New writer Jason Gordon
The appeal of a music career nearly universal, even if you are a successful professional athlete. While breaking into the music industry can be hard for most people, it is a lot easier when you are rich and famous. As Drake says in his song “Thank Me Now” off his first album, “Damn, I swear sports and music are so synonymous/cause we want to be them, and they want to be us.”
https://genius.com/Drake-thank-me-now-lyrics
Those lyrics apply to a few athletes more than others. Athletes have been huge advocates and supporters of music, but a few take it to the next level and believe they can be as successful in the music business than they are in their sport. Here are five professional athletes that have tried to create a career in music, with some more successful than others.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the best basketball players of all-time, but that did not stop him from building a music career. O’Neil released his first rap album entitled Shaq Diesel in October 1993. While the album was panned by the critics, it was a huge commercial success. Shaq Diesel went on to sell just under one million copies, and it also peaked at number 25 on the US music charts. O’Neil released five more albums during his career, but none of them were as successful as his debut album.
http://www.billboard.com/artist/278931/shaquille-oneal/chart?f=305
Deion Sanders
Following in Shaquille O’Neal’s footsteps, Deion Sanders decided to release his first rap album in December 1994. The 16-track album was called Prime Time, which was also Sanders’ nickname on the football field. Sanders got the chance to perform two songs on an episode of Saturday Night Live, but poor reviews from the critics and fans kept “Prime Time” from becoming a success. Deion Sanders released The Encore Remix in 2005. The album featured remixed versions of every song found on Prime Time.
Bernie Williams
Bernie Williams became a classically trained guitarist while playing baseball for the New York Yankees. He released his debut jazz album, The Journey Within, in July 2003 to critical acclaim. His second album was entitled Moving Forward, and it became available to the public in April 2009. Moving Forward was also well received by the music critics, and it was even nominated for Best Instrumental Album at the 2009 Latin Grammy Awards. Williams has collaborated with Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, David Benoit and Patti Scialfa during his highly successful jazz career. Williams’ has lived an extraordinary life, as he has his number retired by the Yankees and earned a Grammy nomination. He is definitely the most successful athlete turned musician.
https://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/bernie-williams-nominated-for-latin-grammy/?_r=1
http://rukkus.com/blog/yankees-retire-bernie-williams-number/
Alexi Lalas
Alexi Lalas had a Hall of Fame career as a soccer player, but he is also an extremely talented musician. He created a rock band called The Gypsies while attending Rutgers University. The Gypsies self-released their debut album, Woodland, in 1994 before earning an opening slot for Hootie and the Blowfish in 1998. Alexi Lalas has also released three solo studio albums. His latest album, Infinity Spaces, hit store shelves in 2014.
http://fusion.net/story/63229/alexi-lalas-new-rock-album-proves-hes-also-a-musical-hero/
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant grew up a huge fan of underground rap, and he even formed his own rap group called CHEIZAW while attending Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania. Bryant’s burgeoning basketball career helped the group sign with Sony Entertainment, but the record label forced Bryant to go solo after entering the NBA. Bryant was set to release his debut solo album entitled “Visions” in 2000, but the album was never released after the debut single “K.O.B.E” failed miserably. Despite never releasing an album, Kobe Bryant has still recorded songs with Brian McKnight, Shaquille O’Neal and Jay Chou.
If you had to pick the athlete who has parlayed their fame and talent into a respectable music career most successfully, it would probably be Bernie Williams. Shaq is probably the most notable, as whatever Shaq does off the court is usually comical and memorable. We hope to see more athletes challenge themselves in this realm.
By Guest COMBO Writer Jason Gordon
Jason@usssportsmachine.com