10 of the greatest references to baseball players found in hip-hop
Of the over 19,000 players in MLB history, only 323 have been granted entry into the Hall of Fame. To be deemed worthy of induction is an incredible honor, a legendary achievement both exceedingly rare and undeniably impressive. However, there exists an even more remarkable accomplishment that even fewer Major Leaguers have ever experienced: Getting a shoutout in a rap song.
To be referenced in a rap song is to be recognized as more than simply a skilled baseball player, but as a notable pop culture figure as well. It's an awesome acknowledgement that you've made it, just ask former big league outfielder Juan Pierre, who remembered exactly where he was when he found out that he got name-dropped in a Jay-Z song.
Certain rappers like Phife Dawg, Jay-Z, Action Bronson (who we left off this list entirely because he name drops like six athletes on each of his songs. Think of it like a rap version of the Chapman Filter) and Bun B have established themselves as particularly huge baseball fans willing to shoutout baseball players regularly. But exactly which songs feature the best baseball player related rap references?
Here's our Top 10:
10) Kanye West - Barry Bonds
"Uh-uh-hum, and here's another hit; Barry Bonds" - Barry Bonds (2007)
An entire song dedicated to MLB's Home Run King? Please and thank you. The only gripe here is that you don't really associate Bonds with hits, but perhaps the first draft of the lyric was "Here's another hit; Rod Carew."
Hanging With @kanyewest @KimKardashian @SFGiants Game time Yes Yes Yes??????????@BondsPat pic.twitter.com/82xaSl9Hlb
— Barry L Bonds (@BarryBonds) October 27, 2014
9) Beastie Boys - Sadaharu Oh
"There's more to me than you'll ever know, and I got more hits than Sadaharu Oh." - Hey Ladies (1989)
Oh was maybe the greatest power hitter in baseball history, as the slugger totaled 868 career home runs during his career in Japan. It's only fair that he eventually got some credit here in the States via the Beastie Boys for his dinger-knocking exploits.
8) J. Cole - Kenny Lofton
"Kenny Lofton, you feelin' my pace?" - Kenny Lofton (2013)
Though lesser known than Kanye's Barry Bonds, J. Cole building an entire song around Lofton is one of the best baseball-rap intersections.
7) Pusha T -
"I'm Yasiel Puig, I'm in another league." - Crutches, Crosses, Caskets (2015)
Pusha is not like Yasiel Puig, he is Yasiel Puig.
6) Blue Scholars -
"I'm a cool king, Felix, throwin' the two-seam." - Fou Lee (2011)
The Blue Scholars are a staple of Pacific Northwest hip-hop, and this tribute to the king of Seattle baseball is equally outstanding. We also love to see rappers display a deep understanding of a pitcher's arsenal.
5) Paul Wall - Greg Maddux
"See one of the keys to my success I switched up like Greg Maddux." - Sippin' Tha Barre (2005)
Paul Wall is either comparing his versatile flow to Maddux's ability to mix speeds on the mound, or he's comparing his own willingness to reinvent himself as a rapper to Maddux reinventing himself as pitcher later on in his Hall of Fame career. Or both. If Paul Wall is Greg Maddux, that means Slim Thug is Tom Glavine, Mike Jones is John Smoltz and Still Tippin' is the 1996 World Series.
4) JAY-Z - Tony La Russa
"They say it's celestial, it's all in the stars, like Tony La Russa on how you play your Cards." - American Dreamin (2007)
If you had to rank baseball people least likely to be in a rap song, Tony La Russa would be towards the top of that list. Jay-Z always finds a way to keep us on our toes.
3) Pharoahe Monch - Rey Ordoñez
"Without the Rover, more range than Rey Ordoñez" - Official (1999)
Other baseball figures shouted out in this song include Raul Mondesi, Ivan Rodriguez and George Steinbrenner, but nothing compares to the cult hero awesomeness of Ordoñez. Side note: If you want more Rey Ordoñez-themed music, there's an entire punk rock song called The Ballad of Rey Ordoñez dedicated to him.
2) Bun B - Dontrelle Willis
"Like Dontrelle Willis, we the trillest. On the mount, I'm holdin' that whole South down, I know you feel us." - The Game Belongs To Me (2007)
Bun B, one half of the UGK, is quite a huge baseball fan and even wrote an entire song about the Astros. This shoutout from 2007 recalls fond memories of a time when Willis was the most exciting pitcher in baseball
1) Phife Dawg - Bo Jackson
"Bo knows this, Bo knows that, but Bo don't know jack, cuz Bo can't rap." - Scenario (1991)
That The Tribe Called Quest had the moxie to call out perhaps the greatest athlete of all time for his lack of rapping skill makes this the single most iconic baseball hip-hop shoutout. Phife Dawg was legendary for his many sports references, but this one stands out above all the rest.
I'm still waiting for the Bo Jackson response track though ...
