There are some folks out there who say that Atlanta is a “bad sports town,” but there’s a whole lot of rappers who would disagree with that.
Hip-hop artists have been putting the names of star athletes in their rhymes since the 80’s. You’ve heard “Basketball” by Kurtis Blow, right?
Rappers these days don’t quite hit their listeners over the head with sports references like Blow did on that track in 1984, but your favorite rapper probably has a favorite sports team.
While an Atlanta sports team hasn’t produced a championship since 1995, the city has given platforms to human highlight reels on the field and on the mic.
When those two cross paths, here’s what they make:
Michael Vick
Rick Ross – “Mafia Music”
Martin had a dream, Bob got high / I still do both but somehow I got by / Creflo prayed, Mike Vick paid / Bobby Brown straight, Whitney lost weight / Kimbo Slice on the pad when I write
The rapper from Florida mentions a lot of famous folks here, but Vick sticks out when it comes to Atlanta athletes. For Vick, this line from 2009 is a double meaning, because while Vick made a lot of money, he also paid time in prison.
In 2004, the Falcons made Vick the highest paid player in NFL history when they signed him to a 10-year contract worth $130 million. The Virginia native had earned the fat check by scoring 92 touchdowns for the Falcons from 2001 through 2006.
However, in 2007, Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring. After being released, Vick returned to the NFL with the Eagles and made a Pro Bowl for his play in 2010.
Dikembe Mutombo
Hoodie Allen – “The Chase Is On”
Ask them if that (expletive) half full, half empty / Too big for my own good, Dikembe / Mutombo you dumbos just envy / Name a bunch of rappers and pretend that you forget me
While playing for the Atlanta Hawks from 1996 to 2001, Mutombo made four All-Star teams and was twice named Defensive Player of the Year. He was an absolute monster in the paint over his 18-year NBA career and still ranks second all-time in blocked shots, having smacked away 3,289 basketballs.
But what Hoodie alludes to here is that, while many wished they could be Mutombo, larger bodies often break down harder than smaller ones. Mutombo’s 7-foot-2, 250-pound frame betrayed him in the latter stages of his career, forcing him to miss many games. That still didn’t stop him from making six All-Defense teams though.
READ | Rhythm and hashbrowns: 10 times Waffle House is mentioned in rap songs
READ | 12 hip-hop landmarks to visit in metro Atlanta
READ | Alpharetta has bars - 5 times Young Jeezy, others dropped it in a song
READ |
Smoltz, Glavine, Maddux
Run the Jewels – “Stay Gold”
And you should know we pitch these rhymes / Like Smoltz, like Glavine, like Maddux in ninety-five / And now we shine just like Eddie / Golden teeth from Greenbriar in ninety-nine
I’m not sure who Eddie is, but in the second line, Killer Mike is talking about three of the greatest pitchers to ever take the mound for the Atlanta Braves in John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux.
In 1995, the trio combined for an overall record of 47-16 and 501 strikeouts. Maddux, with a 1.63 ERA, would win his fourth straight Cy Young Award. Propelled by these three flamethrowers, the Braves went on to beat the Indians in the World Series. Atlanta hasn’t won a professional sports championship since.
Herschel Walker
DJ Khaled – “Brown Paper Bag”
Practice makes perfect, I'm relaxing at rehearsal / I'm a (expletive) professional, like Herschel / Walker, the talk of the game, is I / But I wonder will they still be talkin' after I die
This line comes in the fourth verse of the collaborative track, courtesy of Lil Wayne. Walker was one of the first football players to leave college early for a career in the pros. After rushing for 5,259 yards and 49 touchdowns as a Georgia Bulldog, Walker fled the SEC after his junior year for the riches of a new league, the USFL. Walker played for three years for the New Jersey Generals, then became a Dallas Cowboy after the USFL folded.
The Generals were owned by Donald Trump, and he and Walker have remained close through Trump's presidency. Walker is co-chair on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.
Fran Tarkenton
Rick Ross – “Super High”
Uhh, we shinin' when it's pitch dark / Yeah this (expletive) a movie, but this time I play a big part/ Uhh, (expletive) the marketin', look at what I'm accomplishin' / I'm beatin' (expletive) by margins bigger than Fran Tarkenton
Tarkenton was a quarterback for the Bulldogs decades ago. He was twice an All-SEC selection and led the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship and an Orange Bowl win in 1959.
Tarkenton went on to play in the NFL for 18 seasons, starring as a scrambler under center for the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants. He threw for 47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns and led the Vikings to three Super Bowl appearances. Tarkenton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
The margin Ricky Rozay speaks of may be Tarkenton’s 1975 Vikings’ squad, which outscored opponents 377 points to 180.
Like North Fulton County News Now on Facebook | Follow on Twitter
MORE...
About the Author
