Top NBA star Kobe Bryant is the latest athlete to enter the musical arena. The L.A. Lakers guard has been signed by a Columbia Records and is just wrapping up his debut CD with help from a few high-profile friends, most notably Tyra Banks, Destiny's Child, Beanie Sigel and The Roots' Black Thought.

The hoopster has been readying a single called "K.O.B.E.," described as a hip-hop record with an R&B hook, which features a rare vocal from supermodel Banks.

Bryant has also gone from shooting hoops to shooting a video. He just teamed with famed director Hype Williams for a video rendition of "K.O.B.E." that will also feature Banks.

The single is scheduled for release January 25 and will only be available on 12" vinyl. The b-side is called "Thug Poet" and features a rap crew that includes Bryant, Broady Boy and 50 Cent. The full-length album will follow in March, and the producers on the project include Trackmasters, Flawless, and Precision.

This

isn't Bryant's first foray into hip-hop. The Laker previously rhymed on a remix of Brian McKnight's single, "Hold Me."

Elsewhere in the world of sports and music, famed boxer Oscar De La Hoya, the former WBC Welterweight Champion, is currently recording his CD in Miami for the Latin division of EMI Records (see [article id="1427914"]"Oscar De La Hoya To Step Into Recording Ring"[/article]).

According to "The L.A. Times," the label, which is said to have won a bidding war for the fighter, has spared no expense in hiring the top vocal coaches, songwriters and producers in the country to shore up De La Hoya's debut album. The CD includes mostly Spanish-language ballads and pop songs, as well as two English tracks. It's expected to be released this summer.

-- Sorelle Saidman