Remembering J. Kidd & the “Illmatic” of Terrible Athlete Rap, “B-Ball’s Best Kept Secret” Posted by Lucas Garrison on 06/05/13 | Filed under Humor, Opinion, Rap Nerdery

Whether you are an avid basketball fan or just one who just makes sure to watch a game seven, you must be well acquainted with Jason Kidd. Considering he has been in the league for 19 years, it would be pretty impossible not to know about, and be a fan of, the point guard. Well, after nearly two decades in the league, the one time NBA champ is hanging it up, choosing to retire at the tender age of 40. I know 19 years is a lot, but to really get a sense of it, why don’t we hear how long its been. Not just any old song will do though, which is why, we should take a look at the album, B-Ball's Best Kept Secret, featuring a plethora of NBA players trying their hand at rapping, including none other than J.Kidd.

B-Balls Best Kept Secret came out in 1994, which also happened to be Kidd's first year in the league. As you can imagine, none of the songs are particularly, well… good. They are however great for novelty and thinking about how much has changed since Kidd’s debut. One of my favorites was "Check It" from 15 year pro, Dana Barros, mainly because it came with a set of visuals. The beat on this one, as with many of the other songs, actually isn’t that bad They actually has some pretty impressive names attached to the production like Warren G and Clark Kent, but the real juicy bits come from when the ballers get behind the mic. I love the way Barros raps with an accent even though he is from Boston and seeing the wardrobe he has on is priceless. Kidd has been in the league so long, he was around when people wore Starter caps and Jordan’s the first time. Wow,15 years later, when the trend caught on again, he too was playing basketball



Of course, no NBA rap album would complete without Shaq. His effort, “Mic Check 1-2” was one of my favorites both to laugh at and because the guest, Ill Al Skratch, was actually pretty good. Shaq’s best moment was when he rhymes "fly high" with "sky" and "ask why"; genius. Its pretty funny they chose a shared verse. Too. Any momentum Al Skratch gets is instant halted whenever Shaq’s intrusive, booming voice comes in. The difference in styles is just too different to have any semblance of cohesion in a shared verse style.



It isn’t all bad though. I actually kinda dig Brian Shaw’s song, “Anything Can Happen”. It has a great west coast beat and his flow isn’t half bad. I was actually impressed at the lyrics too. The wordplay isn’t that great, but his content is all there. Believe it or not, I might have to add this to rotation. While its mostly the beat that does for me, Brian is a good enough rapper to make it work.



For the last one, It’s only fitting that we end with Jason. I have always considered him as an old guy (I guess he has been for the past ten years) so it makes hearing him rapping that much better. I chuckled a few times, specifically when ever he spits about getting paid. My favorite moment is when he talks about gold diggers or as he calls ‘em “Billie Jeans”. Also good for a laugh is the chorus, specifically the “Now all the ladies screaming I wanna be saved” equipped with a chorus of ladies screaming for Kidd. All jokes aside, its pretty remarkable when you consider he has been playing at a consistent level for 19 years. I don’t think you can find a person who hates Jason Kidd, he was a likeable guy and a great talent; easily a hall of famer. Its sad to see him go, but thankfully we have “What The Kidd Did” to remember him by. Take it away Jason!



P.S- One awesome Youtuber uploaded the whole album in case you were curious.You can find it here.

See Also:  MC JJ Reddick and 5 Other Terrible NBA Rappers
See Also:  Remembering the Worst Night in NBA History: The Malice at the Palace