Ballers 🏀 | 5ive Songs

Reading Time: 5 min read

On this edition of 5ive Songs, we select five songs that are named or associated with BALLERS .

On 5ive Songs, we (I) keep things short and sweet – no extra calories or needless fluff. There’s a topic, five songs, and a short blurb that doesn’t exceed a paragraph. Yes, it’s a playlist, but it’s a miniature playlist that shouldn’t take much time to consume. On this edition of 5ive Songs, we select five songs that are named or associated with BALLERS .

1. Jack Harlow, “Tyler Hero”

“Tyler Herro” • Generation Now / Atlantic • 2020

“I brought a gang to the party with me / Five white boys, but they not NSYNC.” Jack Harlow is ‘instant offense’… at least when it comes to rap. 2020 saw the rapper’s star rise exponentially, and for good reason. Keeping his game in tip-top shape, Harlow dropped an instant hit, “Tyler Hero”, named after Kentucky Wildcat standout and NBA baller, Tyler Herro.

“Tyler Herro” may be short (not the player, who is 6’5”), but it’s definitely a sweet banger from Jack. “My homeboy Tyler, he play in South Beach,” Harlow asserts on the verse, continuing, “He told me this summer he gon’ fix my jumper.” Herro would definitely be the one to do so given his skills from beyond the arc. Additionally, Harlow shouts out producer Boi-1da, who, alongside a list of producers, stitches up the track nicely. #BANGER

2. Lil Wayne, “Harden”

Funeral • Young Money • 2020

“She love me or leave me / I gave her a reason, she don’t want a reason / She don’t wanna see me, she don’t wan’ believe me…” Lil Wayne dropped a surprise album in 2020, Funeral. One of the best moments, “Harden,” references NBA player, James Harden.

On “Harden,” Weezy hearkens back to his classic days, backed by a soulful sample ( Band of Thieves’, “Love Me or Leave Me”). Besides the killer sample, “Harden” is also pretty rad because (1) the song is named after NBA star James Harden and (2) talks about the Ls the rapper has taken regarding L-O-V-E. “I feel like James Harden, you blocked my jumper, goddamn, Funeral.”

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3. Anderson .Paak, “King James”

Ventura • Aftermath Entertainment • 2019

“And we salute King James for using his change / To create some equal opportunities.” Grammy-winning rapper, singer, and producer Anderson .Paak released his fourth studio Ventura, less than a year after releasing his third, Oxnard. The promo single for Ventura was “King James”, which finds Paak delivering a respectable message and flaunting his superb musicianship. “King James” is a heavy-grooving, mid-tempo gem that thrives off a blend of the West Coast sound (G-Funk included) and of course, a soulful, funky breed of R&B.

Vocally, Paak impresses with his distinct, one of a kind pipes. Thematically, he sings about the hard work and hustle it takes to succeed, patterned after the one and only Lebron James. In addition to the hustle, Paak highlights working beyond barriers, particularly racial barriers on the way to attaining success.

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4. Andy Mineo & Wordsplayed, “Dunk Contest (Magic Bird)”

Magic & Bird • Reach • 2017

“Yeah, this that, this that, this that Penny with the Shaq / Yeah, if he’s passin’ me the rock, they might not get it back.” Christian rappers Andy Mineo and Wordsplayed successfully created an enjoyable rap album (mixtape) with Magic & Bird. One of the best songs from Magic & Bird is “Dunk Contest (Magic Bird),” which alludes to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The crème de la crème, the production is superb, both rappers drop strong rhymes, and the hook is infectious.

“I just threw it off the backboard
Game winner, I’m the one they ask for
Magic Bird, Magic Bird, Magic Bird...”