Kurtis Blow Introduced World To Bond Between 1980s NBA And Hip Hop

Zachary Draves | Nov 8, 2024

Mar 16, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Offset from the hip-hop group Migos performs during halftime of a game between the Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Kurtis Blow's 1984 classic "Basketball" was not just about his personal love for the game, but an expression of solidarity between the game and rap.

Since hip hop came onto the scene in 1973, its connection with basketball is evident.

Players are regularly mentioned in songs and featured music videos. Some players such as Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Flau'Jae Johnson, and Damian Lillard tried their hands at rapping. Rappers don NBA and WNBA jerseys and sit courtside at games.

There is also the share foundational dimensions of improvisation, creativity, and rhythm found in both ball and rap.

"I would say the main reason would be the rhythm," Blow said to Back In The Day NBA. "The rhythm that it takes to actually do a rap. It's poetry and rhythm, poetry and rhyme, or rhyming and poetry, rhythm and poetry, and basketball needs that same rhythm. The connection is the rhythm because you need that rhythm, that timing when you're on defense, when you're dribbling the ball, the shake and bake is your rhythm. You have to be in rhythm to have that perfect timing when you go up and block a shot. You have to jump at the right time, so you have to be in a perfect rhythm in order to be successful in sports in general, so that's the connection, number one. Number two, hip-hop comes from the streets. It's the voice of the people. It's about community, family. It's about peace, unity, love, and having safe fun, and that is the connection. This is why the NBA and sports in general and the WNBA, they love hip-hop because of that fact. It's the voice of the people, and it comes from the streets, and they come from the streets as well."

The improvisational nature found in basketball unlike the more regimented sports of baseball and football originates from a particular style of rap.

"It reminds me of what we call extemporaneous rap," Blow said. "Which is rap that is off the cuff, not prepared. It's more like a freestyle rap. And so that's what they are doing on the basketball court when they improvise and say, okay, I know the coach called the play, but we have a defense that's set up, so I have to adjust and improvise, and that's the connection there as well."

Zachary Draves is a contributor to Back In the Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.

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