The parallel rises of rap and basketball throughout the ’70s and ’80s led to a fascinating phenomenon in the ’90s and beyond, wherein a practitioner of one could turn out to be surprisingly adept at the other. While this has led to a rise in the number of professional basketball players who dabble in rap music (hello, Gelo!), it’s been more rare for rappers to make it into pro basketball — but not unheard of.
While it’s fairly common to see rappers who were respected athletes throughout high school and even college, there have only been a handful of rappers to make it all the way to the pro level — and only one who managed to make it to the NBA, even if only for a cup of coffee. Here’s a list of the MCs who moonlighted as PGs, who hustled their way up from street ciphers to the half-court circle.
Pros:
Master P
There’s only one place to start here: with the only professional rapper to date to sign with an NBA team. The 6’4″ Master P, aka Percy Miller, was one of a handful of pioneering indie rappers from the South in the ’90s, exploding into national stardom with his 1997 single, “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!” His pre-existing rap success didn’t stop him from trying out for the Charlotte Hornets in 1998, or for the Vancouver Grizzlies (now the Memphis Grizzlies) the following season. He played in one preseason game for the Grizzlies, scoring 8 points against the Toronto Raptors before being waived as the season started.
J. Cole
The next closest thing to the NBA is the NBA-backed BAL (Basketball Africa League), in which the 6’2″ North Carolina native played three games in 2021. All told, he totaled 5 points, 3 assists, and 5 rebounds, averaging about 15 minutes a game. The pro ball bug stayed with Cole after his BAL stint, and he joined the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League the next year, averaging 2.4 points through six games and proving that he could at least hang with pro ballers.
Sheck Wes
It’s ironic that Sheck Wes came to notoriety with a song touting his former high school teammate “Mo Bamba,” as he would follow Bamba in pursuit of pro basketball glory. However, the 6’2″ Cactus Jack signee would take a different route, joining France’s LNB Pro A, the top division of the Ligue Nationale de Basket, in 2021 for Paris Basketball. Sheck played three games for the then-recently-promoted Paris, averaging 1.3 ppg.
College:
Dave East
Standing 6 feet, 5 inches, New York native David Brewster played two seasons at Towson University in Maryland, VA, although injuries and academic struggles curtailed his career.
2 Chainz
Another 6’5″ natural forward, Atlantan rapper Tauheed Epps attended Alabama State University on a scholarship for two seasons, where he contributed 3 points a game in his 96-97 season before getting “into some trouble” and transferring to Virginia State.
Stalley
Ohio’s own Stalley reportedly had a scholarship to the University of Michigan to play ball, but was shut down by a foot injury.
High School:
Quavo
Quavo was a bit of a multi-sport star in his Georgia hometown, playing basketball and starring as the starting quarterback of his school’s team, before dropping out to pursue… other endeavors. He kept up with sports, hosting community events and even a basketball tournament for one of his video shoots.
Cam’ron
Cam often brags that he and Harlem partner Mase were nice enough to go pro (that’s what they all say), but his lack of academic focus cost him a scholarship.
The Game
Game played a bit for Compton High, but is also notable for his participation in LA’s storied pro-am, the Drew League, for several seasons, including a championship season in which his team, Birdie’s Revenge, went undefeated. You can read about it here.