The history of professional athletes-turned-artists isn't a rich one, and NBA player Ron Artest does little to break the norm on his debut album, My World.
With all his baggage — from punching out a Madison Square Garden cameraman to instigating the infamous Palace of Auburn Hills brawl — Artest's CD was somewhat anticipated among sports fans the past couple years.
Prior to the 2004-05 NBA season, Artest mentioned he might need some time away from basketball to do work with his record company, Tru Warier Records. Nearly two years later, his first solo album is out.
At first listen, My World isn't as bad as many would have expected it to be. Rap and hip-hop mogul Diddy endorses the Tru Warier on the album's intro, and the first song, "Haterz," is a laid-back track in which Artest gets a lot of beef off his chest.
From those in the media chastising him ("Matt Lauer, up on NBC/ You look like a girl, don't talk to me/ Did the interview, you automatically hated me/ Talked about the brawl, but didn't ask about family") to recalling the "Malice at the Palace" ("How was I supposed to know he was going to throw beer/ Hit me in the face and I go run up the stairs/ Touch the wrong person, Steve Jack had my back/ O'Neal and A.J. with the counter-attack"), it's clear Artest has a story to tell.
The rest of the album is filled with an array of head bangers and, despite the expected club track beats, gives Artest credit: He isn't trying to sound like anyone but himself.
Not only is Artest's tone of voice unique throughout the whole record, but so are his lyrics. On "No Good," the Tru Warier raps about all he thinks is wrong in the world ("TV, propaganda, drugs and guns are money's anthem/ So you know my people in the hood want to get some/ Killing the minds of the youth in the hood, not the Hampton").
Artest continues to supply a political message on the next track, "Coroner," this time concerning the effect of drugs and guns in the hood with his personal experiences ("Then he started drinking beer, smoking weed, he couldn't hear/ Hard-headed, his life started right then and there/ Hot-headed, his life started right then and there").
No rap album is complete without the assistance of the guest appearance, however, and Artest delivers with Juvenile lending a hand on "Cash Money" and Mike Jones — along with a few others — spitting fire on "Get Low." Members from his Tru Warier camp appear on a few tracks as well.
While Artest avoids the conventional rap and hip-hop lyrics, the overall sound of his album is undeniably mainstream. Even though he produced most of the beats on the album himself, he can't escape the stereotypical sound of just another club filler.
Furthermore, the skits don't make much sense and ruin the flow of the album.
Nevertheless, Artest's shot at making an album wasn't a complete miss. He won't be able to avoid the stigma of an athlete trying his hand at music, but his effort on My World wasn't horrible — certainly much more than what was expected.
Rating: 2 out of 5.
