The 15 Best Sports References From Rappers in 2018
2018 was filled with sports references from rappers such as Drake and Kanye. These are the 15 best sports references in hip hop this year.
Best Sports Rap References Lead Image 2018
16.
Death, taxes, and rappers rhyming about sports.
There are few certainties in life, but hearing your favorite rapper drop a sports reference is a pretty damn good bet. For as long as hip-hop has existed, we’ve listened to rappers drop references about the ball players and professional athletes they most admire or associate with. The majority of these references are positive and paint their athletic friends and heroes in the best of lights. On the other end of spectrum, some of these references are derogatory or dropped as a cautionary tale of the pratfalls that pro sports and the music industry share: the trappings that come with being young, rich, and famous.
As we already laid out for you with our Albums of the Year and Songs of the Year lists, 2018 was incredible year for hip-hop. But which rappers dropped the funniest, most clever, or downright mean sports reference this calendar year? We did the dirty work and scoured all the major releases, and a few you might have missed, to round up our favorite sports shoutouts that shockingly features plenty of Drake drops and nothing from Lil Wayne, formerly the undisputed king of sports reference in rap. Clearly the student has been listening to the teacher.
Here are the best sports references from rappers in 2018.
15.Meek Mill — Derrick Rose
Lyric: “Through the storm, n****, I’m like Derrick Rose on a 50-point night on a daily basis”
Song: “Cold Hearted II”
On Halloween, D-Rose had the NBA game of his life. The Timberwolves guard scored 51 points against the Jazz, setting a new career high and cementing his return to near-elite-level play after years and years of debilitating injuries. Just like D-Rose’s offensive barrage, Meek’s Championships was the long-awaited standout we’d all been dying for. —Zoe Stanley
14.Benny the Butcher — Garrison Hearst
Lyric: “I seen the hustlers on my block cop canaries and furs/Then took the rock and ran the field like I’m Garrison Hearst”
Song: “N***** in Puerto Rico”
Known for his years as a gritty, unsung hero with the Niners, Garrison Hearst had a pretty solid NFL career. Benny is Griselda’s unsung hero as Westside Gunn and Conway serve as the faces of the company. The Buffalo rapper has had himself a year, burning every feature he was on and rapping circles on Tana Talk 3, mirroring what Hearst used to do on the field as a two-time Comeback Player of the Year. —Angel Diaz
13.Drake — Al Haymon
Lyric: “Al Haymon checks off of all of my events”
Song: “Nonstop”
If you didn’t know, Al Haymon, the head honcho of Premier Boxing Champions, is the most mysterious man in boxing, and maybe all of sports. He serves as a mentor and advisor to the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Deontay Wilder, and Errol Spence Jr. Haymon oversees the best stable of fighters in the world and arguably casts the biggest shadow in the sport while making his clients a TON of money (do you know Floyd’s net worth?) Boxers sing his praises, and other promoters hate him. Meanwhile, he’s almost never seen in public, adding to the Harvard-educated string-puller’s aura. Kudos to Drake for this esoteric but clever drop. —Adam Caparell
12.Big Sean — Colin Kaepernick
Lyric: “You boys all cap, I’m more Colin Kaepernick”
Song: “Big Bank”
With this bar, Big Sean is letting everyone know he isn’t playing anymore. Sadly, neither is Kaepernick, but for very different reasons. Lamely, this is the lyric that was 86ed from Madden NFL 19 without YG’s approval. The L.A. rapper rightfully called out EA on its bullshit, and the video game maker later apologized. —Zoe Stanley
11.Sheck Wes — Kobe Bryant and Latrell Sprewell
Lyric: “Legend like Kobe (Gas is my cologne)/Scrappy like Sprewell (Good fragrance what we smell)/Sheck Wes eight time (Packs comin’ in)/Sheck like Kobe, Sprewell (Send it by the Gmail)”
Song: “Gmail”
Which one isn’t like the other? Latrell Sprewell is an NBA legend, but for very different reasons than the Black Mamba. Still infamous for putting his hands on then-Warriors-coach P.J. Carlesimo during practice in 1997, Sprewell nonetheless had a very respectable NBA career but got a hell of lot less shoutouts on songs than Bryant. —Zoe Stanley
10.Wale — James Harden and John Wall
Lyric: “Coast to coast like John Wall and Harden”
Song: “Body, Body, Body (Freestyle)”
The Rockets and Wizards guards were name-dropped in this freestyle by the friend-of-Complex rapper because of their silky moves up and down the court. The perennial All-Stars are among the most creative handlers and distributors—when they want to be—and a pain in the ass to guard. —Zoe Stanley
9.Drake — Devin Booker
Lyric: “See the shots that I took (ayy), wet like I’m Book (ayy)”
Song: “Sicko Mode”
Since we declared this our song of the year, it’s gotta be on here, right? We all know Devin Booker is one of the best young scorers in the league and is going to be a dog for years to come. We also know Drake has an affinity for Kentucky, where Booker went to school. The Suns sharpshooter can stroke it, much better than Drizzy, so hip-hop’s No. 1 hit artist is only slightly delusional with this boast. —Adam Caparell
8.Aminé — Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen
Lyric: “You Jordan or Pippen (true), I’m Kobe, I’m never gon’ dish it (or miss it)”
Song: “Reel It In”
In his heyday, the Black Mamba was THE guy to take shots, regardless if he was really open. Being double- or even triple-teamed was never a problem for Kobe. It seemed like the challenge of an extra defender motivated him even more. Pippen was known to dish it. And even Jordan set up John Paxson and Steve Kerr for the pivotal shot—he didn’t always exclusively take it. Kobe would never. Not over his dead body. —Zoe Stanley
7.Meek Mill — Jason Terry
Lyric: “Put some bands all on your head like Jason Terry”
Song: “Going Bad”
Jason Terry spent 18 years in the NBA, which is no small feat. He carved out a career that saw him earn an NBA championship and the 2009-10 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. The superstitious guard wore a headband every game for 13 seasons straight, until losing a bet. Still, when you think of Terry, it’s impossible to picture him without that piece of headwear. While Meek might be referring to a bounty on someone’s head, he still deserves credit for a reference we didn’t see coming. —Zoe Stanley
6.Meyhem Lauren — Patrick Ewing
Lyric: “Iced out like Pat Ewing’s knee”
Song: “Brutal”
As a lifelong Knick fan, images of Patrick Ewing are forever burned into my brain. Pat was a warrior and played like Meyhem raps. You might catch Meyhem in the booth with his chest out, sweating up a storm like Pat in the fourth quarter. Two New York legends mentioned in the same breath is the way things are supposed to be. Pat needs to give Lauren season tickets to Georgetown for that line alone. —Angel Diaz
5.The Carters — Carmelo Anthony
Lyric: “Mobbin’ in a hoodie like Melo”
Song: “Black Effect”
When Carmelo Anthony was spotted working out in a hoodie two summers ago, knocking down crazy shots and exercising at full capacity, the internet went berserk and hatched a new persona for the future Hall of Famer. “Hoodie Melo” took on a life of its own last season, during Anthony’s one season in Oklahoma City, and Melo fully embraced it. The Carters, clearly, were paying attention. —Zoe Stanley
4.Kanye West — Tristan Thompson
Lyric: “All these thots on Christian Mingle/Almost what got Tristan single”
Song: “All Mine”
This is pretty self-explanatory. We all know how Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson got caught up in a cheating scandal earlier this year, and this is Kanye trying to be clever and give a satellite member of the Kardashian clan a shoutout in one of his songs. If things keep progressing between Kendall Jenner and her rumored new beau, we’re anxiously awaiting a Ben Simmons reference from Ye. —Zoe Stanley
3.Freddie Gibbs — Novak Djokovic
Lyric: “About to take a trip, I got coke and dope on my grocery list/Oxycontin pack, I be switchin’ rackets like Djokovic”
Song: “The Blow”
Gangsta Gibbs plays with words the way Djokovic plays his opponents. And Novak has been known to smash a racket or two. So much so that there’s even a Novak Djokovic racket smash compilation on YouTube. That’s what JAY-Z means when he talks about double entendres, or, as the tweets like to call them, double aunt andres. —Angel Diaz
2.Moneybagg Yo — Russell Westbrook
Lyric: “I’m poppin’ now, I was up next/You a zero, you a Westbrook”
Song: “In da Air”
*Drops mic.* If you ever need to remind someone that you’re better than them, this line is perfect. You’re welcome. (However, Russell isn’t a zero—that’s only his number.) —Zoe Stanley
1.Drake — LeBron James
Lyric: “How I go from 6 to 23 like I’m LeBron”
Song: “Nonstop”
Champagne Papi’s reference to the King has several hidden messages. Obviously, we know James changed his number to 6 when he played for the Miami Heat. However, upon his return to Cleveland, he once again wore MJ’s number. Drake is from Toronto—the Six—and inked a deal with the Jordan brand, ergo the connection. —Zoe Stanley