Monday, July 10, 2006

Rapper Romeo Balls Out - On Basketball Court

No Limit Records MC Romeo has found a nonmusical direction to take in addition to acting.
The rapper, son of No Limit head
Master P, is developing his basketball skills against 200 of the top high school players at ABCD, the country's number one basketball camp.
"There was no pressure on me," said Romeo, who impressed college coaches with his focus on life, education and basketball. "I use this week as a concert. Instead of thousands of fans there were thousands of college coaches and
NBA scouts and I used the basketball court as my stage. And I took the opportunity to show the world that I can hoop for real."
Sponsored by Reebok, the Teaneck, New Jersey-based ABCD camp is an invitation-only basketball showcase that has produced a host of high-profile players, including Tracy McGrady,
Kobe Bryant, Stephon Marbury, Carmello Anthony and LeBron James. Sonny Vaccaro, the camp's founders, believes Romeo has the potential to become a successful player.
"Romeo has the heart of a lion, he's a team leader, will compete against anybody, and he is one of the fastest players I've seen in a long time," Vaccaro said.
Romeo's hard work paid off this week as the high school sophomore made the all-star team and ranked among the top 20 players in the country. The rapper, who hones his ball skills and shooting daily in addition to lifting weights, averages 20 points a game and 10 assists.
Despite the temptation to head to the pros, Romeo is set on going to college. According to Master P, Romeo, who boasts a 3.5 grade point average, turned down a $3 million
movie deal this summer to go to summer school and play AAU basketball.
No matter which path Romeo takes, two things should be a priority, P said.
"I don't care what he wants to be or how much money he makes, I just want him to get an education and do something in life that he loves to do," he said.
Fans of Romeo's
music shouldn't expect the lyricist to step away from his musical roots any time soon. Romeo's new single, "Shine" is out now. The song is from the new movie Repos.
Romeo's new album, God's Gift is scheduled to hit stores release in November.