The fire track features lyrics that reflect just how intertwined hip hop and basketball truly is, plus a music video that includes game highlights from Joel Embiid, Jalen Brunson and more.

This is definitely going to be the anthem for this year’s NBA Playoffs. Check it out below.

The post LISTEN: Rick Ross, Fat Joe and The LOX Drop New Single ‘The Game’ Right Before the NBA Playoffs appeared first on SLAM.

Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard is just leaving Tokyo, with Team USA emerging victorious in their gold medal game against France and while the nation revels in his performance on the court, Lillard continues to excel off of it as well.

and Dame D.O.L.L.A. just blessed the hip-hop scene with his latest single from his upcoming album, Different On Levels The Lord Allowed.

Last night, Lillard—known by the moniker rap name Dame D.O.L.L.A. in the music industry—announced the release date for his fourth album, Different On Levels The Lord Allowed.

Dame also blessed the hip-hop scene with a peak behind the curtain, dropping his first single from the project, “The Juice.”

D.O.L.L.A. ≠ $

The pre-order/pre-save for my 4th album Different On Levels The Lord Allowed drops tonight at 9 PT/Midnight ET with the 1st single “The Juice”. Full album drops August 20th.#DameDOLLA #FrontPageMusic pic.twitter.com/ujHHLozUVP

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) August 5, 2021

While Different On Levels The Lord Allowed won’t drop on streaming services until Aug. 20, Dame has dropped now four singles from the album, “Home Team,” “Kobe” and “GOAT Spirit,” along with the opening track of the LP, “The Juice” — demonstrating the cohesive feel of the project.

Possibly the most gifted lyricist of the current generations hoopers-turned-rappers, Lillard’s talent in front of the mic garnered him a feature on the Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack, “About That Time,” where he would team up with G-Eazy, P-Lo and Noah David.

The post Dame DOLLA is Back with His Newest Track, ‘The Juice’ appeared first on SLAM.

Gordon just dropped the debut single off his upcoming rap album (above). The track, “LVL UP,” features Moe (an artist signed to Epic Records) and is meant to inspire others to improve in every aspect, becoming the best they can be and leveling up their own lives in the face of adversity. Gordon’s work ethic and perseverance to reach the NBA shine a light to motivate people.

While a release date for the full album (“All Good”) has not yet been revealed, you can expect to hear more motivating lyrics that will make you want to grind harder.

Gordon used his time in quarantine to sharpen and really pursue his musical aspirations. Back in April, he put out his first song, “Pull Up,” which also featured Moe. Around the time of that initial release, Gordon said there was a lot more to come and hinted at a project for September.

It appears that he put his heart into the music and is keeping his word. Tune in.

—

Charlie Desadier is an intern at SLAM. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post Aaron Gordon Releases New Single ‘LVL UP’ appeared first on SLAM.

The company produces and distributes original, moving content that tells impactful stories about extraordinary people being nice and doing nice. The other side of the company is his clothing line. The apparel provides an opportunity for cause-minded people to represent live life Nice’s core mission, which is to inspire those around them.

Crosby was a trampoline dunker with the 76ers at the age of 18 when his lively personality caught the eye of the team and landed him a full-time position as the in-arena host. Crosby brings life to on-court contests, promotions and interactive features and his halftime performances are an integral part of the game experience.

The multifaceted mogul is also a musician and recently released his first single entitled “Insecure.” Creating this song helped Crosby step out of his comfort zone and walk into his destiny of conquering his fears, insecurities and doubts. Give it a listen and check out the official video above.

The original art (below) consisted of visuals (goldfish, balloons) that were symbolic of “childhood innocence and total freedom, wisdom and health.” Through the exploration of music, Crosby realizes he can express himself in ways he wasn’t able to before and reveal his true thoughts to the world.

By his many talents, Crosby has shown that he is force to be reckoned with. His bright, energetic and positive spirit is certainly needed in this time. Be sure to check out Crosby on the court at a Sixers game and through his new music career.

—

Ashton Edmunds is an intern at SLAM. Follow him on Instagram @ae11_.

The post Sixers In-Arena Host Christian Crosby Releases First Single, ‘Insecure’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Grizzlies organization provides valuable resources for everything from learning the fundamentals of the game to providing a safe space and mentorship for youth in the city that are looking for positive role models.

We recently caught up with Polo G in Hollywood to talk the Chicago Grizzlies, Windy City hoopers, NBA predictions and more.

SLAM: How did the whole concept of the Chicago Grizzlies start?

Polo G: The concept as far as me picking a name and everything, I came up with that because of the Chicago Bears. I know bears are like a Midwest animal and that was the inspiration for that. But just putting a new opportunity for the kids in my neighborhood.

SLAM: Aside from basketball, what other resources does the Grizzlies organization provide for the youth?

PG: An open ear for somebody that can help you out with whatever you’re going through. If the kids ever need anything outside of basketball, we’re there to support them.

SLAM: Why is that so important to teach kids?

PG: It’s so important because if these kids don’t have a positive role model or outlet to use their energy and time, they’re going to use it in a negative way. A lot of times when kids take matters into their own hands at such a young age, it goes wrong most of the time.

SLAM: What kind of inspiration do you want to be for the next generation?

PG: I just want to be an inspiration that guides kids into tapping their full potential and making their dreams come true.

SLAM: What do you tell kids who idolize you and want to be in the position you’re in?

PG: Something I make sure to tell kids is be the No. 1 believer in yourself because nobody’s going to believe in you or see your vision the way that you see it. You gotta make them believe it.

SLAM: Before rap, I read that you wanted to be a sports broadcaster like Stephen A. Smith. What was it about that role that interested to you?

PG: I just have smarts for the game. I used to watch basketball all day with my pops from sunup to sundown. I could watch it so much to where I know what was going on. So if me and my pops having a conversation [and] the same thing we were talking about in the game agreeing on, they saying on the sports show the next morning. That’s what inspired me to want to do it and just admiring the way that Stephen A. carried himself.

SLAM: I know you’re a father now—congratulations by the way. What’s fatherhood been like?

PG: Fatherhood is great. I just love to see a smaller me and love seeing my son coming into his own and seeing his personality come out at times. And really just try to be with him as much as I can because I know with my lifestyle it’s kind of hard.

SLAM: What makes Chicago hoopers different from those in New York or L.A.?

PG: Chicago hoopers got a grit to them. They hungry. They going to be the person on the court getting the rebounds, getting back and sticking on defense, you feel me? Just really going all out every possession, whether it’s on the offensive ball or defensive end. In the city, you just face a lot of adversity, so it makes you have a different kind of toughness to yourself.

SLAM: Growing up, who were some of your favorite hoopers?

PG: Patrick Beverly, Derrick Rose is No. 1, and Dwyane Wade, of course.

SLAM: Speaking of Chicago, what are some things you love about your city?

PG: Definitely the food. I love the landscaping of the city. The city is a very beautiful place. Aside from the other things you can get into in the city, it’s a lot of things you can get into as far as business-wise [and] people that you can link up with. It’s just a lot of different layers of stuff that you can get into in Chicago.

SLAM: When you’re not rapping, what are some things you be doing in your free time?

PG: If I’m not rapping or doing anything that’s with music, I’m chilling. It’s simple as that. I’m just chilling at the crib with my girl or my son.

SLAM: Which team and/or players have you been trying to keep up with this season?

PG: I’ve been looking at Ja Morant heavily. That’s like one of favorite players right now. I really rock with Zion Williamson, too. Devin Booker. But as far as teams, I’ve just been paying attention to the Lakers. I’m a big Chicago Bulls fan. I always root for the home team, but I’ve been paying attention to the Lakers.

SLAM: Any predictions for this season?

PG: I could see the Lakers winning the championship this year.

SLAM: What do you see in the next five years for the Chicago Grizzlies program?

PG: I see us being more established and being more known in the AAU world. Having some real top dogs on our team and just really dominating and having fun, too.

The post Polo G Talks AAU Program, Chicago Hoopers & More appeared first on SLAM.

Ace is at the SLAM offices in NYC, eyeing a wall decorated with old covers. He points to an image of Allen Iverson, the player he idolized as a kid, and starts talking about his impact on the culture, noting his patented arm sleeve and headband look. 

Growing up in Jacksonville, FL, a city he describes as the “jungle,” Ace developed a love for basketball. Rap was his true calling, however, and he began making music at the age of 13. His career kicked off with the help of a few family members and after signing with Cinematic Music Group, he released his debut album, Life of Betrayal, in August of 2018. He’s built a big following, thanks in part to a YouTube channel he runs with his girlfriend, Chloe, and to his constant interactions with his fans. 

“My favorite part about [the YouTube channel] is that it makes [Chloe] smile,” he says. “It’s something she really wanted to do. Every time she uploads it, she be happy. That’s probably my favorite part about it.

“And it’s definitely a good way [to engage with fans]. To be honest, that’s made my fanbase even bigger because people who didn’t know who I was but used to watch my YouTube channel, that makes them like the music. So streams go up from that, too. It’s dope all around.”

On November 8, 2019, a day after our interview, Ace dropped another major project, Step Harder, featuring Lil Durk, Stunna 4 Vegas, NoCap, DeJ Loaf, Boosie Badazz and Blac Youngsta.

“I ain’t gonna lie, I put my soul into that,” Ace explains. “I really took my time with this one.” 

When he’s not in the studio, Ace is often at the movies—he and Chloe go at least once a week, and Ace can quickly rattle off his top five all-time (Shottas, Ghetto Stories, Paid in Full, Rush Hour, ATL)—or hooping at LA Fitness in some Jordan XIIIs. 

He’s got supporters in the League now, too. 

“I got relationships with a few of them,” he explains. “Dejounte Murray from the Spurs. I fuck with him. We be reaching out. We call each other all the time.

“There’s a couple of them, but he’s the one I mess with on the daily, though.”

Because of Murray, Ace now roots for San Antonio. He’s also a fan of LeBron (“The GOAT, for real”), Westbrook (“He’s like a smaller LeBron”) and Curry (“It’s simple but he’s smooth, like you ain’t gonna be able to stop that”). 

When Lil Durk linked with SLAM not too long ago, he challenged any rapper to play him one-on-one.

“All the hoopers who say they got skills, you got to show it,” he said. “I’m tired of challenging people. They scared.”

We know one person who isn’t.

“People from Chicago can’t really play ball like that,” Yungeen Ace says with a smile.

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos by Sean Edwards.

The post LIVE FROM THE JUNGLE: Get to Know Rapper Yungeen Ace ♠ appeared first on SLAM.

RELATED: Marvin Bagley Makes Rap Debut with ‘Thoughts in the A’

The post Marvin Bagley Drops New Mixtape, ‘The Calm Before the Storm’ 🎤 appeared first on SLAM.

James, a three-time NBA champion with an array of accolades, is the A&R for 2 Chainz’s upcoming album, “Rap or Go to the League,” which releases March 1 on Apple Music.

Def Jam recently released an in-depth interview of A&R Bron and 2 Chainz chopping it up about the new album.

The post LeBron James Is the A&R for 2 Chainz’s New Album 🎤 appeared first on SLAM.

Lonzo Ball is not just a hooper. The Lakers point guard also does work in the studio.

Check out the new track he just dropped along with his close friend and manager DMO above.

MORE ZO MUSIC:
Lonzo, Gelo and LaVar Ball Drop New Song
Lonzo Ball Releases ‘Kylie Kuzma,’ Diss Track About Kyle Kuzma
Lonzo Ball Delivers Debut Mixtape ‘Born 2 Ball’

The post Lonzo Ball and DMO Drop New Track 🎧🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

He played high school ball at Thurgood Marshall Academy in Harlem, NY, and then in college at SUNY-Canton in upstate New York. After graduating, he worked at downtown apparel boutique AllSaints in SoHo and then as an elementary school program coordinator, before turning his attention full-time to music earlier this year.

That decision coincided, perhaps serendipitously, with another decision: that of LeBron James’ free agency.

“I’ve always been a huge LeBron James fan,” Khaliente says. “So when he signed with the Lakers, my block and my friends were like, ‘Oh you gonna be a Lakers fan now,’ and I jokingly said I’ve always been a Lakers fan. I ran with it and started calling myself ‘Big Laker.’”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq3Od7sAKTm/

Two of those aforementioned friends are names any fan of hoops, rap or both will recognize: Isaiah Washington and Sheck Wes.

Washington—the most prominent face of the JellyFam movement and now a sophomore point guard at the University of Minnesota—and Khaliente (whose real name is Khalid) have known each other since the latter was 15 years old, and collaborated to curate the 2018 Jelly Day event in Harlem over the summer.

Wes, meanwhile, is another young artist from Harlem who himself rode the wave of an NBA-inspired song (“Mo Bamba”) to newfound fame in 2018. Khaliente says they’ve been friends for three years now, and lists Wes among the artists who inspire him most, along with Drake, Tupac and YG.

In fact, the inspiration for “Big Laker” the song, produced by Fly Melodies, was sparked one night backstage at a Sheck Wes concert. “Sheck is a huge Kevin Durant fan,” Khaliente explains. “He was trying to argue that Kevin Durant is better than LeBron. Him and Ballo (Sheck’s childhood friend and current assistant) both started double-teaming me, so then I told them that I’mma make a Laker song and put they names in it. I wrote it that night.”

The track itself is an all-out LakeShow anthem. If nothing else, this song deserves to ring out at Staples Center for as long as the Lakers’ season lasts in 2019. At one point, he raps: “Like Javale McGee, I go stupid on this beat. And like I’m Ron Artest, how I gave the World Peace.”

Khaliente goes on to shout out not only current Lakers like Rajon Rondo, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley and (of course) LeBron James, but also a handful of Laker legends, including Lamar Odom, Phil Jackson, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal—with the familiar “I been ballin’ like a Big Laker” refrain throughout. That the song is centered around one of the most legendary franchises in NBA history is no accident. Khaliente holds himself to the same gold standard when it comes to his music.

“I want to be one of the greats when it’s all said and done,” insists Khaliente, who promises that a full mixtape is coming Spring 2019, with more singles on the way even sooner. “But what’s most important to me is being able to give back to my community and inspire the youth.”

For more from Khaliente, follow him on SoundCloud and Instagram.

—

Abe Schwadron is the Managing Editor at numberFire and a former Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @abe_squad.

The post ‘Big Laker’: Rapper Khaliente’s New Track Is the LakeShow Anthem of 2019 🔊 appeared first on SLAM.

Durk has also been putting in work on the court. Growing up in Chicago during the prime MJ years, he developed a passion for ball that remains strong today. He’s played with several other rappers at the LifeTime gym in Manhattan over the past few months, and beat Bow Wow one-on-one for $10K not too long ago.

We caught up with Durk at the SLAM offices to find out more about his game and music career. Check out the interview below.

—

SLAM: What was the inspiration behind Signed to the Streets 3?

Lil Durk: Just motivated from where we come from — from the streets. Just getting back to the basics of what we’ve been doing. Getting out of Def Jam and going to Alamo. Just a whole new situation, a whole new vibe.

SLAM: What’s unique or different about the project?

LD: It’s all me. I had 100% creativity. I could drop what I want to. You know what I’m saying? Like I run the show and I know what my fans want to hear. So when I dropped it, it went perfect.

SLAM: You have a favorite collab on the album?

LD: The Lil Skies record definitely [“Rockstar”]. And one of my favorites is “Downfall” featuring Lil Baby and Young Dolph. It’s just different.

SLAM: As a kid, which rappers were the biggest inspiration to you?

LD: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Meek Mill.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqoYWQNFTxS/

SLAM: What else you working on right now?

LD: We just dropped Signed to the Streets 3. We got two options for a tour coming up. Maybe a collab with A Boogie soon. We basically just working. Moving around, branding, working as a team. Got artists that are coming out — King Von, 600 Booka, and OTF Ikey. As a whole, we got an OTF project coming out, compilation tape. And shout out Doodie Lo.

SLAM: Last time you came through, you said Damian Lillard is the best NBA rapper in the game right now. That still true?

LD: Yeah — and Lonzo. I fuck with Lonzo. That’s my boy. Shout out Lonzo Ball. One of the top two rappers that plays basketball.

SLAM: You tweeted that you wanted to work with Lillard. Did you guys ever talk about getting in the studio?

LD: We’ve talked about it. It was just like vibing, though.

Certainly https://t.co/YDKW5nS7X0

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) April 13, 2018

SLAM: So there aren’t any tracks on the way?

LD: You never know…He might call me tonight or something.

SLAM: You’ve gotten the chance to hoop with a lot of rappers. Can you break down some of their games? I saw you played with Sheck Wes yesterday at LifeTime. 

LD: He a shooter, for sure. Lanky as hell and got a lot of energy. We actually played on the same team yesterday and won.

SLAM: Meek Mill?

LD: Meek Mill can play. He’s strong as fuck. He uses his height to his advantage.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpNY5drH1dw/

SLAM: Gunna?

LD: I wasn’t playing him for real. I could beat him though, for sure.

SLAM: What’s his game like? 

LD: Drip on the court. Swaggy as fuck on the court [laughs].

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqnIPb7FyZ3/

SLAM: You play with Travis Scott ever?

LD: Nah…I’ll bust his ass though.

SLAM: Bow Wow? I know you beat him in a game for $10K already.

LD: Bum. He just got a lot of energy, but that’s it.

SLAM: Is the $10K still on the table? Want to challenge some more people?

LD: I’m tired of challenging people. They scared. Swae Lee, a bum. Tory Lanez, a bum. Who else was woofing? There were a lot of artists just woofing about the entire situation. Future was woofing. He plays, I’ll bust his ass though.

SLAM: You trying to get in the Celebrity Game at All-Star Weekend?

LD: I’d love to play. If I do play, I want to make my first one in Chicago in 2020.

SLAM: Speaking of Chicago, Derrick Rose is having a huge year. Can you talk about his influence on the city?

LD: He was the man [growing up]. High school games — sold out type shit. When he kept getting injured, everyone counted him out. There’s still people who say they’re fans of him, but they don’t put that faith in him because of those injuries. But he’s proving them wrong this year.

SLAM: Which NBA players are you close with?

LD: Quinn Cook, [John] Wall, [DeMarcus] Cousins. I just built a relationship with Draymond [Green], KD. There’s a lot of basketball players we fuck with. Lonzo too.

SLAM: We recently did a ranking of the top 100 all time NBA players. Can you give us your top five?

LD: Kareem, LeBron, Jordan, Magic, and AI.

SLAM: How much do you hoop when you’re not in the studio? How big a part of your life is basketball?

LD: I fuck with it even more now [than when I was a kid]. Back then, you could have talent and it could go unnoticed. Now if you got talent, everybody can see it. That’s the power of social media.

SLAM: Can you describe your game?

LD: Allen Iverson mixed with Kyrie [Irving] and a little bit of [Russell] Westbrook on the aggressive side [laughs].

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpqUAq_gTl6/

SLAM: As someone who hoops and raps, what are the similarities between the two fields?

LD: Staying in the studio is like staying in the gym. Getting a No. 1 record is like getting a ring.

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via Getty Images and Joseph Sherman. 

The post Lil Durk Talks New Album, Which Rappers Can Really Hoop and More 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

Titled, “Connected”, featuring PnB Rock, Oladipo muses about wanting to go away with a girl he has set his sights on. Give it a listen below.

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The post Victor Oladipo Drops ‘Connected’ feat. PnB Rock 🎧 appeared first on SLAM.

McGee produced the beat in Atlanta during the offseason.

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The post JaVale McGee Drops New Track ‘Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Nothin” appeared first on SLAM.

Our staff put together a collection of bangers from all of your favorite artists: Young Thug, Migos, Gunna, Lil Baby, Drake, Lil Wayne and much, much more. It also includes a few tracks by NBA players, such as Iman Shumpert, Victor Oladipo and Lonzo Ball. Click here to listen and follow.

Enjoy, fam.

The post Listen to SLAM’s Official Spotify Playlist ‘Layup Lines’ 🚨 appeared first on SLAM.

He was going to dominate the city hoops scene, earn a scholarship to Duke and go on to play in the NBA. The game was his first true love, which should come as no surprise if you’re at all familiar with his hometown and its culture.

“Basketball is a big thing,” Porter explains. He’s chilling on the roof at the SLAM offices in Midtown Manhattan, rocking a clean Nike tee, black shorts and white Air Force Ones.

“It brings everybody together in the city because everybody wants to watch games,” he says. “The atmosphere, it’s crazy. You can’t get New York basketball nowhere else.”

Porter first picked up a ball at eight-years-old at the Milbank Center on 118th Street between 5th Avenue and Lenox. The passion only intensified from there, as TJ pursued it more seriously and started developing his skills. He competed against a lot of the top-ranked NYC prospects you hear about today (Cole Anthony, Precious Achiuwa, “the whole Jelly Fam”), and went on to play point guard for powerhouse high school Cardinal Hayes.

His style?

“I’m athletic, I play a lot of defense and I can get to the basket easy,” he describes. The jump shot, by his own admission, is a bit shaky, but the handles are dangerous.

And of course, coming from New York, he talks a lot of trash. “That’s all I do,” he maintains.

What sort of things do you say?

“Y’all might have to blank this out.”

TJ’s staple is to shout “We gon’ ball!” after buckets – a phrase that has also served as his motto in the music industry. You see, Porter’s dream has been slightly altered from when he was a little kid. Now 18, he’s not on his way to Duke, but rather has established himself as a promising, up-and-coming rapper.

It was at 15, in the wake of a terrible tragedy, that Porter changed courses. His close friend Juwan Tavarez, nicknamed Chico, was crossing 3rd Avenue near 115th Street when multiple shots rang out. Tavarez was struck in the head and passed away two days later at Harlem Hospital.

In his grief, Porter was scrolling through old messages and was reminded of how much Tavarez liked his rapping. TJ had been doing it as a hobby a few years earlier but had mostly forgotten about it, largely because of his obsession with basketball.

To honor Tavarez, he woke up one morning and decided to pick it up again.

“I wasn’t doing it for me,” he tells SLAM. “I was doing it for him. He always wanted me to.”

Using that as motivation, coupled with Porter’s natural flow and lyricism, the success soon followed. He embraced his role as the “voice of the trenches,” releasing hit singles such as “Tricky” that have garnered over 400,000 listens on SoundCloud. Just about a month ago, he signed a deal with Def Jam.

“It was like a dream come true,” he says. “I was happy, but I was happy more-so because I did it for a friend and I feel like this is what he wanted to see me do.”

Though it’s no longer his primary pursuit, basketball remains an important piece of Porter’s life. He participated in Nike’s New York vs. New York, a summer long tournament highlighting the best talent from the five boroughs, and can’t hide his excitement when talking about the atmosphere at Dyckman Park. The day of our interview, he’s set to take the iconic court later that evening, and is bouncing off the walls with adrenaline.

“It’s crazy because if you doing bad, they gonna let you know: Get him out of here,” he explains. “You gonna be hearing everybody in the crowd yell. But if you doing good, they gonna hype you up.”

TJ has already hooped against fellow New York rappers Sheck Wes (“He’s trash. Sheck [addressing him], you know what happened at Milbank late nights”) and Desiigner (“He’s mad energetic. He don’t stop running up and down the court.”), and wants a crack at other artists like Quavo, Dave East and Chris Brown. With a new chapter of his life just beginning, Porter recognizes the parallels between his past path and his current one.

“The hard work you got to put into music is the same hard work you got to put into basketball. Both of them go hand in hand,” he says. “You got to be consistent with both. Just how [I was] in the gym everyday, I’m in the studio everyday.

“When you play, you got to perform. It’s just like that.”

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Portraits by Joseph Sherman. 

The post We Gon’ Ball: Rapper and Hooper TJ PORTER Is Putting NYC on His Back 🏙 appeared first on SLAM.

Kyrie recorded “Ridiculous” in early April, a day before having surgery to remove the screws from his left kneecap.

Listen to the full track here:

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The post Kyrie Irving Sings R&B Track on Uncle Drew Soundtrack 🎧 appeared first on SLAM.

The Lancestagram has been full of drip since the season ended, so it’s only fitting this was the track he hopped on.

Check out the Brooklyn-natives’ new track on Spotify and Apple Music.

RELATED: Lonzo Ball Releases ‘Kylie Kuzma,’ Diss Track About Kyle Kuzma

The post Lance Stephenson Drops ‘Drip’ Track with Shon Dollar 💧 appeared first on SLAM.

The rookies became fast friends during their first season with the Lakers but Ball just about emptied the clip on Kuzma. See a few lyrics below.

“Who are you without ZO2s… just another dude with a bunch of tattoos.”

Usually do this shit for fun

But trust me, boy, I’m not the one

If you the bullet, I’m the gun

If you the pot, I’m cooking, son

You want smoke? You can get it

Dressing for attention 

Tryna be Russell Westbrook

You just honorable mention 

I’ll kill you with these sentences

To me, you’re just a peasant 

Triple B’s is independent 

Kuzmania can’t reinvent it

That’s just part of the track, in which Zo went in about Kuz’s hometown, his style and his game on the court.

Hit this link right here to listen to the song in iTunes.

Kylie Kuzma #ItunesExclusive https://t.co/PummuqTs87

— Lonzo Ball (@ZO2_) June 11, 2018

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The post Lonzo Ball Releases ‘Kylie Kuzma,’ Diss Track About Kyle Kuzma appeared first on SLAM.

Sheck can credit at least part of his recent success—which includes a record deal under Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Records and Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music—to his relationship with Bamba.

“I really get inspired by certain things, and Mo would always say, Yo, you need to throw me in a song!” Sheck tells us during a visit to the SLAM office in late February. “I decided to make a song about him, but the song was really about my recruitment as an artist and comparing it to the recruitment of a player like Mo. That’s why I named my song ‘Mo Bamba.’” The song and video have taken Sheck to new heights and places—one day after our photo shoot and interview, Wes is off to Europe for club appearances and performances.

Sheck, who is rocking a super rare pair of Nike HyperAdapt 1.0s while talking to us about Lil Dicky’s shot selection and what Kanye wears when he hoops with him in L.A. (“He wears Yeezy basketball sneakers. Unreleased joints, shit is crazy”), was a skilled point guard in high school, and even led the city’s public league in assists per game during his junior year. But his life went in a different direction when he got the invite to be a part of 2015’s Yeezy Season 3 fashion show at Madison Square Garden.

“I had a Bronx Borough playoff game and I had to make a decision, like, Am I gonna be a part of this game, or be part of this fashion show? And I made the decision to go to Yeezy Season 3. That show opened up doors for me, and it opened up my mind.”

Though he can’t legally buy a drink yet, Sheck Wes is already well traveled. As a young kid, he spent his time back and forth between Harlem and Milwaukee, where his mother owned a hair salon, and he discovered a passion for sneakers at the Number One Sports store next door.

After he chose music over ball, Wes started “living this wild lifestyle” which led his mother to send Sheck to Senegal to get his mind right. Once back in the States, Sheck started getting everything he ever dreamed that he would achieve from basketball—but not in the way he originally planned.

“Everything I wanted from basketball, I get now from making music. Like a damn SLAM interview, that’s amazing.”

—

Peter Walsh is a contributor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @peter_m_walsh.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Welcome to the Life of Sheck Wes, the Next Star of Harlem 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

Released on the Pierre Music Group, currently a two-man label, McGee says he produces 90 percenf of his own music.

The big fella expects listeners to be “pleasantly surprised.”

Per Billboard:

“I spoke to Drake about it before, but I really just don’t think people take me serious,” he says. “And I’m not the guy to keep hitting people, like, ‘You want to? You want to?’ Just nah. I’d rather have it come out and everybody hears my music, and now they wanna work with me. It’s better to build a relationship that way.”

Along with building the beat catalog, McGee is also forming his own label, Pierre Music Group, a conglomerate currently composed of himself and Rome Castille, who’s frequently featured on the album. As for the direction of the label, he say there are no limits as far as the genre of his signees.

“I always look at Akon as inspiration, and the fact that at one point Lady Gaga was signed to Konvict Muzik,” he explains. “That’s just crazy — I would have never thought of that. That Lady Gaga is under T-Pain and Akon? That’s visionary stuff. I would never want to close off an area or a genre in PMG because it’s not what I listen to.”

The post JaVale McGee Released an Album appeared first on SLAM.

Featuring singles such as “BBB,” “Get Off” and “Super Saiyan,” the 17-track mixtape heavily shouts out the Big Baller Brand and Zo’s family.

While the project concludes with a track titled, “LaVar,” the mixtape (unfortunately) does not include a LaVar Ball feature.

Listen to it below.

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Vic sings about how it took a woman of his affection “four years, three months, two weeks, and a Sunday” to eventually love him.

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The post Victor Oladipo Releases ‘One Day’ Music Video appeared first on SLAM.

The mixtape tells a Christmas story through hip-hop, pop, and R&B songs and is available on iTunes and Spotify. Each song tells a different part of Black Santa’s world in the South Pole, and all the characters that surround the character.

Davis founded the Black Santa Company with the mantra that “giving has no season.” The company offers heroes, role models, and humor through character-based storytelling, music, experiential activations, and merchandise. The company will donate a portion of each Winter Wonderland sale to community charities and the release of the music is part of a holiday schedule of toy drives, concerts and other charitable events for L.A. neighborhoods in need.

Check out a few songs from the project below:

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The post Listen to Baron Davis and the Black Santa Company’s ‘Winter Wonderland’ Mixtape appeared first on SLAM.

One of The 6’s most famous natives — and a big Raptors fan — was in attendance and he had the honor of talking to Lowry after the game on Sportsnet. The two are friends and, with Drake sitting courtside at a lot of Lowry’s games, they see each other a lot. That made for some funny tape.

Drake asking the tough questions (via @Ananth_Pandian) pic.twitter.com/wezmhwKcao

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) November 30, 2017

Gotta say, Drake was pretty good in his first sideline reporting role. He asked some solid, out-of-the-box questions and kept it real. If he wanted to push music aside and go into journalism, he wouldn’t have to wait too long to find a gig.

Screenshot courtesy of @Ananth_Pandian on Twitter

The post Drake Interviews Kyle Lowry After Raptors’ Win Over Hornets appeared first on SLAM.

“The crazy thing about it is, before that I was telling people in school that one day Shaquille O’Neal is going to hear about me somehow, because me and him have the same name,” remembers Baptiste, better known today as rapper ShaqIsDope. “And he’s going to be a fan of my music.”

Baptiste was right. Because when he picks up the phone today, a month shy of his 25th birthday, he matter-of-factly states he had to ignore Big Fella’s call to do so. “Shaquille O’Neal was just calling me as soon as we got on the phone, and I texted him like, ‘I’ll call you right back, I’m on the phone with SLAM Magazine.’”

O’Neal had taken notice to an early ShaqIsDope music video that gained traction on WorldStarHipHop. The Laker legend reached out on social media, got to talking and eventually the pair collab’d on a remix to Future and Lil Wayne’s “Karate Chop” in 2013.

“That was a big moment for my career,” says ShaqIsDope, whose list of all-time favorite players is mostly Raptors: Vince Carter, Alvin Williams, Muggsy Bogues, Chris Bosh and Allen Iverson. “That was the look that I needed to really introduce me to all the major hip-hop blogs.”

Right again. In the time since, ShaqIsDope’s progress as an artist has earned him plenty of attention, including a sponsorship from adidas Canada, a spot on the XXL Freshman Class ballot in 2017, millions of plays on Spotify and even spins on Beats1 Radio—not to mention continued shout outs from The Diesel, despite the fact that the two Shaqs have never actually met in real life. In October, the duo dropped a diss track aimed at another Shaq— Big Shaq, the rapper famous for the “Mans Not Hot” viral video. And ShaqIsDope’s self-titled EP, which he promises is a perfect blend of street and smarts, drops in mid-November.

—

Abe Schwadron is the Managing Editor at numberFire and a former Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @abe_squad.

Photos via Brandon Seales

The post (I Know I Got) Skillz appeared first on SLAM.

Butler plays a distraught basketball player who hasn’t heard from his girlfriend. He can’t sleep, so he finds himself driving around Nashville, TN, and ends up shooting shots to blow off steam.

Watch until the end to see how things turn out:

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The post Jimmy Butler Stars In Luke Bryan Country Music Video appeared first on SLAM.

Stephenson spits auto-tuned bars over a catchy beat. Download “Better Believe It” on iTunes.

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The post Lance Stephenson Drops Rap Single ‘Better Believe It’ appeared first on SLAM.

Mattafact’s NBA acumen is on full display as he lays clever wordplay over dope beat after dope beat. Have a listen:

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The post Rapper Drops ‘The NBA Mixtape’ With Songs For All 30 Teams appeared first on SLAM.

Quad Studios, as members of Oladipo’s crew quickly point out, is the same place where 2Pac was shot and robbed in 1994, where Bobby Shmurda, Rowdy Rebel and the rest of the GS9 crew were arrested and where, on a happier note, Beyonce has recorded in the past. Once we get off the elevator, platinum and gold plaques from artists from all walks of life adorn the walls. Inside the studio, engineer Morning Estrada greets Vic and the rest of the crew before he begins to set up for the session.

While Estrada preps, Oladipo and his crew, which includes music industry vet Nieman Johnson and producer/songwriter Sam Hook, swarm the cramped recording space and shoot the shit about their time in New York, the afternoon run Vic hooped in—the same run that included Melo, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Chris Paul—and about goings on around the League. The mood is light, jokes are cracked and Victor seems at ease.

Oladipo released his debut single, “Song For You,” a Donny Hathaway cover, in late August. Since he was in college at Indiana, and throughout his time in the League, Oladipo made it known that he could sing—but it still took people by surprise when “Song For You” dropped and it was good. Really good.

“I can’t lie, I was a little shocked,” Oladipo says of the reaction to his music. “Singing was just something that I loved to do, it’s a little hobby of mine and something that made me feel good. To see people want to listen to it and it touching people is an amazing feeling. It’s like when people say that if you have a gift, you should share it. And for me, singing is one of my gifts and to be able to share it with the world it a blessing in itself.”

Oladipo began singing in the children’s choir at St. Joseph’s Church in Upper Marborlo, MD, and quickly fell in love with music. As he got older, Oladipo used his skill just like any other teenaged kid would—to try and get girls.

“In high school, I used to go over to my good friend [Atlanta Hawks point guard] Quinn Cook’s house and just mess around,” he remembers. “I used to sing and he would do the beats and he was like, ‘Bro, you can really sing.’ Then we used to go to these little mixers and used to bet each other who would get the most numbers and my friends would be like, ‘I bet you won’t go up to that girl and sing to get her number.’ And I haven’t struck out yet.”

“I remember when I first made him do it,” Cook says. “We were at the movies and there was this girl and I told Victor that he couldn’t get her and Victor started singing to her. He proved me wrong—he got her. We would go to the movies every weekend and he would always sing to the girls and I haven’t seen a girl deny him yet. He’s probably 95 or 96 percent from the field.”

***

Back in the studio, Estrada begins to play joints off the EP, starting with “One Day,” “Unfollow” and “Nothin’ Like Your Ex.” The music is a stark difference from the hip-hop we’re accustomed to hearing from NBA players who dabble in music.

“I never tell people it’s me on a song, and they’re like, ‘Who is that?’ And I’m like, It’s me. And they say, ‘Not it’s not!’” Oladipo says. “It’s a great feeling to be good at something. I’m just trying to get better, just like I’m trying to get better at this basketball thing every day.”

Oladipo’s hoops career has taken quite a few twist and turns since he was drafted second overall by the Magic in 2013. For the second time in as many offseasons, Vic was traded, this time from the OKC Thunder to the Indiana Pacers for Paul George in a move that caught everyone by surprise.

“I was on a plane [when the trade went down] and didn’t find out until I landed,” he says. “When you first get the news, it’s a bit of a shock. You build relationships, you build chemistry and you get comfortable in a city. I was just leaving there from my camp—I was running a free basketball clinic for some kids and they were asking me, Are you going to come back next year? And for that to happen, it was tough, and you don’t have any control over it because it’s a business.”

The move to Indiana is a homecoming of sorts for the shooting guard, who has averaged just under 16 points for his career. Oladipo starred at Indiana University from 2010-13 and was an All-American in 2013.

“Over time, I had a chance to digest the situation and I got really excited,” he continues. “I have a great opportunity. I’m going back to Indiana where I went to college so the fans are very familiar with me. It kind of catapulted my summer, and I’ve been working my butt off on the court.”

As things are wrapping up, the crew heads into the lobby of Quad, where they chop it up with staff and other artists who have walked in for their sessions. Oladipo has started playing pool while others get their plans together for the rest of the night.

The project is finished. Now the real work begins.

“I’ve been doing music, but I’ve been on a 9-5 grind when it comes to hooping. I’m ready, man, I’m looking forward to it. I wish the season started tomorrow and I can’t wait to go home to Indiana and play.”

—

Peter Walsh is a Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @Peter_M_Walsh.

Video by Stephen Roll

—

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The post The Bigger Artist appeared first on SLAM.

Following up to his first rap, “Melo Ball 1,” Lonzo released the entire “ZO2” track today. Have a listen:

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The post Lonzo Ball Drops Full “ZO2” Rap Song appeared first on SLAM.

Oladipo makes a statement with this motivational new track, which features rapper 2 Chainz. Have a listen:

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The post Victor Oladipo Drops ‘Rope A Dope’ Featuring 2 Chainz appeared first on SLAM.

Brown, who’s no stranger to making beats, created a three-minute, 31-second rap called “Building Blocks,” which he listened to several times before games.

Here’s some of the lyrics, via SportTechie:

Game day and it’s time to focus in.
Is you ready, I can feel you breathing heavy, keep it steady.
I just gotta pretend that I got it all together when I don’t.
Probably wanna throw up but I won’t … just breathe.

 

Breathe in, breathe out, listen to my voice breathe in, breathe out.
(Expletive) you ain’t got a choice, breathe in, breathe out.
I can feel my hands sweaty, I can feel my legs heavy.

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The post Jaylen Brown Made a Rap Song To Prepare for LeBron James appeared first on SLAM.

Following the launch of his family’s reality show last week, Lonzo now debuts a rap entitled “Melo Ball 1” featuring Kenneth Paige.

Zo primarily spits bars about his brother LaMelo’s first signature sneaker. Give it a listen (H/T XXL):

The track first appeared in SLAM’s exclusive video with LaMelo, debuting his MB1 shoe by Big Baller Brand.

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The post Lonzo Ball Releases Debut Rap Single ‘Melo Ball 1’ appeared first on SLAM.

As we await its release, Dame DOLLA (Different on Levels the Lord Allows) is back with another rap entitled “No Worries” with cousins Danny and Duece.

Give it a listen and check out Lillard’s lyrics below (starting at 1:50):

Once upon a time, my name ain’t come up in discussions
These days, everybody claiming I’m they cousin
Some be talkin’ slick, stories by the dozen
Crazy how often it be the ones that I be lovin’
I be in denial, won’t admit it, but forget it
Who I’m kiddin’
A ribbon representin’
I’m the guy that they resentin’
In position, what commitment
Exposing all the forbidden
They usually throw shots and come and get resistance
I patrol the grape vine
They know a couple states mine
Barely be the prince, and I ain’t Will Smith or Tayshaun
Find me unbothered out in Napa trying to taste wine
Probably mad at me because they wife is trying to FaceTime
Don’t judge me though
I got a life to live
Not the kind of guy they got to cover for
I like to trip
Always take her back like a sucker though
Trying to right this ship
Built like that, a lot of muscle bro
On some Tyson sh—

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The post Damian Lillard Drops New Rap Song Called ‘No Worries’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to an ESPN report, Dame D.O.L.L.A. has been spending as much as 12 hours a day in the studio working on the follow-up to his debut album, The Letter O.

While no release date has been determined and he’s not ready to reveal specifics about the content on his second album, Lillard has been in the studio for seven straight days working on the project, which has support from some of hip-hop’s most prominent figures, including Lil Wayne and super producer Scott Storch. […]

 

Each morning in Santa Montica, Lillard works out for over two hours and then heads to the studio from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. Brookfield Duece and Danny From Sobrante, two artists off of Lillard’s record label “Front Page Music,” also camp out in the studio, steadily offering suggestions while Lillard softly recites lyrics from the notes section on his phone.

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Photo by Atiba Jefferson

The post Report: Damian Lillard Working 12 Hours a Day on Second Album appeared first on SLAM.

The video by AOK makes light of the Cavaliers‘ impending loss of its young superstar.

Check out the full lyrics:

LeBron is mad
I’m wondering why
I asked for a trade at all.
I scored 40 in the Finals,
But I can’t please LeBron
And even if I could I’m not Chris Paul
With their picture on a boat
It reminds me that it’s not my Cavs, LeBron runs the Cavs.

 

Dear Bron, I wrote you, but you only subtweetin’
I left my cell, email and my address in Cleveland
I sent two letters to Dan Gilbert, you must not have got ’em
He probably fell off the side of the flat Earth or somethin’
Sometimes trade requests become too sloppy once they’re public
But anyways, fuck it, what’s been up, man? How’s our teammates?
I just wanted to be the man, and a chance to lead—
If I win a MVP, guess who I’ma call?
I’ma call Kobe.

 

I read about Derrick Rose too, I’m sorry
He signed for the vet min cuz every team didn’t want him
I know you probably hear this every day, but I’m your best teammate
I even hit The Shot after you made The Block on Andre.
I got a room full of our posters and our Fatheads, man
I like the ‘ship we won in ‘16 too, that ‘ship was phat
Anyways, I hope you get this, man, hit me back
Just to chat, truly yours, your best teammate, this is Kyrie.

 

LeBron is mad
I’m wondering why
I asked for a trade at all.
I scored 57 against the Spurs,
But I can’t please LeBron
And even if I could he won’t commit to stay.
He’s leaving for L.A.
It reminds me that it’s not our Cavs, never was our Cavs.

 

Dear Mr. I’m-Too-Good-to-Commit-To-Cleveland,
This’ll be the last message I send before I’m leaving.
It’s been three seasons, I’m second fiddle—do I deserve it?
I know you got my last email
I even cc’d Brian Windhorst
So this is my message I’m sendin’ you, I hope you get it
I’m in the gym right now, I’m averagin’ 30 next season
Hey Bron, I wanna go to the West too, you dare me to go?
Stephen A. Smith said if you saw me, it’d come to blows.

 

And all I wanted was a chance to handle the ball
I hope you know I ripped all of our Fatheads off the wall
I loved you, Bron, we coulda played together—think about it!
It’s ruined now, I hope you don’t win and you dream about it
And when you leave I hope you lose
And you scream about it; I hope your conscience eats at you
‘Cause you can’t win without me
See Bron—shut up, Dan! I’m tryin’ to talk
Hey Bron, that’s Dan Gilbert screamin’ in the hall
But I didn’t stab his back, I let him know first, see I ain’t like you.
‘Cause if he trades me, he’ll get a good player back too
Well gotta go, I’m almost off the Cavs now
Oh shit, I forgot, how am I supposed to win a title now?

 

LeBron is mad
I’m wondering why
I asked for a trade at all.
I haven’t even hit my prime,
And I wanna leave LeBron
But even if I stayed, he’s on the decline.
He’s almost 33 years old.
It reminds me that it’s not our Cavs,
Durant ruined the Cavs.

Written by Eric Moneypenny, Will Hagle (lyrics) and Allie Goertz (vocals)

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The post Rapper Mocks Kyrie-LeBron Situation in Parody of Eminem’s ‘Stan’ appeared first on SLAM.

The post Respect The Game Episode 66: ASAP Twelvyy appeared first on SLAM.

Up and coming NYC rapper Marlon Craft has bars for days. The Hell’s Kitchen native, who has been featured in Mass Appeal and just freestyled on Shade 45, is turning heads with his flow and endless references. Watch him flex his rap skills and hoops knowledge while name-dropping all 30 NBA teams in one verse over The LOX’s classic “Money, Power, Respect.”

Craft’s new project The Tunnel’s End drops August 2nd, and an NYC release show is set for Friday, August 11th. Cop tickets here, and add Marlon on IG: @marloncraft, Twitter: @marloncraftny, or Facebook: @mcraftmusic.

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LaVar Ball says he and LaMelo would kill Shaq and Shareef pic.twitter.com/C6cxHqyb2o

— Overtime (@overtime) July 16, 2017

Shaq responded in true Diesel fashion with a three-minute diss track.

Shaq calls himself the true big baller, compares LaVar to Jeff Maloney (did he mean Matt Maloney?) and drops this epic line: “Get some Icy Hot, rub it on your back, Before you break that f***kin’ around with Shaq.”

Check out full lyrics:

Dudes talkin’ loud, I don’t understand
Walkin’ around like they the true big baller, damn
How you think that? I’m about to spit facts
I walk in Reebok in 92, I came out with them Shaqs
I’ve been doin’ this a long time
When you was averaging’ 2 points, ridin’ the pine
You see my t-shirts, you see my feet work
Big Baller Brand, that was me first

 

How many parades did I give them L.A. streets?
How many rings with Kobe?
See, you thought we had beef
How many accolades?
How many ceremonies?
I have whatever I want Tony! Toni! Toné!
You beating me? That’s a bunch of baloney
You think you Mailman? You ain’t even Jeff Maloney
When did you play, huh? What year?
Oh yeah, you played for Dallas, Erick Dampier

 

Listen here, they call me Steph Harden
I make same salary as Steph and James Harden
200 plus, 248
Do the math man, damn my life is great
You wanna battle Dies, you better have endurance
Before you crash, man, get that General Insurance
Get some Icy Hot, rub it on your back
Before you break that f***kin’ around with Shaq

 

Sit down man, you be doin’ the most
You know your ass is barbecue chicken in the post
First you can beat Mike, then you can beat me
Wake that ass up, you haven’ a dream
And when you wake up, apologize
And bow down to my STAPLES Center statue hangin’ off the side
I’m the building, excuse me, arena
I feel like Martin with this flow, damn Gina

 

You’ve been caught up in a rapture
And when you’re watching Zo play, look up in the rafters
You’ll see Magic Johnson
You’ll see Jerry West
You’ll see Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, damn he was the best
Keep looking’ man, I know you’ll see this
No. 34 next to Gail Goodrich
Big Daddy Kane no half-steppin’
I’m more like Will Smith—I Am Legend

 

Penny love me
Kobe hate me
D-Wade ain’t tell me that Pat Riley was going to trade me
That ain’t fade me, nothin’ fade me
I’m Jerry Maguire with this flow, pay me
Big Baller Brand, trust I am that
I hope you get the message by telephone or fax
Two more things I got to say
You did a great job, I love how your sons play
Lil Melo too, attitude, hella cool
Jumper wet, wet like two thots in a pool
I learned the game from William Wesley, you can never test me
Cause when I’m done, they gon’ remember me like Elvis Presley
Watchin’ me, don’t ever step out of line
Shaq O’Neal bro, greatest of all time
This is a game to me, this is not a sport
My name is Shaq, I’m the black Michael Rapaport

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“It felt like a real dream,” the Detroit rapper says of that moment. He first saw LeBron’s IG post when a flurry of fans bombarded his DMs with the link. “It’s one thing for someone like that to be listening to it, but for him to actually be rapping it, that’s what I’ve been working for—for it to get to everybody’s ears. It’s hard to get people to rap your music, to really feel it like that. So I was grateful for it. He did a lot for me, for my following.”

Later that day, Jay-Z mentioned the up-and-comer in a flurry of tweets where he named rappers who inspire him, even going so far as to call “First Day Out” the best song out. Yep, June 15 was a good day for Tee Grizzley.

Perhaps even better than the day a few months back when Miami center Hassan Whiteside invited him to hang out at his house on South Beach. “We had dinner and really kicked it,” Tee remembers. “Bro’s house was so cold. The food was cooked by a chef—that was the first time I had a personal chef cook for me. That house was crazy.”

Born Terry Wallace, the 23-year-old grew up rooting for the hometown Pistons teams led by Tayshaun Prince, Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace, but also for Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and the Celtics. And while Grizzley never played ball growing up (because, he jokes, “I was too good, I would never lose, so I just didn’t play”), these days he’ll never pass up a chance to shoot around while on the road, if the hotel has a court or there’s an LA Fitness nearby. He describes his game as a mix of Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird—“All three at once.”

In light of his new NBA fans, Tee’s added the Cavs and Heat to his list of favorites, and he considers LeBron the GOAT: “I think he is—him and Hassan Whiteside are the greatest players of all time. Because they rock with me, so I feel like they’re the greatest.”

His debut album, My Moment, picked up buzz during this year’s playoffs, with lyrical references to Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, among others. “Next NBA Finals,” he says, “I expect to perform at halftime.”

—

Abe Schwadron is the Managing Editor at numberFire and a former Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @abe_squad.

Photos via Bobbi Digital.

The post First Day Out appeared first on SLAM.

A snippet of the once-secret freestyle has inevitably leaded onto the web.

Here's the Lebron James-Kevin Durant secret track! 1 million retweets to release the whole song! @espn @NBA @CBSSports @SInow @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/4oCIEHsSJP

— Spider Studios (@SpiderStudiosOH) June 5, 2017

The two superstars are now waging war in the NBA Finals, with KD holding a commanding 2-0 series lead against his good friend.

Per the AP:

“They’re a different team,” James said following a 132-113 loss in Game 2 on Sunday night that put Cleveland in an 0-2 hole.

 

That’s been quite evident through two games. Durant leads all players with 71 points the first two games — six more than the player he replaced in the lineup, Harrison Barnes, scored in seven games a year ago.

 

“They play well at home,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. “They won their first two games like they’re supposed to. Coming to a tough environment, we knew it was going to be tough, but they won the first two games. We get a chance to go home now to our home crowd where we play well, also.”

The post Listen to the Secret Kevin Durant-LeBron James Freestyle appeared first on SLAM.

Durant reportedly handled the opening verse while LeBron came in for the second, followed by another KD verse to close things out.

https://youtu.be/ceEX5wgwsT8

Per ESPN:

League sources informed ESPN that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors superstars collaborated on the track during the lockout in 2011 while Durant, then a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, was visiting James, who had joined the Miami Heat, for workouts in Akron, Ohio.

 

One person who has heard the song says he recalls Durant rapping the first verse, James hopping on for the second and then Durant finishing it off.

 

The song’s title and theme are unknown, as are its whereabouts. Durant, who produces beats in his spare time, is believed to have provided the instrumentals.

The report goes on to mention that there were discussions about the track being featured in KD’s 2012 film Thunderstruck.

But those talks were ultimately quashed, and the song was permanently shelved.

While this track my never be released to the public, LeBron and KD have a few old raps still floating around the internet. Have a listen:

https://youtu.be/Gp9WQU1Rr8Q

https://youtu.be/Lz4Ynj11vLw?t=1m41s

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The post LeBron James, Kevin Durant Recorded a Hip-Hop Song During 2011 Lockout appeared first on SLAM.

While guesting on The View, Chance pointed out that successful African-Americans have long been the target of hate crimes in America.

He went on to say the incident was intended to denigrate James as “a second-class citizen.”

“LeBron James is, to me, the greatest of all time,” he said. Starting at 0:31:

“It’s kind of a common pattern in America’s history that when people like me get to a certain point of success. I mean, LeBron James is, to me, the greatest of all time basketball player.

 

“And people want to remind you of how they view you: As a second-class citizen.

 

“It’s not much you can do except for keep thriving. Shout out to LeBron.”

RELATED:
WATCH: LeBron James Responds To His Home Being Vandalized

The post Chance The Rapper: LeBron James Is ‘The Greatest of All Time’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night in Los Angeles, rapper Post Malone had the opportunity to meet one of his idols, Allen Iverson, the man who inspired his breakout hit “White Iverson.”

The two jammed out to the 2015 anthem that pays homage to Iverson’s basketball legacy. Via IG/theofficialai3:

"White Iverson" came on while Post Malone was hanging out with Allen Iverson [NSFW]

(: @alleniverson) pic.twitter.com/RSy6hBKnTg

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 26, 2017

Congrats to Post!

RELATED:
Post Malone’s “White Iverson” is the best basketball-inspired hip-hop song in recent memory. Or…ever?

The post WATCH: Allen Iverson Listens to ‘White Iverson’ With Post Malone appeared first on SLAM.

The Blazers star hopped on the Drake hit “Free Smoke” and spit a few bars with P HU$TLE and Bozzle.

https://soundcloud.com/damianlillard0/dame-dolla-free-smoke-ft-p-hutle-and-bozzle

I don’t be trippin
I say what I thinkin’
I’m stickin to that
Hoopin’ and rappin’
They tell me to stop
But the numbers don’t lie
I get millions for that
They want resent me for rap
I bring the synergy back
Y’all energy whack
I live with an energy pack

Incoming rookie Lonzo Ball dropped bars to the same beat last week.

Let us know who went harder in the comments.

https://youtu.be/FaLTDAzIhLE

RELATED:
Lonzo Ball Raps on ‘Free Smoke’ Remix

Photo by Atiba Jefferson

The post Damian Lillard Raps Over Drake’s ‘Free Smoke’ appeared first on SLAM.

More Life More music What up @WORLDWIDEDAIJ https://t.co/2h5QvHsHqA

— Lonzo Ball (@ZO2_) May 8, 2017

You may recall Lonzo spitting bars for his family during Christmas, and rhyming seems to be something he enjoys doing in his spare time. Haters gonna hate, but Zo seems to having fun with the entire pre-draft process this spring.

The post Lonzo Ball Raps on ‘Free Smoke’ Remix appeared first on SLAM.

Drake got things started by posting a picture of Green with the caption, “When she asks how much fun you’re having without her…”

A few hours later, Green responded with an old meme of Drake with the caption, “When you get that text saying you no longer have to be an extra on Degrassi!”

This wasn’t the first time Draymond shot some friendly jabs at Drake recently.

Draymond made fun of Drake’s pants and socks at a post-game team meal, and later roasted Drake for “bringing back them duck lips” on snapchat.

DRAKE hanging with Draymond, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant

(NSFW language at the very start lol) pic.twitter.com/G0vQ6Hjo6w

— Alysha Tsuji (@AlyshaTsuji) April 9, 2017

Now Draymond is screenshotting Drake’s Snapchats to roast him pic.twitter.com/LYxWBN95Pn

— Alysha Tsuji (@AlyshaTsuji) April 17, 2017

RELATED:
Drake To Host, Produce Inaugural NBA Awards Show

The post Draymond Green, Drake Roast Each Other in Instagram War appeared first on SLAM.

Born Earl James Stevens, E-40 grew up in Vallejo, CA, where baseball was the main sport played around the neighborhood. He was a decent hooper, too, but eventually got cut from the high school basketball team along with childhood friend Tony Longmire, who went on to play outfield for the Philadelphia Phillies. 40, of course, became synonymous with Bay Area rap, with his third solo album In a Major Way putting him on the map and a never-ending list of mainstream hits coming thereafter.

It took years to earn his courtside seat, but once 40 began rubbing shoulders with the Warrior fan elite in recent seasons (“You gotta be around money to get money,” he explains), he soon became the face—and the voice—of Golden State’s fanbase.

40-Water is a fan of the League at large, too, and his list of favorite NBA players of all time includes Gary Payton, Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and, “don’t get it fucked up, I’m not a Laker fan, but I’ve always liked Kobe.

“One thing about me: I love the Bay Area. I love California. I got love for the Kings, too,” he admits. “When Mike Bibby and Peja Stojakovic and all ’em played for the Kings I would go to Kings games, too. I got love for the Kings too, because I’m Northern California, bruh. But I’m a Warrior fan to the heart. I been liking the team since I was a kid, since I was a youngster.

“I go back to Rick Barry and the boy Robert Parish,” says 40, harkening back to an era when the Warriors front office had a tendency to squander its homegrown talent. “Robert Parish, when he left the Warriors, he became a motherfuckin’ Hall of Famer, dude. They was getting rid of people and it was pissing a lot of people off. But now we have a great organization—the powers that be are doing a great job. I salute them and I take my hat off to them.”

At this point, 40 doesn’t have to defend his Golden State fandom. When he built his house 20 years ago, he made the basketball court Warriors-themed. His kids have Warriors posters in their rooms. He even released a Warriors-centric remix to his single “Choices (Yup)” during the Dubs’ championship run in 2015. And, as an OG fan of the team and “Ambassador of the Bay,” he’s willing to welcome the recent bump in bandwagon Warriors fans.

“It is bandwagoners, but so what? That’s OK. They turn two-face on rappers. When a rapper’s hot, they hot. When they not, they not,” 40 explains. “I feel like when the playoffs come, if somebody’s team didn’t make it, especially on the West Coast, I think in the back of people’s head, they’re like, I’m going for the Warriors.”

Which sounds a lot like 40’s explanation for why Kevin Durant signed with the Dubs last summer: “Who wouldn’t want to stay in Northern California, the Bay Area? The best place on earth, mayne.”

—

Abe Schwadron is a Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @abe_squad.

Photos via Getty Images

The post Ambassador of the Bay appeared first on SLAM.

LeBron James has become known for his brief music reviews on his Instagram. James will post videos of himself bumping music in the back of his car, banging his head to beat, singing along with the lyrics. Recently, it’s been all Kendrick. He even shared some of the Damn on his IG before the rest of the world had a chance to listen to it.

After this tweet, Kendrick released Untitled Unmastered.

Yo @dangerookipawaa after that @kendricklamar Grammy performance , you have to release those untitled tracks asap!!! What's up? Talk to me

— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 23, 2016

While riding high after an epic comeback win against the Pacers, Bronny was asked about Damn. Check out his answer below:

.@KingJames on @kendricklamar's new album: "I haven't stopped listening to it since he sent it to me." (via @BenGolliver) pic.twitter.com/ErVZtDDTJx

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 21, 2017

The post LeBron James on Kendrick Lamar’s New Album: ‘I Haven’t Stopped Listening To It’ appeared first on SLAM.

Curiously absent from the song, however, are lyrics that reference the Warriors’ Oracle Arena and Kevin Durant.

I took the team plane from Oracle
Mama never used to cook much
Used to chef KD
Now me and Chef, KD
Bet on shots for twenty G’s

Sole Collector first captured video of the muted Warriors references on March 25:

And again, before the Cavs’ first-round matchup with the Pacers on Saturday, Sports Illustrated noticed this from the arena’s loud speakers.

https://twitter.com/SInow/status/853396172769308673

Coincidence? Of course not. The rivalry is real.

RELATED:
Drake Brings Out Stephen Curry and Draymond Green at Concert

The post Cavaliers Mute Warriors References in Drake’s ‘Free Smoke’ appeared first on SLAM.

Every player has his own individual taste in music, which can range from hometown hip-hop to house music. But what about the communal space of an NBA locker room? How does a player earn the power of the AUX cord? And is it a democracy or a dictatorship when it comes to a team’s playlist?

At the outset of the 2016-17 NBA season, we made it our mission to find out who controls the music in each of the 30 NBA locker rooms. So, who is the locker room DJ for each team? Scroll through the gallery above to find out, according to the players themselves.

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The post Every NBA Team’s Locker Room DJ appeared first on SLAM.

Listen above or check us out on audioBoom and iTunes:

audioBoom
iTunes

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Respect The Game Episode 45: Michael Irvin

The post Respect The Game Episode 49: Raekwon appeared first on SLAM.

Cam’ron has officially challenged Marbury to a one-on-one game at Madison Square Garden on July 4:

Marbury responded on Twitter, saying that Cam “wouldn’t make that mistake” of challenging him and that he would spot him five points in a game to ten:

He didn't do that. He wouldn't make that mistake. He might of had the heart back in the day maybe but not now for sure. 100,000 if he likes. https://t.co/R1sJr4L42R

— I AM PEACE STAR (@StarburyMarbury) April 9, 2017

Game 10 and I'll spot him 5 and he can have the ball. https://t.co/WOE7QJWAkW

— I AM PEACE STAR (@StarburyMarbury) April 10, 2017

Haha! This is fun in games. I'm a pro he's a high school basketball player. Trust this is all talk! https://t.co/0KX1MXbr5P

— I AM PEACE STAR (@StarburyMarbury) April 10, 2017

After I talk with @Mr_Camron the record will either get straight or he's gonna have to accept the challenge. https://t.co/HVuROSzINk

— I AM PEACE STAR (@StarburyMarbury) April 10, 2017

It might be a game if he keeps talking. Live in Harlem at the Rucker. https://t.co/iJkj0LXTOZ

— I AM PEACE STAR (@StarburyMarbury) April 10, 2017

Original Story: Before Cam’ron became a platinum-selling rapper, he starred on the Manhattan (NY) Center basketball team that went all the way to the 1992 New York public school championship game.

And this is confirmed: Cam’ron defeated Stephon Marbury’s Lincoln squad to get there.

A 6-1 scoring point guard, Cam played on the AAU circuit with both Riverside Church and The Gauchos and competed with and against all of the city’s best talent—including Marbury, Rafer “Skip To My Lou” Alston, Kareem Reid and God Shammgod.

So when Cam posted a photo of Marbury, Skip, Reid and Sham with the caption, “Every nigga I gave the business to in HS.. Except #Shamgod lol.. ask’m“—he was being serious.

Still Marbury and Reid, another well-known New York PG who went on to play at Arkansas, clapped back (with some grammar and spelling errors cleaned up):

God Shammgod: Lol You silly but facts.

 

Stephon Marbury: You never gave me the business. Wake up!

 

Kareem Reid: This nigga flee @mr_camron on Instagram bugging. Who he beat on this list, cause it sure wasn’t me. I think I made a lot a nigga out there become drug dealers and rappers!!!!

 

Cam’ron: Come on Reem. Niggas don’t wanna give me my credit? Lol I’ma have to go to to the coaches and get the proof. I played Rucker and all da unlimited tournaments b4 y’all man.. Don’t be mad bruh.”

 

Kareem Reid: NA FLEE THE RESPECT IS ALWAYS THERE. I HEARD ABOUT U AND MAYBE CAME ACROSS UR NAME A COUPLE TIMES IN THE PAPER LOL LOL. I WAS JUST DIFFERENT FLEE!

 

Cam’ron: So I ain’t give 50 in Forrest? Lol And u older then but we was in the same grade #Ringer

 

Kareem Reid: Lol lol Oh yeah flee. I remember that game. The same game I had 50 something and me and (R.I.P HUDDY 6) beat ur with 3 people lol lol. and didn’t u duck me this summer lol niggas lose everyday u tough rite (CAMRON VOICE) U BE OK LOL LOL

Camron then made a separate post to respond specifically to Marbury and Reid:

So my former opponents are denying me my high school legacy. Marbury, we knocked u out the playoffs in the semi-finals to go to the chip in ’92 (I’m lying?). I had 27, u had about 12 and da L. And the countless times in LaGuardia House I scrapped u.

 

Kareem, I gave u 50 points in Forrest. U always talking bout u had 50 something. U had about 40. And u was ringing! Skip (rafer) was on my team in LaGuardia House (tournament) and was a lil salty when I got MVP.. Over him..

 

Y’all all went pro.. Let me live .. Thx Shammgod #YallWasThere lol

Despite the back and forth, it’s clear Cam’ron had the respect of New York’s finest ballers at a time when the city’s hoops scene was poppin’.

Be sure to check out SLAM editor-in-chief Adam Figman’s detailed feature for a comprehensive look at Cam’ron’s early hoops career.

RELATED:
Could Cam’ron Have Played in the NBA?

The post Cam’ron Says He Owned Stephon Marbury, Rafer Alston In High School appeared first on SLAM.

We first got wind of Don Trip back in 2012, when he released the single “Allen Iverson” after being named an XXL Freshman.

Check out the video above, which shows the Tennessee rap duo rocking Pacers jerseys outside Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis (shout out to GRIII!) and even playing some NBA JAM themselves.

And be sure to tell us what you think of the new music video in the comments section below.

The post Watch the NBA-Inspired Music Video for Starlito x Don Trip’s ‘Boomshakalaka’ appeared first on SLAM.

2 Chainz is standing inside Jimmy Jazz in Harlem, in front of a wall lined with his new sneaker, a collaboration with Ewing Athletics. The 2 Chainz edition 33 HI, Ewing’s flagship model, which features a full refelctive upper, released earlier this week in select stores and online. The left shoe has the standard “33 EWING” branding on the heel, while the right on has “2 CHAINZ” stamped instead. The sneaker’s custom packaging even includes a keychain featuring his dog, Trappy.

And Chainz wants us to know that this isn’t some half-baked collab just to collect a check. He really watched Pat Ewing do his thing back in the day.

A former hooper himself (then known as Tauheed Epps, the 6-5 rapper played at Alabama State for one season in ’96-97), 2 Chainz eventually turned to music—Pretty Girls Like Trap Music is due out April 7—but he’s still a huge fan of the game. Even with the crazy schedule of a rapper, he’s been able to keep tabs on the hottest stories in the basketball world.

“I like everybody from motherfuckin’ Jordan to Lonzo Ball, fam. Is that a crazy radius? That lets you know I’m into it deep,” he tells SLAM. “I’m fuckin’ with anybody that uses their God-given talent to do good.”

He’s even a fan of Lonzo’s boisterous, headline-making father, LaVar Ball. “I love it,” Chainz says of Ball’s bold proclamations of his son’s talent. “I wish I could incorporate some of that same mentality into my son. I love it.”

Checking out the @EwingAthletics x 2 Chainz Meet & Greet at Jimmy Jazz in Harlem for the 33 HI collab that dropped today pic.twitter.com/Bd3wd5fMfh

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 21, 2017

Speaking of love, having spent the last hour-and-a-half or so signing autographs and taking photos with fans, Chainz is feeling a lot of it for his new kicks.

“We’re getting great feedback,” he says, noting the strong correlation between music, style and sports. “Make sure you get four pair.”

Photos courtesy of Ewing Athletics

Abe Schwadron is a Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @abe_squad.

The post 2 Chainz Talks Ewing Athletics Collaboration appeared first on SLAM.

This clip comes from a video series by Detroit rapper Nate Nixen, and that’s about all we know about it. But honestly, while the instinct is always to diss NBA ballers for having whack rhymes, it’s not bad. Check it out:

LMFAO somebody come get Andre Drummond pic.twitter.com/ZkLiQ547iu

— Gee (@Lilgeeeeee) March 10, 2017

Drummond’s bars end with “My squad been lit, tell me where the gasoline at?”

We’ve known for a while that Dre is into music, and he even dropped a #SoFarGoneChallenge video on Twitter before the season started. But we didn’t know he was dabbling in the game like this—maybe we should have included Drummond in our Ultimate NBA Rappers Mixtape from the SLAM Music Issue?

https://youtu.be/FaLTDAzIhLE

Hit us with your thoughts on Drummond’s bars in the comments section below.

H/T: Def Pen Hoops

The post Andre Drummond Spits Freestyle — #Bars Or Nah? appeared first on SLAM.

Cam’ron knows this as well as anyone.

“There’s so much going on outside of the game: parties, people traveling from different cities, you get to meet girls, girls meet the guys—it’s a bunch of different activities. You might run into some celebrities,” he told SLAM on Saturday at “Classics in the Courtyard,” a pop-up hosted by Reebok and Footaction on New Orleans’ world-famous Bourbon Street, “so I just think the culture outside of all the All-Star activity is really big, and attracts a lot of people.”

The Dipset rapper is a veteran of All-Star Weekend now, but there was a time early in his career when he was too busy grinding to partake in the festivities. In 1998, with the All-Star Game in his backyard at Madison Square Garden, the Harlem native—and former serious hooper in his own right—was missing in action.

“My album came out or was coming out and I had to go on a promotional tour. I was so mad I missed it. I was pissed the fuck off,” he said. “But I went to the one in Philly [in ‘02] and I had a ball. That was the one that I really got to enjoy as being my first All-Star Game.

“To be honest, I only went to the game in Philly, so I don’t really see the players. I see all the rappers, and all the girlfriends, and all the hoes and pimps and crazy shit. To be honest, I never really see anything crazy a basketball player did, because I never really go to the games. I went to the Dunk Contest a couple times, but I don’t really get to see the players too much. I could tell you a bunch of shit that happened outside of the game—girls walking down the street naked, or when Uncle Luke was out, 25 girls twerking on top of a car outside the arena—a bunch of wild shit happened outside of the game, but I don’t really remember any basketball players doing anything crazy.”

That doesn’t mean Killa Cam has never been caught in a precarious situation of his own during All-Star Weekend. [Haven’t we all? —Ed.]

“I had a friend with one leg, and he was with us one year and we was at a party, and he wanted to fight everybody. Like, he was really drunk and he wanted to beef with people. We were like, Damn we might have to whoop somebody’s ass. He’s real self conscious about [his leg], so I remember getting in a lot of arguments at different places that weekend. And we was like, Yo, you gotta relax a little bit. But that scenario always sticks out to me. Other stuff, you know now that I got a girlfriend, I can’t really talk about what stands out the most most,” Cam said with a laugh.

Of course, Cam’s relationship with the NBA hasn’t always been great. Back in 2003, he lashed out when the League prevented him from joining Mariah Carey on stage for the All-Star Game halftime show in Atlanta. “I feel robbed,” he said at the time. Looking back, he’s glad that social media outlets like Twitter and Instagram Live didn’t exist that year, and he says he’d gladly perform if the NBA ever reached out again.

“Absolutely, I’d be down, 100 percent. I was more angry that Mariah was performing the ‘Oh Boy’ song that she got from me, and I wasn’t invited. So, I was rebellious and mad and did a bunch of ‘F David Stern’ posts. But that’s water under the bridge. It’s 14 years later, and of course if they asked me to perform, I would.”

Fittingly, Killa performed “Oh Boy,” among other classics, minutes later for the crowd on Bourbon Street.

—

Photos courtesy of Reebok

The post Cam’ron Talks All-Star Weekend Memories, Mariah Carey, David Stern appeared first on SLAM.

But when he’s out of the studio (which is, like, never) and on the basketball court, Curren$y has game like one of the illest PGs out of New York City.

“When I was a kid, I used to play like Kenny Anderson,” he told SLAM recently. “Kenny Anderson had handles, he was a good guy, he was always smiling. I’ve seen him give up open shots for a cool pass, just because the pass looked cooler than the layup. That was me.”

By the time he got to ninth grade, Curren$y realized his NBA dream was a bit far-fetched.

“Everybody was so much taller. I was like, I probably should just hit the books a little harder,” he says. “When I showed up for high school, on the first day, I was like, Oh, hell no. I didn’t try out, and I just started dressing cool and going to the basketball games.” (During that same 1995-96 school year, a classmate stole his issue of SLAM 8 with Mike and Penny Hardaway on the cover, because it offered the first look at the Jordan X.)

Now, Spitta is giving young kids with a passion for basketball the chance to hone their skills. In early 2015, Curren$y launched the Jet Life Athletics AAU program, which includes teams in the 14U, 15U and 17U age brackets.

“My brother played basketball when he was younger, and he played a lot of AAU,” he says. “I just saw the opportunity that it gave him and a lot of homies. But I also saw who wasn’t allowed, or who didn’t get a chance, just based on age. So I wanted us to do something that would be able to get more kids involved.”

Jet Life Athletics has already won championships at tournaments like Southern Slam New Orleans, adidas Southeast Invitational and Battle of the Best New Orleans.

“They’re putting up numbers, so with the way they’re playing, that’s making us support even more,” Curren$y says. “I’m trying to do whatever I can for ’em, whatever opportunities we can open up for ’em, because they’re putting 100 percent into their basketball and into their playing.”

The Crescent City rhymer helped Reebok and Footaction host “Classics in the Courtyard,” a pop-up sneaker customization store and concert on Bourbon Street on Saturday afternoon.

He wasn’t in town when NOLA last hosted the event in 2014, but Spitta remembers attending the 2004 All-Star Game in Los Angeles when he was signed to No Limit Records. He went with Master P, who hosted a charity event for Louisiana flood victims prior to All-Star Saturday night, and participated in this year’s Celebrity Game.

After this weekend’s festivities are over, you can bet Curren$y will be back in the booth cranking out records. He just wrapped up his 14th year in the game (he inked the No Limit deal in 2002), just like his boy Kenny Anderson, who played 14 years in the L.

And even after dropping a whopping 12 mixtapes in 2016, he’s preparing major moves for 2017.

“Who doesn’t want to hear people cheering for ’em, man?” he says. “If I get the opportunity to put something out every month and have people be like, ‘Yo, this Spitta tape is crazy,’ why not do it?”

—

Photos: Sherman Williams for DopeMedia, Reebok Classics

The post Lifer appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM: You played in the Celebrity Game three times. What are your favorite memories?

Ice Cube: Living out a fantasy and a dream, playing in front of thousands, on TV, showing what you got and being on the stage. It’s great that a person like myself who’s such a sports fan gets a chance to not only meet my favorite players at functions and games, but also have a chance to get out there and get on the hardwood.

SLAM: Why is All-Star Weekend so important for the relationship between NBA players and rappers?

IC: We all come from the same neighborhood, in a way. We all understand we’re a rare breed. To make it out and see a little more than just your environment. I think that right there makes us have something in common. We’re all judged or critiqued by our work, that also creates a relationship. And we both admire each other. I think entertainers admire sports figures because you see them at the game and you see them supporting every way you can think of.

SLAM: Of all the celebrities you played with, who stood out, good or bad?

IC: I don’t want to put nobody on blast as far as the bad ones because we all are not good enough to make it into the NBA. I love Snopp Dogg’s game. He go hard at it. The Game, he can ball. Brian McKnight, he can ball, too. Jaleel White—Urkel—he can ball, straight up, hard defense. [Laughs]

SLAM: We all know you’re a diehard Lakers fan. Who’s your all-time starting five?

IC: Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the middle. I got to have Shaq in there, he would be my power forward. Then give me James Worthy as my small forward.

SLAM: Who do you hate the most: Celtics, Clippers or Spurs?

IC: The Celtics. The Spurs ain’t even in the equation because it’s not really a rival. I don’t know what it is. It’s weird. Like for some reason you can’t really get mad at the Spurs. But those Celtics, yeah, nothing will ever replace my feelings for that.

SLAM: What were you thinking when Paul Pierce was carted off in a wheelchair in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals, only to return to the game later?

IC: I was mad for a lot of reasons. I was mad we wasn’t at full strength and I’ve seen this movie before in 1989. We weren’t at full strength in the Finals again like 2004. Then I thought it was ultra-dramatic and I think they cheat in Boston. [Laughs] The refs…either that or some damn leprechaun, it just added insult to insult.

SLAM: If every crew in hip-hop formed a basketball team, where do you think N.W.A would stack up?

IC: Oh, they would suck. I think The D.O.C. could play, but N.W.A, naw, not basketball. [Laughs] I would probably have 50 points and everybody else would be fighting and a bunch of flagrant fouls and ejections.

SLAM: Where do you see the BIG3 in the future?

IC: If it’s not around in 100 years, I’m going to be disappointed.

—

Photo: Getty Images

The post The Players Club appeared first on SLAM.

Rony Seikaly knows all this, and he knows that your initial reaction to learning that a former NBA veteran and ’89-90’s Most Improved Player is now a “world-famous DJ” is likely laughter. Which is why he wants you to know how wrong this line of thinking is.

“I come from the underground school where the object of the game is to play music nobody else is playing,” he says one fall afternoon over the phone from Miami. “Commercial DJs—they’re pretty much like jukeboxes. They play the hits, what people want to hear.

“Me, I’m trying to give someone the experience they’ve never had before.”

This is where all that hard work comes in. It takes new music to create that new experience, and to find that new music—what he refers to as “gems”—in an age where everyone has access to the same seemingly infinite music sharing platforms, Seikaly must parse through thousands of songs. Literally. By his own estimation he listens to around 3,000 new tracks every month, each lasting somewhere between five and 10 minutes. He spends between two and three hours every day alone in his home studio scouring the catalog of the meticulously organized folders he has saved on various hard drives. Some songs are pulled in full. Others—say, for example, one with a drop he likes but a weak rhythm—are skinned.

Eventually, all that music gets trimmed down. For his weekly SiriusXM radio show, he’ll put together somewhere between 20 and 30 tightly woven tracks. For his live sets, around 15.

“Being a good DJ is about your ear more than anything else, and that’s where the work comes in,” he says. “You could teach a monkey to mix music or play hits. It’s not hard. To me the hardest part is creating your own sound, your own vibe, so that any time you’re playing, people know, Oh, this is Rony’s style. That’s why, to do this, you have to love it. This hobby is a labor of love.”

So now you know: Rony Seikaly is not a stereotype. He’s a man following his passion. Or at least that was the plan. Then he lost sight of what had drawn him to this second career in the first place. That’s the funny thing about passion projects.

The project part is easy. Preserving the passion is hard.

Rony Seikaly has always loved house music. Want proof? How about the disco he built in his parents’ garage as a 14-year-old? He removed all their junk, painted the room black and lined the walls with foil paper because he couldn’t afford mirrors. Then he strung up a disco ball and installed two record players.

That was back in Athens, where he was raised after his parents moved to Greece from his native country of Lebanon. He and his friends were too young for the local nightlife so they spent evenings in the Seikaly garage instead. Students from visiting basketball teams were invited, too—and they were charged a $20 cover, which would be reinvested into upgrading the homemade disco.

Seikaly brought his love for house music across the Atlantic with him, first to Syracuse University and then the NBA, where he played 11 seasons and averaged 14.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. The first six of those seasons came for the then-expansion Heat, in Miami, which is where he makes his home today. MIA is also where his ear and burgeoning skills were refined, though at the time his NBA brethren had no idea.

“That’s the funny thing, I don’t remember him ever playing that music,” says Glen Rice, who played five years with Seikaly in Miami. “I don’t even remember him wearing headphones on the plane.” (Another memory Rice has of Seikaly: “The ladies loved him.” Adds another former teammate, Keith Askins: “Rony kept beauty around him. I’ll leave it at that.”)

Seikaly, now 51, says he tried introducing his music to teammates a few times but was always rebuffed and told to “turn that Euro shit off.” So he played for friends instead. They’d file into the mini-club he built in his new Miami Beach home that housed Seikaly’s late-night after-parties. One night, or, rather, early morning, sitting there with Sean “P Diddy” Combs and Erick Morillo, one of the world’s more popular house music DJs, Seikaly began playing one of his new mixes. This was back in 2005, five years after his retirement and right around the time of his divorce from his first wife, Mexican model Elsa Benítez.

Morillo, enjoying the beat, turned to Seikaly. “Whose music is this?” he asked. Seikaly told him. “That’s impossible,” Morillo said. Seikaly responded that it wasn’t. “What does a basketball player know about house music?” Morillo replied.

“Believe me,” Seikaly answered, “I’ve been listening to this music as long as you have.”

Over the next few months, Morillo brought more and more friends by the house. “Come on, Rony, play for them,” he’d plead. The gatherings continued to swell. Still, Seikaly remained hesitant.

“I didn’t want people to think that I was into this so that I could become a DJ,” Seikaly says today. “It was never about that, that was never the goal. It was always just about the music.”

But, eventually, he relented. He owned a club in South Beach and figured that’d be the perfect place for a test run, which turned out to be a resounding success.

Soon after he was playing at all the top clubs in the world. There were trips to New York and Las Vegas and Dubai. Around a year later he was invited to play on the island of Ibiza at a club called Amnesia, one of the most famous house music spots in the world. More than 5,000 fans came out to hear him play.

“It was just a surreal moment,” Seikaly says. “After that it really took on a life of its own.”

Seikaly compares music to all sorts of different hobbies, from meditation and yoga to reading and art. He uses the word “melodic” a lot. It’s soothing, hearing him talk about what music does for him, how he’s able to lose himself in the beat. It’s like listening to the voice on one of those pre-sleep relaxation tapes.

But all that grueling touring was hacking away at the love. Retirement from the NBA was supposed to bring about less travel—suddenly he was back to spending weekends running through airports and cramming his 6-10 frame into tiny seats on 5 a.m. flights. Sometimes he’d wake in his hotel bed unsure of what city he was in. He also had a new wife and a 13-year-old daughter (from his first marriage) waiting for him at home.

“It got to the point where it was feeling like a job,” Seikaly says. “For me, that’s not what I set out to do.”

He didn’t need the money. He had made north of $27 million in the NBA (per basketball-reference.com) and dabbled in real estate, too. And yet the more famous he got the more he got paid, and the more he got paid the more difficult he found it to turn down offers. He just hated saying no.

Then, this past October, he boarded a Wednesday flight from Miami for a New York show that night. On Thursday he played in Chicago. Friday in Montreal. On Saturday morning he went through customs again to do a gig in Detroit. He finished the stretch with a Sunday night show back in Miami.

Mentally drained and physically exhausted, Seikaly returned home. He collapsed into the warmth of his house and took stock of the long weekend. It wasn’t just that he was no longer enjoying himself. He was struggling to match the room’s energy. At times he’d catch himself growing frustrated by the audience’s lack of appreciation for the rhythmic sounds and stories he was sharing with them. It was time, he realized, to make a change.

“I don’t want to be on three different continents in three days,” Seikaly says. “It was taking a toll—I don’t need that. It was time to go back to doing what I had originally set out to do, which is share my music with the people who love it.”

Seikaly decided he’d limit his public gigs to around five a year. He still has the radio show, and there are still the private concerts, reserved solely for those exceedingly familiar with him and his music, which he loves.

But there was also more to his decision to slow down. It just takes a few follow-up questions to pry it out.

“I was feeling guilty,” Seikaly adds, finally. “If I was single and didn’t have a family to take care of, I’d probably be on the road all the time. But I have a daughter and a wife and I was missing time with them.”

Then comes the kicker.

“I’m 1,000 percent happier than I was before.”

Yaron Weitzman is a Senior Writer for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @YaronWeitzman.

Photos: Courtesy of Rony Seikaly, Suzy Allman/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images, Tim de Frisco/Allsport

The post Spin Doctor appeared first on SLAM.

It’s a lesson not lost on superstar point guard John Wall. Which is why an aspiring rapper by the name of WallWay Pack deserves serious review.

Known to his friends as “Pacman” for as long as he can remember, he added the prefix and went by WallWay Pac for a time, but ultimately decided to add the extra letter to avoid any misunderstandings. “I had got a lot of people confusing it as being pronounced ‘Pac’ and I don’t ever want to disrespect 2Pac, so it’s Pack.”

Pack is John’s nephew, but he’s only one year younger than the Wizards PG, so their relationship is really more like two cousins. The pair lived under the same roof as toddlers in Raleigh, NC, until Pack’s mom—John’s older sister—got her own place. With time, they chose different paths as adolescents.

“He was into basketball. I took the wrong route,” Pack says. “I was into the streets and stuff. So while he was playing basketball, I took the whole opposite route.”

He kept in contact with his uncle, though, as J-Wall exploded onto the national landscape at Kentucky, went No. 1 in the 2010 NBA Draft, made his first All-Star Game and led Washington to the playoffs. Then, two years ago, John called Pack with an offer. He told his nephew to pack his bags and hop on the next flight to DC.

“He’s been living with me the last two years. I moved him up from North Carolina to keep him out of trouble, keep him out the streets as much as possible, just give him a pathway to show him he can be anything if he just puts his mind to it,” Wall explains. “Seeing me work every day and seeing how I compete and how much heart and competitiveness I put into what I do in the game of basketball, he does the same in his raps.”

The move is paying off. In late 2016, the 25-year-old released the single “Can’t Lose,” which began to earn some rumblings on rap blogs for its raw, guttural aesthetic laid over a bop beat produced by LeekeLeek, a name that will sound familiar to fans of Chief Keef, Lil Durk and Fat Trel. (And which you can listen to in the video at the top of this post.) Pack has since followed up with a visual for another song, “Lavish,” in the lead-up to his debut Real Rare album (available now on iTunes).

Wall, meanwhile, isn’t starting his own label, nor does he have designs on hopping in the booth himself. He’s just happy to see his nephew chase his dream, and hopes that lending him the WallWay moniker will serve as extra inspiration.

“I think it’s something that motivates him,” John says with pride, “gives him the motivation and determination to want to be great. In the rap game you have to take your time—it don’t come right away, and he’s willing to take the steps you have to take.”

Pack agrees: “It’s so much motivation. With him in the NBA, and still taking time out of his day to support me, it’s a great feeling. Just off the last name, people want to come and see what I’m talking about, and see what the story is.”

—

Photos courtesy of @wallwaypack

The post Can’t Lose appeared first on SLAM.

In 1984, Blow dropped “Basketball.” It’s a celebration of the game’s past and present, referencing everyone from Magic and Bird to Willis Reed, “Earl the Pearl” and “Number 33, my man Kareem is the center on my starting team.” He rapped, “Tell me if you were in the joint, the night Wilt scored 100 points.”

The year “Basketball” was released, the League was just beginning its meteoric rise from moribund status, with Magic and Bird having just faced off for the first time in the NBA finals. To give a sense about what a historic pivot point in hoops history this was, there is no mention of a promising rookie named Michael Jordan. But even without the Jordan marketing magic, “Basketball” by Mr. Kurtis Blow was a crossover rap hit single at a time when those were few and far between. The song not only traveled to a broad audience well beyond Blow’s native Harlem, it was embraced by someone who worked just a couple miles but several worlds away: new NBA Commissioner David Stern. “Basketball” marked the beginning of the extremely lucrative and at times very uneasy collaboration between the NBA and hip-hop. Stern had “Basketball” used in promotional videos and it has remained central to the League, later heard by a new generation on the soundtrack of NBA 2K12.

But the NBA’s acceptance and promotion of Kurtis Blow’s “Basketball” had greater ramifications than just some marketing tie-ins. It led many young kids—myself included—to discover hip-hop. I bought Blow’s album Ego Trip on my 10th birthday just to listen to “Basketball,” then rewind it and listen again. In the process, I became enamored with other tracks on the record, including the classic “AJ Scratch” and one of the first singles to communicate the reality of black urban life in the Reagan ’80s, “8 Million Stories,” with its refrain: “8 million stories in the naked city, some ice cold and told without pity.” That track featured an MC who started his career as “Son of Kurtis Blow,” DJ Run of Run-D.M.C. And once I learned about Run-D.M.C., I was all in and hardly alone.

The synthesis of Kurtis Blow, and the exploding popularity of the NBA, was unwittingly turning a generation of young people onto hip-hop. Kurtis Blow’s Harlem was going global and David Stern’s game was the vehicle. But “Basketball” didn’t just alter how we all saw the game. It changed the way the game saw itself. From David Stern’s marketing gurus to Nike’s high-top engineers designing the first Air Jordan later that very same year, they saw that this league—which as recently as 1979 was showing its finals on tape delay—could define “cool” in the 1980s and beyond.

This all seems so obvious today. But the idea that basketball and the sneaker industry could ride a black musical form devised just a few years earlier in the South Bronx to global domination must have seemed laughable then. This took daring vision. It also led to what has happened all too often when black music and corporate America meet: exploitation, with everyone except the people who created the art form becoming wealthy. In other words, none of the NBA/hip-hop empire building happens—or at the very least none of it happens the way we remember it happening—without the skills of Kurtis Blow. If everyone who has become wealthy at the intersection of basketball and hip-hop tithed one percent of their earnings to Kurtis Blow, he could live out his days in a platinum palace. But chances are even if they did, he would emerge to find a stage, kick a hole in the speaker, pull the plug and jet.

—

Photo: Janette Beckman/Getty Images

The post Court Vision appeared first on SLAM.

We caught up with Rosenberg to talk hoops for the first-ever SLAM Music Issue.

SLAM: What are your early memories of watching basketball?

Peter Rosenberg: The first basketball I remember is the ’87 season, Lakers winning the championship. I believe it was also the same year Larry stole the inbounds against Detroit and hit DJ [Dennis Johnson] for the layup. That year was the first year I remember watching. I wasn’t really a fan yet. I think I actually liked the Lakers because I didn’t have any connection. The next year, my dad’s friends from Boston started getting me into basketball. I immediately became a Celtics fan. Bad timing, of course, because the Celtics’ last ring was ’86. I fell in love with Larry Bird. That was it. Then of course the Jordan era started. I’ve been an NBA fan since.

SLAM: How would you describe your game on the court?

PR: No defense whatsoever. And lots and lots of jacking. I’m a decent shooter and can shoot from deep somewhat well. I don’t really do a lot else well. In college and into my early 20s and playing pickup with any regularity, I got to a place where I could be not horrible in other facets. Manageable if I had to bring the ball up. I’ve got range. I could pull up a couple feet in front of halfcourt.

SLAM: What’s your best on-court moment from back then?

PR: My personal best memory in a legitimate game of any sort was a rec game my freshman year of high school when I scored 18. I went 4-6 from three. I had an overall good day.

SLAM: Who’s the best musician that you’ve seen on the court?

PR: I haven’t played ball with that many people. I don’t know if I’ve ever played with a musician who I was like, “Holy smokes.” I know Bieber’s a pretty good player. He was great in one of the celebrity games and people thought it was a fluke. But Bieber, at least when he was young, played a lot and was a decent player. I’ve played with Jadakiss. Jada’s got a little game. Yo, I’ll tell you what, that video I saw of Lil Dicky was crazy. As a shooter, as a gunner, that video was crazy. With the camera on, and boom, knock down 16 threes in a row. That was wild.

SLAM: Who wins a one-on-one contest at Hot 97?

PR: [Hot 97 host] Ebro can’t move. Let’s be clear: his knees are a wrap. I don’t even know if he could step out fast enough on me if I was just shooting. That said, if he backed me down, I’d have a bit of a problem. I’ve heard DJ Bobby Konders is good at ball. DJ Enuff and DJ Camilo ain’t a problem. I don’t think they ball like that. I’m gonna go with me, because I don’t know any better. If my health is in good shape, right now I don’t have any problems, I think I’m a tough out for these guys. They don’t want it.

—

Max Resetar is an Assistant Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @maxresetar.

The post Hot Mic appeared first on SLAM.

50. “Michael Jordan” — Lil Uzi Vert

49. “Ballad of Larry Bird” — Vermont

48. “Rondo” — RondoNumbaNine

47. “The Continuing Glory of JaVale McGee” — The Brothers Caldon

46. “Magic Johnson” — Red Hot Chili Peppers

45. “Detlef Schrempf” — Band of Horses

https://youtu.be/oGiMWMVqp_M

44. “Yeah Carmelo” — Maino

https://youtu.be/Bo36FfFRNzw

43. “Derrick Rose” — Meek Mill

42. “Dennis Rodman” — Gucci Mane & Migos

41. “K.O.B.E.” Kobe Bryant

40. “Rondo” — Sasha Go Hard

39. “Reggie Miller” — Lil B

38. “LeBron James” — Yo Gotti

37. “Like KD” — Lil Haji

36. “LeBron On” — Obie Trice

35. “Kyrie” — Rick Ross

https://youtu.be/3fw7ly5tzB4

34. “#PORZIŅĢIS” — Transleiteris

33. “Kobe and Ginobili Freestyle” — Mack Maine

32. “Chris Paul” — Riff Raff

31. “Kyrie Irving” — Bleezy

30. “Cryin’ For Me (Wayman’s Song)” — Toby Keith

29. “Dirk Nowitzki” — Migos ft. Young Dolph

28. “Keep Calm Like Kristaps Porzingis” — Olas

27. “Kyrie Irving” — Lil Cray

26. “That’s How I Beat Shaq” — Aaron Carter

25. “Pistol Pete” — The Ziggens

24. “Kevin Durant” — Rowdy Rebel

23. “Worthy and Erving” — Gucci Mane ft. Yo Gotti

22. “Love, Robert Horry” — Mick Jenkins

https://youtu.be/TNTkxPpIwLA

21. “Larry Bird” — Riff Raff

20. “Jordan Fade” — Cousin Stizz

19. “Russell Westbrook On a Farm” — Lil Dicky

18. “Bill Russell” — Waka Flocka Flame

17. “Melo” — Lil Snupe

16. “Tim Duncan” — Tory Lanez

15. “Do the John Wall” — Troop 41

14. “Larry Bird” — Ski Beatz feat. Stalley

13. “Black Mamba” — Fabolous

12. “Steph” — Lil Bibby

https://youtu.be/RN-T5Zz9cTI

11. “Steve Nash” — OB O’Brien

https://youtu.be/AEdeylKNZxY

10. “24 23 (Kobe, LeBron)” — Jeezy

https://youtu.be/XfvU6irQBPo

9. “John Wall” — Shy Glizzy ft. Lil Mouse

8. “Allen Iverson” — Don Trip

7. “Charles Barkley” — Migos

6. “Kobe” — Chief Keef

5. “White Iverson” — Post Malone

4. “Kobe Bryant” — Lil Wayne

3. “KD” — Dave East

2. “(I Wanna Be) Like Mike” — Teknoe

1. “Michael Jordan” — Kendrick Lamar

The post The 50 Best Songs Named After NBA Players appeared first on SLAM.

He steps up to the line and pulls up for a pair of free throws. Swish. Swish. He steps a few feet back, behind the arc, because it’s clear he walked in warm. Swish.

A few more fluid jumpers, a couple dunks, and you’re left marveling at how some people are simply very good. At things. Multiple things.

That’s surely the case for Dave East. These few minutes give a glimpse at the skills that led him to become AAU teammates with the likes of Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley, and later earned him a Division I scholarship. But throw on his most recent mixtape, September’s Kairi Chanel, and you’ll realize the same thing Nas and Def Jam have: That his second career is, somehow, even more promising than his first. And yet, there was a time—most of his life, in fact–where rap wasn’t even on the radar.

* * *

Born David Brewster in East Harlem—that’s where the moniker Dave “East” comes from—the now 28-year-old had the game in his soul through both nature and nurture.

“He was the introduction to basketball for me,” East says of his pops, who played an exhibition season with the ABA’s New York Nets. “He told me he brought a basketball to the hospital when I was born. And my love for it just came as his own.”

While his love for hoops was being incubated inside the house, Dave was honing his game outside of it. He balled on the NYC pavements, idolizing guards like Allen Iverson and Penny Hardaway.

“I’d be playing ball all summer, and by the time the season started, I’d get in some trouble or something would happen,” he recalls. That was the case freshman year, when he split time between Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics and Long Island City High School, where off-court antics undercut any potential on-court advancement.

So Dave, on the suggestion of his father, moved to Maryland for his sophomore year to live with his half-sister. The impact—from living in a new location as well as the fact that he was finally able to step on the court—was felt immediately.

During his sophomore year at Springbrook HS in Silver Spring, MD, East contributed to a team that lost the Class 4A state championship game on a last-second jumper to current NBAer Jeff Green’s Northwestern High.

“It was so much slower down there,” he says of the transition from the Big Apple to his new home. “There was nothing to do. So I was like, I’m gonna go to the gym. I really had the time to get my game right.”

That focus started to pay particular dividends during his junior year, after he shot up from 6-1 to 6-5 the summer before 11th grade. He scored 50 in one game. He started getting recruiting letters from big name programs like Georgetown and St. John’s. He was named to the first of two consecutive All-Met honorable mentions by the Washington Post. He started playing on a slew of AAU squads—the DC Assault, DC Blue Devils and NOVA United—where his teammates, at various points, included future NBAers Durant, Beasley, Ty Lawson, Greivis Vasquez, Nolan Smith and San Francisco 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman. By then, his eyes were set on the League.

“We had tons of talent on that team, and Dave was a great teammate,” says Smith, who played with East on a loaded DC Assault squad, and went on to star at Duke and play for the Portland Trail Blazers before returning to the Blue Devils as an assistant this season. “He fit right in with us. He went hard, he competed, did everything to fit our squad.”

Eddie Lee Jackson, who coached East with NOVA United, recalled a similar ease of fit, even in a different situation: The squad had talent, but not a roster of future NBAers.

“The first tournament he played with us, we had a team that was together for like three years, and this was their last summer together, and it’s hard when you bring new guys in,” Jackson says. “He was the kid that we brought in. We didn’t start him the first game, because we didn’t know how he was gonna mesh or play. And he came in and he was balling, he meshed great and the guys loved him. He was unselfish; obviously he was good. Then we started him the second half, and the rest of the way.”

“Excuse my French, but the motherfucker could score,” says Beasley, who also played with East on DC Assault. “Off the court, he’d talk. On the court, he’s one of them guys that’s gonna give you the same facial expression whether we up 20 or we down 20; whether he got 40 or he just missed 20 shots. You don’t know what’s going on in his face. He’s one of them silent killers.”

After a senior season in which he led Springbrook to an 18-6 record with averages of 19.5 points and 6 rebounds per game, East enrolled at the Atlantic 10’s University of Richmond in Virginia. But the situation quickly soured.

“It was constant clashing the whole season [with the coaching staff],” he remembers. “That was taking me off of focusing on my own game, which then led to me not wanting to go to class, which then led to me being ineligible.”

He was kicked out and headed back to New York, where he took classes online and played in leagues from Hunter College to Dyckman, intent on getting his grades and game up to speed. And though he didn’t realize it at the time, there was a silver lining to an otherwise forgettable experience at Richmond.

“Once I got to Richmond, I’d be in the locker room rapping, I’d be on the bus [rapping],” he says, emphasizing that he was strictly “playing around” and saw himself as a ballplayer first—and only. But the responses he got from teammates helped plant a seed that would later sprout.

Still, after a year back home, his dream—“I was like, I gotta get back into another school. I still wanna go to the NBA”—was the same. And, even if the League was just a dream, a pro future was well within reach.

“He very easily could have played overseas,” says Jackson, now an assistant at American University. “He was 6-5 and could shoot and could handle the ball. Those guys aren’t everywhere.”

Dave wound up at Towson University in Baltimore, where he was a contributor and spot starter as a sophomore and junior, putting up multiple games of 20+ points. But the off-court issues persisted.

“The focus of that team wasn’t there,” he says. “We was losing. So it kinda gave me a bad taste for it, to the point where I was like, Man, this might not work out. I had put so much into that. Every day. To have a coach tell me, ‘We don’t need you. I can go find somebody your height, [who can] shoot just as good as you, run just as fast as you,’ that I had to understand it’s a business—it kind of dampened the love I had for basketball.”

After his final stint with the team in ’09-10, he reached a low point.

“[For] three years I didn’t touch a ball,” he says. “I got into making money, some illegal activity. I didn’t care about ball no more. I was like, Aight, lemme get to this money.”

Not long after, he got a wakeup call as jolting as possible: East was arrested, locked up and confined to a cell, while many of his high school teammates and opponents—guys like KD, Lawson, Beasley, Smith and Green—were either making waves at the nation’s top programs or already in the League.

After serving six months, he got out and decided to pivot his focus to music. He delivered his first mixtape, the aptly titled Change of Plans, in 2010.

Though the tape went mostly under the radar, there was one old friend who was impressed: KD.

“He was like, ‘Yo, that’s you rapping? That’s crazy,’” Dave recalls. “He was like, ‘I got a studio in the crib. Whenever you free and you wanna come out here, I’ll make sure you get out here.’ I was like, I’m free right now.”

And like that, East was on a plane to OKC, where he stayed with Durant for a week and a half to record his 2011 mixtape American Greed. The experience had a profound impact on his outlook.

“It was pure motivation. Kevin don’t smoke. I was smoking. So I was like, Yo, bro, I need to go get some roll-ups at the 7-Eleven. He’d throw me the keys to the Maybach like, ‘Go ahead.’ I’m scared to drive it—I don’t wanna crash. I’m in a Maybach, but this is my friend that’s my same age that I started basketball with. So it was just amazing to me that, damn, his mother’s not working no more. My mother’s calling me—she driving a school bus.

“So that’s when I really locked in and was like, I’m gonna do it with the music. I know ball is over. Lemme be the best artist I can be. I put my head down, went hard. Next thing I knew, Nas was calling me.”

There were a few years and mixtapes in between recording with KD and linking with Nas, but by 2014, East had indeed signed to the rap legend’s Mass Appeal Records. With a new set of eyes and ears on his career, he released a string of well-received mixtapes—Black Rose and Straight Outta Harlem in 2014, Hate Me Now in 2015—and worked with Nas, Jadakiss, Styles P, Pusha T, Fabolous and more.

He further cemented himself throughout 2016 with a spot on the XXL Freshman Class cover, a scene-stealing verse during a BET Hip Hop Awards cypher, a standout appearance next to Nas and Lin-Manuel Miranda on The Hamilton Mixtape’s “Wrote My Way Out,” the release of his best project to date, Kairi Chanel, featuring 2 Chainz, Game and Cam’ron, and by signing with Def Jam.

It’s a reinvention that’s caught the eyes and ears of plenty, including old friends, like Beasley, who said he’s had East’s most recent release on repeat for months, but didn’t fully believe the connection until he was interviewed for this story.

“Every time I see him [in videos], I’m like, ‘Dave East, that motherfucker look just like DB,’” Beas says with a laugh, recalling his nickname for his old teammate. “My teammates think that I think that I know everybody—I meet a lot of people, I can’t help it—and I didn’t want to be one of them situations where it’s like, ‘Eh, Beas, shut up, you think you know everybody.’ And sure enough, we got the call [about this story], and everything just clicked. I was like, I knew I wasn’t crazy.

“He’s giving it to you how you want it, how you need it, the right sound, the right beats, he’s talking that shit. I must say, he’s real hip-hop. I’m glad to say that I know him.”

The revelation brought a similar light to Jackson.

“I smiled, I chuckled, but I was happy,” the coach says of when he first heard that his former player was establishing himself in the music industry. “I went and downloaded some music to see what he was talking about, and I was happy that he was being successful.”

Years after his hoop dreams deflated, Dave East is now shining for the whole world to see—just not in the lane he once thought he would. And he’s OK with that.

“I used to love for the whole gym to be [watching] and I hit that shot. Now, I love when the show is sold out and as soon as I come out, they go crazy. If you ask any NBA player, they wanna be rappers. If you ask rappers, they wanna ball. For me to have both, and to be able to almost get to one, but then get to the other one? I don’t got no complaints.”

Adam Fleischer is a writer living in New York. Follow him on Twitter @adamfleischer.

Portraits by Matthew Salacuse; Action photo courtesy of Towson University Athletic Media Relations

The post Change of Plans appeared first on SLAM.

NBA players have been rapping and producing music for well over two decades, and while this compilation includes just a fraction of players who have done it, we’re proud to say it’s a proper presentation of the most notable NBA rappers out there—at least those that have gone to the point of creating visuals to accompany their tracks.

So with a nod to SLAM’s first-ever Music Issue, we present the ultimate mixtape of NBA rappers, which features a handful of NBA stars (Kobe, Shaq, Rasheed, Webber, Parker, Lillard) and role players (Stephen Jackson, Lou Williams, Iman Shumpert) spitting their own bars in music videos.

More information on SLAM 205: The Music Issue.

Video by Meir21. Follow him on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

The post WATCH: The Ultimate NBA Player Rap Mixtape appeared first on SLAM.

The best part of the whole clip might be Gary Busey’s unexpected appearance.

Proud to Announce my label launching…Front Page Music!First Artists @brookfielddeuce and @dannysobrante ,Excited to help aspiring artists!

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) November 21, 2016

Related
LISTEN: Dame DOLLA x Raphael Saadiq – “Hero”
WATCH: Damian Lillard Performs at First Live Concert
Damian Lillard Drops ‘Shook Ones’ Freestyle (AUDIO)

The post WATCH: Damian Lillard Drops Freestyle on ‘Sway in the Morning’ appeared first on SLAM.

In it, Rozay features both Kyrie Irving and LeBron James prominently in the song’s hook, which goes like this:

Bitches screaming for me like Beyonce
Work, jumping out the gym like it’s LeBron James
This other type of money even make me nervous
I’m standing out the roof, jersey Kyrie Irving

With the Cavaliers coming off their first NBA title in franchise history, it’s a good look to be named-dropping Bron and Kyrie.

(Then again, pretty sure Ross also pronounces Stephen Curry’s first name as “Steven” in the opening line of the song’s first verse, so he loses a little credibility there.)

Take a listen to the track above and let us know if you’re feeling it or not in the comments section.

Related:
Rick Ross Names His All-Time Favorite Jordans (VIDEO)
Rick Ross on Kobe Bryant’s Retirement: ‘7 Years Too Late’ (VIDEO)
Rick Ross Gets Miami Heat Logo Tattooed On His Face (PHOTO)
Rick Ross Says He’ll Bet $100K Miami Heat Finish Ahead of Cleveland Cavaliers This Year

The post Listen to Rick Ross’ New Song Called ‘Kyrie’ appeared first on SLAM.

Having accomplished all that, the 28-year-old from Cheltenham Township, PA, says now he has only one goal in mind.

“I’ll know I’ve made it when I’m being handed the MVP trophy at the [NBA] Celebrity All-Star Game. Nothing would make me happier,” Dicky says.

If you’ve seen the YouTube video of Dicky playing pickup hoops in Chicago (the clip is from 2014 but just recently went viral), you’ll understand why he yearns for a roster spot in the annual celebrity event. At one point, while rocking Russell Westbrook’s USA jersey, Dicky cashed eight three-pointers in a row from NBA range.

LD says his game most closely resembles that of fellow sharpshooter Stephen Curry. Comparing oneself to the reigning MVP is bound to raise some eyebrows, but Burd delivers solid reasoning. “Steph has evolved way past the point of my game, but when I saw Curry at Davidson, I saw how I played when I was really on fire.”

Surprisingly, Dicky never played or even tried out at Cheltenham High, located a half-mile from the Philly city border. The varsity team was loaded, and plus, Burd didn’t feel like lifting weights or learning offenses. So he settled for dominating local rec leagues and summer camps instead, a career highlighted by a game of one-one-one with Jameer Nelson of St. Joseph’s and Orlando Magic fame. Dicky lost 3-2, and afterward, his friends forced him to rap in front of Nelson and an entire camp of kids.

“Now that I’m a rapper, it’s interesting, ’cause one of the key moments in my rap career literally happened on the basketball court,” says Dicky (pictured below with Lakers rook Brandon Ingram).

Burd was 13 when his hometown Sixers made the Finals, and he says Iverson’s Tyronn Lue step-over remains his favorite memory in the history of sports (high praise from someone who once squeezed 40-plus sports references into a single track).

He also watched AI usher in the League’s “IDGAF” attitude. “I wonder, as a rapper now, how much that must’ve influenced me as a kid, seeing one of my main inspirations be so embedded in the hip-hop community,” he says.

Dicky is keeping an eye on the Sixers and is currently on tour, where you can catch him in concert rocking an ill bball jersey—he’s got 60 in his closet—like one of his most prized possessions, a Jesus Shuttlesworth Lincoln uni.

Mostly, though, the dude is gunning for a Kevin Hart-like celebrity game career. First, he’s gotta make the roster.

“I don’t know what has to happen to make that happen. By all means, let’s start the campaign now.”

—

Photo: Lacy Eakin

The post How Can I Become A Bawlaa appeared first on SLAM.

Spreading a positive message, Dame admits to mistakes he’s made in the past and shares his life experiences in hopes of inspiring listeners. It’s bigger than rap, and ball for that matter.

Check the track above and peep the making of video below via adidas:

Related
WATCH: Damian Lillard Performs At First Live Concert
Damian Lillard Drops ‘Shook Ones’ Freestyle (AUDIO)
Damian Lillard aka Dame DOLLA Releases Original Song ‘Heat Wave’

The post LISTEN: Dame DOLLA x Raphael Saadiq – “Hero” appeared first on SLAM.

“I’ll kill Drake,” the Bronx MC retorts.

The Highbridge, Bronx native can brag ‘cause he’s confident.

Just the type of confidence you’d expect from a 20-year-old who dropped one of the hottest mixtapes of the year, and, a few months later, opened up for the No. 1 hip-hop artist in the world (no offense to Kendrick) at Madison Square Garden.

“The first time we met, [Drake] was going right on stage,” A Boogie tells SLAM over the phone. “After that, we was in the club. We was just vibing to the music, and then Drake was just telling me, ‘Thanks a lot.’ He was like, ‘Yo I ain’t gonna lie, you’re one of my favorite artists right now to listen to.’ That was one of the best moments of my life so far.”

A Boogie, whose real name is Artist Dubose, grew up listening to MCs including Beanie Sigel, Cassidy and 50 Cent. One of A Boogie’s biggest moments to date — apart from the MSG show — was an hour-long conversation with Fiddy, during which the Get Rich or Die Tryin’ rapper dropped knowledge darts about the game.

“Fifty was just telling me how it was for him coming up, and how watching us come up right now reminds him of himself back in the day,” A Boogie says. “He was just telling us and showing us what not to do and everything.”

A Boogie’s music connects with hoopers, too. He’s close friends with Mohamed Bamba (pictured above), the 6-11, 210-pound center from Harlem, who, in addition to being SLAM’s current high school diarist, is widely regarded as the best player from New York in the class of 2017.

Bamba met Boogie through BX native Terrance “Munch” Williams, who coaches the AAU team PSA Cardinals. Bamba played with the Cardinals in the 2016 Nike EYBL circuit.

“When I met [Bamba], we talked on the phone first. He was a fan of my music and my mixtape and everything,” A Boogie says. “I been knew about him, though. People on my block talk about him a lot, ‘cuz he’s one of the best players from the up-north area.”

NBA players have also shown love. A Boogie went to John Wall’s birthday party at Wall’s crib in early September after the Wizards’ guard sent him an invite via Instagram DM. Two other Eastern Conference PGs have reached out, as well: fellow BX native Kemba Walker told A Boogie he wants to “come to the club and chill” with him, and Kyrie Irving hit him up, too.

Now, the baby-faced, Bape hoodie-rocking rapper is ready to take his music to the next level. He’s prepping the release of a new EP called The Bigger Artist, which is slated to drop sooner than you think.

Until then, A Boogie is keeping tabs on the NBA season (“I’m a Knicks fan, but my favorite team is the Thunder”) and adding to his ever-growing sneaker collection (“I don’t know how many I have, it’s too many … but my favorites are the Taxi XIIs”).

As the trees surrounding High Bridge, NYC’s oldest bridge, shift their colors from green to autumn red-yellow-brown, another transformation is taking place. ‘Cause it’s no longer white tee and b-ball shorts weather — nah, this Hoodie SZN.

Related
SLAM 202: Mohamed Bamba’s High School Diary

—
Photo with Bamba via Chris Razoyk

Press photo via Highbridge the Label 

The post Hoodie Season appeared first on SLAM.

Allen Iverson showed up and kicked it with Fabolous and Swizz Beatz, and took to the stage to give a captivatingly original speech, both heartfelt and hilarious. He also took a few questions from a group of reporters.

During your speech you thanked Biggie and Redman. Why did you want to thank those guys?

Allen Iverson: It was just important. It was important to me to acknowledge the people that inspired me. The people that I love. Those guys that I talked about, their every day life inspired me as well, not just their music. Just their hustle and what they had to go through to become who they are. It was important to me.

You talked about being a sneaker head. You remember back-to-school shopping. Do you have any memories of that?

AI: I always wanted a pair of Jordans. Or Air Force 1s.

When did you own your first pair of Reeboks?

AI: The Shaq joints or the 54-11s. It had to be one of those.

You gave Jadakiss your top-5 rappers. What about your top-5 hip-hop albums and why.

AI: You knew you were giving me the hardest goddamn question ever. And I should have all day to have to think about it. Obviously it’s Big, Pac, Jadakiss, Redman, to me. Jay-Z. I love Nas, too. Man. I don’t know.

Out of all those, who were your top-3 of all-time?

AI: Big, Pac and Redman.

The post Q+A: Allen Iverson Talks Hip-Hop appeared first on SLAM.

“When I was a little kid, I was fascinated. I got into this love of sneakers,” Fab says. “I didn’t look at it as collecting, I was just feeding my love.

“As I got older, even now, I still have that same passion for shoes. I still don’t look at it as collecting because I’m not storing. I’m actually wearing shoes. I’m not going around buying three pairs of each shoe to stock ‘em. That’s not my goal. My goal is to get the shoes and wear them.”

Fab has been a don in the music industry for well over a decade. In that time, he’s not-so-quietly established himself as a sneaker connoisseur, unafraid to rock all kinds of different sneakers, from all different brands. If it’s nice, if it has a story and in his words, “colors that pop,” it’s going on his feet.

Which is why he’s been a mainstay at NY Fashion Week this year, mobbing through fashion shows with the likes of OKC superstar and budding style icon Russell Westbrook.

In the past few years, Loso has worked with VILLA and Ewing Athletics, and he’s been connected with Jordan Brand, too. His sneaker closet, which he calls “versatile,” is full of Nikes, J’s, Yeezys, Reeboks and of course, Ewings.

And Fab’s jersey collection is just as famous as his sneaker collection. Just like with his kicks, he looks for jerseys with some history behind them. He’s got ’em all, from Hardwood Classics to customs of current designs.

“[The jersey] has a story behind it because it’s a jersey and a player,” says Fab, an expert storyteller himself, who recently released his latest mixtape, Summertime Shootout 2. “Anything with a story behind it, you can read into it a little more.”

—

Photos: Renell Medrano, @myfabolouslife

The post The Fabolous Life appeared first on SLAM.

Did he do the GOAT justice on this one? Or is putting MJ’s name on a track like this just disrespectful?

If you’re not all that familiar with Lil Uzi Vert, check out his XXL Freshmen freestyle in the video below:

via HNHH

The post LISTEN: Lil Uzi Vert – “Michael Jordan” appeared first on SLAM.

You are all very welcome. #teyanataylor shouts to Ye

— Iman Shumpert I (@imanshumpert) August 29, 2016

Shump shows up in the clip—which premiered at the MTV Video Music Awards—after Taylor dances around a gym, recreating a scene from “Flashdance”.

Per Vanity Fair:

Things take a sultry turn when the scene cuts to Taylor taking a shower with her fiancé, NBA star Iman Shumpert. Then things really get weird when Taylor is suddenly laying on top of Shumpert, with her face done up to look like a lion. Their baby daughter Iman also makes a cute cameo appearance in the clip.

 

For those who don’t know, Taylor is already an established artist in her own right. She signed to West’s label, G.O.O.D. Music, in 2012, and also collaborated with him prior to that, singing on “Dark Fantasy,” a track from West’s 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. She was also featured on the 2012 G.O.O.D. Music compilation album Cruel Summer and last year released a solo EP titled The Cassette Tape 1994.

The post WATCH: Iman Shumpert Stars in Kanye West’s ‘Fade’ Video appeared first on SLAM.

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According to Complex, Sanders and Party met up in Los Angeles while Sanders was working with producers Bizness Boi and Sevn Thomas.

They sent the track to PND last September, which eventually was titled “Don’t Run” on the new album.

In the interview, Sanders also said his self-produced album is on the way.

More via Complex:

When did you know you were going to be on the album?

 

Sanders: Honestly, probably like a week or two weeks ago. You know, they do a tracklist and they told everyone who made the album, so it eventually got back to my camp.

 

What did you feel when you found out?

 

Sanders: I mean, it’s amazing. You know me, I just started getting into making beats like five, six years ago, honestly, while I still was in the NBA. But I never had an artist that really cut a record from something I made. For a major artist like PARTYNEXTDOOR to do that, it was exciting. When I heard he put it on the album that was the icing on the cake.

The post Larry Sanders Produced on PARTYNEXTDOOR’s New Album appeared first on SLAM.

The 6-3 point guard, aka Dame D.O.L.L.A., has performed in front of crowds before, but this was Dame’s first fully legit show.

The highlight of the night was when Dame, while performing “Soldier in the Game,” brought out fellow Blazer CJ McCollum and Pelicans guard Tim Frazier.

#DameDOLLA @Dame_Lillard brings out @Timfraz23 and @CJMcCollum after performing "Soldier In The Game." #RipCity pic.twitter.com/naiwxJHasm

— Grant Ocampo (@grantocampo) July 16, 2016

Performing in “Tennis Ball” adidas Lillard 2s, Dame D.O.L.L.A. performed “Free Bands“:

Over an Isley Brothers sample, Dame rapped, “A big difference between me and them/When they seeing my results I ain’t seein’ them.”

#DameDOLLA was LIT tonight pic.twitter.com/ZeKT8FC47F

— Lana Summers (@summersblaze) July 16, 2016

The post WATCH: Damian Lillard Performs at First Live Concert appeared first on SLAM.

Markman also asked KD what he plays when he’s passed the aux cord in the locker room. Along with obvious artists like Jay Z and Future, Durant sprinkled in a few surprises. Peep the video below:

The post Kevin Durant Listens To Teddy Pendergrass (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Dame’s bars have garnered plenty of attention and Kurtis Blow, of “Basketball” fame, reached out to the Blazers floor general with a request for a verse:

@Dame_Lillard – Hey Dame – its Kurtis Blow – I am recording a Christmas rap album – Will you spit a verse?

— Kurtis Blow (@KurtisBlow1) June 26, 2016

Previously:
“Shook Ones Freestyle”
“Talk To ‘Em”

The post LISTEN: Damian Lillard – ‘Ready For It’ appeared first on SLAM.

Lillard dropped the “Shook Ones” Freestyle on Monday, which you can listen to above. V.I.P. kicks it off with a few verses and sets up Dame D.O.L.L.A. to finish off the rest of the classic Mobb Deep beat.

Thoughts?

The post Damian Lillard Drops ‘Shook Ones’ Freestyle (AUDIO) appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM: How did you first get into DJing?

DJ D Sharp: I used to love Run-DMC and I really admired Jam Master Jay. I wanted to be Jam Master Jay. So, you know, I got the adidas sneakers and the adidas sweat suits. He had this routine where he would say, “RUN, RUN, RUN.” And I would just try to copy that. That’s how I got good as a DJ.

SLAM: What kind of music do you focus on while performing?

D Sharp: For me, man, I am an open format DJ, meaning that I play everything. In the arena when I’m DJing, people will hear everything to rock to hip-hop to EDM. You hear everything, but my heart is hip-hop. I love music with a passion. I love house music. I love reggae. I even love some of the EDM. I love some of the trap stuff. I love everything, man. I don’t discriminate.

SLAM: How are you able to put that all together?

D Sharp: That’s one thing that that everybody in Oracle always gives me props for. They’re like, ‘Man, you mix everything pretty well!’ I learned it really well in the arena because the demographic of the fans at games is just huge, right? So you gotta be able to play to everyone and make everyone happy. I definitely learned how to be good at it in the arena.

SLAM: What’s some of the other feedback you get from the fans?

D Sharp: Well, a lot of the fans that I run into, they love Bay Area music. So it’s like, ‘Hey D Sharp, you gotta play that Mac Dre!’ Or, ‘Hey D Sharp, [you got] that new E-40 or that Too $hort?’ I get a lot of feedback like that.

And like I said earlier, when I run into the older fans, they love how I mix the old with the new. It’s just great to hear fans like, ‘Wow, you’re doing such a good job.’ Or, ‘hey D Sharp, pump us up tonight! We need you!’ It’s just great to hear that from them.

SLAM: So how did you get the gig with the Warriors?

D Sharp: It’s kind of a bittersweet story. I was DJing with this group out here in the Bay Area called Blackalicious–they actually have a pretty cool commercial with Bleacher Report right now that runs during the Finals for their song, ‘Alphabet Aerobics.’ I was DJing with my man Chief XL and DJ Solomon, who was the Warriors DJ at the time, saw me spin records for Blackalicious and he was at a show here in the Bay Area and he came up to me afterwards. He was like, ‘Yo, man, I DJ for the Warriors. It would be cool if you and me could do a two by fours thing and have you come through man.’

I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s all good. ‘

By the way, at this time the Warriors were terrible. We wasn’t making the playoffs. We were bad. I would fill in for him and in ’12, Solomon passed away and they offered me the job.

SLAM: How did it feel to take over after him?

D Sharp: It’s been really bittersweet. Solomon was such a dope DJ and such a good soul and a good spirit and he had no issues with letting me fill in for him. He just looked out, man. It’s like I keep saying, it’s bittersweet ’cause I know he would hold it down. He was probably the best technical DJ I’ve ever seen in my life in terms of like mixing and scratching and timing and was like impeccable. I learned watching from him how to rock in the arena. It was a huge loss man.

SLAM: Yeah, I understand. I’m really sorry to hear that. How big of an influence was he on you?

D Sharp: He was huge. In fact, Solomon showed me how to use Serato. It was so long ago that I was carrying crates of vinyls to the arena when I met Solomon. Solomon was doing crates of vinyl and he was doing a computer at the same time, which was unheard of. He was using this program called Final Scratch and then Serato came later. This was like ’02, ’03 and he would show me this stuff when I would rock with him. I’m like, ‘Dude, this is amazing!’

I went and got a computer and he was just slowly showing me how to use Serato in my sets. Then I eventually converted all the way in like ’05 from vinyl to MP3 and it has been on computer ever since.

SLAM: Is there a huge difference in going from vinyl to MP3?

D Sharp: I walk in with a computer in my backpack. Before, at a club gig for instance, you have to have at least three crates of vinyls. And that’s when all your buddies and friends came. Everybody had a crate. That’s how everybody got in the club. It’s a huge difference. As technology changes and things change with the times, everything is getting smaller and more compact and that’s what’s happening with DJing. Now, everybody is DJing off their computer. Some people off their iPhones. It’s definitely crazy to see.

SLAM: My school, the University of Missouri, just hired a DJ for the football games last year. Is that a new trend nowadays hiring DJs for sports teams?

D Sharp: I don’t know who originated the DJ thing with sports, but I really want to credit the Warriors for it because Solomon was DJing for the Warriors in like ’99 or ’00.  I want to say that Warriors were the first if I’m not mistaken. I know DJ Irie with the Miami Heat, he made in-stadium DJs really popular when they started winning all them championships.

The Sacramento Kings got a DJ, and the Nuggets got a DJ, and the Pistons got a DJ. Everybody got DJs now, which is dope because I know in Oracle, when it’s a timeout, that time that needs to be filled, there’s good stuff going on. A DJ adds to that if you got some type of like great entertainment act or some type of halftime act or you giving away T-shirts and you want to make it exciting for the fans, there’s never a dull moment. I think the Warriors are really good at that.

SLAM: What’s your go-to crowd pleaser?

D Sharp: I’ll be honest, man, my go-to crowd pleaser is [DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s] ‘Turn Down for What’ a lot. To be honest, anything with Lil Jon or Fatman Scoop because they have that commanding voice on those records. With Fatman Scoop, he’s like, ‘Let’s go! Put em up now!’ And Lil Jon, ‘Yeah! Everybody, let’s move it!’ These phrases and those records just work really well. They get the crowd hyped and amped.

SLAM: What kind of music do the players like to listen to?

D Sharp: The players like all the new stuff. So we be talking Drake, Future, Boosie BadAzz and [Desiigner’s] ‘Panda’ record that’s big now. Young Thug. They like all of the Down South trap stuff.

SLAM: How about for Steph or Klay? Any specific songs for them?

D Sharp: Oh Klay loves ‘Pull Up On the Kid’ by Young Thug. I was out one time and he ran up on me and said, ‘You gotta play that during warmups!’  He likes that. I noticed that if I’m out and I’m in the club DJing, I get a request to play some Young Thug for Klay Thompson.

SLAM: Anyone else like that? Anyone else go up to you requesting songs that they need?

D Sharp: You know what, man? I don’t bother the guys when they’re warming up cause I’m working and they’re working. If I ever get a chance to see them before they walk into the locker room or maybe out and about or something,

I’ll always ask, ‘Yo let me know what I could play to get you into it. If there’s something that I’m not playing, let me know.’ And nine times out of 10 they always come back and say, ‘Yo Sharp, you’re doing your thing. Don’t worry, we good. Keep doing what you’re doing.’

The post Q+A: DJ D Sharp appeared first on SLAM.

Irie, who’d already made his name on the local station 99 JAMZ and in clubs, jumped at the chance. “I asked them how teams and DJs were doing it in other cities and they were like, Nope, nowhere else is this even being done,” recalls Irie, whose real name is Ian Grocher. “That was my motivation.”

If Irie was ever even tempted to get bored by the gig, the franchise’s success—thanks to Pat Riley’s steady hand in the front office and Dwyane Wade’s stellar play on the court—has kept him fired up. “We won that first Championship with Dwyane and Shaq so we knew what it took,” Irie says. “From there the franchise was doing its thing, and then free agency comes along and all of a sudden you realize: We can have LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in the starting lineup! Honestly, the energy at that Welcome Event was probably the same as the greatest nights of the Finals during that special four-year run. It was like a dream developing right in front of your face.”

Post-LeBron life in Miami has been somewhat of a reality check as the Heat are back in the solid-if-not-spectacular class of NBA teams, but Irie’s music and the team’s chic, newish AmericanAirlines Arena keep things popping on game nights.

What’s more, with three NBA Championship rings and countless nights spent spinning for Heat fans under his belt, Irie has been able to branch out in recent years. He’s done deals with Cadillac, Carnival Cruise Lines, Target and other A-list brands, and as we speak on the phone, he’s preparing for his 12th annual Irie Weekend. “June 22-25, hopefully bigger and better than ever,” gushes Irie. “We golf, we party, and we raise a lot of money for after-school programs, cultural experiences for kids who rarely get off their block.”

Jam on.

—

Photo by Jeremiah Lazo

The post Irie Jams appeared first on SLAM.

Certain playing styles and word play are associated with where a player or rapper grew up. Just like the ball player on your local blacktop, rappers soak in their surroundings like a sponge and release it with a vengeance into a microphone, rather than a hoop. In the mainstream age of “pop rap” that we are living in today, there aren’t too many rappers left that spit street tales in a poetic kingpin fashion. Thankfully, gully Queens rapper Meyhem Lauren (pronounced like the “Lauren” in POLO Ralph Lauren) fills that void.

You may have seen him co-star on Viceland’s Fuck That’s Delicious with his childhood best friend Action Bronson, or heard him on SiriusXM Radio barking flames on DJ Statik Selektah’s Showoff radio show. But all that is just the outer shell to a deeply motivated, jocular and intellectual rapper whose new album, Piatto D’Oro, dropped on May 3rd (stream it below–Ed.).

Meyhem Lauren aka Laurenovich aka Londell Manuver aka Omar Laurendez, grew up in Queens, N.Y. where the local rap flavors of Mobb Deep, Nas and Lauren’s personal favorite, Kool G Rap, pervaded into his mind from a young age. While impersonating his idols as a kid, Meyhem was unknowingly practicing the timing and cadence that would eventually propel him to Forbes’ “5 Hip-Hop Artists To Watch In 2016” list.

“The first album I truly embraced was [Slick Rick’s] The Great Adventures of Slick Rick,” says the rapper. “I borrowed that from my friend’s older brother from around the corner and I learned all the lyrics in elementary school. I used to get in trouble singing ‘Indian Girl,’ I didn’t know then the true meaning of the song.”

Meyhem started to take rap seriously in ’07 and put in a myriad number of hours writing and recording in various studios around New York City. To put it in hoops terms, Mey was the kid in the gym that stayed after practice to work on his baseline jumper until he hit 50 in a row. He learned his work ethic through veteran DJ and producer J-Love.

“When I first started doing music he was always in the studio, he was a hard working guy,” recalls the Fool’s Gold Records signee. “His passion and work ethic is contagious. I learned a lot from him.”

Lauren’s dedication to the mic has generated eight solo albums in nine years and countless collaborations with NYC’s rap elite.

Meyhem’s latest effort is named after an Italian restaurant that he went to when he visited his now 97-year-old aunt Dotty as a child and young adult. The record boasts songs produced by the legendary Large Professor, Alchemist, Ice Rocks, DJ Mugs and more. Piatto D’Orro, which translates to “plate of gold” in Italian, is just that. It will remind you of the hardcore age of hip-hop, a time when rap wasn’t suffocated with the tight jeans of the current crop of popular MCs. The album is light on collaborations with Lauren only bringing in his inner circle of Action Bronson, Big Body Bes, Roc Marciano and his brother Hologram to spit on a few tracks which keeps the sound familiar, rugged and Queens.

Like any native New Yorker, basketball was in Meyhem’s life from a young age. Growing up in Flushing, he played CYO, AAU and even high school ball for his Forest Hills High team until he was forced to leave the team due to bad grades from cutting class. As a result, his parents, in an act of discipline, took him off of all the other teams so he could focus on being a better student. A parental act that haunts Meyhem to this day.

“By doing that, I found other hobbies that weren’t as good. I just got fat and started doing graffiti.”

Graffiti became much more than a hobby for Meyhem. Lauren and his fellow Smart Crew members spent countless nights over the last decade blessing the streets of New York City with street art. On May 12th, in collaboration with Fool’s Gold Records and Juxtapoz Magazine, Meyhem released the first episode of the much-anticipated Got The Fever TV, a web-series focusing on NYC graffiti artists; a project that is very close to his heart.

“When you turn on TV and see graffiti there is a lot of emphasis on people doing murals and I respect that. That’s a skill, that’s an art, but there are dudes out there just bombing for the sport of it and I’m trying to highlight those individuals.”

Although his hectic schedule doesn’t allow him to watch as much hoops as he would like to, the sport continues to influence his day-to-day life as a rapper in his lyrics and on his feet. In his eyes, the bigger the shoe, the better. “I need to have half my calf covered in sneaker,” he joked.

Being a ’90’s kid at heart, he has all the essentials: CB94’s, Air Force 1‘s, Kamikazes, Robinson’s, but no shoe means more to him than the Carmine VI’s. “I’m a Jordan IV, V, VI kind of guy, but the Carmine VI might be the greatest sneaker ever made.”

When he can catch a game he makes sure to tune into his beloved New York Knickerbockers. Like some Knicks fans he is “eh” on Melo, but believes in Kristaps. “Porzingis is what’s gonna hold that team together,” he says of the squad’s future.

He also urges Knicks fans to be patient and thinks Carmelo, if he is still in orange and blue come next fall, needs to continue to adapt to the presence of Porzingis. “’Zingis is becoming that dude. Melo has to play evenly; it’s not just the Melo show anymore.”

Unlike the Knicks, Meyhem’s new album is no joke. The name the of his record label may be Fool’s Gold but Lauren is supplying authentic New York rap. The skill of this Queens virtuoso is certain.

Video produced by P33 Productions

Photos by Sarah Kobos

The post Raisin’ Hell: Meyhem Lauren appeared first on SLAM.

“Chevy swervin’, cuttin’ through the lane, Kyrie Irving,” raps Stalley, “all these haters like the ’85 Celtics vs. the Lakers.” Listen closely, and you’ll hear references to the likes of Jamal Crawford, Chris Paul, John Wall, Oscar Robertson, Ben Wallace, Bill Russell, even MJ’s flu game. But first and foremost, Stalley is putting on for Cleveland. After all, he’s been “a Cavalier since Larry Nance and Mark Price.”

Peep the video above and follow @Stalley on Twitter.

The post Stalley’s ‘Ball’ is a Cavaliers Fan’s Anthem (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Late last night, he posted a remix to Desiigner’s smash hit “Panda” on SoundCloud. It features bball references and shout outs to the likes of Chris Paul. You can listen to it above.

“Panda” is currently the No. 2 song on the Billboard Hot 100, and Desiigner—a Brooklyn native—performed after the Jordan Brand Classic at Barclays Center on Friday night.

Brooklyn Boys: Desiigner & St. John's commit Shamorie Ponds (17 pts) hang out after the game at @JordanClassic pic.twitter.com/7BpbIcPQzL

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 16, 2016

The post Lou Williams Made a ‘Panda’ Remix (LISTEN) appeared first on SLAM.

The 21-year-old Chicago native is one of the illest up-and-coming emcees in the game, with a Shyne-like baritone and a spine-chilling South Side perspective permeating his lyrics.

But a proper rap moniker—especially one with a story—can also make a world of difference in a young artist’s career. And Lil Bibby is one of the best.

He’s between shows on Pusha T’s Darkest Before Dawn Tour when he calls us to share his love for hoops and explain how he earned his stage name.

“I would say up until I was about 15, I was heavy into basketball,” he says. “I used to play every day, all day when I was a kid. I used to watch it, I used to collect cards—the whole basketball lifestyle.”

Growing up, Bibby made the rounds at local courts in Chi-Town’s South Shore neighborhood, in an area known as Terror Town.

“I used to have crazy handles,” he says. “I used to make people fall on concrete.”

Bibby’s favorite players were Dirk, T-Mac, Kobe, Melo and LeBron. In terms of his own game, Bibby—who is also the voice behind lifestyle brand 47’s great Black 5s campaign featuring Taj Gibson and Chase Adams that SLAM co-produced recently—says he was more Jason Kidd. But when Bibby was in middle school, his friend Fazo made a different point guard comparison, which had a deep, long-lasting effect.

“When Mike Bibby played for the Kings with Chris Webber, Doug Christie, Vlade Divac—you remember that team? That’s when homeboy started calling me Bibby, because he said I looked like him,” he says. “And on top of that, I had the three-point shot like Bibby. And I really don’t think I look like no Mike Bibby, man. Bibby didn’t even have hair! I don’t know how my homeboy came up with that.”

Fazo passed away shortly after bestowing the nickname. “I just ran with it after he passed away,” Bibby says. “I just stuck with it, and everybody in the whole neighborhood just started calling me Bibby.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19hwq3T6g2M

Midway through our interview, Bibby’s friend and tour partner G Herbo (the two have collaborated on numerous tracks including “Kill Shit,” “My Hood” and “Play They Role”) hops on speakerphone and the two young rappers start talking shit about an upcoming game of 1-on-1.

“Look who just walked in—G Herbo,” Bibby said. “We’re supposed to be playing one-on-one for 2 grand soon. This man is pigeon-toed and slow-footed. He can’t stay in front of me, and we’re finna get it on camera.”

The conversation then turns to Stephen Curry.

“His shit is like on another level. It’s like he just mastered the handles and the shot. He’s unguardable,” Bibby says. “You can’t steal the ball, you can’t stay in front of him, and then you have to jump at every pump fake because his shot is so quick. And he can hit it from anywhere. He’s the best player in the League right now.”

Bibby recently paid his respects to the reigning MVP by releasing a track called “Steph,” a booming, blacktop anthem over a haunting, piano-driven instrumental from producer Ryan Ryu. Perhaps the most impressive feat on the song is Bibby’s ability to switch flows like a lane switch on Lake Shore Drive.

“I freestyled the whole thing—I don’t know what I was feeling at the moment,” Bibby says. “A lot of people counted [Curry] out, but I’ve been a fan since he was in college.”

Safe to say that Bibby, a baby-faced assassin in his own right, has a future bright like Steph’s.

—

Photo courtesy of Kemosabe Records

The post Like Mike appeared first on SLAM.

It’s been over a decade since Fabolous put out “Trade it All” with Diddy, in the music video for which he rocks a No. 8 Lakers jersey. In the time since, Fab’s racked up his fair share of hits—all the while keeping tabs on Kobe Bryant’s illustrious NBA career like the rest of us. Right on cue, Loso dropped the “Black Mamba” freestyle today in honor of Kobe’s retirement and his 60-point send-off.

You can listen to the track below:

The post Fabolous Drops ‘Black Mamba’ Freestyle (LISTEN) appeared first on SLAM.

Though his outfit may suit his calm, cool and collected demeanor, Twelvyy’s live show is anything but tranquil. The 26-year-old Bronx/Harlem native performs with a certain, unquantifiable tenacity that earns him rap game John Starks status in the eyes of many.

We sat down with Twelvyy post-show to discuss the Knicks, college hoops and upcoming A$AP releases. Among the man also know as 212 Mel’s early influences were Em, Cam’ron and Snoop—now, he’s looking to pave his own legacy alongside his partners: Rocky, Ferg, Nast, Ant and the rest of the Mob.

SLAM: What was your initial reaction when the Knicks drafted Kristaps Porzingis?

A$AP Twelvyy: My reaction was, ‘Who the fuck is that?’ I think I was in Europe with Joey Bada$$ and Nyck Caution. And Nyck Caution is a huge Knick fan. He’s also a great basketball player and a great rapper. Shout out to Pro Era. He was like ‘Yo man, we just got Porzingis.’ And me and him was just talking, laughing. And then [Porzingis] started ballin’, and I was just like, Whoa. He’s cool though.

SLAM: With another losing season for the Knicks in the books, what are your feelings about the team at this stage?

AT: Lil B blessed the Knicks for me when I was with him not too long ago, and that’s all that needs to be said.

SLAM: That means you guys are going to win the ‘chip in like, two years, then.

AT: That’s a fact! Shout out to Lil B. Ayo, and Golden State? Look, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like the Cleveland Cavaliers are gon’ take it this year. [The Warriors] are gonna run out of juice soon.

SLAM: If you could pick a starting five of your favorite Knicks players of all-time, what would it be?

AT: Just ‘cuz I like him, I’d have Charlie Ward run the 1, Allan Houston at the 2, at the 3 I would have [Latrell] Sprewell, 4 Carmelo, and 5 [Patrick] Ewing. But it’s like I’m forgetting Anthony Mason and Charles Oakley, so those are my backups.

SLAM: What moment pops into your mind when you think of growing up as a Knicks fan in the ’90s?

AT: I ain’t gon’ lie, because I wasn’t fuckin’ with the Knicks. Like, how was Patrick Ewing getting dogged like that? How’d he miss that layup and shit? I was mad.

SLAM: You mean when he missed off the back rim against the Pacers in Game 7?

AT: Yeah. I ain’t gon’ lie, I’m a huge Kobe fan, so I was a huge Lakers fan.

SLAM: His career is over this week.

AT: Right before the [Achilles] injury, I got to see him the game before that, bro. Against Minnesota. Bro, it was like God just let me do that. I was like ‘Word?’ Then he got hurt and I was like, ‘Wow. He’ll never be the same.’ Then he got hurt again, and I was like, ‘Oh, now it’s over.’

SLAM: What’s your own game like? Did you play growing up, either organized or pickup?

AT: I used to play AAU for Kips Bay in the Bronx on the same team as Kemba Walker. Kemba Walker is incredible. I was heavy into basketball. I don’t know if y’all know Corey Fisher—he went to Villanova a few years back. I was at the pick-up game when he scored 105 points. I went to the game with him. So I’ve been around basketball my whole life. Like I said, I was a point forward. I’ve got good vision, and I’ll find the open man.

SLAM: What can you tell me about that day when Corey Fisher dropped 105? 

AT: It was at Watson, at the Watson Basketball Classic. Every time he pulled up from the three it was just money. I was just smoking like ‘Whoaaa.’ I was blasted, and it was just incredible. It was before the cell phones and all that. You had to have been there and been watching the game.

SLAM: Do you have any memories from Rucker Park or any other legendary court in the city?

AT: Nah, I wasn’t really going to Rucker like that. I would go to Kingdome—Kingdome was real popular. My memory from that was me and Yams smoking right behind the bench when Puff Daddy was coaching.

SLAM: Who are your favorite players in the league currently?

AT: Paul George, Brandon Knight, TJ Warren. I ain’t gon’ lie, I like the whole Phoenix Suns roster. [Eric] Bledsoe’s nice, [Devin] Booker’s gonna be great. I like the Heat, I like my man Justise Winslow—that’s my guy right there. It’s great for him. He’s gonna learn some shit from D-Wade and Pat Riley. They might go deep in the playoffs. I’m thinking that’s gonna be the Eastern Conference Finals more than likely—Heat versus Cavs. And I got the Cavs winning, but I know it’s gonna be a battle. Hopefully Kyrie gets his head in the game.

SLAM: Have any players reached out to the Mob and been like, ‘We really fuck with your music?’

AT: Ayo I love Wilson Chandler. That’s my brother. He’s really like my brother. TJ Warren my n****. Taj Gibson my n****. Justise Winslow my n****. My guys. I fuck with Zach LaVine. I’m really on some showin’ love to the young generation—the kids in college. Isaiah Briscoe is my favorite college player right now. I’m sad Kentucky lost so early [in the Tournament], but sometimes you gotta lose to win.

SLAM: I heard that you wanted to go to Michigan when you were younger. As a New York native, how’d you become a Michigan fan?

AT: I guess it was the Fab Five shit. The black-on-black Nikes, the black socks, the baggy shorts. Maybe that’s why I didn’t play ball too well ‘cuz it was like, if I had the Big East mentality I’d probably still be ballin’ today.

SLAM: I see you’ve got the bred Jordan Is on. What other kicks are in your current rotation?

AT: I just keep Is. I got ’99 IVs, I got ’99 Vs. I used to shit on n****s. But I don’t see no joy in it no more. I see everybody being crabs in the bucket with it. It’s like ‘Oh, I got these joints, I got these.’ And it’s like, all this shit ain’t that hard to find if you wanna look for it, people. And the prices n****s be paying for sneakers is like, what I paid for my ‘99s cheap! $250. Y’all paying thousands of dollars for these bumass—sneaker game dead, bro. I just wear Js or Nikes. I keep it Is or Air Max 90s. Air Max Zero is the best sneaker out right now.

SLAM: You just put out the track “Presidents” with Rocky and Nast as part of the Wavy Wednesday series. Are these songs you’ve been sitting on or are they brand new?

AT: Half and half. Half were brand new, and half have been sitting in the vault for three or four years. ‘Presidents’ was supposed to be on the first Mob tape, so I’d say ‘Presidents’ is 2013. So all these records are pretty, pretty vintage at this point. Pretty classic, pretty sat on. You just let the energy of the record build itself. You don’t speak on it, you just leave it. That’s how we do—there’s no pressure. Everybody says ‘pressure makes diamonds,’ but also pressure causes confusion. We do shit on our own time.

SLAM: What’s up next for you and the rest of the A$AP Mob?

AT: We got the Cozy Tapes, then we got Ferg’s album, Always Strive and Prosper, and then my project, 2127301090. My project has been done for years, bro. If I’d have rushed it before, I probably would’ve fell on my face. So now it’s perfect timing. It sounds like an album, so I’ll probably run with it as an album. I ain’t got no fear of it not selling as much. But I got phenomenal music on it. The quality is outstanding. I’m not looking for the money. I’m looking for the message. I wanna know that I touched you in a way that you’ll remember me forever. As with “Last Year Being Broke,” that’s something that you can live by every day or every year.

—

Photo credit: Nolan Persons

The post Q+A: A$AP Twelvyy appeared first on SLAM.

You start with Broad Street. You have to start with Broad Street, 10-plus miles of the longest street in the US. You stand in the middle of a concrete jungle on a sweltering June day, surrounded by the remains of the old Met theater and the dark and dirty homes that used to be beautiful and wonder—what happened? What happened to Philadelphia? You try to sort out your feelings, try to capture the sight and emotion in words, yet you can’t do that. You just stand there, mostly in awe. In awe of the degradation that took place after Julius “Dr. J” Erving retired and Teddy Pendergrass ended up in a wheelchair, and you wonder—what happened to Philadelphia?

Philadelphia got a whiff of Murphy’s Law, and hell broke loose. Barkley being traded, MOVE, bankruptcy, the closing of such to hold some resonance with the home folks. Something. Anything.

Today, however, things are looking brighter. Every corner in downtown Philly is buzzing with construction crews. It could be called the Philly renaissance. The Broad Street project, Waterfront renovations, a new convention center and the new CoreStates Center—all are helping restore the city to the vibrant, chill-ass place it once was. Old Philly was a city of music, sports and entertainment—the O’Jays, Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, Bill Cosby, the Doctor, Mo Cheeks, George McGinnis, Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins, and the list goes on.

But a second generation is taking this set by storm. The Sixers’ Allen Iverson has electrified the joint like no one since the Doctor. And the music? Now you know better than to ask that question. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince have been blowin’ up the joint since the ‘80s, but now it’s The Roots’ turn. A crew of live musicians with hip-hop soul, they bring us joints like “The Hypnotic.” Like Iverson, they bring us the real. They let us know that there is more to life than basketball, mics and puffin’ reefer. We brought together Ahmir and Kamal from the Roots and Iverson—the soul of the new, improved Philadelphia—to talk about reality.

SLAM: In the business that both of you are involved in, you are only as good as your last CD, or in Allen’s case, his last game. When kids out here out here say they want to be the next Allen Iverson, or cats say, “I want to be the next Roots,” how do you respond?

Ahmir: It’s a business.

SLAM: Do you like the business side of it?

Ahmir: No.

SLAM: Why?

Ahmir: I’ll do it, because it’s a business, and I’ll play the game. It takes a lot away from you; you don’t have time for yourself. I’m pretty sure Allen can reiterate the same thing—it’s tiring. Especially for us, because we’re still a struggling group. We are not a multi-platinum group, and there are certain things and certain dues that you have to pay in order to get certain things in life. For us, that means you go until 5 in the morning. You get up at 8. You travel on a bus, sometimes 20 hours. You don’t get time to enjoy it. Even now as we speak, out of this six-man crew, four are down with sore throats, the flu—you name it, we have it. I hate the business part. I hate the fact that someone else can dictate what a particular culture is. I don’t like that I have to follow a certain system.

SLAM: How about you, Allen?

Iverson: Damn. The business side gets frustrating sometimes. You don’t want that all the time; you want to just chill sometime. I guess it’s worth it. It’s the most important part. Sometimes I’m into it more than others, especially when you look at the value. It’s all good.

SLAM: How do you feel when you go into a Tower Records or pick up a magazine or look at a billboard somewhere, and there you are?

Ahmir: It’s very anti-climatic. There’s so much work that goes into achieving something like that. You’re like, “Damn!” It’s very anti-climatic. I’m not being ungrateful, but the business end can really interfere with your art form.

Kamal: I’m cool with it. I look at it like this: we all could be pumping gas. You got to do what you got to do and recognize that this thing is about self. You can’t be about nobody else, otherwise you’re going to be following motherfuckers.

Iverson: When I was younger, I always dreamed of being on magazine covers. It still bugs me out. I like for my mom and my sisters to see stuff like that now. I’m used to it now, but it gives me joy to see my mom enjoy it.

SLAM: What is your goal in terms of reaching the masses? What are you trying to accomplish?

Ahmir: At the end of the day, I’m trying to make sure that grade-A quality work reaches the masses. That is one of the gratifying things about this business. It makes me feel good when Q-Tip or D’Angelo comes up to me and says, “Hey man, that shit that you all did was dope.”

SLAM: What are the messages that both of you and trying to get out there to the people?

Iverson: My message?

SLAM: Yeah.

Iverson: I’m here. Be a man. You want to be an MC? You want to play football or basketball? You already know you got to work. You got to practice and bust your ass. Bleed. Sweat. Every day. You have to go to school and maintain a certain grade point average. You got to work. That’s it. You are not promised nothing in this life.

You have no control over what the system can do to you. If they feel like bothering me right now, they can do it. They can do anything they want. They run this world we live in.

I’m just saying, be a man and live; that’s what I want for everybody. Don’t worry about what the next man is saying, or what the media is saying. Just live, man.

When you die? You want to die happy? That’s it. Just leave me alone and let me do my thing. I live everyday like it’s my last. That’s the message I got. You have no control over what these people can do to you, man. Ahmir, I know you all doing your thing. I know you hear the critics here and the critics there. But you all continue to do your thing, right?

Ahmir: Exactly.

Iverson: Nobody’s going to stop you from doing what you love to do. Just do it. Don’t even worry about the extra shit that everybody else is kicking. I don’t even hear it. I don’t even hear it, because all I want to do is take care of my family and live. That’s it!

Kamal: My man just said it all.

The post React to This appeared first on SLAM.

Noted NBA fan Soulja Boy (remember his role in the mid-2000s Wizards-Cavs playoff rivalry?) is apparently a big fan, because he dropped a new track on Saturday night called simply, “Stephen Curry.”

As you might imagine, it’s a lot of auto-tune, and it’s a lot of Soulja Boy repeating Steph’s name. But you know what? We don’t hate it. Listen to the full track above and let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Soulja Boy – Stephen Curry https://t.co/sx1jfJyQin pic.twitter.com/Y7RvREC7fD

— Soulja Boy (Draco) (@souljaboy) January 24, 2016

The post Listen to Soulja Boy’s New Track ‘Stephen Curry’ appeared first on SLAM.

For starters, the song’s hook is, “Yeezy, Yeezy, Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman.” And then there are blunt lines like, “If Nike ain’t have Drizzy, man they wouldn’t have nothin’, woo!/If Nike ain’t have Don C, man they wouldn’t have nothin’, ooh!” and “Nike, Nike treat employees just like slaves/Gave LeBron a billi’ not to run away (Yo!)”

Meanwhile, Ye—who is at this point adidas’ most famous endorser—big ups two adidas athletes when he raps, “James Harden, Swaggy P runnin’ up the budget.”

Naturally, reporters asked LeBron about all this today. But while he’s aware of it, King James has yet to listen to the song. Here’s what LeBron had to say on the matter, via Cleveland.com:

James’ response: “We don’t look upon nobody on our side, we just try to put the best athletes that we can out on the floor every night.

 

“And Phil Knight’s greatest saying is ‘always listen to the heart of the athlete listen to the words of the athlete,'” James continued. “And that’s all it’s about, nothing else.”

 

…

 

“Obviously I’m going to side with Nike no matter who it is,” James said. “It’s just, it’s family when you talk about Nike, and I’m always on their side no matter what the situation is.”

The post LeBron Says He Hasn’t Listened to Kanye West’s Nike Diss Track Yet (AUDIO) appeared first on SLAM.

Now, he’s back with what he’s calling “The Name Drop” aka the Cavs’ 2015-16 Anthem. As the title would suggest, Shump name-drops just about every Cavs players on the roster, from LeBron James down to Sasha Kaun, with lyrics like “Mo Gotti back, RJ on the breakaway, Andy doin’ his wild thang…”

Check out the song in the video above.

The post Iman Shumpert Raps the ‘Cavs 2015-16 Anthem’ (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Weak answer Meek pic.twitter.com/KjijaF9LNK

— Alessandro Gasparro (@sandrogasparro) November 3, 2015

H/T: Bleacher Report

The post Reporter Asks Meek Mill About Drake at Sixers-Cavaliers Game (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Listen to both tracks and let us know what you think in the comments section!

The post Iman Shumpert Remixes ‘Jumpman’ Into ‘Shumpman’ (LISTEN) appeared first on SLAM.

Most sports fans discovered Gary Clark Jr via his collab with Nas for ESPN’s 2012 NFL Draft. But when it comes to sports, the 31-year-old vocalist and guitar hero is all hoops at heart. Before he was wowing Obamas and Carters onstage or jamming alongside Gibson gods like Eric Clapton, he was just another lanky Austin, TX, kid trying to keep his high school coach happy. After opening for D’Angelo in New York this past June, Junior took a minute from pushing his next album, The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, to reveal that he’s every bit the bball enthusiast he was as a teen who spent his time after school sprinting between away games and gigs.

SLAM: At age 15 you hit a fork in the road where you had to decide between music and hoops. How did music win?

Gary Clark Jr: I loved to play basketball, but I wasn’t the best, so I knew that wasn’t gonna be my future. Plus, I was making a little bit of money, so music was putting some change in my pockets early. I would gig in Memphis and [have to] miss games. So my [high school] coach finally said, “You gonna play that damn rock & roll or you wanna play basketball?!” [On stage], there was no coach screaming at me, just people showing me love. So that was easy. I handed my jersey in the next day. Plus, I got tired of jamming my fingers. That’s not a good look when you’re on stage with your fingers bandaged up.

SLAM: I can imagine. But how good were you on court?

GC: I was alright. But I was like 5-11 and maybe 100 pounds.

SLAM: 5-11 at age 15 isn’t bad.

GC: Yeah, but they have some big dudes out there in Texas. I don’t know what they feed them, but I was tired of getting pushed around in the post [laughs]. You would think I’d be a little more coordinated than I am, being a musician and all, but my dribbling skills were not as on point as they should’ve been.

SLAM: What exactly was your natural position?

GC: Shooting guard. I definitely got a nice jump shot. I have a nice fade. And I still got it. I hoop in these boots, too!

SLAM: Do you get to play ball often while on the road? You tour a lot!

GC: We’re trying to. We’re preparing for this tour now so we may put a hoop in the trailer. [My friends] like to ball. We’re into it physically, and we got the 2K15 on the bus. So yeah, we’re all in.

SLAM: You’re a Texas native. So which Lone Star team has your NBA allegiance: Spurs, Mavs or Rockets?

GC: San Antonio. Seeing David Robinson as a kid when my pops took me to the game…I think it was ’94. We had the nosebleed seats, but it was cool. [Robinson] even signed my pendant. So I’ve been loyal since. I can’t rock with anything but San An. I got boys, literally grown men, who dress up in full Spurs gear to watch the game. Like, no talking. Shhh [laughs].

SLAM: I don’t know why, but I’m a bit surprised you’re not on the Harden wagon. Maybe it’s the beard.

GC: I’m definitely a Harden fan, but I love my Spurs. Tim Duncan, man. To go out the way he’s playing, man?!

SLAM: In 2014 you played the National Anthem for the NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans and performed at halftime. How fun was that?

GC: I was in the middle of a tour so I popped into New Orleans, did it and bounced. It was weird standing on the platform, though, because I’m not used to standing up and having to stretch my neck to look up at anybody.

The post The Bright Lights appeared first on SLAM.

The tenth annual LudaDay Weekend popped off this past Labor Day in Atlanta and lived up to its well-earned rep. The five-day event brought concerts, a block party, and countless promotional events, culminating with the LudaDay X Celebrity Basketball Game. In front of a sold-out crowd at Georgia State, the DJ kept the atmosphere live with hot tracks and once the game started, the amount of NBA talent on the court could vie for the ‘chip against just about anyone.

John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Victor Oladipo, Cameron Payne, Iman Shumpert, Terrence Jones, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Nick Young, Kenneth Faried, Josh Powell, Jarrett Jack, Cameron Payne, Quinn Cook, Reggie Evans, and KJ McDaniels were amongst the NBA ballers in the game. Chris Brown, Trinidad James, Dej Loaf, and Omarion were a few of the musical artists who laced ’em up. Ultimately, it was Team Luda that walked away with a 121-117 win over Team Breezy in a dope event that benefited The Ludacris Foundation.

Here are a few of the names who stood out in the relaxed LudaDay X Celebrity Basketball Game:

John Wall, 6-4, PG, Washington Wizards

After what was a breakout season, John Wall appears to be in great shape and while he wasn’t going full go, he still showed his ridiculous burners a time or two throughout the game. A regular at the LudaDay festivities throughout the past few years, the Wizards star was the biggest name amongst the NBA players and ended his birthday evening with a party at ATL’s Gold Room, where he was given a $20,000 painting of himself.

Lou Williams, 6-1, SG, Los Angeles Lakers

The League’s reigning sixth man of the year has been a permanent bucket-getter over the years at the LudaDay games. Able to bomb from 30 feet and finish above the rim, Lou is the type of guy who can easily drop 50 in these types of games. While he’s used to coming in and being an electric scorer with the ultimate green light, one has to wonder if he’s going to be given that same freedom playing with Kobe in LA.

Chris Brown, 6-1

Playing in the Drew League over the years, it was always known that Breezy could go a little bit on the hardwood. Running the point with the Oreo IVs on, he showed off a slick crossover and hit 6 three-pointers in his squad’s narrow defeat. While putting out hit records is what has made him a multi-millionaire, he certainly showed that he is likely one of the better-hooping R&B singers out there against a myriad of NBA players.

Victor Oladipo, 6-5, SG, Orlando Magic

While most players went through the game at less than half-speed, that was not possible for Victor Oladipo. A guy known for his insane work ethic, he looked to rip the rim off virtually every time he got the rock in transition. Oladipo nearly sent Georgia State into a frenzy when he back-rimmed an eastbay during the game, showing off the explosive athleticism that has made him one of the league’s emerging young guards.

Nick Young, 6-7, SG, LA Lakers

Fresh off of battling James Harden at the Drew League, Swaggy P made it to ATL to run with some of the League’s best. He was Iggy-less, but still showed off his handle and bombed a flurry of deep threes. With Kobe pack and the Lakers offseason acquisition of Lou Williams, it’s going to be interesting to see what type of role the ’15-16 season will bring.

Josh Powell, 6-10, PF, Milwaukee Bucks

Making one of the more interesting career transitions, Powell went from the hardwood in 13-14 to an assistant coach with the Rockets for the 14-15 campaign. Fast-forward a year and the 6-10 big man still has that itch to hoop, signing last week with the Milwaukee Bucks. A seasoned vet, Powell looked to be in great shape and should provide the same interior toughness to an emerging Milwaukee squad that he used to help the Lakers win two rings.

Big thanks to David Walker for all photos

The post LudaDay X Celebrity Basketball Game Recap appeared first on SLAM.

To be a champ, you’ve gotta look the part. The Quality Control emcees’ affection for designer clothing and gold chains is well-documented, but no Migos outfit is complete without fresh footwear. Quavo, Takeoff and Offset estimate they’ve got 90-100 pairs of shoes in their respective collections, and they list Foamposites, Pennys, Huaraches, Jordans and Iversons among their favorite bball kicks. In terms of high-end sneakers, they’re partial to Rick Owens, Christian Louboutin and Yeezy’s recent adidas collab.

According to Takeoff, acquiring the new releases was never a problem growing up. “Everything that we wanted, we went out there and we got it. Just like with the game now, we just put our mindset to it.”

Still, Offset admits that as a kid, he could never get his hands on the black/white/pure purple Barkley 2s, so he made sure to cop a pair years later when they became available to him.

Takeoff says Migos ran into the Round Mound of Rebound at a store on Atlanta’s North side recently. If you’re up on Migos’ music catalogue, you’ll understand the momentous occasion: the group released a song in late 2013 called “Charles Barkley.” Other NBA players that have expressed their fandom for Migos include Lou Williams (“We rock with him, and he shows us love,” Takeoff says) and Metta World Peace, the latter of whom the trio bumped into at the airport not too long ago.

Migos’ lyrical dexterity is what sets them apart; Quavo, Takeoff and Offset maneuver through the pocket of a beat like Stephen Curry sliding through defenders. And their music is littered with NBA references. “We grew up watching ESPN and sports, so sometimes a slam dunk will be a metaphor for, if you in the bando, you slam dunk the brick, which means you just flipped it,” Offset says.

All three are Hawks fans but admitted to rooting for LeBron and the Cavs once their home squad was ousted in the 2015 Playoffs. In terms of their own hooping abilities, Migos played together growing up in school and in the streets. “Our game right now is a little bit rusty—we’ve been on that stage, so we haven’t been on the hardwood in a minute. But we still got it now—don’t get it twisted,” says Quavo, who played combo guard, quarterback and left field for Berkmar High School in Lithium, Georgia.

Quavo’s silky jumper came in handy in April 2014 during a recording session with Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan and Jermaine Dupri at So So Def Studios in North Atlanta for the banger “New Atlanta.” “By the time we stepped on the court—you know everybody got money—so there’s got to be some money involved,” Quavo says. Turns out, ‘some money’ means $1,000 per shot from the 3-point line.

Though Migos is unlikely to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy next June, the group’s debut album release on July 31 felt like the culmination of a grueling championship run. “We’re letting you know where we came from, and where we’re at now, and what it took to get to where we’re at now,” Offset says.

Following the 2013 smash single “Versace” (and its Drake-assisted remix) and a run of successful mixtapes in 2014, Takeoff, Offset and Quavo dropped YRN: Yung Rich Nation to positive reception from fans and critics alike. “We ain’t going platinum, we ain’t going gold, we’re going diamond,” Takeoff says. “If you don’t cop the album, I’mma pull up on you like Kyle Korver.”

photo by Diwang Valdez

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I'm so hyped about my EP that I had to drop one of the tracks for y'all today.

Listen: http://t.co/YNKH99oyGb

EP drops Sep 21! #DameDOLLA

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) August 31, 2015

That's the plan. Spotify, Apple music, etc. https://t.co/lfTQZLiA9f

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) August 31, 2015

The post Damian Lillard aka Dame DOLLA Releases Original Song ‘Heat Wave’ (LISTEN) appeared first on SLAM.

H/T: Complex

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