Image via Complex Original
Jay Z is the former minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets (he got out of that one at the right time, aye?), allegedly made the Yankees cap more famous than the Yankees can, and founded the Roc Nation Sports agency. Shawn Carter doesn't just rap about sports; he's a bit of a fanatic. With that said, it definitely is still fun to listen to him drop sports metaphors whether they're tightly constructed (see the "Pump It Up" freestyle or the epic "Lyrical Exercise") or stinging backhanders like the one Stephon Marbury caught on "La-La-La." If Jay Z is the Michael Jordan of rap with his post-Black Album years akin to Jordan's Wizards years, then it makes sense that he'd have some of rap's greatest sports references. Check out some of Jay Z's finest lines while pausing to remind yourself that, damn, this dude is actually 44 today.
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30. Jay Z f/ Pharrell, "So Ambitious"
Year: 2009
Lyric(s): "Dear Teacher, you're probably somewhere near a speaker/I'm balling outta control, can you hear my sneakers"
Bad teachers are always quick to judge kids at an early age because they're upset about how their life turned out. Jay was no different growing up. He cut class and was still able to be successful. It helped that he could rap really good though. So stay in school unless you can rap like Jay.
29. Jay Z & Kanye West, "Illest Mother F**ker Alive"
Year: 2011
Lyric(s): "King Hov', I'm exactly what the fuck you think/11 in a row, Bill Russell rings/Michael Jordan swag, y'all think Michael Jordan bad/Nigga I got five more rings than Michael Jordan had"
Jay has dropped No. 1 album after No. 1 album. More No. 1 albums than Jordan has rings. When talking about all-time greats people forget Bill Russell because of the era he played in. But Hov pays homage to the greatest winner in American sports history.
28. Jay Z, "Squeeze 1st"
Year: 2000
Lyric(s): "See when I'm low on digits, I push blow in a blizzard/I'm a player for real, I post and pivot"
Real hustlers get money by any means. Rain, hail, sleet, snow. Jigga eventually graduated from going hand to hand to pushing weight like all block huggers should aspire to do.
27. "La-La-La (Excuse Me Miss Again)"
Year: 2003
Lyric(s):"Don't confuse me with Marbury out this bitch/Run up on me at the light, you could lose your life"
There's always that small possibility of getting robbed when you're sporting a chain that's worth six figures, but you definitely want to keep it a secret if you do become a victim for street cred purposes. In 2000, Stephon Marbury was sitting in his car when two robbers pressed him without displaying any weapons for his $150,000 chain. This Jay Z line—which is more relevant than Marbury right now (unless you live in China)—probably didn't help him cope with the situation.
26. Jay Z, "Lyrical Excercise"
Year: 2001
Lyric(s): "Put down your things/Trinidad of the game know my way around your ring/No matter how many pounds you bring/It sounds like the same old thing/R-O-C is the strongest team"
Felix Trinidad was the top boxer during his prime (until he ran into Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins). And he enjoyed championship-caliber success in three different weight classes. Jay can relate to always winning (until he ran into Nas).
25. Cam'Ron f/ Jay Z, Juelz Santana, "Welcome to New York City"
Year: 2002
Lyric(s): "I ain't hard to find, you catch me front and center/At the Knick game, big chain in all my splendor/Next to Spike if you pan left to right"
Nowadays, you wouldn't catch Jay dead at The Garden unless they're playing Kevin Durant and the Thunder. But, couldn't the same be said for Knicks fans in general? Are you seeing this year's team?!
24. Jay Z & Big L, "7 Minute Freestyle"
Year: 1995
Lyric(s): "They don't be knowin' the way I be flowing/When I be going/I be running the track like Jesse Owens/I disrupt the natural scheme, the way that you do things with a swing" (Jay Z)
At least Jay Z chose a sprinter to compare himself to. He showed in his final verse that he definitely wasn't made for long distance unlike Big L.
23. Notorious B.I.G. f/ Jay-Z, Angela Winbush, "I Love the Dough"
Year: 1997
Lyric(s): "You cats is home screaming the fight's on/I'm in the 1500 seats, watching Tyson/Same night, same fight/But one of us cats ain't playing right/I let you tell it" (Jay Z)
Guy A: That's right! My boy Mike Tyson is about to win me some extra bread after he knocks Bruce Seldon out. That's an extra $500 right there.
Guy B: Yeah I should've put some money on it too. How the fight started and you didn't give any of your guests popcorn yet?
Guy A: OK first of all, how you going to place a bet and you still didn't give me the half that you owe me from the last pay-per-view. You don't buy anything here, so don't come in my apartment with putting your dirty socks on my glass table asking me for food like I'm your maid.
Guy B: Yeah whatever.
Guy A: I'll show you whatever if you don't pay me. [Looks at the 12-inch television] Oh, oh here comes Tyson looking ready.
[Television camera cuts to a panning shot, where the two spot a fresh-looking Jay Z cheering from the expensive seats]
Guy B: Wait, is that Jay Z?
Guy A: Yeah man, that's crazy. Dude is really killing it out here.
Guy B: He's looking like he's having the time of his life too. I should have bought some of the cheap tickets because I definitely would've drove up there.
Guy A: Hold the phone. So you can afford a ticket and a new whip but still can't pay me? Get the fuck out of my apartment.
22. Jay Z, "F.U.T.W"
Year: 2013
Lyric(s): "America tried to emasculate the greats/Murder Malcolm, gave Cassius the shakes/Wait, tell them rumble young man rumble/Try to dim your lights tell you be humble"
The government tried to silence Ali when they threatened him with jail time for refusing to go to Vietnam. Ali eventually won the legal battle and gave George Foreman that work to regain the Heavyweight Championship. However, he suffers from Parkinson's Disease but no proof if the C.I.A. had anything to do with it.
21. Jay Z, "Heart of the City"
Year: 2001
Lyric(s): "Can I live?/I told you in '96 that I came to take this shit and I did/Handled my biz/I scrambled like Randall with his/Cunningham/But the only thing running is numbers fam"
Excellent question. Jay Z hustled to give us The Blueprint while Randall Cunningham changed the game with his style of play. Can they both live?
20. Jay Z f/ Santogold, "Brooklyn Go Hard"
Year: 2009
Lyric(s): "Lucky me, lucky we, they didn't get me/Now when I bring the Nets, I'm the Black Branch Rickey"
In addition to being the executive who signed Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers and helped break the MLB's color barrier, Branch Rickey also helped advance the league with the use of the spring training facility and the batting helmet. Similarly, Jay Z continues to redefine and advance the role of a rapper. Hip-hop is gonna miss Hov when he's gone.
19. Young Jeezy f/ Jay Z, "Go Crazy"
Year: 2005
Lyric(s): "More than a street legend, homie, it's Hova/More than a relief pitcher, I'm the closer/The Mariano of The Mariott/If money talks, the whole world's about to hear me out" (Jay Z)
Whether you're rapping, dealing at The Marriott near The Garden or involved in any other hustles, Jay is not about just being good, but rather, being great. Wise words from a decent man.
18. Jay Z, "Bump Bump Bump Freestyle"
Year: 2003
Lyric(s): "You don't even know me and you mad/How it feel to be a hater?/Now I know exactly how it feel to be a Laker"
The Lakers bros know exactly what you're talking about, Hov. Haters gonna hate.
17. Kanye West f/ Jay Z, J. Ivy, "Never Let Me Down"
Year: 2004
Lyric(s): "Every fourth quarter, I like to Mike Jordan 'em/No. 1 albums what I got, like four of 'em?" (Jay Z)
Jay Z reasons that Michael Jordan kills his competition as just a hobby. As if he let the Jazz come close to winning for shits and giggles.
16. Jay Z & R. Kelly, "The Return"
Year: 2004
Lyric(s): "Losers lose, so when we does what we do/we win and win again, like deja vu/Then we win again, like M.J. do/Three-peat, then we retreat to waters that's blue"
Like Mike, Jay never stays in retirement. He'll return, drop a platinum album (good or not) and go on a vacay with Bey. That's how winners do.
15. Freeway f/ Beanie Sigel, Jay Z, "What We Do"
Year: 2003
Lyric(s): "Leader of the black gang, R-O-C mang/Bang like T-Mac, ski mask air it out/Gotta kill witnesses 'cause Free beard's stickin' out" (Jay Z)
Back before McGrady had knees, he used to abuse the rim. And Jigga was no different when it came to the mic. The Roc was running the game at the time and Jay was at the top of the pyramid.
14. Jay Z & R. Kelly, "Best of Both Worlds"
Year: 2002
Lyric(s): "It's not even close, just leave it alone/I'm Michael Jordan, I play for the team I own" (Jay Z)
Ten years later, Jay performed in eight sold-out shows to open the Barclays Center, the new Brooklyn home of the team he had one-fifteenth of a percent ownership of. He still owns the building and his own record label. Can't knock it.
13. Jay Z & Kanye West, "Gotta Have It"
Year: 2011
Lyric(s): "And last party we had, they shut down Prive/ (Ain't that where the Heat play? Ni**as hate ballas these days)/Ain't that like LeBron James? (Ain't that just like D. Wade? Wait)" (Kanye West & Jay Z)
Jay Z is playing it coy here since he's constantly rapped about people hating on his prosperity for a while. It just so happens that the rise of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade makes a solid tying point. It also gives Jay Z something to bond with them over. Could you imagine their phone calls? Imagine Jay Z ecstatically saying "You get hated on a lot? Me too! We should go out!"
12. Jay Z f/ Travi$ Scott, "Crown"
Year: 2013
Lyric(s): "Scott Boras, you over baby/Robinson Cano, you coming with me" (Jay Z)
Back in April 2013, Jay Z started up Roc Nation Sports and made Robinson Cano his first client, stealing him away from Scott Boras. And, even though Boras represents big money players, like Alex Rodriguez, Matt Holliday and Prince Fielder, the mega agent couldn't just fall back and catch an L on this one. So, Jay had to put him in his place on wax.
11. Timbaland f/ Jay Z, "Lobster & Scrimp"
Year: 1998
Lyric(s): "Ain't nothin' but beginners, y'all in the game/But y'all can't ball like Chicago centers"
Even MJ thought his centers on the Bulls weren't worth a damn. Yeah, you're ballin' but you're not very good at it. You can't buy class.
10. Jay Z & Kanye West, "Ni**as in Paris"
Year: 2011
Lyric(s): "Ball so hard, this shit crazy/Y'all know that don't shit phase me/The Nets could go 0-82 and I look at you like this shit gravy."
The line is even more epic since he pretty much wasn't bullshitting when he said this. Jay Z doesn't do struggle.
9. Jay Z, "Dead Presidents III"
Year: 2006
Lyric(s): "Fuck y'all mean/Handlin' since a teen/Like LeBron or Sebastian/High school graduates straight to the league/I ain't waitin' for my knee to blow/Yesterday I was needin' this dough"
Can't blame guys for going for the money instead off blowing a knee playing for free in college. When you come from the gutter like Jigga and most guys in the NBA, that rookie contract can change your life.
8. Jay Z, "A Million And 1 Questions (Extended)"
Year: 1998
Lyric(s): "Jay Z, you mothafuckin' right/In the darkest nights let off my gun for light/To guide ya'll through, show you how it's done/I'm the question and the answer like Iverson"
Jay and A.I. were trendsetters in their prime (Jay Z still is). And one could argue that Jigga's mind is his gun if you want to get into Illuminati mumbo-jumbo. His rhymes are the light that helps us get to the promised land. He's the yin and the yang. The question and the answer.
7. Jay Z f/ Memphis Bleek, "Coming of Age"
Year: 1996
Lyric(s): "That's just the natural cycle/Nobody wanna be like Michael where I'm from/Just them niggas who bounce from a gun"
Prior to that line Jay explained how he watched Bleek come up like he did. From rockin' Levis to rockin' diamonds like Liberace. Cats in Jay's hood were more concerned with making money than being like Mike. Thy only time they did any kind of athletics was when they ran from a shooter or the cops, which in the ghetto are one in the same.
6. Jay Z & Kanye West, "Primetime"
Year: 2011
Lyric(s): Primetime, beat by Deion/Our third eon, that's what the fuck we on/Mo' money, 40-year old phenom/My 15 minutes of fame is stretched beyond/At 42, be better than 24s/I carry the 4-5, mastered 48 laws/Still wearing my 23s, they can't fuck with the boy/Far as them 16s, I'm 23 of it all
In these few bars off "Primetime," Hov rattles off numbers which relate to a variety of topics. Clever stuff. He references Mariano Rivera and Michael Jordan. Two of the best at what they do.
5. Jay Z, 'Hova Song' (Intro)"
Year: 1999
Lyric(s): "Haters can't disturb him, waiters can't serve him/Mike Jordan of rap, outside J workin'/Now watch how quickly I drop 50"
Jay is the king of double entendres. He subtly worked in a shot at then-up-and-comer 50 Cent while referencing Michael Jordan's unstoppable jumper. Hov's flow and Mike's fadeaway are automatic.
4. Jay Z, "Hola Hovito"
Year: 2001
Lyric(s): "I ball for real, y'all niggas is Sam Bowie/And with the third pick, I made the earth sick/M.J., him Jay, fade away, perfect"
While Trail Blazers fans can only wonder what if, Sam Bowie will forever remain the punching bag for rappers looking to signify their supreme potential in comparison to their rival, a complete bust. You see, everyone has a purpose in life.
3. Jay Z, "Hova Song (Intro)"
Year: 1996
Lyric(s): "Slimmy at the Rucker wanna leave and spend with me/I consistently take 'em out the park like Ken Griffey"
Thisline is one of the reasons why Jigga is considered to be the best. Jay's game with the ladies is just as sweet as Griffey's swing.
2. Jay Z, "Encore"
Year: 2003
Lyric(s): "When I come back like Jordan, wearin' the 4-5/It ain't to play games with you/It's to aim at you, probably maim you"
When Jay spat these lines on 2003's The Black Album, he predicted that he would come back as Jordan wearing the No. 45, but in reality, after Kingdom Come, it was looking more like M.J. wearing No. 23 for the Wizards.
1. Jay Z, "Pump It Up Freestyle"
Year: 2003
Lyric(s): "Worry I'm not the Mike Jordan of the mic recordin'/It's Hovi Baby, you Kobe, maybe, Tracy McGrady/Matter fact you a Harold Minor, JR Rider/Washed up on marijuana/Even worse you a Pervis Ellis/You worthless fella/You ain't no athlete, you Shawn Bradley"
On "Pump It Up Freestyle," Jay went down the totem pole of ballers before ending with Shawn Bradley. But, in Bradley's defense, he had those two decent seas...you know what, forget it.