Did Lebron & Kevin Durant Really Record A Hip Hop Song Together?

Right now, arguably the most entertaining thing on television (though maybe not to some, due to the results of the first 2 games, get your shit together Cleveland) to watch is the NBA Finals. A rivalry years in the making, and the first time in NBA history that 2 teams have faced off against each other in the Finals for 3 years in a row. With what seems like perfect timing (almost suspect timing), something surfaced online by way of a hip hop producer from Cleveland.

Yesterday (June 5th), somebody from Cleveland recording studio Spider Studios released a snippet of what appears to be a Lebron James & Kevin Durant song, apparently recorded during the 2011 lockout season of the NBA. With Kevin Durant (supposedly) producing the beat and both NBA superstars giving vocals to the track, Complex reached out to the owner of Spider Studios, Ben Schigel, to get more information about the track.

What do you remember about the night LeBron James and Kevin Durant recorded a rap song together?
"They came into my studio Spider Studios in Cleveland, Ohio. I have a buddy that was recording, and I guess he knows LeBron’s manager [Maverick Carter] and a few of LeBron’s buddies. When the NBA had the lockout, I think Durant was working out with LeBron, and my buddy said they wanted to record. He didn’t say Kevin Durant. He said LeBron, so I was only expecting LeBron. And then they both came in and I was like, 'Oh, this is kind of cool.'"

Was it just LeBron and KD?
"They came in with a bunch of their buddies, and we recorded from like 10 o’clock until four in the morning. We did a bunch of songs. Well, we didn’t do a bunch of songs. We did two or three."

Oh wait, so there’s more than just the one song that everybody is talking about right now?
"They did that song and then they did one other song. But the second song doesn’t have KD on it. It was just LeBron and a couple of his buddies."

Do you know if the song with LeBron and KD has an official title?
"I don’t think the song has a name."

What was the vibe like in the studio when LeBron and KD started recording?
"The vibe was cool. Those guys came—they probably had like 15 or 20 of their buddies show up with them—and they just kind of hung out and wrote as they were there. There was one moment I remember laughing because I was working on the Pro Tools rig and I looked and Kevin Durant was sitting on my floor. I was like, 'Dude, you’re worth $20 million or whatever, somebody can get you a chair.' [Laughs.] 'You shouldn’t be sitting on the floor.'"

The ESPN story about the song LeBron and KD recorded said that KD may have produced it. I’m guessing that if he was hanging out on the floor, that part of the story probably isn’t true. Did he play any role in the production?
"I can’t remember where the beat came from. I don’t think it was KD. I’ve been trying to figure that out."

Do you know why they picked that night to come to the studio to record music?
"I think it was just real spontaneous. I don’t think they really knew what was going to happen. I don’t even know if they were planning on anything happening. It’s kind of like if you were to go to the movies or something. I think they were just like, 'Let’s go into the studio and make a couple tracks because we’re bored.'"

Did it seem like they were going to do anything with the song they put together?
"I don’t know what their plans were because I never really talked to them after that day. I think they were just trying to have a good time."

After they were finished recording the song, what did you do with it?
"It just kind of lived on a hard drive in the studio. I’ve had it for six or seven years, and I’ve never really played it for anybody. I’ve kept it a secret. But when I started to hear the news about the song yesterday, I laughed because I knew I had it."

Why did you decide to put out a snippet of the song after holding onto it for all these years?
"I put it out there just to let people know it does exist. I also wouldn’t mind maybe trying to find an avenue to do something with it. With LeBron and KD's blessings of course."

Have you heard from either of their camps since releasing the snippet?
"I talked to LeBron’s manager for a little bit today. He was cool with me putting the snippet out."

So the most important question: Are you actually going to make everyone wait until you hit a million retweets to release the song, or will you put it out before then?
"We’ll see, you know? [Laughs.] It’s tough to get to a million."

You can check out a snippet of the track in the link below, via Spider Studios' twitter.

https://twitter.com/SpiderStudiosOH/status/871876840079732736

What do you guys think of the snippet?  Better or worse than everything else rap being put out right now?  Well... No, I shouldn't go there.  


















  

NBA Players That Rap

If there's one thing that I love other than hip-hop, it's NBA basketball. I love to watch it all, if there's a game on ESPN I don't care who it is, I'm always interested because I grew up with the game of basketball (never was that great of a player, obviously since I'm blogging now). If there's one other thing I love more than even basketball it's got to be hip-hop (you might not have known this, but it's true, I promise), and blending the two together is an absolute dream for me. It's funny to think that some NBA players wish they could rap (well), and a lot of rappers had dreams of being ball players. The lifestyle is a lot bigger than what it seems I suppose, and a lot of those NBA players didn't let their current lives or careers stop them from doing what they love (other than basketball). Here's a list of 5 NBA players that have recorded rap songs.

Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest)

Metta World Peace could probably be known for just about anything BUT basketball at this point. With his infamous "Malice at the Palace" fight back in 2004, and of course his raps, it seems Metta is creating quite the image off of the basketball court. Not all of that image has been good, but I believe there is more good in Metta than people give him credit for. Oh I forgot his name isn't Metta World Peace anymore, he now likes to go under the name Panda Friend. How can you think a guy named PANDA FRIEND is a monster?  Give the guy a chance. Definitely some decent rhymes on this song "Champions" though, which was recorded after his 2011 Lakers team won the NBA Title.

Stephen Jackson

Another player involved in that "Malice at the Palace" brawl is also a rapper, former Indiana Pacers forward Stephen Jackson. Here we have a music video for a Stak5 video called "Save The Day." Jackson proceeds to live that lifestyle in this video, doing things like shooting dice, sipping 1800 tequila, and you know... being a BALLER. A day in the life of Stephen Jackson, I suppose.

Kevin Durant

That's right, even the NBA's reigning MVP has spit hot fyah in the booth like Dylan. This song is actually pretty dope considering a guy that's supposedly going in and not knowing what he's doing (you'd assume no NBA player would know how to rap I suppose). This song not only features a decent verse from Durant where he actually talks his shit, but also a nice verse from an up and comer by the name of Privaledge. I haven't heard of Privaledge before, but this is a decent introduction to him.

Steve Francis

Here's a music video for a "finer" cut from Steve Francis, "Finer Things". I'm not understanding how these NBA players have any time whatsoever to shoot music videos. Can anyone answer this question for me?  Granted Steve Francis has been out of the NBA for more than 5 years, there are still current NBA players that do so (I think, once I find out who, I'll let you know.) It is sad to see how Francis' life has turned out since then, if you haven't seen the pictures he looks pretty cracked out. I'm never one to hate or wish ill will on any NBA player, and I hope that Steve only finds success and happiness in his future endeavors.

Allen Iverson

If there is any NBA player that defines a generation of style, that defines hip-hop as a whole, there is no question it is Allen Iverson. This guy made it cool to wear sleeves on your arms playing ball in the park, this guy made dreads popular, and this guy is considered by many (myself included) to be the father of the crossover. Yes there weren't many more players that ever played that were cooler than Allen Iverson, and if you're cool... well of course you rap. This song is supposedly a freestyle from A.I., and he definitely spits that real over a cool beat.

That's not even half of the NBA players who have taken their interest of hip hop to the booth. Some other guys rumored to rap are Lou Williams, Iman Shumpert, Tony Parker, Joe Smith, Delonte West, and even KOBE BRYANT (I only say "rumored" because I didn't look for any of these guys' tracks anywhere). Kobe's rapping career didn't last very long at all, but there is a music video floating around of him out there of a song that is apparently off of an unreleased album. Shaquille O'Neal is probably the first name that comes to mind when you think NBA rappers, but come on... really?  Do you really take Shaq seriously on the mic?  Didn't think so. Let me know if you know any other NBA player rappers that I didn't mention, and let me know if you think any of the ones I mentioned or that you find have any legit skill in this rap thing. Most of these guys should keep their day job, but this sort of thing just proves how much love, happiness, and enjoyment hip hop brings other people once again. Either that or some players just like to brag about their NBA lives and talk shit. I could certainly see it being a mix of both.