Editor's note: John Cena and his fellow superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment's "Raw" will be in town for matches at the Blaisdell Arena Saturday. Here's a look at Cena's musical debut.

CD: "You Can't See Me" by John Cena; Columbia Records.

Release: May 10.

Style: Rap.

My take: WWE champion John Cena, the self-proclaimed "Doctor of Thuganomics," made his studio debut with the release of "You Can't See Me."

For almost two years, Cena's character in the WWE has been that of a brash, young loudmouth with a knack for rhyming. While this may not exactly earn him the oh-so-important "cred," Cena is said to be a fan of the rap genre and recording this album was the realization of a lifelong dream. If you set aside the stereotypes and pigeonholing that professional wrestling bring to mind and listen to the album, you'll find "You Can't See Me" is quite a fun listen.

For this CD, Cena recruited the help of his cousin and collaborator Tha Trademarc and rap veterans such as Esoteric and Bumpy Knuckles. Over the 17 tracks, Cena shows he's got the talent to make a decent rap album. He does resort to rap customs like forced toughness and the overuse of cuss words at times, and the glossy production tries to overshadow his shortcomings. But Cena is a clever lyricist when it comes to wordplay and juxtaposition, despite odd references to soft-core porn, sports drinks and, of course, professional wrestling. (In one instance he describes himself as "classier than a Ric Flair robe.")

WWE fans won't be surprised to see the title track, also Cena's entrance music, make an appearance, but there's much more to the album than that. "Summer Flings" is the obligatory ode to the opposite sex with all the libidinous delivery and double-entendre lyrics you could ask for. "Bad, Bad Man" is the catchiest song here, thanks in part to Bumpy Knuckle's appearance. "Easy Flow" has the best production and slickest backbeat on the CD, while "Beantown," Cena's ode to his hometown of Boston, is where he's at his peak as a songwriter.

At face value, the album may seem like a marketing ploy, especially with the cover displaying Cena's customized belt, but aside from that, you get an album that's fun to listen to and an impressive effort.

While Cena's skills fade compared to those of more experienced rappers like Kanye West or The Game, he's got a good foundation and a natural talent for performing and will undoubtedly improve over time.