“I swear Sports and Music and music are so synonymous, cause we wanna be them and they wanna be us.” Grammy-Award winning artist Drake rapped on his “Thank Me Now” track. Over the years, we’ve seen this lyric hold true via marquee athletes such as Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Shaq hitting the studio to record songs. Or whether platinum-selling artists like Jay Z, Drake, and 50 Cent establish close ties to premier superstars in the sports world including LeBron James, Floyd Mayweather, to name a few.
ESPN has officially released three cover pages to their “ESPN The Magazine: The Music Issue” where Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem co-star alongside Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, and Calvin Johnson respectively. This issue, set to hit shelves & subscribers Feb. 3rd, will feature Superbowl coverage, an exclusive Q&A w/ Kendrick & Chris Paul, and more stories, including a story on the relationship between Hip-Hop & Sports. Hip Hop’s presence in the Sports world has been well documented, even on the business side of the table. Aforementioned artists Jay Z’s investment in the ownership then New Jersey Nets plus current founding of Roc Nation Sports Management Agency alongside 50 Cent’s founding of SMS Promotions in boxing display the influence Hip-Hop holds as beneficiaries in the Sports realm. Many other artists like Nelly, Drake and others, have followed suit with their own business ventures. Check out more previews and behind the scenes from “ESPN The Mag: The Music Edition” below:
Kobe Bryant speaks on his admiration for Nicki’s accomplishments, his rap career & more:
Chris Paul x Kendrick Lamar talk rivalry between athletes and rappers, LA fan base over Clippers vs Lakers & more:
Here’s an excerpt from their Q&A where they discuss Kendrick Control verse, Music & Hip Hop, and Business Possiblities:
“Still, within the LA hoops and music scenes, competition isn’t a terrible thing. Kendrick, you get it — you made some waves when you dropped that verse into Big Sean’s track “Control,” where you called out virtually every young MC in the game.(2) Is competition as important to you as it is to Chris’ day job?
Lamar: It’s very important. It only helps the craft. If you’re making good music, I want to make good music too. I want to be right there at that level. If you always have this competitive nature, as far as upping our game, the people will always be happy. The music will live forever.
Paul: When I heard that verse, I immediately texted him and told him how crazy it was. [Laughs] But like he said, competition is what keeps you going. When I played against Steve Nash the first time, the night before, I couldn’t sleep. He’d just won MVP, and I couldn’t wait to compete against him. Now, it’s funny, I’m nine years into the league, and there are so many great young point guards in our league. They’re coming for me like I was going for Nash. It’s competition — it’s why we do this.
Today we’re seeing a symbiotic relationship between music and sports, with each side using the other to sell its product — whether we’re talking about Bieber walking Floyd to the ring, or how Beats by Dre wouldn’t be Beats without LeBron. Have you guys thought about what the other side can do to help sell what you’re selling?
Paul: That’s something me and my brother, my business manager, have been working toward. We had a great opportunity recently to talk about brand-building with O.G. Juan.(3) We’ve also spoken to Scooter Braun,(4) who works with Justin Bieber. That stuff is big, and we’re still trying to figure it out.
Lamar: Hip-hop and being a pro athlete go hand in hand. When they come together, it’s a win, not just for your business brand but also for culture. I always use the word “culture,” because that’s first — everything else falls behind it. When they see that this guy loves rap the way he does, and this guy loves basketball like he does, the business is gonna flow behind it.
Paul: That word “culture” is everything. For example, earlier today, you mentioned Beats by Dre — do you remember when they first started being worn?”
The 2008 Dream Team, right?
Paul: That’s right — our 2008 Olympic team. Everybody saw us walking around with those headphones on, and now everybody’s got one.
Lamar: Uh-huh, that’s the culture right there.
Paul: And it was brilliant. It shows you the cultural influence of basketball. But I don’t care what anybody says, there’s nothing like the cultural influence of hip-hop. For me, hip-hop culture is involved in everything — it’s in me, in who I am, in how I dress, how I talk. It’s in my son and my wife.”
via ESPN The Mag