Cam’ron and Mase Weigh In on Why Rappers Want to Be Athletes and Athletes Want to Be Rappers

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Cam’ron and Mase believe the crossover between sports and hip-hop isn’t just a trend, it’s rooted in a shared desire to live the other’s lifestyle.

On the latest episode of It Is What It Is, the Harlem duo broke down why so many rappers dream of playing sports and so many athletes jump into the booth. Joined by NFL legend Michael Irvin, the hosts pointed to money, fame, and cultural influence as reasons behind the overlap.

“Everybody always says it’s green on the other side,” Irvin explained. “We’re looking for money and fame and all those things are attainable in those two fields … and then we would like to interchange.”

Mase named Deion Sanders and Shaquille O’Neal as the most successful athletes-turned-artists, while Cam’ron emphasized Shaq’s commercial success, noting the Hall of Famer sold millions of records by teaming up with rap heavyweights like Fu-Schnickens and Mobb Deep.

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“Shaq sold more records than rappers, man,” Cam said. “That’s what it’s about, taking advantage of the opportunity.”

Irvin also recalled the first time he heard Sanders’ “Must Be the Money” while riding through Atlanta with the two-sport star, “He said, ‘Listen, I’m about to drop this right here, I want you to listen to it.’ And we were riding around Atlanta popping on that, baby boy, ‘Must Be the Money.'”

But Cam’ron stressed the connection runs deeper than career curiosity. He described music as essential motivation for athletes, even citing a personal milestone when Allen Iverson mentioned him and Mase during his 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech.

“All the coaches he played and played for, all the players he played against […] Thompson, Georgetown, everything that helped him be a Hall of Famer he took time out to those musical artists that helped him be a Hall of Famer andmeand Masewere two of the artists […] Think about that. We in the Basketball Hall of Fame,” Cam said.