Kendrick Lamar stirred the pot in New York City, the hip hop landscape and even the sports world in his latest verse from "Control." Lamar mentions NBA coaching legend, Phil Jackson in the track and he isn't complimenting the 11-time champion head coach. Here is a list of the 10 rappers Jackson could coach if they were basketball players.
Before we get into it, maybe Lamar didn't grow up in a basketball household, but Jackson coached the best player in the game in Michael Jordan. Jordan's ego was so big he left the sport because he felt unchallenged and had bigger things to prove. Granted, the change of sports came during a tough time in his life, Jordan returned to the game and was successful once reunited with his teammates and coach. Rappers also have egos and are talented, drawing a lot of comparisons to some of the big names in the sport of basketball.
*(Some tracks contain harsh language)
10) Kendrick Lamar
Let's get right into this, as Funk Masterflex would say. Lamar would be the first one on the list. Here are the lyrics from the track mentioned by the West Coast rapper. "If Phil Jackson came back, still no coachin' me/ I'm uncoachable I'm unsociable." Right, Jackson couldn't have said it better himself on Twitter. Doesn't Lamar's air of arrogance ("Coaching?") remind you a bit of Allen Iverson? ...."Practice? We're talking about practice, man! We ain't talking about the game." There's a lot of talent, but somewhere in there, both seem to believe they are exceptions.
9) Wu-Tang Clan
The ultimate example of what it is meant to be a team. These nine artists: RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface, Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Killa all came together to form the Wu. While they were recognized as a clan, they also pushed each other's works as individual artists. The most prominent artists to go solo were Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon and GZA. This would make Jackson's job way easier. These guys can coach themselves and help one another, Jackson just has to draw out the plays.
8) Busta Rhymes
He made his name with his majestic flow and hard hitting tracks. Busta Rhymes could be described as "being out there". Let's compare him to Dennis Rodman; both were a little wild, stood out from their peers and had interesting hair styles. Busta set himself apart from the pack and there is very little doubt the MC provides entertainment and wit in his music videos. On the same page, Rodman set himself aside as a bad boy and could be considered an entertainer as well, doing as he pleased, but always getting the job done while making a name for himself.
7) Fabolous
Consider him a loner, but Fabs would take credit for making it on his own. In "The Way" from his fifth studio album, Loso's Way, Fabolous mentions his independence from the big names in rap. "How I walked in this game with no crutches/No Diddy, No Dupri, No Dr. Dre /No Cash Money from Baby and no rocs from Jay /And I'm still here." This would be a guy Jackson would probably love coaching. Faboulous is super talented, but feels cheated as he's overlooked. As a coach, Jackson would use Fabolous' skill sets and help him feel like he's part of something bigger. Compare him to a Scottie Pippen of sorts.
6) Lil Wayne
Call him "Mr. Collaboration," in 2008, right before dropping Tha Carter 3, Lil Wayne seemed to be on every song hitting the airwaves. Things haven't changed much. Aside from making hits with his Young Money crew, Weezy has done songs with Enrique Iglesias, Madonna and Britney Spears. The list is so weird, Global Grind made a list of the Top 10 weirdest collaborations on Lil Wayne's resume. However, this would be perfect for a basketball coach. This means Jackson wouldn't worry about who he brings on a team because he knows Lil Wayne would get along with almost anybody.
5) Eminem
The Metta World Peace of the rap game. He was a troubled kid whose past followed him into the game. Both Eminem and World Peace are very similar in that way. They both came out of urban environments and once they became big, they still couldn't right their ships. World Peace was known for his violent outbreak in Detroit, Eminem's home. Meanwhile, Eminem was known for his rude lyrics, dissing everybody in the mainstream. World Peace became a champion under Jackson, proving he is able to find the best in anybody. Eminem has gone on to mature and fight his way past drug issues.
4) Kanye West
This comparison can go on forever. From their career approaches to their personalities. Kanye West goes the extra mile to express what he wants to say. Kobe Bryant feels like he can shoutout teammates when somebody needs a tongue lashing. When Kanye West thought Beyonce had the best video of all time, he said it. When Bryant thought Dwight Howard should play regardless of injury, he said it. In reality, West even feels closely tied to Bryant because they're both trying to be the best, "Trying to get that Kobe number, one over Jordan." We all know what Bryant was able to become under Jackson's direction and he's still hunting for No. 6.
There's also the part where both players are considered copycats. Kanye loves to use samples in his beats, while Kobe has gone out of his way to imitate the best player in the game, Jordan. However, despite all the criticisms, they still stand as some of the best players in their respective fields.
3) Jay-Z
Tag team Jay-Z with Kanye and you have your Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal connection. Jay-Z has done it alone in the rap game, while simultaneously having success in hit singles alongside Kanye. Their album Watch the Throne still has the world going crazy and they still have songs, like "N*ggas in Paris" and "No Church in the Wild," getting play. Like Shaq and Bryant, Jay-Z and Kanye had their issues despite being in the same record label. Kanye discusses these issues in "Brother" out of his Graduation album. It was no problem for Coach Jackson getting Bryant and Shaw playing together, so it would be no biggie handling Jay-Z and Kanye's issues.
Plus, another Shaq comparison, Jay-Z seems to be everywhere: from fashion, to art and he's now part of the sports world. Shaq was an industry himself making films, his own sneakers and heck, Shaq even dropped an album.
2) Tupac & 1) Notorious B.I.G.
They took hip hop/rap to another level all over the world. They are the faces of hip hop though they haven't been around for almost 20 years. They were influential to their peers and contemporary artists. Who would Biggie and Pac compare to? None other than Michael Jordan. Their skills were exceptional and there will probably never be two rappers who will impact the game they way they did. Same goes for Jordan. We can sit here and talk LeBron James and Kobe, but at the end of the day, Jordan was first. Jordan broke grounds and accomplished feats never established by other basketball players. Jackson coached the greatest and without a doubt, he would have done a great job coaching Tupac and Biggie.
Kendrick Lamar, we know you're a sinner and you're probably going to sin again, but be careful with the sports references in your music, especially when invoking a coaching legend.
