The strange topic of interest I am attacking today? I want to compare rappers to basketball players. Everyone knows that, as Drake says, "We wanna be them, and they wanna be us." I mean honestly how many basketball players have tried their hand at rapping. There's Shaq, among his other career attempts, with his rendition of, "Kobe, tell me how my ass taste." There's Kobe, who should have never let these thoughts creep into his mind. There's Ron Artest...I mean Metta World Peace...who purposely started the largest brawl in NBA history so he could stop playing basketball in order to start a rap career that never actually jumped off. Well except when he won his first championship and he recorded a song but no one actually took that seriously. I mean, you saw how he was dressed when he went on Letterman or whatever show it was.
Enough of my rambling, let's just start. One of my favorite ballers and one of the most polarizing figures in the rap industry. Kobe Bryant and Kanye West. Kobe is a good player. Great player actually, one of the top 10 of all time. Has all the skills and the drive to win. To push to be as good as he can. And he's cocky. But he backs it up no matter what. When he gets on that court he's Kobe. Except for those rare times that he's not Kobe but everyone has those days right? On to Kanye. Anyone else get this feeling that he just thinks he's the best? Same vibe that we get from Kobe it seems. Just like Kobe, Kanye is really good, and will be one of the best rappers to ever lay down a verse. From Through the Wire to Roses and Addiction, from that Graduation album, skipping over that 808's aberration, and straight on to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Dude has major talent, there's no denying it. He works his ass off to be the best that he can be. But this weird feeling just comes. It's like, he just doesn't quite have it. Just like Kobe he's probably the guy that everyone is trying to shoot down right now. But he's just not the best.
Which is where we move on to our next comparison. Kanye's big brother in this industry and the greatest Laker besides Kobe: Magic Johnson and Jay-z. It's like Magic just had it all. He could pass, he could run the floor, he had the body to bang inside a little bit, his game changed through the years to adapt to his teammates, and everyone just seemed to love him. He was the ultimate teammate. He led his team all those years to become the greatest Laker of all time. He used what he had and never more. He knew his talent and his skills and he made sure to always play to his strengths. This is what Jay-z does, but also what we do not get from Kobe and Kanye. Kobe and Kanye always strive for a bit too much and forget to stay within themselves sometimes. These lead to bad performances. But Jay-z is always on point. Always. He had some fantastic cuts in this amazing career of his. That Blueprint 2 album was off the chain. He adapted to the times. When the 90's had some harder tracks, he did it and he was near the top. When the decade brought around some new sounds, he was ahead of the time, still bringing top shelf music. He changed with the game, kept the Roc Nation on top, always knowing what to do with his new up and comings. Just like Magic, he made everyone who ever rapped with him better.
And guess what? I cheated. These are not all rappers. The greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.) is Michael Jackson. It's too hard to think of a rapper that is just perfect. That has influenced everyone who even attempted music. Who has so many artists sample and try to remake his music. There was and there never will be anyone better. Just like Michael Jordan. To be the greatest player ever, you have to go through Michael Jordan. Jordan didn't have it all. He was never the most talented or the tallest or even the most athletic person on the court. But he always seemed like he was. He always seemed larger than life. While he played everyone wanted to take him down but each and every time they failed. He was the ultimate competitor, the ultimate winner, the ultimate leader. He set the stage for basketball as it is today. Nobody grows up saying I want to be like Dr. J or Magic or Kareem so much anymore, no offense to those guys. It's just that Jordan had what everyone was missing. He had the it. He always won. He made people say I want to grow up to be like Mike. He had the shorts, the swagger before it was even called that. He called people out and embarrassed them on the court. Nobody ever second guesses Jordan because he's Jordan. The most successful athletic shoe line to date. The man is what everyone wishes they can be. Even if Kobe got seven rings he could never be Jordan. Jordan is Jordan. He's just the best ever. The top dog. And Michael Jackson was the same. He was the trend setter. He did things with music that no one would have ever thought of doing. He wore the clothes, sold the albums, and sold out stadiums. Not arenas but stadiums. Places that hold over 100,000 people. He was loved worldwide. When he was at the top everyone wanted to be better than Michael. But they couldn't. And they can't. Just like Jordan, Michael is Michael. Michael is perfect. He has his flaws but he is as perfect as a musician can be. He understands the music, he feels it. Jordan felt the game. The game came to him and he owned it. Music called Michael and he owned it. No other player or musician had that. Those two men were called to exhibit their craft. They were called to share their art with the world. And they did. And they were loved for it. There are no two people in the history of music or sports that are as beloved and revered as those two men.
That is all
No comments:
Post a Comment