Let’s be real for a second. When most hip-hop fans tune into NBA games, one of the first things they look for is which rappers are sitting courtside.
The genre has a fruitful relationship with basketball and it’s something Toronto Raptors fans have witnessed first-hand the past few years due to the organization’s ties to Drake.
The Raptors host LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday during Drake Night at the Air Canada Centre. In addition to receiving a Raptors/October’s Very Own shirt and headband, fans can visit the “Hotline Bling Booth” and film their own videos using a stage similar to the one used in the visuals for Drake’s smash single.
To commemorate the annual ritual at the ACC, we rated hip hop’s NBA fanboys, providing each with a rating of up to five mics.
Jay Z/Brooklyn Nets
5 Mics
(Kathy Willens/AP)
“Would’ve brought the Nets to Brooklyn for free
Except I made millions off it, you (expletive) dweeb
I still own the building, I’m still keeping my seats
You buy that (expletive), you better keep your receipts.”
~ Lyrics from Open Letter
Hov was part of the investors group that brought the Nets from New Jersey to his native Brooklyn. Even though he had to sell his stake in the club to become a player agent, Jay gets a perfect score.
Lil Wayne/Miami Heat
1 Mic
(Lynne Sladky/AP)
“I’m the Miami fever, in that Miami Heat
I been in Miami water, I’m like a Florida Marlin”
~ Lyrics from Hustlin
A native of Louisiana, Weezy moved to Miami and adopted the Heat as his team. How’d that go? He beefed with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade for a while and even dissed Chris Bosh and his wife.
Oh and in 2011, Wayne celebrated with the Dallas Mavericks in a Miami club AFTER they defeated the Heat in the NBA Finals.
Rick Ross/Miami Heat
4 Mics
“Miami’s mine like I’m Pat Riley”
~ Lyrics from Ice Cold
On the other side of Lil Wayne is Rick Ross, who had the Heat logo tattooed on his face. Nuff said.
It’s your neighborhood drug dealer @richforever
Drake/Toronto Raptors
3.5 Mics
“We gon’ make sure you get your bread and you know the ropes
I get a ring and I bring it home like I’m Corey Joe”
~ Lyrics from Charged Up
Drake’s mic rating should be a five, but we just can’t do it. For one, we’d like to see him rep the Kentucky Wildcats a little less and the Raptors a little more in the States.
He was trolled by Paul Pierce in last season’s playoffs, so you have to deduct some points there.
Anything Drake does seems to light social media on fire. His lint-rolling incident in 2014 worked out well, but this photo, like countless others on Twitter, keep Toronto’s Very Own from a perfect score:
Wale/Washington Wizards
1 Mic
“And I’m sorry if you 30, still purchasing nickels
Cause I’m pushing 30 and the nickel be purchasing Wizards”
~ Lyrics from The Success
Washington rapper Wale was hired by the Wizards as a creative liaison in 2014. That’s cool, but who can forget when he got into it with Raptors announcers Leo Rautins and Matt Devlin?
No bueno.
Fat Joe/New York Knicks
2.5 Mics
“Court side at the Knick game, who the don?
Plus I worked on your kick game, Louboutin”
~ Lyrics from Pride N Joy
Fat Joe has been saying for years that he helped recruit Amar’e Stoudemire and urged Carmelo Anthony to sign long-term with the Knicks. Those are worth a few mics for effort, but those moves ultimately didn’t work out well for the Knickerbockers.
Also, Joey Crack seemed to have slept on burgeoning New York cult hero Kristaps Porzingis after the NBA draft in June.
