As I've noted before, athletics and hip-hop often intersect with both being highly-competitive in nature. Recently, the ever-controversial Milton Bradley said he was the Kanye West of baseball, and really the comparison is fairly accurate. Both have been known to be highly volatile and both have been known to call out white people. All in all, I think the comparison is pretty accurate. Both have loads of potential, and while Kanye is slightly more consistent professionally, both have drawn constant ire from white America.
But Milton's claim got me thinking, what are other rappers baseball equivalents?
Josh Hamilton = Lil' Wayne
Both these phenoms were introduces to fame at a young age, and it's fair to say that it messed both of their lives up. While Wayne joined Cash Money Records as a young teenager, Josh Hamilton was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays straight out of high school. Both are loaded with potential and have showed it in flashes, but have been derailed at one point or another by drug addictions, Weezy by the sizzurp and Hamilton by the crack, alcohol, and pretty much every other drug ever it seems. To go along with their drug addictions, they both love getting tattoos while under the influence. Both have claimed to have gotten clean, but a setback is always just around the corner. The common theme between the two? Just think of what they could have done and could still do sober!
Jay-Z = Alex Rodriguez
The talents of these two men are undeniable, and they both know it. It is well documented that Hov's biggest fan has always been Hov, and the same can be said about the obsessively narcissistic A-Rod whose 10 year $252 Million deal with the Texas Rangers in the 2000 disgusted fans. Both have been known to use slightly questionable tactics in their rise to the top, as Jay has been accused of backstabbing on more than one occasion and A-Rod used the juice, despite being seemingly one of the best players without it. At the end of their day, both are some of the greatest ever, but they have their share of detractors. And both have been known to spar with the next pair, both of whom were considered the King Of New York at the time.
Derek Jeter = Nas
Just as Jay-Z and A-Rod are considered to be some of the best, so are these two but without as much flash. Once again, the talent is undeniable and in their prime both were considered the King of NY. As previously stated, both had verbal spats with the previous two on this list and both are judged to have come out on top.
Dontrelle Willis = The Game
What a bright start both of these young men had, but personality disorders have left many fans scratching their heads. While Willis was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2003 and won 22 games in 2005, he has been derailed by an anxiety disorder ever since arriving in Detroit. While The Game has not been diagnosed, he has exhibited very irrational and emotional behavior, often asking forgiveness and expressing love for a fellow artist one day, then dissing them the next, then claiming he didn't mean it the day after that. Just as Dontrelle Willis on the disabled list is a common sight, so is an image of an emotionally distraught Game. The common thread between the two is the constant belief that if they could just put a lid on those mental problems, greatness would follow.
Speaking of The Game, here's a new track from his upcoming album produced by the Neptunes.
The Game - It Must Be Me
Miguel Cabrera = Eminem
A couple of the greatest right here, but both have the unfortunate quality of turning towards substance abuse in times of stress. Following the death of his close friend and fellow rapper Big Proof, Eminem became addicted to sleeping pills while the stress of carrying the Tigers anemic 2009 offense drove Miguel Cabrera to a drunkness that many thought impossible. Even with these debilitating addictions, both have thrived and the promise of sobriety and a stable method of stress management suggests continued greatness, or so we Tiger fans hope.
Jay-Z = Alex Rodriguez
The talents of these two men are undeniable, and they both know it. It is well documented that Hov's biggest fan has always been Hov, and the same can be said about the obsessively narcissistic A-Rod whose 10 year $252 Million deal with the Texas Rangers in the 2000 disgusted fans. Both have been known to use slightly questionable tactics in their rise to the top, as Jay has been accused of backstabbing on more than one occasion and A-Rod used the juice, despite being seemingly one of the best players without it. At the end of their day, both are some of the greatest ever, but they have their share of detractors. And both have been known to spar with the next pair, both of whom were considered the King Of New York at the time.
Derek Jeter = Nas
Just as Jay-Z and A-Rod are considered to be some of the best, so are these two but without as much flash. Once again, the talent is undeniable and in their prime both were considered the King of NY. As previously stated, both had verbal spats with the previous two on this list and both are judged to have come out on top.
Dontrelle Willis = The Game
What a bright start both of these young men had, but personality disorders have left many fans scratching their heads. While Willis was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2003 and won 22 games in 2005, he has been derailed by an anxiety disorder ever since arriving in Detroit. While The Game has not been diagnosed, he has exhibited very irrational and emotional behavior, often asking forgiveness and expressing love for a fellow artist one day, then dissing them the next, then claiming he didn't mean it the day after that. Just as Dontrelle Willis on the disabled list is a common sight, so is an image of an emotionally distraught Game. The common thread between the two is the constant belief that if they could just put a lid on those mental problems, greatness would follow.
Speaking of The Game, here's a new track from his upcoming album produced by the Neptunes.
The Game - It Must Be Me
Miguel Cabrera = Eminem
A couple of the greatest right here, but both have the unfortunate quality of turning towards substance abuse in times of stress. Following the death of his close friend and fellow rapper Big Proof, Eminem became addicted to sleeping pills while the stress of carrying the Tigers anemic 2009 offense drove Miguel Cabrera to a drunkness that many thought impossible. Even with these debilitating addictions, both have thrived and the promise of sobriety and a stable method of stress management suggests continued greatness, or so we Tiger fans hope.
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