Bowl Shuffle' kind of novelty album, but I want to do
it right. I respect the rap game" (PHILA. INQUIRER, 9/16).
In a sidebar, Kevin Carter looks at the emergence of
athletes as musical artists. Other "flamboyant" athletes
such as the Cowboys' DEION SANDERS, the Seahawks' RICKY
WATTERS and the Angels' JACK MCDOWELL have, "with mixed
results," also put out albums. Of all the jock-rockers,
though, O'Neal's "Shaq Diesel" has had the most success,
selling 869,000 copies. Others include the Suns' WAYMAN
TISDALE, whose jazz album, "Power Forward," sold 94,000
copies, and Sanders, whose rap album, `Prime Time,' sold
69,000 copies (PHILA. INQUIRER, 9/16). O'Neal was a guest
on the "Tonight Show" with JAY LENO last night (NBC, 9/16).
