9 sporting references in australian hip hop
Sport and music go hand in hand. From the unforgettable soundtracks of FIFA and NBA 2K games, to going to a live sporting event and hearing the DJ play songs that evoke a sense of nostalgia (and, in some cases, really annoy people)—the two pursuits are inextricably linked, and for good reason. Both music and sport involve a lot of passion, a lot of sacrifices and a lot of investment from spectators/listeners.
For Triple J Unearthed’s Executive Producer and Arsenal superfan Tommy Faith, the link between music and sport is borne from the people involved in both areas. Speaking to Complex AU he says, “There’s a degree of overlap between those chaotic and charismatic personas that are in both sporting and music worlds, so it’s never really surprised me that those who gravitate to them in one area vibe them in the other.”
The synergy between musical and sporting excellence is evident in Perth MC MALI JO$E’s trajectory. Balancing a professional soccer career and music formed a huge part of MALI’s teenage years. He was recruited into the Perth Glory youth system at 14, spending four years there. Speaking about the experience to Complex AU, he says, “The experience was unreal. I’ll never forget those years. I’ve done things some footballers never see.” As a teenager, he played against Barcelona and Manchester City during his time at the Australian Institute of Sport for a tournament. Now, the MC is scoring goals off the field, releasing the punchy and introspective SUNSEEKER EP in 2022, and dropping a trio of singles so far in 2023.
The link between music and sport is evident in all eras of Australian hip-hop, from the Hilltop Hoods rapping about Friday night footy on “The Nosebleed Section”, to ChillinIT appearing in full cricket whites for the “Wish You Well Pt. 2 (It’s A Vibe)” music video. In more recent times, OneFour performed at a Western Sydney parade to celebrate Samoa’s recent run all the way to the Rugby League World Cup final, while Australian UFC hero Alex Volkanovski appeared in the music video for HP Boyz’s “Watch The Wick”.
Australian MCs love referencing sporting heroes in their lyrics, and we wanted to celebrate by taking a look at some of our favourite sports-related references in Australian hip-hop. Whether you’re a fan of the round ball, the oval ball or the contest between bat and ball, read on to find out how Australian rappers have immortalised some of the world’s biggest sporting stars in their lyrics.
BLESSED, "OTW"
“I pay the bill, ball like AFL/Score like Peter Bell, take the L” (AFL)
BLESSED’s been around the block. We first heard of the Ghanaian-Australian superstar during his time as Miracle, and he’s also well-known for being part of The Kid LAROI’s breakthrough EP 14 With A Dream. 2022 was a big year for BLESSED, as he released some of the best music of his career on the heartfelt, genre-traversing AUSSIE BLACKSTAR. The last few years have proved that BLESSED is a multi-talented threat, so it’s fitting that he references Fremantle star Peter Bell on his 2021 track “OTW”.
Peter Bell is a two-time premiership winner with North Melbourne, two-time All-Australian, a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame and much, much more. The South Korean-born forward/midfielder was both a proven ball magnet and an elite goalkicker, ending his career with 286 games and 250 goals. Not bad for someone that was initially delisted at the end of their first season in the AFL.
BARKAA, “Ball On ‘Em”
“And I’ma rip the speed up and I’ma floor all ‘em (Grr)/And I’ma dunk on ‘em like Patty, get awards for ‘em (Haa)” (basketball)
Barkaa’s 2022 track ‘Ball On ‘Em’’ features on the 2K23 soundtrack, coming as part of the Court In Session collaboration that also gave life to tracks from ChillinIT and SAHXL. It’s a fitting tribute from one Indigenous artist at the top of her game to an Indigenous sportsman at the top of his game. Barkaa’s flow on “Ball On ‘Em” is as electric as you’d expect, and the track features in-game sound effects. Everything seems hunky dory.
The thing is… Patty Mills has never dunked in the NBA—at least during a game.Speaking to Sports Illustrated about dunking he revealed, “I want to say it’s at the bottom of the list, but to be honest, it’s probably not even on the list.” For anyone reading this that wants to delight (and annoy) their friends, you can now tell them you’ve dunked as many times in the NBA as Patty Mills. Go to a couple of Olympics and win an NBA championship and you’re on the way to having a similar career.
Nerve, “Walk & Talk, Pt. 2”
“Breaking boundaries like Don Bradman in his heyday” (cricket)
Brisbane artist Nerveis the musical equivalent of an all-rounder: as both a rapper and producer, he sits at the top of the tree in Australian hip-hop. As a rapper, he’s released projects like the R&B-tinged Tall Poppy Season and teamed up with Tkay Maidza and Young Franco for the A-Leagues’ official song, “Real Nice (H.C.T.F)”. As a producer, he’s worked with the likes of Mulalo and BOY SODA. It’s hard to imagine Australian hip-hop without Nerve’s influence.
As part of his beloved Walk & Talk series, Nerve compared himself to Don Bradman, suggesting that both broke boundaries (Don Bradman’s approach was to hit the ball along the ground, finishing his career with just six sixes). It’s a fair comparison, and a lofty one—but hey, if you want to be the best, trying to become the Bradman of Brisbane isn’t a bad aspiration.
drest, "ex4ya"
“Well girl that boy must be an angel like he’s Di Maria” (soccer)
Winger/midfielder Ángel Di María has a couple of things going for him when it comes to featuring in hip-hop songs. Firstly, he’s one of Argentina’s best ever players, recently winning a World Cup alongside an Argentinian team that achieved their ultimate goal—one that had eluded them for ages. Second, his name sounds like angel.
On this track from his recent project, wine drunk demos, drest references the Juventus star to convey his pain—he’s with someone that’s not over their ex. “ex4ya” is bright and bubbly on the surface, but the tension between drest and the subject of the song is palpable. Waiting for someone to come to the table in a relationship is not unlike the feeling of getting hit by a studs-up slide tackle, except you can’t give someone a red card in the real world.
No Money Enterprise, “German”
“’Cause I’ll run the ball like Papalii/Pack two choppers, no Harleys” (NRL)
No Money Enterprise’s “German” is one of the most memorable Australian hip-hop songs of the last few years, thanks in part to the song’s sampling of Pink Martini’s energetic yet melancholy “Donde estas Yolanda”. “German” is a pump-up song in the truest sense of the word—it’s hard to not feel like you’re walking a foot taller after hearing Tommy OT, Ha’i Braa and Rndy $vge trade verses.
Tommy OT’s verse references Josh Papali’i, Canberra Raiders star and Australian/Samoan international. He also had a rocking mullet (which he got rid of in 2022). The link between NME and Papali’i? He played his junior rugby league for Logan Brothers, the area that NME are proudly from. It all makes sense in the end.
Mulalo, “Tracy Grimshaw”
“Nickname Roy Whitney, I test 12 and they can miss me, I’m up to bat like Ponting” (cricket)
Mulalo’s “Tracy Grimshaw” is packed to the rafters with Australian references, and she shouts out two Test cricketers in this particular bar: Mike “Roy Whitney”, who played in 12 Test matches and went on to host shows like Who Dares Wins and Last Chance Learners, and Ricky Ponting, one of Australia’s best-ever batters. Try and name a better duo.
Ricky ‘Punter’ Ponting is synonymous with the pull shot, and if you know any cricket lovers, it’s likely they’ve watched at least one or two Ricky Ponting pull shot compilations. Elsewhere on ‘Tracy Grimshaw’, Mulalo shows love to the legendary Lee Lin Chin, Cathy Freeman and even Curtis Stone. You could quite happily use the track’s lyrics to re-write the citizenship test. It’d make studying for it a lot more enjoyable, that’s for sure.
ChillinIT & Lisi, “Run Up The Ball”
“And my boy don’t smoke on the gram, but hе spin you the word with a ball like Warne” and “They call me Johnathan from the way that I be first in” (various)
ChillinIT and Lisi’s whirlwind “Run Up The Ball” features far too many sporting references to pick just one. We’ve gone with a bar that references the spinning prowess of the late, great Shane Warne, and a bar that references NRL champion Johnathan Thurston, whose golden point field goal won the North Queensland Cowboys the 2015 NRL Premiership.
ChillinIT and Lisi are the rap equivalent of Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden on “Run Up The Ball”, using a variety of punchlines to hit listeners for six. The track even features an interlude courtesy of rugby league commentators Ray Warren and Peter Sterling, sampling their commentary of Panthers star Ryan “The Intercept King” Girdler’s 101st and final try during the Round 12, 2004 clash against the Bulldogs. If you can pick all the references on “Run Up The Ball” after one listen, then we bow down to you.
Scan, “Spend Something”
“Two for one/That’s a great deal/But the plug got pounds that’s stacking up 5’8/Timmy Cahill” (soccer)
Sydney MC Scan’s music features sporting references from time to time, and on the SUS1ER-produced “Spend Something”, he references the height of one of Australia’s most successful and beloved Socceroos to flex just how good his dealer’s weed is (though, Wikipedia has this Socceroo’s height listed as 5’10).
It’s a bar that sees Scan using his head, much like one Timothy Cahill. He was known for his ability to connect his forehead and the ball, which would often result in goals when Australia needed it most. Cahill fittingly played for Sydney Olympic FC and Sydney United before going on to star at clubs like Millwall and Everton. As far as Tim Cahill’s goals go, it’s hard to go past this stunner against the Netherlands from the 2014 World Cup.
OneFour, “The Message”
“Call me Festus when you hear the bell/I’ll be wrecking opps like I’m Wreck-It-Ralph” (wrestling)
OneFourmember Spenny is one of Australia’s best punchline rappers, and their iconic 2019 track “The Message” is a perfect example of this. On “The Message”, Spenny compares himself to Festus, a late 2000s wrestler who would get the wrestling equivalent of white line fever when the bell rang to signify the start of a fight. Before and after the starting/end bell, he was as catatonic as humanly possible.
Part of a duo known as Jesse and Festus, Festus would later go on to wrestle as Doc Gallows, with his backstory stating that he was cured of his bell-related affliction. Thankfully, Spenny doesn’t need a bell to turn into a lyrical menace when he steps into the booth.