Ludacris is known for his outlandish visuals in his videos, but he brought one oh his most famous looks to life yesterday(September 4) at the Atlanta Braves game when he threw out the first pitch wearing the enormous muscle arms he donned in his famous video “Get Back”.
Before the Braves home game against the Rockies at ATL’s Truist Bank Park, Luda threw out the game’s ceremonial first pitch wearing the massive muscle bound arms along with the super sized Air Force 1s from his “Stand Up” smash hit to match.
Check out Luda throw out the Braves’ first pitch HERE
Even with the extra arm wear, the “Area Codes” rapper was still able to throw the ball close to the strike zone, to the surpise of many, including the Braves bat boy who caught the pitch.
The 46-year-old rapper/actor’s presence was part of a celebration to honor Atlanta music artists and their impact on culture. 15,000 fans who were lucky enough to be present in Truist Park for the game were given a limited edition Ludacris bobblehead.
Yesterday(May 12), Hip Hop living legend Busta Rhymes threw the ceremonial first pitch for the game between the New York Mets and the visiting Atlanta Braves at Citi Field in Queens. “The Dragon” seemed pretty confident during his warm up pitches before actually taking the mound and his above average pitch may have just been the charm as the Mets edged Atlanta in the 9th inning, winning the game 4-3.
The Mets managed to avoid a three-game sweep by Atlanta in their Mother’s Day win, due largely to a walk-off, two run homer from center fielder Brandon Nimmo in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure the win for New York. Nimmo, who left after four innings in Saturday’s 4-1 loss due to a tight right intercostal muscle, entered as a pinch runner for DJ Stewart in the seventh inning on Sunday.
The Mets have now won for just the seventh time in 19 games, while the Braves’ four-game winning streak has just ended.
Atlanta broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the eighth inning when Marcell Ozuna brought in his second RBI single of the night and the Mets went down in order in the bottom of the eighth before coming back in the ninth against reliever A.J. Minter (5-3). Jeff McNeil legged out a bunt single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tomas Nido. Nimmo then hit a 3-2 pitch beyond the fence in right-center field for his second career walk-off homer for the W.
There are a lot of rappers who wish they could be star athletes, and there are some athletes who wish they could be rappers. There have been a ton of examples where both stars from each respective profession could do both. Quavo is a stud on the basketball court, participating in multiple NBA All-Star Celebrity games. On the other side, you have multiple superstars who can flat-out spit bars. NBA point guard Damian Lillard has a couple of projects out right now that are more than listenable. Shaquille O’Neal is also big in the music scene nabbing a recent feature on a recent single with rap duo Coyote. But, Kid Cudi is not one that fits that mold.
Mr. Rager fits into tons of examples of artists flopping in sports. About nine years ago, most of the world witnessed possibly the worst first pitch in MLB history with 50 Cent. However, Cudi might have something to say about holding that title. Just this past weekend (September 22), the native Clevelander was asked to represent his hometown. The singer and rapper was brought onto the baseball diamond to throw out the first pitch for the Cleveland Guardians.
In the video clips above obtained by HipHopDX, you can see in the second one that Cudi threw a solid practice pitch. However, things took a turn for the worse when more eyeballs were on him. Cudi wound up and threw the ball way outside of home plate, but all he could do was laugh and do a little dance afterward. He did not take himself too seriously, responding to fans saying, “I am a NON ATHLETE bro, its all in good fun!! I havent thrown a baseball since mini league as a kid and I wasnt good then too haha.” At least the Guardians would go on to win their game 9-8 against the Baltimore Orioles, so it was not all bad.
What are your initial thoughts on Kid Cudi’s first pitch at the Cleveland Guardians game? Where does his first pitch rank amongst the rest of the rappers’ appearances on the mound? Do you think you could make a pitch to home plate on an MLB field? We want to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Kid Cudi, as well as the rest of the sports world.
Stephen A. Smith finally got his wish to throw out the first pitch at a baseball game. Unfortunately for the ESPN star, he embarrassed himself on national TV. Smith strode up to the pitcher’s mound with all the confidence in the world before delivering a pitch that barely made it to the dirt in front of home plate. In fairness, even Smith looked disappointed with his effort. The Yankees went on to beat the Blue Jays 5-3, ending a three-game slump for the team. The Yankees will play a home series against the D-Backs this weekend before closing out the season with road series against the Blue Jays and Royals.
However, what makes the situation even funnier is how much shit Smith has talked about what a great first pitch he would throw. Earlier this year, Smith went on a mini-rant on First Take in which he extolled the perceived excellence of his hypothetical first pitch. “Not only would I throw out the first pitch, I would throw a strike,” Smith told his co-hosts back in July. Maybe next time, Stephen.
Smith Joins Victor Wembanyama In Bad First Pitches
Of course, Smith is not the first person to throw a bad first pitch. Hell, Smith isn’t the only person in the last few months to throw a bad first pitch. Prior to the NBA Draft, first-overall pick Victor Wembanyama was also invited to throw out the first pitch at a Yankees game. Wearing the home team pinstripes, and his giant hands dwarfing the ball, Wembanyama took up a position on the pitcher’s mound. While he attempted something of a wind-up, his lazy throw went wide left, almost missing the batter’s box entirely. Accepting his effort, Wembanyama smiled and embraced the catcher.
Both Smith and Wembanyama had bad throws. However, 50 Cent still remains the king of terrible first pitches. Infamously, 50 Cent sort of just threw the ball off to the side while throwing out the first pitch at a 2014 Mets game. Maybe it’s just something in the air in NYC?
The ceremonial first pitch has been a tradition in baseball for over a century. However, it was Ronald Reagan who turned it into the spectacle it is today. Before Reagan’s unscheduled pitch at an Orioles game in 1984, the first pitch was thrown from the stands onto the field. Now, it’s a whole ceremony in itself, with the guest throwing from the pitcher’s mound to home plate. And one person who would love to do it is the broadcasting legend himself, Stephen A. Smith.
While discussing Wembanyama’s first pitch on First Take, Smith was asked if he has ever thrown the first pitch. “No [and] you know what? I’m shocked that they haven’t invited me,” Smith began. “Not only would I do a first pitch, I would sing Take Me Out To The Ballgame at a Chicago Cubs game. Only thing I wouldn’t do is go to Boston and sing. I can’t do that because they’re the enemy, I’m a Yankees guy.”
When asked if he was sure he wanted to do the first pitch, Smith doubled down. “I am. And not only would I throw out the first pitch, I would throw a strike.” It’s a bold and hilarious claim from Smith, whose reservoirs of confidence never cease to amaze. It’s just the latest in a line of memorable moments from Smith this week. Elsewhere, he had something of a meltdown while expressing his displeasure with Julius Randle. Meanwhile, he made his thoughts on Ron DeSantis very clear. It’s fair to say that Smith’s daily antics bring us all a little bit of sunshine.
Victor Wembanywama is widely expected to be the first-overall pick at the NBA Draft on June 22. It’s the first time the San Antonio Spurs have held the first pick since 1997 when they selected Hall of Famer Tim Duncan. Wembanyama is the most anticipated NBA prospect since LeBron James. The 7″2 star hails from France and has been playing professionally since 2019. Winning French League MVP this year, he led his team, Metropolitans 92, on a surprise Finals run. Wembanyama’s unique skillset led LeBron to call the prospect “an alien.”
Unsurprisingly, Wembanyama will be on-site in Chicago for the draft proceedings. However, he has spent the last week or so on something of a media tour ahead of the draft. While many of these moments have been sweet and wholesome, with Wembanyama mobbed by fans wherever he goes, there is one outing he will likely want to forget.
On June 20, Wembanyama was in New York to throw out the first pitch at an MLB game between the Yankees and Mariners. Wearing the home team pinstripes, and his giant hands dwarfing the ball, Wembanyama took up a position on the pitcher’s mound. While he attempted something of a wind-up, his lazy throw went wide left, almost missing the batter’s box entirely. Accepting his effort, Wembanyama smiles and embraces the catcher.
It definitely ranks up there in terms of terrible first pitches. However, Wemby gets points for at least getting the ball from the mound to vaguely where the batter stands. Infamously, 50 Cent sort of just threw the ball off to the side while throwing out the first pitch at a 2014 Mets game. Furthermore, there was a lot of sympathy for Wembanyama on social media, with people arguing that given his stature and hand size, it must have been almost impossible for him to land an accurate first pitch. Be sure to make HotNewHipHop your go-to for all the biggest stories surrounding the NBA Draft.
Stephen A. Smith continues to be one of the most entertaining people in the sports media world. Overall, he is a pioneer in the space who continues to do great things. In fact, he has expanded his horizons beyond just doing First Take. He now has his own podcast called Know Mercy where he is able to talk about anything he wants. Although the show can be political at times, sports fans have shown their appreciation for it. After all, who doesn’t want to hear Smith give his unfiltered takes on all facets of life?
Recently, Stephen A. Smith weighed in on Megan Thee Stallion and her first pitch at the Houston Astros home opener. Of course, Meg went viral for her pitch, although mainly because of how she looked. The artist wore an all-white outfit that showed off her curves. Subsequently, many commenters on social media were thirsting for her. As it turns out, Stephen A. is one of them. While taking to Know Mercy this weekend, Smith spoke about her look and how he didn’t appreciate David Hensley, who slyly put his glove on Meg’s butt.
Stephen A. Smith Loves Megan Thee Stallion
Keep your hands above the waste after the Megan Thee Stallion first pitch, sir! pic.twitter.com/mdRyhEGyb8
“I know that there’s a lot to walk away from,” Smith said in regard to Meg’s pitch. “I mean that white outfit she was wearing was pretty nice. She looked pretty nice in that. And that’s one thought to walk away from. The other thought to walk away from was the pitch itself, which wasn’t that great, but you didn’t expect it to be. So props to her. She came close enough. But the one thing I walked away from, and I forgot the guy’s name, but he had his hand on her backside. He did it quick. But he ain’t supposed to be touching her like that. “
Stephen A. Smith makes a great point about Hensley’s sly move. Everyone saw him do it, and he consequently went viral for it. As for Megan Thee Stallion, it seems like she still had a great time at the game. She got to do something that many have dreamed of. You can check out the moment that Smith was speaking on, down below.
The Moment In Question
Megan Thee Stallion throws the ceremonial first pitch at the Houston Astros’ Opening Day game pic.twitter.com/X4a8NnfwwZ
Spring is upon us, and Megan Thee Stallion is back outside. There was a lull for a few months during and after Tory Lanez’s trial, where Megan seemed to be shying away from the spotlight. Her fans supported the retreat, who understood that the Traumazine rapper needed a few moments outside of the prying eyes of critics. When she returned, Megan Thee Stallion served big hair at Vanity Fair‘s coveted Oscar’s afterparty. It was there that she confirmed she was working on a new album. Since then, the Houston Hottie has hopped from one event to the next.
Today, Hip Hop fans had their eyes on the Houston Astros game—not only because they love baseball, but because Meg was throwing the first pitch. She was decked out in an almost all-white ensemble, complete with her Astros jersey. It isn’t uncommon for rappers to take to the pitcher’s mound; Houston native Travis Scott also did so. Megan looked great as the crowd looked on, making silly faces to the cameras that circled her closely. Then, it was her time to shine.
Megan Thee Stallion Laughs As She Misses The Mark
Megan Thee Stallion throws the ceremonial first pitch at the Houston Astros’ Opening Day game pic.twitter.com/X4a8NnfwwZ
The announcer remarked that Megan was seen practicing, which didn’t look so promising. However, she was all smiles as the crowd anticipated the first throw. It was a little far off to the left, but it was all in good fun. The hitmaker received hugs from players and cheers from the crowd for her attempt. Meanwhile, fellow Texas native and country star Cody Johnson delivered the national anthem before the Astros faced off against the Chicago White Sox. At the time of this publication, neither team has scored just yet.
Megan Thee Stallion is reportedly in her hometown because she has a big show tomorrow (March 31). The NCAA March Madness Music Festival is taking over the weekend, and Meg is set to hit the stage for the first time this year. Yesterday, 1501 Certified Entertainment even waved a white flag in an open letter from the desk of Carl Crawford. Megan has been at war with 1501 for years, and amid litigation, Crawford showed support. He asked for Houston to celebrate Meg’s arrival and praised her accomplishments as an artist. Meg hasn’t publicly reacted to Crawford’s support or addressed their ongoing case. Check out Megan Thee Stallion at the Astros game above and more photos below.
Take Me-gan Out To The Ballgame
HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 30: Megan Thee Stallion throws oiut the first pitch as the Houston Astros play the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day at Minute Maid Park on March 30, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 30: Megan Thee Stallion throws oiut the first pitch as the Houston Astros play the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day at Minute Maid Park on March 30, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 30: Megan Thee Stallion throws oiut the first pitch as the Houston Astros play the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day at Minute Maid Park on March 30, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
