Sport and Pop Culture: the links between Rap Music and Football
Rap Music x Football: There’s always been a link between pop culture and the beautiful game.
It is often said that football is more than a game. It is reflective of wider society and often finds itself colliding with other popular cultures. More often than not we find football and music go hand in hand.
Football and music collide in many ways. Whether it be the chanting of songs at games, the FA Cup songs we are so fond of, or artists combining with their local teams. The latter is something that is becoming more popular as clubs become more social media savvy. Using the big star names can help increase social media presence for the club and, in turn, the artist.
In the 90s we saw Britpop stars show their allegiance to their clubs. The most iconic of these was Oasis and Manchester City. In today’s game, it is rappers who are flying the flag for their local teams and, as we saw this summer with Krept and Konan, even national teams.
Krept & Konan - Ole
Rappers and Clubs
As rap music has become a mainstay in popular culture in the UK, football has wised up and used these rappers as promotional tools for their teams. This isn’t to say rappers are oblivious to this. They are more than happy to represent football clubs that have a worldwide fan basis and in many cases, represent the teams they grew up supporting.
The biggest collab arguably came when Stormzy snapped up the chance to help Manchester United announce Paul Pogba. This transfer blew up the football world. The announcement video showed this firm relationship between football clubs and rappers.
Name drops
Another link between football and rap is the name dropping of players in songs- or even songs named after players, such as ‘Thiago Silva’ by Dave & AJ Tracey. These two are not shy about dropping a footballer's name in their bars. Their fans are often left disappointed if there isn’t a shout-out to the likes of Dele Alli or Irish legend, Damien Duff.
The best name drops of 2021 so far include:
AJ Tracey “Summertime Shootout” ft T-Pain - “We ball like Damien Duff”
Ghetts “Crud” ft Giggs - “Can’t tell man about boom and scatter/Can’t tell man about shoot like Kaká”
slowthai “i tried”- “Stuck in Sunday League but I’m on levels with Ronaldo”
slowthai “PLAY WITH FIRE” - “Some people can’t see straight, need to find direction/If I clock an interception, Cruyff turn, watch your knees break”
AJ Tracey “Bringing it Back” ft Digga D - “I locked up the food for the kids like Boris/And then I let it go like Rashford”
It isn’t a surprise to see the likes of Kaka, Ronaldo, or Cruyff name-dropped but it is always nice to see nods to those other icons such as Irish winger Duff.
It won’t come as a surprise to see Lionel Messi as the most name-dropped footballer in music. In a 2020 study, Messi was mentioned 553 times across music songs as a whole. Impressive numbers for the Argentine, but this is nothing in comparison to late basketball legend, Kobe Bryant, who was name-dropped 1,147 times.
Close behind Messi according to the study were Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona, and George Best. Footballers appear to be a favourite for musicians when it comes to their lyrics.
Growing together
It isn’t a surprise that two of society's most popular figures, footballers and rappers, tend to become close friends. Their lives often take a similar pattern.
Dave and Marcus Rashford are both 23 and burst onto the scene at a young age. Their careers have grown in parallel with each other and both have shown their friendship many times on social media.
The pair both came from humble beginnings, one in Manchester and the other in London. Their drastic rise to fame and money have been remarkable.
Their similar life paths will have certainly made the two closer, going through something that they can both understand. They both find themselves in industries that are often heavily criticised, and their performances on stage or on the field are judged by the media and the public.
Despite the spotlight on their careers and the negative media reports that seem to follow, footballers and rappers are both role models for younger generations. They stand as positive role models to show how hard work and commitment can get you what you want in life. This itself is another pressure they face, and the pressure to continuously be professional both on stage, on the field, and in their private life must weigh heavily on their young shoulders.
Swapping Roles
Everyone you speak with thinks they can be a footballer, rappers are no different. You often find rappers who have been on the cards of professional clubs academy books. In most cases, their attention gets drawn away from football and onto their rap career. The likes of Kano, Ramz, and Tinchy Stryder played at a high level in their younger days but their careers went different ways- arguably in a better direction.
The Santan Cup, hosted by Dave, is a prime example of the baller rappers we have in the UK. The last edition of the tournament featured Dave, Stormzy, Krept & Konan, and Ramz. The tournament also saw professional footballers Nile Ranger and Rhian Brewster take part.
Many footballers have tried their hand at the rap game. Some have had small time success- others, not so much.
Liverpool’s Ryan Babel described his rapping as a hobby. He released several tracks during his Liverpool spell. One of his more PG bars during his time at Anfield includes, "I'm the Liverpool star those b****s are loving," a subtle nod to his playboy and football lifestyle.
Football will always follow the trends of society, as new music becomes the mainstay in society, we may see a different style of artists crossing paths with footballers. For now, expect to hear Messi’s or Jadon Sancho’s name-dropped in future Dave tunes.
