There is a lot of good stuff going on this weekend. Oddly enough the NBA All-Star game is pinning itself up against the Oscars. I have to admit I am more excited about the Oscars but since the academy has further distanced themselves from music this year, the NBA All-Star game seems to be the more compelling subject matter for the #TuesdayTop10. So without further ado, we look at our picks for the best basketball songs.
10. Adrian Grey “Basketball”
Hailing from Kentucky, you can bet that Adrian Grey is a Wildcat fan. He created this beat mostly made up of noises commonly heard at basketball games. The only thing that could make it better is some actual words.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/15209570″ iframe=”true” /]
09. John Wesley Coleman “Oh, Basketball”
There are not that many rock songs written about basketball surprisingly. One of the better ones is from Austin proto punk John Wesley Coleman. “Oh, Basketball” is a fuzzed out track that most just includes the words “oh” and “basketball” but its still a pretty solid track.
MP3: John Wesley Coleman “Oh, Basketball”
08. Lil Bow Wow featuring Jermaine Dupri, Fabolous & Fundisha “Basketball”
Who could forget the Hollywood classic Like Mike? It is like Air Bud but with people which makes it even better. And who could forget the soundtrack featuring Bow Wow when he still had “lil” in his monicker.
07. B.A. Johnston “Love=NBA Jam”
Goofy Canadian singer/songwriter B.A. Johnston wrote a song that summarized pretty much what everyone from their mid-30 to late-teens believe which is “Love-NBA Jam.”
MP3: B.A. Johnston “Love=NBA Jam”
06. Barry White & Chris Rock “Basketball Jones”
Barry White & Chris Rock‘s collaboration was one of the hidden gems on the Space Jam Soundtrack. Their cover of Ceech & Chong’s 1974 “Basketball Jones” got lost between the cracks, but remains the most basketball oriented song on the soundtrack.
MP3: Barry White & Chris Rock “Basketball Jones”
05. Talib Kweli “Drugs, Basketball, & Rap”
Most songs on the list celebrate basketball, but “Drugs, Basketball, & Rap” is a little different. The ever socially conscious Talib Kweli uses the track to explain that there are more ways to escape poverty than sports, music, or crime.
MP3: Talib Kweli “Drugs, Basketball, & Rap”
04. Rhymefest “Bang the Ball”
Before he was Chicago’s 20th ward alderman, Rhymefest was quite the rapper. Although he was generally a socially conscious rapper, he wrote “Bang the Ball,” an unapologetic basketball anthem.
MP3: Rhymefest “Bang the Ball”
03. G. Love & Special Sauce “Shooting Hoops”
Hailing from one of the great basketball cities in the country, Philadelphia’s G. Love & Special Sauce have written several hoops-leaning tracks. The most memorable of these tracks is “Shooting Hoops” from their 1994 self-titled album.
MP3: G. Love & Special Sauce “Shooting Hoops”
02. Skee-Lo “I Wish”
Skee-Lo‘s debut single and biggest hit, “I Wish” is basketball song wrapped up in a classic tale of wishing you were someone else to win the heart of a girl. While it may not be a “basketball” song per se, there is no mistaking its hoop tilt when you look at it basketball court featuring front cover.
MP3: Skee-Lo “I Wish”
01. Kurtis Blow “Basketball”
In 1984, the NBA had an All Star lineup that included Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Robert Parish, Magic Johnson, George Gervin, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Talk about a loaded team? Seems like 1984 was a great year for Kurtis Blow to release his single “Basketball.” The godfather of hip hop’s track remains hip hop’s ultimate ode to the game.
MP3: Kurtis Blow “Basketball”
