DJ COMMUNITY

Rap icon Common names two NBA stars who impressed him most as rappers

Story by Julian Eschenbach

The best rapper the NBA has ever produced? Fans with an ear for music have argued about that one for years. So many players have crossed over into the booth. Fair to ask who actually pulled it off best.

In the end, it comes down to personal preference. But hearing from people who actually know their stuff still matters. Hip-hop is no different. That said, when a guy like Common speaks on the subject, it’s definitely worth listening.

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A gallery night in New York

Lindsay Dunn was in New York last week. She was there for the NBA on Prime’s season two launch. The event was called “The Art of Basketball.”

Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Blake Griffin were all in the building. So was Common. And he was the one she put that question to, asking, “What NBA player do you think in the history of the league has had the best track or random music that you’ve been around?”

From the paint to the booth

Common’s resume? He was the first rapper to win a Grammy, an Oscar, and an Emmy. All for his music. NBA players who grabbed the mic won’t come close to that kind of achievement. Still, Common respects them. Two names in particular.

“Shaquille O’Neal, he’s had some songs that looked strong, and he rapped good, and the song went out there. Like, you knew some of the hooks. He made songs,” he said of Common.

Shaquille O’Neal dropped “Shaq Diesel” in 1993. It went platinum. The NBA icon released four albums in total. The follow-up went gold.

And O’Neal didn’t just rap with anybody. Over the years, he recorded with the Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Nas and the Wu-Tang Clan. Common is on that list, too.

“I got to work with him (O’Neal), and I wrote some with him,” he said. “So I was grateful for that. I was just happy to meet Shaq.”

Lillard gets his flowers too

Common’s second nod went to Damian Lillard. The same guy who went on “The Joe Budden Podcast” back in 2019 and said he rapped better than O’Neal. That set off a back-and-forth of diss tracks between the two.

Common did not pick a winner there. But he made it clear that Lillard belongs in the conversation.

“I got to give it up, too, for Dame Dolla. Dame is a true MC, too, man. He’s an MC. When I heard his raps, I was like, ‘Yo, he really is a MC,’” he remarked.

With that out of the way, Common still noted that O’Neal has made “probably the best songs.” Lillard, on the other hand, is without a doubt a “good rapper.”

Want to hear it for yourself? Check out the song Lillard did with Rick Ross. Dame shared how that one came together back in August on the “Thanalysis Show.” He talked about hearing that Shaq himself had already recorded his verse for the track. And how that put some extra pressure on him.

Common, meanwhile, is a man of many talents himself. His music? That’s what he’s best known for. “I Used to Love H.E.R.” and “The Light” are still his most famous songs.

His acting is actually on par, too.

Common has been in “American Gangster,” “Selma,” and “John Wick: Chapter 2.” Since 2023, the Chicago native has had a supporting role in “Silo,” the Apple TV science fiction series.