Image via Complex Original
"If I wasn't in the rap game/I'd probably have a key knee-deep in the crack game/Because the streets is a short stop/Either you're slinging rock or you got a wicked jump shot." Those are some of the bars dropped by The Notorious B.I.G. on "Things Done Changed." Similar to Biggie, today's hip hop artists have reached long-term success through rapping in favor of selling drugs or becoming a basketball player. But that doesn't mean that they won't dabble here and there with shooting around the rock, or getting involved in a pick-up game.
Even though these artists got skills on the mic, do they have what it takes to make it in the NBA? It all starts with whether or not you can knock down a mid-range J. We take a look at the jumpers of the big names in hip-hop while offering up some constructive criticism. Who Got Game: Grading the Jumpshots of Rappers.
RELATED: The Greatest NBA References in Rap
Nelly
Grade: C
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Chuck Hayes
Pro tips: Bring that elbow in.
For someone as athletic as Nelly, we expected more from him when it came to his jumpshot. The same could be said for his music these days—remember "Hey Porsche"?—but we digress. Of course, this isn't really a jumpshot, per se, but you get the idea. With that funky set-up, Nelly would definitely find himself on this list, if he was playing in the L.
Eminem
Grade: C
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Matt Bonner
Pro tips: Bring the elbow up more and don't lean forward on jumpshot.
Maybe it's the Matt Bonner-looking jumper or...uh...we don't know, the fact that he's white, but we get the feeling Eminem is the type of guy to stay posted at three-point range and kill you from there. And if that doesn't work out, he can just cut you up with trash talk. Moral of the story, Em is gonna kill you.
Common
Grade: A
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Gary Neal
Pro tips: No change needed.
Common was in the basketball film, Just Wright, so it's only, well, right that he shows the proper form on his jumper. But as you'll find out, Drake has got a better jumper. Yeah, Com lost again.
Trinidad James
Grade: B
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: LeBron James
Pro tips: Don't fall away.
We're not gonna lie, Trinidad James surprised us. We expected one thing and came away with a completely different outlook. Dude has a nice, fluid jumper. Trinidad may not have the exact same technique as LeBron James, but this just gives us another excuse to bring together the best of both worlds with this clip. You're welcome.
J. Cole
Grade: C+
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Kevin Garnett
Pro tips: Shorten up the stroke.
As we all know, J. Cole had pro ball dreams but struggled to make it on his high school's basketball team. He also walked onto the St. John's University team but chose rap instead. Maybe it had something to do with that shot technique. Where's Jimmy McMillan to tell him that the elbow is too damn high? Sidebar: That guy will never fade from glory.
Jim Jones
Grade: B-
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Joakim Noah
Pro tips: Follow through on the shot.
Yikes! Just look at that jumper. It's atrocious. Yeah, he made the shot, but you know you're off when you are banking in jumpshots from dead center! Something tells us that in pick-up games, Jim Jones is the cherry picker. Hey, whatever, get your points any way possible.
Rick Ross
Grade: D
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Josh Childress
Pro tips: Don't fall back on jumper.
It's more of an emphasis on the "shot" part of jumpshot, but no one dares to try and block Ricky Ross. Oddly, Ross is more of a mid-range guy with that Josh Childress release and less of a post-up presence, judging from his YouTube videos. Anyway, the post is too much work and effort for the Bawse. There's no money to be made down there, so why try?
Gucci Mane
Grade: B
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Jerry Stackhouse
Pro tips: Bring the elbow higher.
Given Gucci Mane's, um, history, we expected a crazier shot, but we were wrong. It's actually not that bad. Just a little tweak here and there; Gucci could finally forego a life of Twitter trolling and pursue a D-League future. Hey, whatever keeps his mind busy.
Snoop Dogg
Grade: C
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Jamaal Wilkes
Pro tips: Plant the feet and go straight up.
If you look through enough videos of Snoop balling, you'll notice that dude is always driving to the basket. Now we know why. That Jamaal Wilkes-esque jumper ain't pretty.
Romeo
Grade: A-
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Dwyane Wade
Pro tips: Follow your shot.
Some people may think that Romeo's time playing on the USC basketball team was the result of his pop's pocket money, but don't get it twisted, the kid has skills. Just look at how nice that jumper looks! As you will find out, it's like father, like son. However, what eventually became the problem was that Romeo was too short and injury prone.
Game
Grade: B-
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Shawn Marion
Pro tips: Bend the elbow more on the shot.
At 6'4", Game is prone to attack the basket when playing a pick-up game. It makes sense when you're probably competing against players smaller than you, no? That's why it's important to make him shoot jumpers because that Shawn Marion-esque shot ain't going in everytime.
Bow Wow
Grade: B+
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Allen Iverson
Pro tips: Quicken up the shot.
Bow Wow had a nice, smooth shot. But what will always be his downfall is his height. Little man was just too small to play in the league. Unless he actually developed those Like Mike skills.
2 Chainz
Grade: B+
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Kevin Durant
Pro tips: Follow through.
Back in 1995, 2 Chainz was in high school playing ball and let's just say he had some skills. Just look for yourself. As a young'n, Tity Boi had such a great fundamentally sound shot that his elbow deserved a shout out, what up, elbow? His release deserved a shout out too. What up, release?
Cam'ron
Grade: A
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Kyrie Irving
Pro tips: Jump.
If there was one rapper who could've actually made it in the league, it's Cam'ron. Simply put, as a kid, Cam could ball. Need proof? That's all you need to know.
Drake
Grade: A
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Joe Johnson
Pro tips: No real change necessary.
Maybe when Drake was at the bottom, so to speak, his jumpshot wasn't so polished. After all, your trajectory can be a little skewed when you're shooting from a wheelchair your entire youth. Spending all your time these days hanging around NBA ballers like Kevin Durant and LeBron James pays off. Drizzy's mid-range touch is just as soft as his...leather.
Master P
Grade: A-
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Kobe Bryant
Pro tips: Nothing really.
Master P was a decent player at Houston during his college years before injuries took a toll. He also had two NBA contracts in his lifetime. One with the Charlotte Hornets and the other with the Toronto Raptors during the 1998-99 season. So, there's nothing that needs to be improved with his jumper. Not many rappers can say they had pro teams taking them seriously.
DJ Khaled
Grade: F
Handedness: Right
NBA equivalent: Kevin Martin, maybe?
Pro tips: Switch up everything you've learned so far.
Khaled did the right thing by walking off the court. We all know he wasn't going to make two straight shots with that ugly ass jumpshot. There's no bend in the elbow, no flick of the wrist, we could go on and on. It's just really, really bad.