Rap and basketball have always had their parallels, as professionals in both crafts attempt to crossover (no pun intended) to show their range of talents. Most recently, a batch of NBA players had the bright idea to create a collaborative rap album aptly titled Full Court Press Vol. 1.
A product of Full Court Press Records, the 10-song project bands together hoops stars with seasoned rappers . The first single, “I’m A Champion,” features Dallas Mavericks forward Shawn Marion rhyming alongside T-Pain, Dorrough, and Young Cash. Over sonically lush synths, the foursome wax poetics about their aspirations to win the ultimate prize.
That same messaging rings true throughout the whole body of work. “With over a decade of successes at Bad Boy Records, I understand the power of hip-hop on American culture,” said A&R Executive Shannon “Slam” Ridley, who masterminded this effort. “I thought it would be really cool if I could enjoy listening to Hip-Hop with my children the way we enjoy an NBA game!”
Iman Shumpert, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, Stephen Jackson, Carlos Boozer, and Juwan Howard are among the hoopers who contributed, while the notable list of rappers include Future, Ma$e, The Game, Bun B, Twista, and more.
Stream “I’m A Champion” and see a BTS video below.
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Photo: YouTube
