Bill Cosby to release hip-hop album

Comedian and actor Bill Cosby has turned hip-hop mogul.

The genial 70-year-old star of TV's The Cosby Show is set to release his first hip-hop album, Cosby Narratives Vol. 1: State of Emergency, next month.

No, he doesn't rap.

"I wouldn't know how to fix my mouth to say some of the words," he admitted in an interview Monday.

But he did invite MCs such as Supanova Slom, Jace the Great and Brother Hahzto contribute songs that reflect some of Cosby's own values.

"The value of an education. The value of respecting one's self and giving [listeners] a chance to raise their self-esteem and confidence," said Cosby, who has been criticizedbecause of his views about what African-Americans should do to improve their lot in life.

His 2007 book Come on, People: On the Path from Victims to Victors was a controversial call for African-Americans to shed self-destructive behaviours.

Cosby has also been critical of hip-hop music as profane and degrading.

His album is "the opposite of what I think is the profanity for no particular reason, the misogyny for no particular reason," he said. "It really looks at the frustration and the anger that a young man may have."

Cosby executive produced the album with long-time collaborator Bill (Spaceman) Patterson and Patterson's partner, Ced-Gee, co-founder of the pioneering hip-hop group Ultramagnetic MCs.

Patterson pointed out that Cosby the comedian was part of the first generation of spoken word.

"He has always understood rap's potential, but he was appalled by the foul language and the misogyny the way people used a medium that could be used to elevate people, to open their eyes and provoke thought," Patterson said.

The music is a mix of jazz, blues, pop and hip hop, and includes tracks such as Where's the Parade (a celebration of womanhood), Dads Behind the Glass and Get on Your Job.

Cosby said this may be the first of several hip-hop ventures.

"We can do even better," he said. "The next one will be even more cheerleading."