Top 10 Rap Songs with the Best Sports Metaphors in the Lyrics
Throughout the years, Hip-Hop and the rap game have been spoken about in lyrics and culture as if it were a sport. Therefore, rappers have used sporting terms and metaphors as well as athletes in their lyrics to enhance this idea and their music's theme.
These metaphors have also been used to compare the sport or action to just about anything.
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Turn Me Up (feat. Kendrick Lamar) - Ab-Soul
In a savage guest verse, Kendrick uses the swimming style metaphor as a blow to his haters and competitors.
"Come and get your scholarship, I'm taking kids to school
A pool full of spit, dive in, I'm 'bout to drool
You'll drown trynna backstroke on concepts that I wrote."
The last line essentially means that his peers will attempt to emulate his style but fumble in the process.
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Earvin "Magic" Johnson - Nas
Nas comparatively puts himself in the court with two Lakers giants:
"At the Forum like I'm Magic and Kareem on the floor
Pat Riley on the bench callin' plays, I just score (I just score, I just score)
Callin' plays, we just score (I just score, yeah)."
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24K of Gold (feat. J. Cole) - Big Sean
J. Cole compares his stance in the game to the tennis greats Nadal and Federer.
"Style on Nadal, I've been serving y'all lately, cheddar on Federer
Ball till I fall."
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Kings Never Die - Eminem
The boxing metaphor came from the song of a boxing film's soundtrack, Southpaw, and went something like this.
"But I found out that I can move a mountain of doubt
Even when you bitches are countin' me out
And I appear to be down for the count."
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Deadly Combination (feat. 2Pac) - Big L
"A Bad Boy just like Notorious B.I.G
A Roc-A-Fella like Shawn Carter
Wit' more game than Ron Harper."
Big L, rest in peace, relates his pick-up game with women to the basketball play of Ron Harper.
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Can You Keep Up? (feat. Twista) - Busta Rhymes
In this crazy choppin' collab, Twista compares his rapping flow to the swimming flow of Michael Phelps.
"Then I be having them calling me Twista Phelps
And my n*ga Buss like Usain Bolt."
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Skew It on the Bar-B (feat. Raekwon) - Outkast
Raekwon:
"Price that, longevity suggest make moves slow
Take time, grow eight, react nine, blow
Hydro slide raw like f**k Ronaldo
Fly ride, though, s**t lookin' wild dope."
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Like Me - Joey Bada$$
"So we put it in the air, don't let the J's start unravelling
We getting blown like a javelin
She throw it back like she time traveling."
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From the Bottom - Juice WRLD
Here, Juice compares his lifestyle and grindset to the tricks of skater icon Tony Hawk.
"Been a real n***a since I was an infant Tony Hawk on my grind, no trick tip
Damn right, I'ma hit 'em with a kickflip."
Rest easy, Juice.
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Nuthin but a G Thang - Dr. Dre
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Dope Ball (Interlude) - Pitbull
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Many Men (Wish Death) - 50 Cent
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The Devil Is a Lie - Rick Ross
"The hatin' is flagrant, hit your free throws
The devil try to hit me with the RICO, them black people."