Top 10 Songs About Basketball

10.) Hoop in Ya Face by 69 Boyz - The 69 Boyz are known for their party songs. This song is loud and energetic, perfect for the subject matter of basketball. It's got that electro-rap feel to it to get the crowd excited, and would be a great arena anthem.

9.) Air Hoodlum by Public Enemy - Public Enemy is no stranger to basketball songs. Air Hoodlum is good because it presents the story of a rising star in the world of high school basketball that would ultimately die before he made it into the pro circuit. It's really the story of how a young boy once had much potential because of a certain skill, that when lost completely changed the course of his life.

8.) Theme Song to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air TV Show by The Fresh Prince - While the entire song is not about basketball, it is because of basketball that The Fresh Prince moved to Bel-Air. The song is fun and stuck in the hearts of an entire generation of Americans.

7.) Jam by Michael Jackson - While this song is not literally about basketball, it provides all the energy needed and can be easily misconstrued if you aren't listening to the lyrics very closely. The Chorus comes in heavy and encourages all to "Jam!" If you were playing basketball, wouldn't you want to jam too? The music video also features Michael Jackson engaged in a basketball game with Michael Jordan.

6.) Hit Em High (The Monstars Anthem) by B. Real, LL Cool J, Coolio, Method Man, & Busta Rhymes - This song features some of the arguably best rappers of all time, creating an absolutely infectious song about basketball. The fact that the song features no profanity because it was created for the animated film, Space Jam, featuring characters from Looney Tunes does little to stop these rappers from making an absolutely awesome track. The chorus is very catchy and each rapper's verse is very well composed.

5.) Basketball by Kurtis Blow - Kurtis Blow was a king of early 80s hip-hop, and this song is one of his classics. It was later covered by the child rapper Lil Bow Wow, but Blow's version remains far superior. The female vocals on the chorus are the definite highlight of the track, creating a melody that's guaranteed to be stuck in your head for days.

4.) Now You're Mine by Gang Starr - Gang Starr is one of the most underrated hip-hop groups in history. The beats crafted by DJ Premier completely define the New York rap sound of the time. This song is no different, with its jazzy feel and turntable scratching, complimented by Guru's smooth voice and flow. The song is written from the perspective of a basketball player who, like a rapper, boasts infinitely of his own skills in comparison to his competition.

3.) He Got Game by Public Enemy - This song is much deeper than just a simple basketball song. It uses basketball as perfect metaphor for a meaningless game, one in which many people completely devote themselves but ultimately find it doesn't matter.

2.) Space Jam by Quad City DJs - This song will get anybody excited. It's loud; it's fast, its fun. It's reminiscent of "Hoop in ya Face" by 69 Boyz, but much more fun and better. This is definitely the highest energy song on this list.

1.) Basketball Jones by Barry White & Chris Rock - How this song manages to be so funny yet so soulful is beyond me. Actually, I guess that's what happens when you put Barry White and Chris Rock on a song together. It's about a young boy's love for basketball, to the point that his basketball because his best friend in comic ways.

Sources:

69 Boyz, "Hoop In Ya Face" Youtube

Public Enemy, "Air Hoodlum" Youtube

The Fresh Prince, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" Youtube

Michael Jackson, "Jam" Youtube

B Real, Coolio, Method Man, LL Cool J, & Busta Rhymes "Hit Em High (The Monstars Anthem)" Youtube

Kurtis Blow, "Basketball" Youtube

Gang Star, "Now You're Mine" Youtube

Public Enemy, "He Got Game" Youtube

Quad City DJs, "Space Jam" Youtube

Barry White & Chris Rock, "Basketball Jones" Youtube