LeBron James is a Hip Hop head to his core, and the NBA superstar has now shared the names of some of his favorite albums.
With the Los Angeles Lakers hosting their media day earlier this week, King James was asked about his musical tastes. While his roots remain in Ohio, it appears he’s a New Yorker at heart when it comes to the albums he loves.
As an ’80s baby, the 37-year-old superstar kept his ear to NYC and picked a couple of fan-favorite albums courtesy of former adversaries JAY-Z and Nas as his top projects ever.
“Favorite album of all time? Oh my goodness, wow,” he said deep in thought about the question from NBATV. “I can only have one album, that’s almost impossible. It Was Written by Nas and The Black Album, JAY-Z.”
It looks like LeBron at least narrowed down his list to two after naming the 2003 Hov and 1996 Escobar classics, both of which were included in his answer from May when he was asked about his Top 5 Hip Hop albums ever. At that time, he added Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle, Dr. Dre’s The Chronic and The Notorious B.I.G’s Life After Death to round out his five.
Someone will have to ask for an updated list of his Top 5 MCs since it’s been 10 years since he answered with “Biggie, Pac, Jay, Eminem, [and] Nas” in a 2012 Q&A.
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As a super fan of JAY-Z, the 18x-NBA All-Star had high praise for Hov’s verse on DJ Khaled‘s “GOD DID” and he even played a role in honoring Jigga during his Rock & Roll Hall-of-Fame induction tribute last year.
For the fifth anniversary of JAY-Z’s 4:44 album, XXL surveyed their followers looking for fans’ favorite tracks and LeBron couldn’t even select just one at the time.
“Every one of them!!” he replied emphatically in June.
Last year, LBJ even flirted with the idea of releasing his own rap album, although he clarified he’d simply curate the project (à la DJ Khaled) rather than rap on it himself (not that LeBron is a stranger to spitting rhymes on the mic).
i never got the hype of some people saying The Black Album is Jay’s best. Not even in Jay’s top 5 to me. Its good (he doesnt have a single bad album), but not classic by any means. RD, Blueprint, American Gangster are his top 3 in my book. Would round out the top 5 with some combo of IML Vol.1, Dynasty/Roc La Familia, and 4:44.
“What More Can I Say”, “December 4th”, “Encore”, “Threat”, “Allure”, “Lucifer”, “My 1st Song”… bro “The Black Album” was hard lol. I got it over Roc La Familia for sure
Jay got a few duds don’t front
Blue Print is his best. One can play it over and over. Then Reasonable Doubt and Black Album. Nas is good, but try to be too cleaver rapping, always in his comfort zone, fortunately his comfort zone seem comfortable for many. It’s like listening to a prof, the few who love new idea will continue while others fall asleep. Nas is my second pick, Jay is top.
Nas is the Goat! Jay Z last duds: BluePrint 3, Magna Carta, Kingdom Come, 4:44.
Nas is in my Top 3 of all time. I put Pac, Nas, AZ and Big (interchangeable 3 and 4) in my top ever!!!
What’s with all the east coast luv? We don’t bump Jay Z in L.A smh. U on the west coast dogg…don’t forget that.
Black Album had some great songs but the fake retirement for attention has soured it for me.Volume 1 is forever underrated. I Know what girls like and Sunshine can’t ruin an album with that much heat. The sunshine video with the inflated lip and yellow suit got Jigger insecure about the album SMH it’s really as good as The Black Album
Gots to agree. It’s hard to have 1 from dat era. It’s a lil different for dese nu age Millennials. Errbody know Tattletales by King Tekashi number 1.
Lebron follows Hip Hop steady so it’s valid to hear his choices,,, Nas is Best Lyricyst Ever, Biggie is Best Overall Rap Artist ever, Jay has done a lot of Greatness so those are top 3 for me,,,, Em is great at rap but his music isn’t worthy of having him mentioned with even the Top 20 Hip Hop artists,,, he falls more realistically somewhere between 25-40 of Great rappers, Rakim, KRS, Guru, Raekwon, Ghostface, J Cole, Jadakiss, Fabolous, Snoop, Kendrick, Scarface, Big L, Big Pun, Qtip, Andre 3000, LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane,, so many make and made Hip Hop music we actually listen to and is Classic to the Culture,, missing many more names I’d put before Em, not hate just not Fair how because of Sales he is placed before Greats,,,