Once upon a time, Allen Iverson (a.k.a. "Jewelz") tried to launch his own rap career. Thankfully, it was remarkably unsuccessful. AI's first single, "40 Barz," received so much negative feedback that his debut album was shelved, and he didn't get the chance to embarrass himself by putting out a full-length project.
But that didn't stop A.I. from making an impact in the rap world. Even though he put down the mic back in 2001, rappers have name-dropped the former 76ers point guard over and over and over again. And even though he hasn't played in the NBA in more than five years now, rappers continue to use him and his various nicknames in their lyrics.
So as AI celebrates his 40th birthday today, we decided to put together a list of The 40 Best Rap Bars About Allen Iverson. Just know that there will definitely be more to come…
41. "Every shot you see them take at me? They all contested/Allen Iverson shoe deal, these niggas all in question"—Drake
40. "Who can sing a hook like Frankie Lymon?/Should I choose the Baywatch David Hasselhoff hair or the Allen Iverson braids, zigzags I'm designin'?"—RiFF RAFF
39. "Niggas killing niggas like they got a license/Niggas crossing over like they Allen Iverson"—Yo Gotti
38. "Shots fired, Allen Iverson in the league/They say I ball hog and I'm not a part of the team"—Kevin Gates
37. "Niggas will post up but won't even call the block/Allen Iverson, everybody push the rock"—Lil B
36. "I am champion at beer pong/Allen Iverson, Hakeem Olajuwon"—Asher Roth
35. "Ballin' on you guys like Allen Iverson/They're like, 'Damn! Here's this guy again'/He's on fire, we need a fire hydrant then"—B.o.B
34. "Now we got my block live again, look at these whips we're riding in/Making ballin' look easy, baby, we don't practice like Iverson"—Chamillionaire
33. "I'ma ball like Julius Irving, Iverson, and Manning/I got the cannon in that two-door Phantom"—Tony Yayo
32. "Young dude, be floatin' the city like cab drivers/Professional but still keep it real like Allen Iverson"—Murphy Lee
31. "It's all G, Broad Street down to Stuyvestant/Niggas got talent, move like Allen Iverson"—Pacewon
30. "How can I be inhumane?/In a world full of animals, I'm pure like Iverson handles"—J-Ro
29. "I be the Eastside Soprano, Rob Marciano/Flow in every channel with the Iverson handle"—Black Rob
28. "Shagging is something I'm a pro at, but I ain't practicing shit/Allen Iverson of safe sex, condoms are for practice, man, I skip practice"—Eminem
27. "It ain't hard to tell who's the liver one/Got 'em all shooken like Allen Iverson"—Big Daddy Kane
26. "The home of Marvin Gaye, that's all I gotta say/Iverson was cool, but I supported Victor Page"—Wale
25. "Lil mama's a plumber, she's handling pipe/Ill with a pill, she handle it right/Like Iverson, the smallest thing on the team, but the livest one"—Killer Mike
24. "Went from nobody on the block to superstardom/I got women from Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Harlem/Hit my crib on the Hudson only if you're worthy/I put three on their backs like an Iverson jersey"—Ludacris
23. "Now that the gate's wide open, it is I who they runnin' from/Little with the ill crossover like Iverson"—Bow Wow
22. "With the killer cross, had Iverson on the block/Graced the cover of The Source, tell me that ain't hot"—Fat Joe
21. "The rap game in question and I'm young Iverson/My dog in a jam and I got to ride with him"—Lloyd Banks
20. "I like ballin', I come back like Mike Jordan/This is for y'all while I'm spittin' literatures, lyrics'll fall like Allen Iverson dribble the ball"—Rakim
19. "That nigga shit, Iverson crossover/That nigga shit, Cheez Doodles, grape soda"—Big Pun
18. "No practice here so call me Iverson/But I'ma be ready when the Finals come"—Mac Miller
17. "My money promising/Step up in the game and cross the best like Allen Iverson"—Meek Mill
16. "Meanwhile I'm a virus like Iverson/A nigga crossover, Europeans admirin'"—Obie Trice
15. "Dancin' around the club, doin' the tango/Go hard like Iverson, playin' with hurt ankles"—Talib Kweli
14. "I shine hard and I be flossin' very sweet/But I'm like Iverson, dog, I be ballin' but very street"—Lil Wayne
13. "Look, a straight up Compton nigga 'til I'm six feet like Iverson be/Ride and die for mines, it's just me"—Kendrick Lamar
12. "New verses crush the hood like I'm drivin' into somethin'/Bitches on the kid like I'm Iverson or somethin'"—Drake
11. "Probably think I won't murder you, the way I smile/But I'ma take a lot of shots, A.I. style"—Jadakiss
10. "Live from Bedford-Stuyvesant, the livest ones/Still on my grizzly, no Iverson"—Fabolous
9. "Rich motherfucker, gettin' chicks at the Rucker/Bringin' my team to the joint, with Allen Iverson runnin' the point"—Puff Daddy
8. "It's Bumpy Knux, hotter than grits on Al Green/Gonna make Allen Iverson stick with his team"—Freddie Foxxx
7. "When the new generation think about Jordan/All they remember is when Iverson crossed him"—Joe Budden
6. "To guide y'all through, show you how it's done/I'm the question and the answer like Iverson"—Jay Z
5. "That's around the time that your idols become your rivals/You make friends with Mike but got to A.I. him for your survival"—Drake
4. "They think I'm spellin' Iverson when the beef all done/'Cause he'll be on IV in the ER, son"—40 Cal
3. "The bitch in you, makes you run for cover when I spit at you/A man-to-man zone Allen Iverson couldn't dribble through"—Canibus
2. "He's The Answer and the problem, you don't want it with/The way that boy go to the hole and take punishment/The young boss of the cross for four quarters/And from three-point land, he's all water/Matter fact, call him the king/The way he breaks down the defense, it's like he got the ball on a string"—Jadakiss
