Ron Artest Wants to Win a Grammy

Artest isn’t just looking for an NBA trophy this year, he’s also aiming for some validation in the music biz as well. From Bossip (via CBS Sports, which transcribed the quotes): “Despite the slow progress, Artest explains that he was born to ball and rhyme. ‘Vern Fleming was on the Olympic team in 1988 with [Michael] Jordan, Chris Mullin all these guys. I grew up with a basketball pro and a top three rapper of all time, in Nas … I was involved in basketball and music from day one.’ With a song on the airwaves, Artest is ready to crown himself. ‘[It’s] a new breed, a new movement that’s happening and I’m kind of a leader right now of the Queensbridge movement.’ Artest admits shortly thereafter that perhaps he hasn’t yet supplanted the living legends. ‘Of course Nas is still in the game and Prodigy is home from jail, so obviously they’re going to make their run.’ Like any ambitious rapper, Artest’s eyes are on the prize. ‘I want to develop my artists and have them put the best music out, and then continue to put the best music out. I don’t want to slack off. Give 100%. I don’t want to half-ass it. If a Grammy comes with that, that would be amazing. The artists that I have, they want the Grammies, they really do,’ Artest continued. ‘I want a Grammy. Realistically, myself, I don’t know if I can get one with playing basketball. I don’t know if I have the time to create the records that I really need to create and spend the time I know I need to be in the studio to make sure that everything is right for my records. But for my artists, I can see one or two of them getting a Grammy.'”