Tags; basketball, hip-hop, music, Shaq, LeBron James, Alan Iverson
Since meeting on the streets of New York, basketball and hip-hop have been inseparable. But what makes these two cultural powerhouses so compatible?
There’s a decade-old saying that ‘every rapper wants to be a baller and every baller wants to be a rapper’. It seems that since the very birth of hip-hop and basketball, these cultural powerhouses have been engaged in a love affair that appears to be going from strength to strength. From rappers sitting courtside to professional players dropping their own albums, the intersection between the two genres has created a cultural force rooted in authenticity and self-expression. For the past 50 years, hip-hop has provided the soundtrack to basketball, inserting its beats and lyrics into the sport’s very DNA.
Where It All Began:
In the late 70s, as hip-hop began to gain popularity in New York, the NBA and ABA merged to form a new branded league. The home of hip hop, the South Bronx, consisted mainly of lower-income housing resulting in residents spending most of their time outside in public spaces. Parks and playgrounds became cultural hubs for America’s youth as they illegally plugged sound systems and turntables into power sources used as streetlights. Basketball courts acted as stages for rap battles whilst boomboxes provided musical commentary for every slam dunk and three-pointer.
During this time there were three major opportunities for young African Americans. Adam J Criblez, a Professor of History at the University of Missouri and author of ‘Tall Tales and Short Shorts’, says: “For people in circumstances of poverty, there’s a perception that you can get out of that situation by selling drugs/committing crimes; making music; or playing pro sports. In urban areas, basketball is generally the most popular sport and hip-hop is often the most popular form of music, so they go hand-in-hand.” Many of the early pioneers of hip hop raised within these poverty-stricken urban cultures borrowed phrases from the courts to tell their ‘rags to riches’ stories. “There’s something magical about a rim-rocking slam dunk or an ankle-breaking crossover dribble that seems to make basketball a perfect fit for hip-hop lyrics and overcoming obstacles.” Says Criblez. A lot of basketball players were able to relate to these tales of struggle creating a natural brotherhood both on and off the court.
Major Milestones:
The relationship between hip-hop and basketball has even led to battles in the rap world being settled on the court. The early 2000s saw one of the biggest music rivalries of all time between rappers Fat Joe and Jay-Z. Instead of heading to the booth to record diss tracks, they instead agreed to meet at Harlem Holcombe Rucker Playground to decide who would be crowned the ‘King of New York”. Both artists armed their starting five with some of the biggest names in the NBA including Allen Iverson, LeBron James, and Shaquille O’Neal. The match ultimately became the greatest game that was never played after the city experienced its biggest blackout since 1977. The game was set to be rescheduled, but unfortunately, Jay-Z was already on a Yacht in the Saint Tropez with Beyonce meaning Fat Joe won by forfeit.
One of the biggest cultural swings experienced in professional basketball was kickstarted by 11-time NBA all-star, Allen Iverson nicknamed ‘The Answer’. After making the NBA 1st draft in 1996, Iverson would go on to play 14 seasons in both shooting guard and point guard positions. Despite defying the traditional mould of a basketball superstar (standing at a mere 6ft), he is regarded as one of the game’s greatest guards, scorer, and ball handlers. However, his influence stretched off the court as he turned the walkout tunnel into a catwalk, bringing the effortless appeal of Hip Hop to the NBA.
Iverson would turn up to games wearing a durag, dripped in chains, diamond earrings, jerseys at least 2 sizes too big and jeans sagging to his knees. Even on the court his undistinguishable cornrows, tattoos, headband, and shooting sleeves set a precedent for what a basketball athlete looked like. His style embodied the neighbourhoods and urban culture from which the sport had merged, a culture inherently intertwined with hip-hop. Till Nehause, a basketball researcher at the University of Bielefeld, says: “A notable moment in the emergence of hip-hop culture in basketball is emblematic in the persona of Allen Iverson. He was definitely a star, he brought his team to the finals and then you had an emerging amount of jewellery, jerseys, durags etc in the league. That all stopped in 2005 after the league was considered to be too ‘ghettoish’ and it was regulated back into know what is considered professionalism.” In 2005, NBA Commissioner David Stern implemented a new rule banning players from wearing sports apparel, jerseys, hats, chains, pendants, and sunglasses at games, interviews, and league events. The rule was seen as a direct attack on Iverson and all players of colour as it set out to remove any resemblance to the ‘ghetto gangsta’ which was making white mainstream America so uncomfortable.
Crossovers:
The influence of hip-hop culture on basketball extends past fashion with many athletes spending their off seasons recording albums. The most notable being Shaquille O’Neal who played for the LA Lakers winning 4 NBA championships. A year after getting into the NBA, Shaq signed to Jive Records, releasing his debut album the same year. ‘Shaq Diesel’ featured 10 songs and contained lyrics like “I dribble rhymes like basketballs’ and ‘Coming up with the hits and I’m coming down with the backboard’. “Basketball is a big topic in hip hop, rappers compare themselves to famous basketball players all the time like Michael Jordan and Kobe to show that they are the quote on quote ‘GOAT’ or that they have the most cultural impact.” Says Max Tretter an author and hip-hop studies researcher at Friedrich-Alexander University. “There’s this one song called ‘Forever’ by Drake, Kanye West, Eminem, and Lil Wayne, so these four hip hop giants, and in the music video they are playing basketball with Kobe Bryant and Le Bronn James. There’s like an omnipresent connection between the two worlds.”
The Future:
Criblez says he can only see the two genres becoming even more intertwined as hip-hop artists and basketball athletes have become ‘increasingly more socially aware and active’. He says: “Movements like #BlackLivesMatter have united hip-hop and basketball in more significant ways than ever before. In the future, I only see that bond tightening.” This shared commitment to social change further emphasizes their relationship as we see famous athletes and rappers utilizing their platforms for discussion. Hip-hop and basketball have always represented a culture rooted in authenticity, progression, and inclusion. The lyrics, beats, style, and play have acted as a dialogue for disadvantaged communities to express themselves and their stories. Hip-hop and basketball are so synonymous that a breakup would make both genres completely unrecognizable from the sport and music we know and love today.
Photo credits: Robin Krahl – Copyright: Robin Krahl, CC-by-sa-4.0 – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/