Back In The Day NBA

That Time Kobe Bryant Followed In Shaquille O'Neal's Rapping Footsteps

Shandel Richardson

February 20, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) speaks about recently deceased owner Jerry Buss before playing against the Boston Celtics at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
February 20, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) speaks about recently deceased owner Jerry Buss before playing against the Boston Celtics at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Shaquille O'Neal made a big splash when he decided to merge the NBA with the hip-hop world.

His sidekick, Kobe Bryant, was much more subtle when he got into the music game. Few knew or even remember when Bryant had a cameo rap verse with R & B singer Brian McKnight. The song, "Hold Me" was released in 1998.

Here's a quick look at Bryant dropping some lyrics during his second year in the league. He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996 before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won five championships.

It was Bryant's first and last appearance in a song. He wasn't that bad. It's just many from today's era never knew about it. Actually, there are probably only a few who even heard the song back in the day. On the post, he drew comments from fans. Included was former Chicago Bulls player Stacey King, who said Bryant sounded like the legendary rapper Rakim. King won three titles alongside Michael Jordan from 1991-93.

Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter accident in 2020, kept his rap lifestyle on the low. It was different from when O'Neal made a spectacle when he appeared on the 1993 track "Can We Rock" by the "Fu Schnickens.

O'Neal had a rap verse before even finishing his rookie season. He still gets on mic for rap battles against all challengers, including Damian Lillard in 2019. For Bryant, it seemed like something just to do to get away from NBA life.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day NBA. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com