with the titanic yet still smooth “You Can’t Stop the Reign.” It’s not even a case of letting the smooth beat ride out until you get to Frank White’s verse-Shaq is actually spitting. Who else can boast having the first track with Jay-Z and Nas together (in ‘96 no less, what taste) or delivering a true-blue rap classic alongside prime-era Notorious B.I.G. Most of the music merits participation trophies at best few ballers came as correct as Shaq did in the 90s, with albums graced by production from the likes of RZA and Erick Sermon and features from the hottest singers and rappers of the moment. The annals of rap history are littered with aspiring-rapper-athletes-All-Stars who despite their achievements on the court couldn’t resist the urge to be an entertainer of a similar but different cloth. ![]() Nineties babies and NBA/hip-hop fans alike are all too familiar with Shaq’s rap career, which began not long after his 1992 draft to the league, peaked with his 1996 album You Can’t Stop the Reign, and petered out right before the start of the new millennium. Ross and Meek had a brief (and thankfully never that serious) period of estrangement, Wale has since departed for Def Jam, Gunplay is in and out of trouble and endorsing Donald Trump amongst other problematic behavior, and so on. Even bemusing decisions like signing Omarion yielded an undeniable track or two (and later, in true Ross fashion, A1 punchlines admitting it didn’t work out.)Īlas, all good crews come to an end. French Montana, also at his peak, was a close family friend despite being formally beholden to Bad Boy Records. ![]() It was a time when every Meek verse sounded like he needed to be extinguished after leaving the booth, Wale churned out melodic radio hits like it was nothing, and people of taste knew there was a real, credible argument to be made for Ross’ lifelong friend Gunplay being one of the best rappers out. The title is an accurate description of most collab projects, but this is a big deal-Ross and Meek’s reunion is as close as we’ll get to the halcyon early 2010s of Maybach Music Group, when they were one of, if not the hottest label squads out, with Ross’s roster spearheaded by Meek and DC rapper Wale minting club hits, street bangers and radio smashes with ease. And he just hit everyone with a big reminder last night.įirst, let’s back up: Rick Ross and Meek Mill are releasing a new album, called Too Good to Be True. The list goes on, but one take is universally held as fact: if we’re talking crossover success stories, Shaquille O'Neal is the Gold Standard. LeBron James, one of our most important music critics, also invented the deluxe track. ![]() Kevin Durant executive produced the latest Drake album. Everyone from Kobe to Allen Iverson has a rap song or five to their name if not a whole project. Cole’s recent stint as a pro player is an echo of the real run Master P tried to go in in the late ‘90s. As such, crossover is inevitable and endless. ![]() It’s more than likely that if you made it doing one, you probably had dreams and aspirations of doing the other too. Rap and basketball are inextricably linked-the majority of entertainers in both fields typically hail from the same communities and grew up in the same culture.
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