Batter Up: When Hip Hop Meets Baseball

Two of America's favorite pastimes sometimes intertwine.

Jay Salutes Jackie - Jay-Z's inaugural show in Brooklyn's Barclays Center, only a couple miles from his humble Marcy Projects upbring, was already a history-making moment. But the most poignant highlight was, no doubt, when Hov held up a fan's Jackie Robinson Brooklyn Dodgers jersey — a powerful reminder of how far Jay, Brooklyn and America had come.  (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

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Batter Up: When Hip Hop Meets Baseball - There's nothing more American than hitting baseballs and spitting rhymes (well, maybe applie pie). These two pastimes are favored sports of the athletes and the non-athletes alike — rappers love to pay homage to the diamond and its players, and players, well, sometimes they love the music so much they get in the booth. Read on for a play-by-play of when hip hop meets baseball, like the recent venture between Fat Joe, Big Papi and Sway Calloway.(Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Off the Bat - Fat Joe and beloved hip hop talking head Sway Calloway are joining forces with the MLB's David Ortiz — you probably know him as "Big Papi" — for a new weekly program on MTV2, Off the Bat. Reportedly, the channel's already ordered some 30 episodes and athletes like Robinson Cano (signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation Sports) will executive produce individual shows.(Photo: Courtesy of MTV2)

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Off the Bat - Fat Joe and beloved hip hop talking head Sway Calloway are joining forces with the MLB's David Ortiz — you probably know him as "Big Papi" — for a new weekly program on MTV2, Off the Bat. Reportedly, the channel's already ordered some 30 episodes and athletes like Robinson Cano (signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation Sports) will executive produce individual shows.(Photo: Courtesy of MTV2)

A$AP Mob, Lord$ Never Worry - We already know that A$AP Mob loves malt liquor, high fashion, and purple drank. But apparently Rocky, Ferg, and the rest of the Harlem collective think baseball is pretty trill, too. The crew's starting seven dressed up in baseball uniforms and posed with a bat for the cover of their August 2012 mixtape, Lord$ Never Worry. (Photo: Sony Records)

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A$AP Mob, Lord$ Never Worry - We already know that A$AP Mob loves malt liquor, high fashion, and purple drank. But apparently Rocky, Ferg, and the rest of the Harlem collective think baseball is pretty trill, too. The crew's starting seven dressed up in baseball uniforms and posed with a bat for the cover of their August 2012 mixtape, Lord$ Never Worry. (Photo: Sony Records)

Kanye West and Lil Wayne, "Barry Bonds" - Weezy and Yeezy teamed up to hit a home run with this 2007 duet named after the former San Francisco Giants slugger.    (Photos from left: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic, Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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Kanye West and Lil Wayne, "Barry Bonds" - Weezy and Yeezy teamed up to hit a home run with this 2007 duet named after the former San Francisco Giants slugger.    (Photos from left: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic, Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Main Source, "Just a Friendly Game of Baseball" - On this highlight from their slept-on 1991 classic, Breaking Atoms, Large Professor and crew use baseball as a metaphor for police brutality. (Photo: Wild Pitch/EMI)

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Main Source, "Just a Friendly Game of Baseball" - On this highlight from their slept-on 1991 classic, Breaking Atoms, Large Professor and crew use baseball as a metaphor for police brutality. (Photo: Wild Pitch/EMI)

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Jay Z and Alicia Keys Rock the World Series - Hov and Alicia helped rally their hometown Yankees to a World Series victory by performing their anthem "Empire State of Mind" before game 2 in 2009. (Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

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Jay Z and Alicia Keys Rock the World Series - Hov and Alicia helped rally their hometown Yankees to a World Series victory by performing their anthem "Empire State of Mind" before game 2 in 2009. (Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Crooklyn Dodgers - Crooklyn Dodgers — a rotating super-group of Brooklyn underground rap vets that included Masta Ace, Buckshot Shorty and Special Ed — named themselves after their borough's legendary former team, and sampled a Dodgers radio broadcast for their Q-Tip–produced 1994 classic "Crooklyn."   (Photo: MCA Records)

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Crooklyn Dodgers - Crooklyn Dodgers — a rotating super-group of Brooklyn underground rap vets that included Masta Ace, Buckshot Shorty and Special Ed — named themselves after their borough's legendary former team, and sampled a Dodgers radio broadcast for their Q-Tip–produced 1994 classic "Crooklyn."   (Photo: MCA Records)

St. Lunatics, "Batter Up" - Nelly has such a passion for the game, he could've gone pro if he weren't such a talented rapper. He and his crew swung for the fences with this 2001 single, stocked with hardball metaphors and a video to match. (Photo: Universal Motown Records)

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St. Lunatics, "Batter Up" - Nelly has such a passion for the game, he could've gone pro if he weren't such a talented rapper. He and his crew swung for the fences with this 2001 single, stocked with hardball metaphors and a video to match. (Photo: Universal Motown Records)

Lastings Milledge - Lastings Milledge, a former top prospect for the Mets, caused a firestorm in 2007 when he recorded and leaked a widely lambasted rap song, titled "Bend Ya Knees," that contained several racist and sexist slurs. His baseball career didn't fare much better — he's now playing for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Japan.  (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)

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Lastings Milledge - Lastings Milledge, a former top prospect for the Mets, caused a firestorm in 2007 when he recorded and leaked a widely lambasted rap song, titled "Bend Ya Knees," that contained several racist and sexist slurs. His baseball career didn't fare much better — he's now playing for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Japan.  (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)

Lil Wayne, Lil Zane, Lil Bow Wow and Sammie, "Hardball" - Lil' rappers swing for the fences too, but on this posse cut from the soundtrack of the 2001 Keanu Reeves film of the same name, they settle for a single. (Photo: Paramount Pictures)

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Lil Wayne, Lil Zane, Lil Bow Wow and Sammie, "Hardball" - Lil' rappers swing for the fences too, but on this posse cut from the soundtrack of the 2001 Keanu Reeves film of the same name, they settle for a single. (Photo: Paramount Pictures)

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Ultramagnetic MCs, The Four Horsemen - Influential Bronx quartet Ultramagnetic MCs weaved baseball samples and themes throughout their third album, The Four Horsemen. The concept reached its apex on "Saga of Dandy, the Devil, & Day," an invaluable look at the Negro Leagues that name-dropped Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and other forgotten greats.  (Photo: Wild Pitch/EMI)

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Ultramagnetic MCs, The Four Horsemen - Influential Bronx quartet Ultramagnetic MCs weaved baseball samples and themes throughout their third album, The Four Horsemen. The concept reached its apex on "Saga of Dandy, the Devil, & Day," an invaluable look at the Negro Leagues that name-dropped Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and other forgotten greats.  (Photo: Wild Pitch/EMI)

Jose Reyes - Miami Marlins shortstop Jose Reyes is known as a five-tool player — good glove, good arm, good batting average, good power, and good speed. Unfortunately, as heard on his reggaeton singles "No Hay Amigo" and "Bate Roto," he isn't nearly as good at rapping. (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

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Jose Reyes - Miami Marlins shortstop Jose Reyes is known as a five-tool player — good glove, good arm, good batting average, good power, and good speed. Unfortunately, as heard on his reggaeton singles "No Hay Amigo" and "Bate Roto," he isn't nearly as good at rapping. (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

American Boy in London - Hip Hop's rookie of the year, J.Cole, is seen leaving Funky Buddha nightclub at the break of dawn in London's Mayfair neighborhood. (Photo: PacificCoastNews.com)

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J. Cole Remixes Baseball Tonight Theme Song - Although he's more known for his skills on the courts (and in the booth) than on the field, ESPN tapped Cole to remake the renowned theme for their flagship MLB show, Baseball Tonight.  (Photo: PacificCoastNews.com)