Sports

Sports rappers who should stay away from the studio

Hey sports stars, don’t quit your day jobs. Yes, we know it can get kind of boring and mundane counting all those millions. But the next time you feel the urge to belt out a tune, just keep it in the shower. As close as hip-hop culture and sports are aligned, it’s hard to believe these athletes have no sense of coordination when it comes to laying down their rhymes.

LeBron James is the latest oblivious baller to take his talents into the rap game with a remix of Jay Z’s “F- -kWithMeYouKnowIGotIt.”

Needless to say, he has yet to win over any music fans. Here are some other athletes that should back away — far, far away — from the music studio.

Shaquille O’Neal as Shaq Diesel

In 1993, Shaq — then playing for the Orlando Magic — had the audacity to release a rap track called, “(I Know I Got) Skillz.” Let’s pretend he was referring to his dunk game, because his burgeoning rap career was dead on arrival.

Roy Jones Jr.

In 2006, boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. was trying to remind of us something when he dropped his track, “Ya’ll Must’ve Forgot.” He slung shots at boxer Bernard Hopkins and mentioned his dangerous left hook on opponent Percy Harris. That’s all we remember.

Serena Williams

“I ball hard, no tennis bracket/I can’t see these haters through my Gucci glasses” is how Serena Williams began her hilarious rap debut on a track in 2012. The tennis champion, who hails from Compton, Calif., was trying way too hard to earn her street cred.

Kobe Bryant featuring Tyra Banks

The Los Angeles Lakers star was already into his fourth NBA season when he decided he would add to rapper to his resume. He enlisted top model Tyra Banks to feature on his 2000 rap track called “K.O.B.E.,” in which he brags about his love for “basketball, beats and broads.”

Deion Sanders

While most sports stars-turned-aspiring rappers aimed to emulate a rough and tough lifestyle, pro baller Deion Sanders went another route. In his 1994 video “Must Be the Money,” the two-sport athlete — with the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and baseball’s Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds that year — danced around in a tailored three-piece suit with his suave hair slicked backed, and adorned with extravagant jewelry.