N.O.R.E infamously stated that Michael Jordan hates rap music, even though he’s one of the most commonly referenced athletes in the genre. During an interview in 2016, he explained that he ran into Jordan when he witnessed the NBA legend say “F*ck rap.” “We were all sitting there waiting to speak to Michael Jordan. N***s said, ‘Yo, Redman and Method Man is here.’ [MJ] said, ‘F*** rap.’ I seen the n***a say that,” he recalled, adding “He only spoke to Hov…that’s without a doubt.” MJ’s reps vehemently denied the claim but N.O.R.E shared a photo suggesting Jordan wanted no part with the rap community.
Perhaps, there’s some credibility behind Michael Jordan’s denial. Comedian Alex Thomas recently spoke to HipHopDX where he shed light on Jordan’s apparent appreciation for N.O.R.E’s catalog. Thomas, whose claim to fame was introducing “Tatalicious” to the masses, said Jordan actually recognized him from his appearance in Noreaga’s “Nothin” music video. Thomas said he ran into Jordan in Chicago at a party. “Michael Jordan walks up to me and straight up looks me in the face and goes… ‘Tatalalicious! Tatalalicious!’ Man, when I tell you a small tear came out my eye. I couldn’t believe that guy knew who I was,” he recalled.
Michael Jordan Approved
Apparently, Michael Jordan loved the song that he listened to it nearly a dozen times during the day. “He’s like, ‘Man, that shit’s so funny. That’s my favorite song. I’ve seen that video 10 times today.’ I was like, ‘Michael Jordan, can you sign my shoes?’ I took a shoe off and put it in his face. He signed that bitch right, and everybody was on the floor dying,” he recalled. Thomas confirmed that it was a pair of Air Jordan.
“I don’t know if he was a fan of N.O.R.E. or if he was like every other human being who turned on the TV that year,” Thomas continued. “If you were watching BET or MTV, the song played 10 times every day and you saw that video.” N.O.R.E’s claims aside, it seems as though Jordan doesn’t actually hate rap music. After all, Air Jordan has worked with everyone from Terror Squad to Drake and Travis Scott in recent times.