Jay Z is the former minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets (he got out of that one at the right time, aye?), allegedly made the Yankees cap more famous than the Yankees can, and founded the Roc Nation Sports agency. Shawn Carter doesn't just rap about sports; he's a bit of a fanatic. With that said, it definitely is still fun to listen to him drop sports metaphors whether they're tightly constructed (see the "Pump It Up" freestyle or the epic "Lyrical Exercise") or stinging backhanders like the one Stephon Marbury caught on "La-La-La." If Jay Z is the Michael Jordan of rap with his post-Black Album years akin to Jordan's Wizards years, then it makes sense that he'd have some of rap's greatest sports references. Check out some of Jay Z's finest lines while pausing to remind yourself that, damn, this dude is actually 44 today.
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30. Jay Z f/ Pharrell, "So Ambitious"
29. Jay Z & Kanye West, "Illest Mother F**ker Alive"
28. Jay Z, "Squeeze 1st"
27. "La-La-La (Excuse Me Miss Again)"
26. Jay Z, "Lyrical Excercise"
25. Cam'Ron f/ Jay Z, Juelz Santana, "Welcome to New York City"
24. Jay Z & Big L, "7 Minute Freestyle"
23. Notorious B.I.G. f/ Jay-Z, Angela Winbush, "I Love the Dough"
22. Jay Z, "F.U.T.W"
21. Jay Z, "Heart of the City"
20. Jay Z f/ Santogold, "Brooklyn Go Hard"
19. Young Jeezy f/ Jay Z, "Go Crazy"
18. Jay Z, "Bump Bump Bump Freestyle"
17. Kanye West f/ Jay Z, J. Ivy, "Never Let Me Down"
16. Jay Z & R. Kelly, "The Return"
15. Freeway f/ Beanie Sigel, Jay Z, "What We Do"
14. Jay Z & R. Kelly, "Best of Both Worlds"
13. Jay Z & Kanye West, "Gotta Have It"
12. Jay Z f/ Travi$ Scott, "Crown"
11. Timbaland f/ Jay Z, "Lobster & Scrimp"
10. Jay Z & Kanye West, "Ni**as in Paris"
9. Jay Z, "Dead Presidents III"
8. Jay Z, "A Million And 1 Questions (Extended)"
7. Jay Z f/ Memphis Bleek, "Coming of Age"
6. Jay Z & Kanye West, "Primetime"
5. Jay Z, 'Hova Song' (Intro)"
4. Jay Z, "Hola Hovito"
3. Jay Z, "Hova Song (Intro)"
Year: 1996
Lyric(s): "Slimmy at the Rucker wanna leave and spend with me/I consistently take 'em out the park like Ken Griffey"
Thisline is one of the reasons why Jigga is considered to be the best. Jay's game with the ladies is just as sweet as Griffey's swing.
2. Jay Z, "Encore"
Year: 2003
Lyric(s): "When I come back like Jordan, wearin' the 4-5/It ain't to play games with you/It's to aim at you, probably maim you"
When Jay spat these lines on 2003's The Black Album, he predicted that he would come back as Jordan wearing the No. 45, but in reality, after Kingdom Come, it was looking more like M.J. wearing No. 23 for the Wizards.
1. Jay Z, "Pump It Up Freestyle"
Year: 2003
Lyric(s): "Worry I'm not the Mike Jordan of the mic recordin'/It's Hovi Baby, you Kobe, maybe, Tracy McGrady/Matter fact you a Harold Minor, JR Rider/Washed up on marijuana/Even worse you a Pervis Ellis/You worthless fella/You ain't no athlete, you Shawn Bradley"
On "Pump It Up Freestyle," Jay went down the totem pole of ballers before ending with Shawn Bradley. But, in Bradley's defense, he had those two decent seas...you know what, forget it.