His beating at the hands of Los Angeles cops ignited one of the worst riots in US history. Then his impassioned plea for peace thrust Rodney King into the national spotlight. But now, more than a decade later, Rodney's out for a new kind of fame: as a rapper.

Still in the demo stages, King is hoping for his first multi-platinum hit by turning his public plea into a Rodney-style rap. "We’re getting close to finishing up the project now," King told us.

Maverick record exec Jeff Grabow, who's helping market the album, told us that after years of run-ins with the law, Rodney's finally trying to put his life on the right track -- with the help of some big stars as special guests. "We're talking to Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and a bunch of other hip-hop artists," Grabow revealed.

Rodney told us it was his sponsor in drug rehab who persuaded him to try rapping. And Rodney also said he’s made peace with the police. "Over the years, I’ve got some pretty good feedback from cops," King insisted. And now he hopes to turn the feedback and the healing into a hip-hop hit record.

For more details on Rodney King and his rap debut, including some of his rhymes, don’t miss Friday’s edition of "Extra."