Lil Wayne, LeBron James and more have been tapped to delve into the historic relationship between Hip Hop and the NBA in a new mini documentary.
As the 2023/24 NBA season kicked into gear on Tuesday (October 24), NBA on TNT released a short film about the two cultural forces that have shared a special connection over the last 50 years.
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In addition to Wayne and LeBron, the almost seven-minute video features insight from several other rap and basketball legends alike, including LL COOL J, T.I., Jadakiss, Big Boi, Grandmaster Flash, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Quavo, as well as Steph Curry, Shaquille O’Neal and Carmelo Anthony.
The clip opens with Kurtis Blow talking about how his classic 1984 single “Basketball” was the first record that bridged the gap between the world of Hip Hop and hoops.
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The decorated guests also discuss the shared cultural roots of Hip Hop and the NBA, how icons like Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson cemented the genre’s influence in the league in the ’90s and ’00s, and how that “symbiotic relationship” has evolved to the present day.
“Most Hip Hop artists want to be basketball players; most basketball players want to be Hip Hop artists,” T.I. says with a laugh.
Watch the mini doc below:
Basketball isn’t the only sport that Lil Wayne enjoys watching. The Young Money founder recently became the owner of Major League Pickleball team, the Texas Ranchers.
Weezy announced the news in a press release on Tuesday (October 24), confirming he’ll be joining the ownership team and will also serve as strategic advisor.
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“Pickleball is the moment and I’m excited to be part of the Texas Ranchers ownership group,” he said in a statement. “I’ve enjoyed watching and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join this team of owners.”
According to Statesmen, other new part-owners in the pickleball world include The Kid LAROI, sports commentator and former NFL player Emmanuel Acho, 8VC venture capital partner Alex Moore and The Ruia Family.
The Major League Pickleball has expanded to 24 teams for the 2023 season, with investors including the likes of LeBron James, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
On the music side of things, Lil Wayne is set to release his new album Welcome 2 ColleGrove — his second full-length collaboration with 2 Chainz — on November 17.
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The Southern rap stalwarts shared the release date and cover art last week, along with the lead single “Presha,” which was produced by Wayne’s “A Milli” collaborator Bangladesh.
