News of Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl rapping - yes, this is actually true - is sweeping the country, but it shouldn't come as a major surprise. That's because basketball and rapping have always been synonymous. With that in mind, NaismithLives.com writer Todd Kapostasy takes a look at the Top 10 Most Notable NBA Rappers of All-Time. Because, as we all know, the NBA is the one place where rapping and basketball can finally come together as one...

I know the question you're asking yourself and the answer is yes.

Believe it or not there have actually been at least ten current or former NBA players who have dabbled in the rap game. This “kill me crossover,” as I like to call it, sends chills down the spines of avid hip-hop fans, but is relatively expected considering the undeniable connection between athletes and entertainers.

I think the well publicized friendship that has developed between Lebron James and Jay-z provides proof of the requited love rappers and NBA players often have for one another. Both are considered to be two of the greatest of all time at their said professions, but every time they buddy-buddy it up after a Cavs win at MSG or in Jersey, I find it impossible to figure out who is giddier during the exchange. Even though they’re two of the most famous people on the planet in their own right, they seem genuinely thrilled to be friends. But why?

I think it can partially be explained by a mutual respect those who function at an elite level have for one another. Both Jay-z and Lebron have unparalleled talent in their field, and likely appreciate and admire each other for knowing what it takes to be at the top of their game. It’s sort of like when Adam Stanco and I read each other’s articles on Naismithlives.com.

But that still really doesn’t explain why people from these two professions want to be in each others sneakers. There are probably a myriad of explanations, but a simple one is that many of them just get bored with being rich and famous at one thing and want to be rich and famous at another.

Regardless, I’m not trying to psychoanalyze these groups, but rather rank the success one group has had imitating the other.

On a more methodological tip, please note that this isn’t necessarily a “best of” list. The word “notable” was deliberately used for obvious reasons. Using verbiage like “best” sort of implies that something is good, or that one thing is better than another. That’s not really the case here. A highly ranked player-turned-rapper is not as bad as the player-turned-rapper below him, but in some cases a player-turned-rapper is so terrible that his awfulness makes him more “notable” and thus deserving of a higher ranking. Essentially the impactfulness of each individual, good or bad, is what’s being ranked.

The hip-hop culture that has been alive and well in the NBA for years has been scrutinized enough. Here at Naismithlives.com we want to embrace the league’s urban culture and recognize those players who have used their off-season leisure time to put their music on wax.

And while I don’t think Lebron James will be picking the mic up anytime soon, others have and probably will continue to… for better or worse…

10. “BASKETBALL’S BEST KEPT SECRET” ALBUM (Cedric Ceballos, Dennis Scott, Jason Kidd, J.R. Rider, Malik Sealey, Gary Payton, Chris Mills, Brian Shaw, Dana Barros)
“David Stern ain’t out here, let’s ball big boy”
- Flow On Video featuring Cedric Ceballos

Lowdown: Most hip-hop internet bloggers agree that 1994 was one of the greatest years ever for rap. Here’s a list of albums that were released in the nine-four:
Common - Resurrection
Fugees - Blunted on Reality
Gang Starr - Hard to Earn
Jeru the Damaja - The Sun Rises in the East
Nas - Illmatic
Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
OutKast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Pete Rock and CL Smooth - The Main Ingredient
The Roots - Do You Want More?!!!??!
Scarface - The Diary
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders (Late ’93)
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers (Late ’93)

Not too shabby, eh? But today we hear the overstated and dramatic notion popularized by Nas (See his 2006 album title) that hip-hop music is dead. With the advent of popping and snapping and auto-tuned “T-Wayne” vocals, die-hard fans of hip-hop constantly reference 1994 as the heyday of hip-hop and a year they wish current artists could channel.

I generally agree with this assessment, but playing devil’s advocate let me introduce you to the 1994 album, “Basketball’s Best Kept Secret.”

Someone had the ingenious idea to recruit several NBA wanna-be rappers and put them on the same album. Now the album as “art” is certainly terrible. But it deserves a spot on this list for the incredible feat of convincing multiple NBA “stars” that it was a good idea to get involved with the project in the first place. I’m not sure BBKS is significant enough to tarnish ‘94’s rep as one of the greatest years in hip-hop, but man, it tried.

Rather than describing the buffoonery on each track, check out the links below and judge for yourself:

Audio:
J.R Rider - “Funk in the Trunk”

Chris Mills - “Sumtin’ to Groove to”

Dennis Scott - “All night Party”

Brian Shaw - “Anything Can Happen”

Malik Sealy – “Lost in the Sauce”

Dana Barros – “Check It”

Gary Payton – “Livin’ Legal and Large”

Jason Kidd – “What the Kidd Did”

* The only party missing from this tracklist is Shaq. He’s higher on our list. What number? Read on…

Video:

Cedric Celballos - “Flow On”

9. WALT WILLIAMS
"I want people to judge me for my music. I'm a basketball player that can really rhyme."
– Walt Williams

Lowdown: In 2002, Walt “The Wizard” Williams, an 11-year NBA vet, wanted to put D.C. on the rap map. Hoping to attract local hip-hop talent and jumpstart the movement in the District, the sharp-shooting 6’8’’ forward founded the hip-hop record label Big Waad Entertainment. And what better way to get the ball rolling for his newly established company than to record and release his own debut album?

After listening to “The Insight of a Wizzard”, one thing jumps out at you: Williams’ self consciousness about his legitimacy as a rapper. I appreciate his sense of history, he clearly understands that he fits into a category that is generally considered to be musical parody. Unfortunately, he spends too much time on the album trying to convince the listener that he is a basketball player who can actually rap. He says it so much that you start to question whether he actually believes it.

If you happen to know anything about judicial review in our federal court system, you know the effect I’m talking about. By elevating the interest level in his rhyming capability he is inviting people to apply a strict level of scrutiny to his skill. It’s simple equal protection jurisprudence people!

Anyway.

That being said, Williams isn’t embarrassingly bad, and he deserves props for trying to advance the genre in D.C.

Reps: D.C.

Samples: Check out :30 snippets of almost every song on Walt’s album.

Notable Quintain:
Lettin’ em’ know that hoopers can rhyme
that shooters can dime, that you wanna shine
The name is Wizzard, the game is digits
any of you lames doubt that I’m famous with riches
either insane or b*tches

Ironic: A Google search of “Walt Williams hip hop” turns this up as the first result.

It’s a political blog called “Hip Hop Republican.” The site has linked a video of conservative economist Walter E. Williams stressing the importance of the American entrepreneur. I bet economist Walter Williams would appreciate basketball/rapper Walt Williams’ entrepreneurial spirit when he founded Big Waad Entertainment. Maybe?

Loose Connection: Okay. I wish there was a more legitimate way to tie this video into my list, but there just isn’t. Walt Williams played for the Trail Blazers at one point in his career. I think that’s a strong enough connection to justify linking up this unbelievable Portland Trail Blazer rap video, “Bust a Bucket.”

8. TROY HUDSON
“You can call it what you wanna, I’ma call it what it is”
– Troy Hudson on “Gangsta, Gangsta”

Lowdown: Like Walt Williams, Troy Hudson understood the reality that no mainstream record label would ever give him a deal, so he used his NBA paper to establish an independent label to release his debut album. Under Nutty Boyz Entertainment, “T-Hud” released "Undrafted" in 2007. Unfortunately, T-Hud’s debut was a thud, selling only 78 copies in its first week. Kind of embarrassing considering the Nutty Boyz has 4,120 friends on Myspace. That means over 4,000 of T-Hud’s people weren’t willing to shell out the cash to buy the album.

“Troy, I mean… the ‘singles’ were posted on the page, so why would I buy the album? Anyhow, great 5 point performance last night against the Bucks! And thanks for the add!”

Hudson claims to have written more than 800 songs. We should be thankful that only 18 made it onto the album.

Worst: T-Hud - “Gangsta”

Best-ish: “Tru Luv” featuring Ray J.

While it’s an extremely formulaic and cliche track (Jimmy Choo reference? Check.
R&B singer on the hook? Check.), the single off “Undrafted” features Ray J who is sort of a legitimate artist, and has a popular sex tape, which I guess means he’s sort of relevant. Plus, the production on the song isn’t awful.

Final Burn: ESPN’s Jim Rome verbally organizes an “Undrafted” CD burning party .

7. TONY PARKER
“Closest they came to France was French kissin’”
– Fabolous on Top of the Game

Lowdown: I’ll spare you the Sophia Coppolla set-up and punch line.

Last year Parker released his self titled debut album. The first single off “TP” was a song called “Balance Toi”. In an oft cited and translated line, Parker raps:
What, you want to dance?
No, it's not worth it
Me, I'll stay on the sofa enjoying the vibe by raising my arms

Intriguing stuff, but be careful Tony. Celebrities have been known to take some flack when caught with their hands up on a couch.

My middle school French doesn’t really qualify me to rate TP’s lyrical ability, but word on the Champs-Élysées is that it’s less than stellar. I do however credit Parker for the production value of his album and music videos. Even though Parker comes off as a little French weenie, at least the beats, for the most part, are listenable, and the music videos don’t look like they were cut on my laptop. Parker has a lot of dough and at least it appears he spent a significant chunk of it on this off-season hobby.

Other Videos:
“Love”
“Top of the Game”

Dancing White Boy: If your flow can get Brent Barry moving, you must to be doing something right. I really hate to add to the documented occurrences of white NBA players and coaches dancing poorly at NBA Championship rallies (more on this later), but easily the best part of this Tony Parker “freestyle” is Barry providing more evidence to solidify an embarrassing white stereotype.

Exclusive Interview: In a Naismithlives.com exclusive, we asked a notable celebrity who her favorite rapper is. You may be surprised by her answer.

6. KOBE BRYANT
“From Italy to the U.S., yes it’s raw.”
– Kobe Bryant on K.O.B.E.

Lowdown: We now know from numerous interviews with former teammates and well-publicized beefs with Shaquille O’Neal and Phil Jackson that Kobe Bryant is sort of a social outcast. Outcasts are often awkward. Kobe Bryant as a rapper is really awkward.

Bryant is probably best known for his duet with Tyra Banks, “K.O.B.E.” Unfortunately the spelling of his own name is about that only thing he got right.

Poll: Who is more out of place on an American Idol promotion montage: Michael Chiklis, Rob Schneider, or Kobe Bryant? Don’t rack your brain over this too long, just check out the video. Kobe’s not really rapping here, but don’t complain.

Worst: K.O.B.E. featuring Tyra Banks (live)

Worst Biggie Bite:
Kobe? Yeah, he’s real with the flow
Kick in the door and then the flow, flow
(Thug Poet)

Notable Review: “Kobe made an album. Kobe’s album sucked. It would’ve been better if he let me write it.” – 50 Cent

Notable Comparison: “I am the Kobe Bryant of hip-hop.” – Lil’ Wayne

5. RASHEED WALLACE
“Both teams played hard”
– Rasheed Wallace

It's now time for Naismithlives.com most popular segment: "How many old, white television producers does it take to identify a rap lyric?"

Two seasons ago Rasheed Wallace made Sportcenter's "Top 10 Plays" when he performed a "freestyle" rap before their game against the Rockets. I don't doubt 'Sheed's off the dome lyrical ability, but any hip-hop connoisseur knows Wallace was spitting a Nas verse from the Raekwon song "Lyrical Intercourse." I mean he was just listening to the song with headphones and reciting it people! Not a lot of skill exhibited here.

Check out :40 ish on the original song.

In terms of body of work, Wallace’s catalogue of rhymes is a little thin. It's more like a pinky toe, really. But in my humble opinion ‘Sheed is actually pretty decent, although he doesn’t have a lot of material to base that opinion on.

As a side note, the Rasheed Wallace “technical face” and coincidently the same face my roommate makes when you refuse to buy him a beer at the bar. Seriously.

Reps: Philly

Likened to: Joe Budden

Freestyle: Here.

That’s All It Is?: Last year a local suburban Detroit rapper “ALLiTiZ” released a song called ”Rasheed Wallace.” To be honest I have no idea why this song is called “Rasheed Wallace.” Even though ‘Sheed is never directly referenced (I’m pretty sure… I couldn’t make it past the 2nd verse) the website NeedForSheed.com claims the song is “about Rasheed Wallace as a mentality.” Okay.

4. ALLEN IVERSON
“It’s all fundamental and basics”
– Allen Iverson

Lowdown: Allen Iverson infamously recorded the song ”40 Bars” for a rap album he planned on releasing under his rap name Jewels before the start of the 2001-2002 season. But after the song leaked and NBA commish David Stern caught wind of the track, he supposedly banned Iverson from releasing it.

Here’s one line from the song:
Everybody stay fly, get money, kill and f*ck b*tches
I’m hittin’ anything in plain view of my riches

Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is about.

In terms of skill, A.I. isn’t great, but to be quite honest, I actually think 40 Bars is kind of hot. I’m definitely the dissenting opinion here though. It’s also worth noting the stink Stern made about the song back in 2001, especially considering the explicit material Ron Artest is currently putting out.

Reps: VA

Street Cred: High-ish

Best: A.I. also spit a couple of hoops related verses with D-Block member Jadakiss for his Reebok shoes commercials (ranking No. 43 on a very credible list of the Top 50 Basketball Commercials of All-Time. Very credible.)

Worst: Check out this clip. Ironically it gets relevant at 4:20ish.

3. CHRIS WEBBER
“Now that’s the tragic point my friend”
– The Wiz

Lowdown: In the hip-hop community, Webber is best known for his 1999 debut and, coincidently, final album “2 Much Drama.” Released under the clever pseudonym “C. Webb,” the project did horribly, although the song “Gangsta, Gangsta” did manage to crack the top ten on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart. Here’s the video.

But timeout for just one second (wait, do I have any left?). Sub-par in front of the mic, in recent years Webber has excelled as a producer. He’s been in the studio with hip-hop legends Nas (“Blunt Ashes” and “Survivin’ the Times”) and… okay, Nas is the only notable artist Webber has worked with, but it’s about quality not quantity, right? Hopefully C-Webb can branch out and expand his production credits in the future.

Reps: Detroit

Legitimate journalism, kinda: MTV produced this feature explaining the impromptu late night studio visit that led to the Nas album credit. Sway is so cool.

Controversy: A few months back Webber was involved in a controversy involving a track called “Survivin’ the Times” that he produced for Nas’ greatest hits album. Shortly after the song leaked, lesser know artist Wordsmith alleged that Webber had stolen the idea for the song that he recorded more than a year earlier. Both songs sample the song “What would you do if I could Feel” from the musical “The Wiz.”

With sampling, creative property can certainly be murky domain. You be the judge.

2. RON ARTEST

Low Down: In 2006, Ron Artest released his highly anticipated debut album, "My Life." SoundScan, a company that tracks album sales, originally reported that "My Life" sold one copy in its first week.

One.

Like, if you bought a spindle of 100 CD's from Best Buy, he only sold the top one.

But after several publications commissioned a worldwide search for the lone soul who actually shelled out money for the record, SoundScan admitted they had made a mistake. Artest had actually sold 343 units in his first week. Better than one, but still a whopping 6,142 less than Kevin Federline who released his first album the same week.

Sales aside, you have to admire Ron's dedication to the game. Also in 2006, he allegedly asked Pacers coach Rick Carlisle for more than a month off to, among other things, promote his female R&B group Allure and work on his debut album. You have to respect the Tru Warriors’ commitment, even if it creates a zero-sum relationship with his game.

Unfortunately Ronny’s skills aren’t spectacular. To use a basketball equivalent, it's sort of like a 5'8'' kid with limited athletic ability spending countless hours in his driveway working on his game with dreams of one day playing in the NBA. Artest has got the heart, just not the talent.

What Ron does have goin’ is some legitimate street cred. A Queensbridge, New York native, Artest rests at the end of a long line of hip-hop talent that called “The Bridge” home. A who’s who in hip-hop including Marley Marl, Craig G, Mobb Deep, and Nas, Artest would like nothing more than to carry on the legacy of his former hood. And who knows, maybe he will in time. I mean he is the 2nd most notable NBA rapper of all-time.

Reps: Queensbridge Projects (NY)

Street Cred: High

Best: Let’s be honest, Ron Artest in a certifiably insane. And popular hip-hop website hiphopgame.com had the ingenious idea to give Artest his own video blog. Often entertaining and sometimes surprisingly insightful, Artest’s blog is worth checking out.

Least Clairvoyant Rhyme: "I ain't goin' nowhere, like blacks running for president." (2006)

1. SHAQUILLE O’NEAL
“Tell me how my a** tastes"
–Shaquille O’Neal

Lowdown: This really is a no brainer. The Big Desiel isn't just an NBA superstar who happens to rap, he is legitimately successful from a sales standpoint. His 1993 album "Shaq Desiel" went platinum, it's follow up "Shaq-Fu: Da Return" gold, and his third album featured assists from hip-hop heavyweights Jay-z, The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, and Rakim.

Granted the Big Aristotle doesn't have a ton of credibility in the rap game. He doesn't curse, his rhymes are fairly basic, and even his most devout fans must concede that his record sales are more a reflection of his talent on the floor than in the booth. Even so, O'Neal deserves props for making a significant dent in hip-hop without being considered a full blown novelty.

After putting down the mic in 1998 ("Respect") Shaq made a not so triumphant return last summer at a New York club when he verbal assaulted former teammate Kobe Bryant. Props to O’Neal for embracing an important component of hip-hop culture, but the effort was pretty lackluster.

Instigator: Shaq’s lyrics inspire even the whitest of whiteys to cut a rug, such as here and here.

Best: One of the primary reasons Shaq is numero uno on this list deals with nostalgia. For many 20 something's like myself, Shaq's most popular songs stand up well on the mantel of pleasant 90's remembrances. Alongside the OJ Simpson murder trial and that season of Saved by the Bell at the beach resort, songs like ”Shoot, Pass, Slam”, the Fu-Schnikens assisted ”What’s Up DOC”, and ”Can’t Stop the Reign” have a special place in the hearts of those who still get wistful when Mr. Big's ”To Be With You” pops on the radio.

Worst: Kobe Byant “freestyle” diss

At the time, the most controversial part of Shaq's freestyle was his line about Kobe not being able to win a championship without him. I suppose this a fair point, although I don't think anyone would argue that (1.) Shaq could ever have won a championship without Kobe in LA, and (2.) Shaq could have won a title without Dwyane Wade in Miami. Although Andrew Bynum's injury has slightly curbed enthusiasm for a championship in L.A., the Lakers are still the frontrunners in the Western Conference, and in good position to compete for a title. Meanwhile the Phoenix Suns are basically looking to unload their roster (including O'Neal) and rebuid. Even though O'Neal is clearly the more jovial personality, in terms of NBA championship rings, I'm pretty sure Bryant will be getting the last laugh.

Oh, Really?: "That is what MC's do. They freestyle when called upon. I'm totally cool with Kobe. No issue at all." – Shaquille O'Neal