Renaldo 'The Answer aka Swiperboy' Woolridge and his music will be on display on Rocky Top this season. (Provided to CBSSports.com) "My aunt, who is in the industry, talked to this guy who needed a kid to rap for a commercial for Skippy Squeeze Stix," recalled Renaldo Woolridge. "So I went in for an audition. And after my first one, they just picked me. There wasn't even any callbacks. They just picked me, and I did a couple of commercials for peanut butter. And after that I just kind of fell in love with it."
Rapping, that is.
Not the Squeeze Stix.
And so it is with that background that a young man arrived at the University of Tennessee via Los Angeles. To some, he is Renaldo Woolridge. To most, he is Orlando Woolridge's son. But to his friends, he is The Answer aka Swiperboy -- a West Coast rapper in east Tennessee who also happens to be a Volunteers basketball player.
Or a Baller Vol, if you will.
That's the title of the latest track from Swiperboy. It was recorded in Los Angeles before Woolridge moved to campus, where the consensus top 100 prospect is expected to be a contributor off the bench for the SEC favorites after averaging 19.2 points and 7.9 rebounds for the same Harvard-West Lake School that has produced graduates named Jake Gyllenhaal, Bridget Fonda and Candice Bergen.
Who knows if Woolridge will ever grace the big screen like that trio?
But for now he's certain to own the rights to UT's soon-to-be basketball anthem.
"They actually said they're going to play it before our home games," Woolridge said. "So that's pretty cool."
Now I know what you're thinking -- Oh, great. Another basketball player rapping. The world needs that like it needs to know how Shaq's ass taste. -- and trust me, I understand where you're coming from. As does Woolridge ("Shaq," he acknowledged, "has made it kind of tough on everybody"). But if you don't mind me going all music critic on you for a moment, I feel comfortable writing that the freshman forward is genuinely talented in the craft, not just another clown with a YouTube account. His work -- which can be found by clicking this link -- is professionally produced, recorded in a studio, mixed and everything by a group of friends. In fact, Woolridge dedicated so much of his high school years to what he calls his "hobby" that his mother wasn't always pleased.
"My focus was always on other stuff," said Pat Jackson-Woolridge. "You know, 'Get your paper written. You have a lab report due.' So I'm not going to lie, it has been a little annoying over the years."
And now?
"I will say that I do have this song (Baller Vol) in the CD player in my car and my daughter listens to it every morning on the way to school," she said. "Some of it, I think, is because she misses her brother. But she also knows I like it. ... It's a feel-good song. I smile when I hear it."
It's like some verbal Skippy Squeeze Stix or something.
What?
You didn't think I forgot about the peanut butter, did you?
I hope not, because there was no way I was letting Woolridge go without asking him to recite his first rap about a product marketed as peanut butter in a tube designed to be ripped apart and devoured quickly by kids on their way to recess. I just had to hear it. And on cue, Swiperboy proved to have a good memory.
"Yeah, I remember it," Woolridge said. "It went 'We're here to represent a new snack that gets wild ... New Skippy Squeeze Stix will go for miles and miles.'"
Sounds catchy.
"It was crazy," Woolridge said with a laugh. "But I had a lot of fun with it."
Stay tuned in to see more updates, interviews, blogs and a day in the life with The Answer aka Swiperboy!
Day in the Life, Blogs, Updates and Interviews coming soon to http://Youtube.com/TheAnswerSwiperboy
Scotty Hopson, the soon-to-be NBA Superstar, is the best friend of Swiperboy. The 20 year old is a basketball prodigy. Out of high school, he was one of the most highly recruited prospects around the world. Growing up in a small town of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Scotty was able to play his way into the top 5 rated players in the United States. Hopson had an option of entering the 2009 NBA draft, but opted to stay another year at the University of Tennessee, and help his team win a championship. Scotty, who will appear on Swiperboy's upcoming mixtapes as his "hype man" goes under the alias, "Sir-Swipe-A-Lot". Stay tuned in to see more updates, interviews, blogs and a day in the life with Scotty Hopson!
Day in the Life, Blogs, Updates and Interviews coming soon to http://Youtube.com/TheAnswerSwiperboy
Emmanuel Negedu is an inspiration. Growing up in a small town in Kaduna, Nigeria, Emmanuel was able to receive an invitation to play basketball here in the US. When he was 16, he moved to New Hampshire, speaking only words and phrases of the english language. He quickly caught on to the ways of this country, not only socially and mentally, but athletically as well. Negedu played basketball at the college preparatory institution called Brewster Academy. He was an outstanding, player, teammate and athlete, and played his way into one of the top 25 players in the United States. The number 1 player in Nigeria also made a name for himself in the states as a physical specimen. The body of a football player, Emmanuel is known for his power slam-dunks. As a sophomore in high school, he was a runner up to human highlight film, and recently drafted Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan in the Las Vegas High School Dunk Contest. Negedu, who goes by the nickname "E-Man", earned a scholarship to the University of Arizona, but opted out due to a coaching change. He then signed to the University of Tennessee, and is now a rising sophomore in the program. Stay tuned in to see more updates, interviews, blogs and a day in the life with Emmanue "E-Man" Negedu!
Day in the Life, Blogs, Updates and Interviews coming soon to http://Youtube.com/TheAnswerSwiperboy
Micah Collie was born and raised in Johnson City, Tennessee. As a kid, he grew up in the church, surrounded by a family full of singers. With his hidden talent, he spend his school days as a student-athlete, as he was one of the top guards in the city. After a couple years in college, Micah was able to let his talent be known, as he is now the prized R & B singer for the Swiperboyz ENT. Micah will be famous for his two upcoming projects with The Answer aka Swiperboy called, "Soul Food" and "Tic-Tac-Toe". He is set to make an appearance on Swiperboy's mixtape coming in September called, "Break Thru", as well as his upcoming "Swiperboy II" set to drop in august to datpiff.com. Stay tuned in to see more updates, interviews, blogs and a day in the life with Micah!
Day in the Life, Blogs, Updates and Interviews coming soon to http://Youtube.com/TheAnswerSwiperboy
The Answer aka Swiperboy, at only 19 years old, stands 6 feet 9 inches and is already projected to be a profesional NBA player. In 2007, he signed a national letter of intent to play division 1 basketball at the University of Tennessee where he is undergoing his freshman year. The high school All-American basketball player, known to many as Renaldo "The Answer" Woolridge, played his way into the Top 50 basketball players in the Country, as well as the 1 ranked small forward in the state of California. Swiperboy's multi-talented ability as a basketball player, and in music is what separates him from the rest. Swiperboy is the son of former NBA Superstar Orlando Woolridge, along with his mother, and loves sharing company with his older brother and younger sister. His smooth Snoop Dogg-like delivery also contains lil Wayne type charisma and confidence.
I'd like to welcome The Answer to the Vol family!! Your music sounds great. Real good quality with a nice beat and flow! You definitely got game, so good luck with it!
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