Metta World Peace isn't totally zen yet.

While appearing as a guest disc jockey on KCRW on Wednesday, Ron Artest said he is not a romantic because a girl rejected him when he was 12.

"You know what? I've been with my wife for 17 years," he said. "And the girlfriend I had right before her, when I was 12, kind of broke my heart. I never actually kissed this girl. I had this girl and I never kissed her, so I broke up with her when I was 12 and then I met my wife when I was 14, so I never really gave myself to anybody 100% -- not even my wife."

Later in the interview, host Jason Bentley said "music kind of helps you connect to the ladies in your life."

Artest agreed, but he proceeded to talk about sports.

"Yeah," he said. "You know, basketball is so important to me and the music that I choose, it really has an effect on me on the court, so I gotta choose music that's gonna keep me centered and that's me. It's just me, so what fits me best. These are the main songs that I feel most good listening to before I hit that court."

His favorite tracks are: 1 - "My Life" - Mary J. Blige, 2 - "Forever Mine" - The O'Jays, 3 - "How Long, Sweet Daddy, How Long" - Alberta Hunter, 4 - "'Cause I Love You" - Lenny Williams, 5 - "Survival of the Fittest" - Mobb Deep.

Artest said Mobb Deep helped inspire him to stay off of the streets, but he acknolwedged that he can't listen to the American hip-hop duo before a game.

"I might get a technical foul or something," he said, laughing.

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What will you do with your free time during the NBA lockout?

-- Melissa Rohlin

Photo: Ron Artest. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times.