The NBA and Hip Hop: Parallel Universes
Stuntin is a habit
Get like me
When
Despite Mr. Stern’s interventions, undeniable and eerie links between the NBA and hip hop continue to scream out.
It’s jaw-dropping just how similarly the careers of certain rappers and ballers have played out... almost dubious enough to make an atheist utter a prayer.
I’ll attempt to unravel the correct links between the parallel universe here and now:
Shaquille O’Neal / Nas
Each “Ruled the World” in the 90’s, elicit polar reactions of hate or love from fans, and feud with too many contemporaries to know who.
When Shaq was ripping up backboards and getting paid at LSU, Nas was creating buzz for himself with his featured fire on “Live at the Barbeque.”
I know, right.
In 1994, Shaq finally made his much anticipated playoff debut. That same year, Nas dropped his long awaited first album, one of the hottest in hip hop history, Illmatic.
Coincidence? I think not.
From there, they went on to be kings for the next decade, before falling off slightly.
Both have had resurgent 2008’s, though, with Shaq getting dealt to a contender and Nas killin’ it on Untitled.
I know, I know, can’t make this stuff up…
They’re two of the greatest of all-time, on the downside of their careers, but still the biggest names around.
With so much in common, it is little wonder Nas backed Shaq in the Kobe beef.
Kobe Bryant / Eminem
Speaking of Kobe, the Black Mamba and Slim Shady do their thing as well as anyone and have rightly earned every honor to be won in their professions. Their fans staunchly believe them to be the best ever.
On the other hand, they’re the two most hated players in the NBA and hip hop, respectively, their names always seem to be attached to ugliness, and we have to keep hearing about their relationships with their (not ugly and kinda ugly) on-and-off wives.
LeBron James / Kanye West
LeBron closed the book on his rookie season in 2004, the same year Kanye dropped his debut album The College Dropout. Since then, they’ve ascended to the point where they’re probably the most popular figures in basketball and hip hop, and certainly the highest paid due to meticulous marketing savvy.
Kevin Garnett / Jay Z
Seemingly been around forever, used to be hot names, now they’re just old and not that cool (but still good).
Steve Nash / Lil Wayne
Nash doesn’t go anywhere without his tennis and soccer ball. You’ll never find Lil Wayne without his Codeine Sizzurp. Each made a huge leap from stars to Monstars (see: Space Jam) at the same time in the last few years. Maybe Kwame Brown should get himself some Codeine Siz~ er, a soccer ball.
Tim Duncan / Common
Been around forever, overhyped, genuinely nice guys, kinda boring, but you gotta give them their respect and appreciate them. Yeah, they’re good, but only old school peeps get excited over them.
Yawn.
Anfernee Hardaway / AZ
After AZ laid it down on “Life’s a Bitch” with Nas, everyone expected his career to jump off to superstardom, but it never really did unfortunately. When Penny was teamed up with Shaq, everyone was all over his nuts, too. Like AZ, but literally, Hardaway couldn’t jump at all after a knee injury in the late 90’s. Shame too, because he could really get up in his day.
TJ Ford / Twista
Becausetheyarereallyfast.
Jake Tsakalidis / Mase
Because…they’re…ummm…reeeaaallllly…slow.
Tony Parker / Tony Parker
One’s a sick ass point guard with a slammin’ wife. The other is a solid rapper with a TOO SOLID wife.
PJ Brown / 1985 Chicago Bears
I get an uncomfortable, awkward feeling inside every time I see PJ Brown clumsily stumble around on the basketball court. Ditto watching Refrigerator Perry rhyme on the Super Bowl Shuffle. Yet for some damn reason I’ll never understand, people appreciate the two.
Yuck.
Gerald Green / Aaron Carter
Yeah, they had a decent moment a few years back… Green with his Slam Dunk crown, Carter with his brilliant how-to on beating Shaq (O’Neal hasn’t been the same since), but let’s face it… They’re through. Chosen ones who wasted their talent. Makes me sick.
Gilbert Arenas / Nick Cannon
They’re soooo hilarious!!! LOLZ OMG
Ron Artest / Lil’ Kim
How long until these crackheads end up in prison? She’s already been in prison? Oh. Well, it’s just a matter of time for Ron Ron.
Darko Milicic / P. Diddy
Darko sucked on every team he’s been on and will continue to suck wherever he goes; Diddy sucked when he was Puff Daddy and will continue to suck whatever name he goes by.
Dwight Howard / Fred Durst
Because they both have “Faith.”
Minnesota Timberwolves / D-12
Nobody knows who the hell they are.
EDIT: My Favorite Reader Suggestions
Reader Loc offered up Baron Davis / Andre 3000 with good reason...
"Driving force of groups that were effortlessly cool and adored by true fans, changed the face of the game for a few years. Became darlings of the mainstream, then figured it out and went Hollywood for dollars. Sucked but heavily hyped forever after (hopefully not for BD, but well it is the clips)"
Both have that wirey G look to em with pimpin ass hair, both blew up on the scene at 19 and have been as smooth as butta and money in the bank since."
Morris reminds us that Shawn Kemp and D'Angelo both had a lot of sex in the 90's, among other things they have in common.
This just in... Finney has in fact confirmed he is old school with his hip hop tastes, but I like his Kobe / 50 Cent reasoning. Other than that, he's officially delusional.
Thanks for all the comments, I enjoyed reading them all. Keep them coming.
Labels: Billynho, Codeine Sizzurp, David Stern Hates Hip Hop, NBA, NBA and Hip Hop
posted by Billynho @ 3:46 PM
12 Comments
12 Comments:
Paul Pierce & Redman
Both a little too hard for their own good. Both have a game that's jsut filthy-nasty. Both were good but nobody really knew how good till they teamed up with their much more hyped patna (KG/Methodman), then blew the F- up.
Plus they look like they were separated at birth.
'Nother one
Boom Dizzle & Andre from Outkast
Driving force of groups that were effortlessly cool and adored by true fans, changed the face of the game for a few years. Became darlings of the mainstream, then figured it out and went Hollywood for dollars. Sucked but heavily hyped forever after (hopefully not for BD, but well it is the clips)
Chris Bosh/Snoop Dogg
Both have that wirey G look to em with pimpin ass hair, both blew up on the scene at 19 and have been as smooth as butta and money in the bank since.
Baron Davis/Pharrell
Both has a style he can call his own, each marches to the beat of his own drum, and each has a pet project or two outside of his day job. You couldnt miss either one in a crowd.
Brandon Roy and Lupe Fiasco
Both underrated but very solid, just about to hit it big time
Paul Pierce and Dr Dre.
This one for a few reasons, not the least of which that they look alike. Then there's the L.A. Connection. I also think The Truth's (one of the best nickname's ever by the way, maybe right up there with The Big Smooth) resurgance this year is earily similar to Dre's a few years back. Pierce teams up with KG, and KG gets all the hype in the regular season. Along comes the finals it's like people forgot all about how good The Truth was. Dre teams up with, and produces Eminem . Eminem gets the cred but then you hear "Forgot about the Dre", and everyone remembers how good the Dr. is.
Finally both were successful early on with a good team or partner, but floundered on their own in the middle of their careers. Dre/NWA & Pierce/Walker when Toine could still play.
I know D'angelo is R&B, but is there any doubting that Shawn Kemp is the NBa equivalent to the music industry's D'angelo? I mean, both came out to ridiculous (yet warranted) fan and critical acclaim. Then both were solid for a minute. Then both fell off and had some drug problems, and somehow gained lots of weight (please someone explain that to me. drug problem = lose 50 pounds. these guys BOTH went the opposite way). Both are set up for a comeback and are better off than they were three years ago.
Oh and the ladies love both of 'em. Either that or Shawn Kemp just never met a lady he didn't like. Either way, suffice it to say, both of them had alot of sex in the 90s
Garnett and Jay-Z???? Come on Bill!! Used to be hot names, anybody remember American Gangster or how about the recently released track, Swagger Like Us??
If I was to compare anybody to Jay, it'd have to be Jordan!! Both are legends in their own sense, both have used their business skills to take making themselves into a brand to a level unseen (Jordan = Jordan Co. via Nike, and Jay-Z = Rocafella and the sponsorship for hip-hop by companies unseen before I.E. budweiser)...and both of them have maybe memorable and not so memorable comebacks (memorable = Jordan in 96-98 and Jay-Z with American Gangster (an maybe Blueprint 3) ... Not so Memorable = Jordan with the Wizards and Jay-Z with Kingdom Come
The only other beef I have is the comparison of Kobe to Eminem...Eminem has the respect of his peers and fans, media maybe not but he does that on purpose, unlike kobe.....I'd compare Kobe to 50...they were both hot when they came out...but have both burnt so many bridges that it's hard to love either of them regardless of how they try o change their image (Kobe with a number change, and 50 with a commercial with vitamin water??)
Last dispute...i know you're lovin it....common overhyped?? "I Used to Love H.E.R.", "Resurrection", "6th Sense", "The Light", an the last two albums...call me old school but dude has been droppin quality hits since early '92...boring??? come on!!
kanye : baron davis
nas : chris childs
andre300 : ricky davis
r kelly : kurt thomas
Rip Hamilton and MF DOOM. The completely unnecessary mask thats bout it
tech n9ne and ricky davis
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