The sports and hip-hop connection began with inner-city youth who gravitated toward both during the ’80s. By the time ’80s-babies came of age, the relationship had gone mainstream as rappers and athletes became pop culture icons. While Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson were the first two popular athletes to delve into hip-hop, there are now a multitude of athletes who are true hip-hop heads. –amir shaw
LeBron James
LeBron James will likely never rap and he doesn’t own a record company. However, his partnership with Jay-Z gives him hip-hop cred. The two stars put on the annual Two Kings charity event to give back to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
