You wouldn't think a 6-foot-8, 284-pound professional athlete would have a problem being mean.

Yet Robert Traylor was struggling with that very role.

"You a big man -- you got to be more aggressive," the gold-toothed rapper, Mr. Cheeks, told Traylor. "C'mon, man!"

Traylor, the New Orleans Hornets forward, was embroiled in an unlikely new challenge, starring as the villain in an independent film called "Brewster Projects," named for the Detroit housing project near Mack and I-75.

The former University of Michigan basketball star nodded to his co-star and began the scene again -- for the eighth time. He's a natural on the court, but this was unfamiliar territory.

It was the first time Traylor had ventured into the land of thespians. The movie, which stars Cheeks and other notable R & B and hip-hop artists, is about three rappers who will do just about anything to make the leap from poverty to fame.

The movie, which was filmed in Detroit and is scheduled for release in late October, warns people not to sell their souls for riches.

Traylor's role may shock audiences. He plays a vicious cocaine dealer named Panther who has no redeeming qualities. It was a difficult but challenging role for Traylor to master.