16 years later, ‘B-Ball’s Best Kept Secret’ has remained a secret

Back when I was in seventh grade, a kid in one of my classes told me of an album called B-Ball’s Best Kept Secret. Obviously, the best kept secret in the NBA is players’ ability to rap, considering we haven’t seen many that can actually do it, or at least do it well. When he told me of this CD, he knew that he was going to get eight bucks out of me, and that he did. I bought it off of him the next day when he brought it into school.

Since that moment in 1995, the album has been a part of my life. The songs have been a part of my iPod, but unfortunately most of my friends and most people in the world don’t know that this gem exists.

The album contains 16 tracks, 11 of which have NBA players rapping. This 1994 disc has songs by former NBAers like Dana Barros, Cedric Ceballos and even the late Malik Sealy, along with a cast of others. Even the league’s current old men, Jason Kidd and Shaquille O’Neal drop some rhymes. It’s only fitting that Shaq has a joint on this, he’s the best NBA rapper ever.

The most notable tracks on the album are Chris Mills’ ”Sumptin to Groove To,” Brian Shaw’s ”Anything Can Happen” and Ceballos’ “Flow On.” If I was going to tell you to avoid a track, it’d be JR Rider’s “Funk in the Trunk.” All in all, it’s not that bad of an album and more importantly if you’re a hoops fan, it’s a must listen. The songs have that mid-90′s hip-hop feel to them and most of these songs are better than the crap they play on the radio today.

Want the tracklisting along with YouTube links to each song? Check the jump.

Artest teams up with T-Pain for remix

When the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA title last month, besides thanking his psychiatrist, one of the first things Ron Artest mentioned was his single “Champions,” which he says he recorded in June of 2009, before joining The Lake Show.

Artest realesed the song a few days after the victory, and surprisingly, it’s a pretty good song. Considering Artest’s rap career hasn’t panned out well, this song could serve as a note that Ron-Ron isn’t too shabby, or at least growing as an artist.

Since the Lakers did win the title in a dramatic seven game fashion, and with Artest now in the spotlight in Los Angeles, he is also able to take this track to new levels. He teamed up with one of the hottest acts in music, T-Pain, to put out a remix — supposedly more remixes are on the way as well.

The track is rated “R” for language, so listen with caution.

Ron Artest – “Champions”

One of the first things we heard Ron Artest talking about after Game 7 was his single “Champions.” He said in his interview with Doris Burke that he recorded the song last June, if that’s the case, maybe Artest should look into being a psychic after his basketball and rap careers are over.

I love the fourth-quarter, I love the ninth-inning, I love Game 7, bring on the competition.

Here’s the official video for “Champions,” which is also expected to drop on iTunes in the very near future. I have a feeling that this song will blow away the numbers that Artest’s debut album “My World” put up back in 2006. That probably won’t be too difficult, considering the album only sold a reported 343 albums in it’s first week (William Hung’s first album sold nearly 38,000, just for comparison).

As for the song itself, it’s actually pretty good. It’s easily the best song that Artest has released in my opinion, it’s a damn good anthem type of track — but he still has a long way to go before he can check Shaq Diesel.

So here’s to Artest not only a winning a title last week, but for his rap career finally taking off.

Roll your windows down, turn up the Diesel

If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you probably know I’m a big of a fan of Shaquille O’Neal‘s work in the booth. Shaq has dropped some classic heat, better than the crap on today’s radiowaves.

Before T-Pain was rocking auto-tune, Shaq was rapping over some vocoder tracks.

“Straigt Playin’” is the jam. The East Cost keeps heating up, so roll your windows down and put this on blast.

DIGGY.

The kid is ONLY 14 years old. He’ll be 15 in a couple of days.

Seriously, he is ill. Probably the best kid I’ve ever heard rap. No ringtone ish, REAL HIP-HOP.

Want more? Check Diggy’s first mixtape out, it’s DOPE!

Props to my dude Big Red for inspiring me to post this tonight.

Stacey King raps about Derrick Rose, sort of

When I got a Stacey King 1990 Hoops rookie card, I laughed. I never knew that a guy could be named Stacey, I showed my dad, an he explained other names that work for both sexes. I still don’t know if Stacey works for a dude, but King has done okay.

He wasn’t the best pro (especially considering he was the sixth pick in the draft), but he’s since become a color commentator for the Bulls and he’s making headlines ’round the web with this “rap” based on his emphatic announcing about Derrick Rose‘s hops.

Rev Run and T.I. better watch out, looks like there is a new King in hip-hop

Props, ChicagoNow and NewTone

“We’ll Always Love Big Poppa”

13 years.

Rest in Peace BIG.

One of my favorite rap songs ever

When I say that “(I Know I Got) Skillz” is one of my favorite rap songs of all-time, I’m not kidding. Back in fifth grade (the best grade and year ever, 1993), when Shaquille O’Neal released his debut rap album “Shaq Diesel,” I was in heaven. Literally, the two things I probably liked most had combined forces — Shaq and hip-hop — it got no better.

The album was sweet, I loved it. I don’t care what anyone says, it’s better than most of the crap I hear on the radio right now. This was the lead single off the album, and this song is straight classic. If I ever heard it in a bar, I’d probably lose my mind on the dance floor.

My friends and I can go lyric for lyric on this one.

Peep the video.

“Skillz can make millz.”

Kobe Bryant on the remix with Brian McKnight

Brian McKnight is one of the best R&B artists of this generation. Over the last 17 years, McKnight has blessed us with so much great music. In the late 90′s he put out a some awesome R&B/Hip-Hop collaborations, but maybe none as memorable as “Hold Me (Remix),” which featured Kobe Bryant.

Back when Kobe rocked the afro — which I think is the best era of Kobe — he wanted to be a rapper, like so many other NBA stars, including his teammate Shaquille O’Neal.

McKnight figured it was a good idea to throw Kobe on the remix to the hit song from his 1997 album “Anytime.”

It wasn’t a good idea, it was a great idea!

Bring back the ‘fro Kobe! Someone start a petition.