Joe Smith Would Like to Sing You a Song

He’s an artist, y’know: “About 90 minutes of writing Wednesday, a few hours in a studio Thursday, and the Cavaliers had a new Playoff Anthem in time for Game 1 — courtesy of Joe Beast. That would be Joe Smith for those unfamiliar with the musical stylings of the Cavaliers’ veteran power forward. Smith, who released a mix tape in December called ‘The Beginning’ under his rapping pseudonym and basketball nickname, Joe Beast, is taking public his love of music and rapping with his playoff song and recent CD. And yes, Smith knows what you’re thinking, but he thinks you’re wrong. ‘Another athlete rappin’?’ he spits out on ‘Intro’ on his CD. ‘What?’ NBA players and rap go together like bacon and eggs, but he swears he’s no Kobe Bryant, no Shaquille O’Neal, no Tony Parker, no Ron Artest. ‘I’m not like the rest though, not like them,’ Smith raps. ‘I put my heart in this. I put my soul in this. So before you classify me with the rest — don’t do it. I want you to be open-minded.'”