DimeMag

Ice Cube Explained Why He Wouldn’t Let Shaq Release A Song Called ‘That’s Gangsta’ With Dr. Dre

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Shaq is one of the all-time greatest athletes turned rappers, as the big man’s 1993 debut album, Shaq Diesel, went platinum. Shaq released four albums in total, and worked with some of the biggest producers and artists in hip-hop in the 90s.

However, there was one collaboration from a song he recorded with a West Coast legend while in Los Angeles with the Lakers that never saw the light of day. On a recent episode of The Big Podcast, Shaq had Ice Cube join him and they discussed a project Cube was executive producing for him while he was with the Lakers. Cube set it up for Shaq to get in the booth with Dr. Dre, and Shaq and Dre cooked up a song called “That’s Gangsta,” which Shaq thought “was nice.” Cube saw things a bit differently, and made the executive decision for Shaq to not let it ever see the light of day.

“Cube was executive producing one of my records,” Shaq said. “And he put me in the studio with Dr. Dre. I did a song called ‘That’s Gangsta’. Cube heard it and was like, ‘Nope. We’re not releasing this.’ … He was like, ‘Shaq, you’re a f*cking Laker, bro. I don’t want you talking about nothing gangsta. We not doing none of that sh*t.’ And it never came out.”

While Adam Lefkoe seemed to think it was because the song wasn’t good, Cube noted it had nothing to do with that. He was trying to protect Shaq’s image, noting the then-Lakers star didn’t need to present himself as being “gangsta” in L.A., as he had mass appeal already and didn’t need to try to put on that image.

“It was good. Shaq is a dope MC, but I just felt the record was off-brand for him,” Cube said. “Because, to me, he’s more than just gangsta. He’s loved by millions, loved by kids. He already established that. And why go backwards when you’re already forward?”

Shaq would go on to note he thanked Cube for making that decision for him, and it shows how much respect Ice Cube had for Shaq that he would think about Shaq’s overall career as a basketball player (and one of the NBA’s most marketable guys, ever) while executive producing an album. Players don’t always have someone willing to think of the bigger picture and tell them no, and in this case, Shaq had that in the form of a music legend in Cube.

Brian Windhorst’s Luka Doncic Rant Is Even Better Over The ‘Meet The Grahams’ Beat

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ESPN

Game 3 between the Mavericks and Celtics saw Dallas run out to a big early lead, but give it all back almost as quickly, before turning into a very entertaining first half dogfight. The first half was the first time all series both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were playing well offensively at the same time and Dallas suddenly had some life.

However, the third quarter brought all of that to a halt as the Celtics went on an incredible run to take a 15-point lead to the fourth quarter, where they’d go up by as many as 21, and the worst habits of the Mavs started to creep back in. Doncic, in particular, was dreadful on defense and became heavily engaged with the officials, seemingly to the detriment of his game and the Mavericks. That reached its zenith in the fourth quarter when, after clawing back to within three, Doncic picked up his fifth and sixth fouls in quick succession defending Jaylen Brown, fouling out with just over four minutes to play.

Without him, the Mavs couldn’t complete the comeback and fell behind 0-3, a deficit no team’s ever recovered from in the NBA Playoffs. After the game, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst joined Scott Van Pelt for SportsCenter and didn’t hold back on Doncic, calling out his terrible defensive effort and constant complaining about the refs in an instant classic sports media rant.

On it’s own, it was good, but it deserved the diss track treatment, so behold, Brian Windhorst x Kendrick Lamar’s “Meet The Grahams”.

If you’d prefer, there’s also a “Not Like Us” version.

Windy typically saves this kind of heat for the Hoop Collective pod, but this time he blessed us with an incredible rant on television, and Kendrick’s diss track instrumentals from Alchemist and Mustard offer a timely soundtrack for them.

Tierra Whack’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert Featured A Homely Surprise Cameo From Phillie Phanatic

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Tierra Whack Tiny Desk 2024 Credit Alanté Serene for NPR (1024x437)
Alanté Serene / NPR

Tierra Whack’s personality and creative world is too vast to be contained. However, yesterday (June 7) the “Two Night” rapper managed to squeeze it all in during her NPR Tiny Desk Concert performance.

To commemorate Black Music Month, Tierra served up her eclectic discography for all to enjoy with a special slice of her hometown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania via a cameo from the beloved mascot, Phillie Phanatic.

If you thought only tracks from her latest album, World Wide Whack, made the setlist, you’re wrong.

Tierra and her newly formed band, The Big Backs (comprised of bassist Ali Bervine, keyboardist
Charles Jackson & Mary Floyd, guitarist Russell Gelman-Sheehan, percussionist Sheldon Robinson, drummer Mark Thomas, and vocalist Michelle Hunt), opened with 2018’s “Flea Market.” Then transitioned to melody of “Pretty Ugly,” “Hungry Hippo,” “Mood Swing,” “Accessible,”
“Ms Behave,” and “Imaginary Friends.”

Before performing “Moovies,” Tierra invited Phillie Phanatic to share the desk with her. Although the character is mute, Tierra went on to explain why their appearance was necessary to her. “Y’all know I gotta keep it Philly,” she said. “I bleed green. I bleed red. Anything Philly is all me. I had to bring a piece of home with me.”

Tierra closed the set with a vibrant performance of “27 Club” and “Shower Song.” Watch the full performance below.

The MLB Players Association Accuses Bad Bunny’s Sports Agency Of ‘Egregious And Systemic Violations’ In Legal Filing

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Rebellious spirits are beloved in music. But Bad Bunny is learning that doesn’t quite work in sports. Since April, the “Baticano” rapper’s sports agency, Rimas Sports, has been engulfed in a heated legal battle with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).

According to Billboard, on June 5, things were dialed up a notch. In a new filing, the MLBPA outlined several alleged “egregious and systemic violations” to combat Rimas Sports’ discrimination and being targeted by a “pre-determined investigation” claim.

The motion stated that its decision to ban the agency was due to its supposed findings that Rimas gave out improper gifts to players such as VIP concert tickets, granted suite access to prospects at outside sporting events, and extended interest-free loan offers.

“The regulations strictly forbid such inducements,” wrote the union’s lawyers. “Player agents must compete for clients based on the quality of their representation, not the quality of their gifts.”

The representative went on to outline how if the agency’s alleged actions were left unpunished, it could cause damage across the league. “Immunizing Rimas from the consequences of its own bad conduct will harm players and other player agents by encouraging player-player agent relationships borne out of perquisites, not performance,” the rep wrote. “What Rimas seeks is a get out of jail free card for itself. The public has no interest in such an outcome. This kind of conduct became culture at Rimas.”

The agency has not yet responded to MLBPA’s latest motion. However, last month, attorneys for Rimas did issue a statement regarding the union’s initial ruling.

“The ‘good ole boy’ order of baseball sports agency … was being put at risk, as these Puerto Rican ‘outsiders’ were disrupting baseball sports agency order too much, too fast,” wrote Rimas attorneys. “This was something that the MLBPA and Rimas Sports’ competitors would not allow.”

Rimas’ went on to refer to the “extraordinary and unprecedented” measures from the MLBPA as a “death penalty” on its operations. Rimas claimed the ruling killed its deal with then prospect client Ronald Acuña Jr. Those actions being, as outlined by Billboard as, decertification of one of its agent, preventing co-owner and Bad Bunny’s longtime manage Noah Assad from applying for certification, and blocking already certified sports agents from coming aboard the team.

While the MLBPA appears to be stern in its decision, it doesn’t appear this legal fight is over.

ESPN Used Metro Boomin’s ‘Runnin Outta Time’ For Its NBA Finals Ad Campaign

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The NBA Finals will begin on Thursday night. The Boston Celtics will represent the Eastern Conference as champions, while the Dallas Mavericks made it through the gauntlet that is the Western Conference to end up on this stage. It’s a fascinating matchup between two teams that are elite on the defensive end of the floor and are led by All-Star duos — Boston hopes that the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown duo will finally get over the hump and win a ring, while Dallas has one of the best offensive 1-2 punches in league history in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

The Finals are always a big occasion, and this year, ESPN enlisted the help of Metro Boomin to promote it. The Worldwide Leader in Sports teamed up with Metro to create an ad in the lead-up to the Finals set to his track “Runnin Outta Time” featuring Future. You can check out the ad — which will air throughout the Finals — at the top of this post.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals will tip off on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC. The first two games of the series will take place in Boston, where the Celtics went 37-4 during the regular season. However, if the Mavs want to be optimistic, both of Boston’s losses this postseason have come on their home floor.

How To Buy Drake’s OVO And ESPN 2024 NBA Finals Varsity Jacket

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The 2024 NBA Finals tip off on Thursday, June 6, in Boston as the Boston Celtics host the Dallas Mavericks for Game 1. Drake is not competing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, but he remains undefeated in being sports-adjacent at all times. Stay tuned for his inevitable bet placed on Stake.

How To Buy Drake’s OVO And ESPN 2024 NBA Finals Varsity Jacket

According to Billboard, Drake and his October’s Very Own (OVO) brand partnered with ESPN to produce exclusive 2024 NBA Finals-branded varsity jackets, which will become available to US customers on Thursday, June 6, at 10 a.m. ET through the OVO app.

Billboard also relayed specific product details, as excerpted below.

“Combining the worlds of sports, music, and fashion, the heavy-duty OVO x ESPN jackets are sure to be a collector’s item. Only 175 were produced in total, and they’re priced at $698 retail.

The 2024 NBA Finals and October’s Very Own logos pop off the sharp jacket’s breast plates with a golden outlining. The sleek sleeves are fitted with premium leather and feature the NBA On ESPN logo while the back contains a combination of the signature OVO owl and ESPN trademark emblem. Inside the jackets are also embroidered with the specific number of the model out of the 175 made.”

Drake’s OVO Made An NBA Finals Jacket, And Metro Boomin Stars In An NBA Finals Commercial, So That’s Awkward

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Drake and Metro Boomin don’t seem to particularly like each other. That’s putting it mildly. In summary, Metro and Future’s We Don’t Trust You track “Like That” featuring Kendrick Lamar ignited a rap war (“beef” doesn’t feel intense enough) between Drake and Lamar, including myriad diss tracks between Drake and Lamar and Metro’s “BBL Drizzy.”

So, while the 2024 NBA Finals will feature the Boston Celtics against the Dallas Mavericks, it has also incidentally become a roundabout sparring ground for Drake and Metro Boomin.

According to Billboard, Drake’s October’s Very Own (OVO) and ESPN partnered to produce 175 exclusive varsity jackets for the 2024 NBA Finals. The black-and-gold jackets will become available for purchase in the US on Thursday, June 6, at 10 a.m. ET on the OVO app.

Meanwhile, Metro Boomin posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he will star in a commercial during Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals on ABC. Metro Boomin could have done the funniest thing ever and feature “BBL Drizzy” as the commercial’s song, but instead, the 30-second clip is soundtracked by “Runnin Outta Time” from We Don’t Trust You.

Shortly after the album dropped, LeBron James was spotted rapping along to “Like That” during the Los Angeles Lakers’ pre-game warmups. Metro Boomin expressed his appreciation for James on X, and now, he can also technically claim to have made it further in the 2024 NBA Playoffs than James’ Lakers.

Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 6, airing on ABC from Boston’s TD Garden.

Cam’ron Trolled Anthony Edwards In A Freestyle After Being Shaded In His Adidas Commercial

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Cam’ron and Mase’s It Is What It Is podcast has taken its fair share of shots at various athletes over the years, particularly NBA players like Jordan Poole and now, Anthony Edwards. Cam’ron targeted the latter with a few lines in a freestyle over the beat from Black Rob’s hit single “Whoa!” to open the latest episode.

Decked out in a Dallas Mavericks jersey (heh), Cam goes in on the 22-year-old NBA star, rapping, “Go ‘head and grandstand, no style can cramp Cam’s / P**** on a handstand, but f*ck wrong with Ant Man? / Gave him his props, homie got love from me / New commercial, y’all ain’t got love for me? / He shot a jump shot and said, ‘f*ck buddy’ / The receipt reader lookin’ like your f*ck buddy.”

So, what’s got Cam’s knickers in a twist? It seems Ant’s Adidas ad rubbed him the wrong way with its use of one of Cam’s tweets to make a point about Ant proving his haters wrong. The ad includes a printer for Edwards’ “receipts,” which spits out tweets from various celebrities questioning whether the young Minnesota Timberwolves guard is ready to be “the face of the league.”

The tweets are read to Ant by a friend as he takes practice shots, and when he hears that Cam’ron says he’s “an All-Star, but not a superstar yet,” Ant indeed gives a dismissive response and chucks another jumper. The ad’s being celebrated for its simplicity and directness, but clearly, not everybody appreciates Ant’s unfiltered demeanor.

Anyone who’s spent any time around hoopers knows that many of them — especially the best — are crazy petty and take anything less than unadulterated adulation as the saltiest criticism, so his response isn’t exactly surprising. But for the past 25 years, Cam’ron has been an equally petty performer in his own industry, so his response shouldn’t surprise anyone either.

But before anyone goes taking this super serious and demanding guns drawn at dawn, try to remember: it’s all in good fun. Talking sh*t is part of these guys’ livelihoods, so they both know there’s no ill intent. And if/when they see each other at the next All-Star Game, it’ll probably be all love.

You can watch Cam’s freestyle (and his explanation for the clap back) at the top of the episode above.

Snoop Dogg Loved Luka Doncic Trash Talking A Heckler Behind Snoop’s Seats In Minnesota

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TNT

Luka Doncic is one of the NBA’s best players when it comes to ripping an opposing team’s heart out on a big stage. There have been some pretty prominent examples in the past of Doncic finding a level that no one else in the league can reach when the Dallas Mavericks really need it — just ask the Phoenix Suns, as Doncic famously once walked into their building and ended their season in a Game 7 with an absolutely stunning performance.

While it’s not happening in a Game 7, Doncic painted his latest masterpiece on Thursday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The game took place in Target Center, and a win would mean that Dallas would move on to the NBA Finals. As such, Doncic had 25 at halftime, the Mavs went into the locker room with a 29 point lead, and everyone in the building was just totally deflated. In fact, Doncic got to use the second half of the game getting into it with fans, namely this one guy who appeared to call him a crybaby.

Well, Doncic finished a layup through traffic and drew a foul, and right after, he turned to the guy and had something to say. Sitting in front of the heckler was none other than Snoop Dogg, who thought Luka tearing into some dude was absolutely hilarious.

Doncic wasn’t going at Snoop here, but boy, it would’ve been something if he did.

Megan Thee Stallion Twerked On Angel Reese, Who Achieved Her Goal Of Meeting The Rapper And Then Some

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Megan Thee Stallion Performs During The Hot Girl Summer Tour 2024
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Angel Reese has packed a lifetime of bucket list items into six weeks. The former LSU star finished her storied collegiate basketball career, declared for the WNBA Draft in Vogue, went No. 7 overall to the Chicago Sky, attended the 2024 Met Gala, received support from Latto at her WNBA debut on May 15, and contributed to Chicago’s first win of the season on May 18. Somehow, Reese outdid herself yet again on Sunday night, May 19.

Reese posted a TikTok with Megan Thee Stallion, soundtracked by Meg’s “Girls In The Hood,” as Hot Girl Meg’s Hot Girl Summer Tour rolled through Chicago’s United Center. As relayed by Chicago Tribune reporter Julia Poe on X (formerly Twitter), Reese had stated at WNBA media day that the top celebrities she’d like to meet were Michael Jordan and Megan Thee Stallion. It took Reese less than a month to check one off the list.

@angelreese10

hi twinnnn! THE MF STALLIONSSSSS🤭👅 @Megan Thee Stallion

♬ original sound – BIG ICE 🧊

As if meeting Meg and making a TikTok weren’t enough, GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion welcomed Reese and her Chicago Sky teammates to the stage during the concert. Meg twerked on Reese, which feels like some sort of coronation, according to several fan-taken videos circulating on X.

The Hot Girl Summer Tour is due next at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, May 21, and here’s to hoping she makes a habit out of bringing out WNBA teams at her remaining shows.

See some of the clips and Reese’s posts below.