Music and sports cross paths more than you think. Sometimes it’s clever wordplay, sometimes it’s a wild brag, and sometimes it’s just an artist showing off how deep their sports knowledge runs. Here are 10 impressive athlete name-drops hiding in famous lyrics.
- Chance the Rapper — “Eternal”
Claiming to outshine Stephen Curry from beyond the arc is a bold move. That confidence is half the fun. - Billy Joel — “We Didn’t Start the Fire”
Joe DiMaggio gets immortalized alongside world history. Baseball legends age well in pop songs. - Ice Cube — “It Was a Good Day”
Triple-doubles and Michael Jordan comparisons don’t get more iconic than this. - Beastie Boys — “Sure Shot”
A deep baseball pull with Rod Carew. Nerdy, unexpected, and very Beastie Boys. - Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg — “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang”
“Real deal Holyfield” made Evander Holyfield part of rap vocabulary forever. - John Fogerty — “Centerfield”
Willie Mays, Ty Cobb, and DiMaggio all in one song. Baseball poetry at its peak. - Lil Wayne — “D.O.A.”
Wayne stacks sports metaphors with Deion Sanders energy. Flashy references for a flashy rapper. - Eminem — “Fly Away”
Brett Favre gets pulled into a lyric that’s chaotic in the most Eminem way. - Kendrick Lamar — “Go DJ”
Bars referencing O.J. Simpson and Scottie Pippen land with razor-sharp precision. - Childish Gambino — “Two Weeks”
Comparing himself to Tiger Woods at his peak says everything about confidence levels.