Rim-rocker, mix-master and general cash cow Shaquille O'Neal could dispense afew entrepreneurial tips to his dissed mentor, former Laker Magic Johnson.

Just days after The Magic Hour announced it would soon stop tormentingviewers, the Lakers' center-of-attention and his gold-chained, cell-phonedposse moved their press junket from Philadelphia to Chicago to spread goodwilland good hype about his forthcoming hip-hop album, Respect.

Due out Sept. 15, Shaq's fourth major-label release will debut on TwismRecords -- an A&M Records-distributed independent label that Shaq recentlyfounded. Now affiliated with more than fourteen corporations, includingInterscope Pictures and Pepsi, the multi-talented Shaq-Daddy is also spreadingthe wealth with a series of eleven all-star basketball games designed tobenefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, among other charities.

"There's many definitions of the word 'role model,'" he said during his WindyCity stop. "My role models to this day are still my parents. [New York Jetslinebacker] Brian Cox made a great statement when he said, 'If you want me tobe a role model because I'm a great citizen, all right that's cool. But if youwant me to be role model because I'm on TV and I make a lot of money, I'm notcool with that.'" Of course, Shaq was paraphrasing Cox, who was paraphrasingKen Griffey, Jr., who was probably paraphrasing a fortune cookie.

Regardless, Shaq-Fu continues to supplement his elephantine NBA salary in truePuff Daddy style. His upcoming album features cameo rhymes from Big Pun, FatJoe and Peter Gunz, whom O'Neal has already signed to Twism.

The gentle giant has compared his MC skillz to those of more wholesome rappersHeavy D and Will Smith. "You know, the clean-cut party albums," he says. "Idon't be talking about gangs and stuff."

Though the gangsta-flavored Snoop Doggy Dogg took the music industry bysurprise this week by bumping the Beastie Boys out of the top chart position,Shaq seems confident that he can compete with two of the biggest-selling rapartists in the world. Already, he's enlisted blue-chip artists BruceSpringsteen, Stevie Wonder and Grace Jones to appear in the music video forRespect's first single, "The Way It's Goin' Down," which Shaq directed.

"Hopefully, if I become sort of legendary," Shaq boasts, "I can do more moviedirecting." Or perhaps hit a free throw.

ANNI LAYNE