These are our heroes...

Thinking a bit more about Limbaugh's comments on the NBA and "hip hop culture," I was motivated to remember some hip hop songs which mention the NBA or its players.

One example I've already linked to is Nelly's It's Hot in Herre:

"I gotta friend with a pole in the basement, what?
I'm just kid like Jason"

Or there is Jay-Z's song Encore when he says:

"I am the Michael Jordan of recording"

These two examples are offhand references which might not have required too much thought. One could say this also applies to attempts by NBA players to rap such as Shaq Fu, C. Webb, Jewelz (aka Allen Iverson), Ron-Ron Artest, and (by far the worst) Kobe Bryant.

Given the Kobe reference, I would be amiss to forget perhaps the most elaborate NBA reference in Nas's classic song These are our heroes:

"Uh, Massa used to breed us to be bigger to go play
Athletes of today in the NBA, make me proud
But there's somethin' they don't say
Keep gettin' accused for abusin' White pussay
From OJ to Kobe, uh let's call him Tobe
First he played his life cool just like Michael
Now he rock ice too just like I do
Yo, you can't do better than that?
The hotel clerk who adjusts the bathroom mat?
Now you lose sponsorships that you thought had your back
Yeah, you beat the rap jiggaboo, fake nigga you
You turn around then you shit on Shaq
Who woulda knew, Mr. Goodie-Two-Shoes
He love a little butt crack, got enough cash
Little kids with they bus pass who look up to you
To do something for the youth, stupid spoof
But you let them use you as an example
They would rep, but our heroes got they hands full"