MCs Who've Referred to Themselves as Michael Jordan

MCs who embodied #23 on the mic.

If I Could Be Like Mike... - Kendrick Lamar's current reign at the top of the hip hop food chain has a lot to do with his idolization of Michael Jordan and following his drive to be the best. Speaking with Mary Anne Hobbs on BBC Radio 6, Kendrick revealed, "I felt like Michael Jordan can do any and everything. I think that's what prompted me, without even him being involved in music, that's what prompted me to do music and want to be the best at it. 'Cause I always felt like whatever he did, he wanted to be the best at it whether that was basketball, baseball, selling shoes. He's the best at everything. That was definitely my hero."Compton's Most Wanted also honored the basketball god on his 2010 mixtape Overly Dedicated when he and ScHoolboy Q took flight on the track named after the six-time NBA champion. As Kendrick displays his fondness for #23, check out a few ...

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If I Could Be Like Mike... - Kendrick Lamar's current reign at the top of the hip hop food chain has a lot to do with his idolization of Michael Jordan and following his drive to be the best. Speaking with Mary Anne Hobbs on BBC Radio 6, Kendrick revealed, "I felt like Michael Jordan can do any and everything. I think that's what prompted me, without even him being involved in music, that's what prompted me to do music and want to be the best at it. 'Cause I always felt like whatever he did, he wanted to be the best at it whether that was basketball, baseball, selling shoes. He's the best at everything. That was definitely my hero."Compton's Most Wanted also honored the basketball god on his 2010 mixtape Overly Dedicated when he and ScHoolboy Q took flight on the track named after the six-time NBA champion. As Kendrick displays his fondness for #23, check out a few ...

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J. Cole – 'I Got It' - J. Cole confessed his hopes of following Mike into the league when he revealed, "Ay 1996, my own room now / I'm hanging posters up / Holes up in the wall my stepfather said I ain't supposed to / But I'm hoop dreaming, hanging up pictures of my idols / Jordan was like Jesus, SLAM was like the Bible / I used to read it twice and cut the pictures out / Had the Jordan free throw dunk tongue sticking out."(Photo: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for ESPN)

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Lil Wayne – 'Fireman'   - Jordan paid his dues and finally got his time to shine in '91 with his first ring, and Weezy felt like the king when he landed in his fireman zone, killing his competition in his quest for the crown. He dunked hard with, "They ball when they can and I'm balling by nature / Addicted to the game like Jordan and Payton / Y'all in the race and me, I'm at the finish line / Been running for too long it's time to gimme mine"(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for BET)

Mike WiLL Made-It Featuring Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J – '23' - Mike WiLL Made-It had his all-star line up taking off from the foul line when they laced up their Jordans and paid homage to the greatest sneaker brand ever made. The Juiceman saluted the Flight King as he stuck out his tongue, flaunting, "I stay showing out, my kick game is a beast / I got thirty pair of Js that ain't never been released / Flu game twelve, Space Jam 11 / On the Hypebeast sick, they gone need a paramedic."(Photo: Interscope Records)

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Mike WiLL Made-It Featuring Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J – '23' - Mike WiLL Made-It had his all-star line up taking off from the foul line when they laced up their Jordans and paid homage to the greatest sneaker brand ever made. The Juiceman saluted the Flight King as he stuck out his tongue, flaunting, "I stay showing out, my kick game is a beast / I got thirty pair of Js that ain't never been released / Flu game twelve, Space Jam 11 / On the Hypebeast sick, they gone need a paramedic."(Photo: Interscope Records)

Big Pun – 'The Dream Shatterer' - Big Pun proved he was nimble and quick like the six-time champ when he broke his competition's ankles, likening himself to His Airness with the gliding lyrics, "I shatter dreams like Jordan, assault and batter your team / Your squadron'll be barred from rap like Adam and Eve from the garden / I'm carving my initials on your forehead so every night before bed you see the BP shine off the boardhead."(Photo: Hiroyuki Ito/Getty Images)

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Big Pun – 'The Dream Shatterer' - Big Pun proved he was nimble and quick like the six-time champ when he broke his competition's ankles, likening himself to His Airness with the gliding lyrics, "I shatter dreams like Jordan, assault and batter your team / Your squadron'll be barred from rap like Adam and Eve from the garden / I'm carving my initials on your forehead so every night before bed you see the BP shine off the boardhead."(Photo: Hiroyuki Ito/Getty Images)

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Childish Gambino – 'Sunrise' - Number 23 had Childish Gambino flying high when he jumped for the sun with, "My s**t be Jackson, Jordan, Bolton, Keaton, Tyson: five Mikes / Donald Glover, no relation / Always working, no vacation / They couldn't feel me, no vocation / Murder verses the only motive was motivation."(Photo: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)

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Childish Gambino – 'Sunrise' - Number 23 had Childish Gambino flying high when he jumped for the sun with, "My s**t be Jackson, Jordan, Bolton, Keaton, Tyson: five Mikes / Donald Glover, no relation / Always working, no vacation / They couldn't feel me, no vocation / Murder verses the only motive was motivation."(Photo: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)

Yo Gotti Featuring Jeezy and YG – 'Act Right' - The Snowman suited up in red and black and let a barrage of shots fire off on Yo Gotti's "Act Right" when he warned, "Kilo all day, motherf**ker, I'm tripping / But if you run up on me thinking I'm slipping / Michael Jordan with the chopper / Bet I hit you like Pippen / Act right."(Photo: CMG, Epic)

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Yo Gotti Featuring Jeezy and YG – 'Act Right' - The Snowman suited up in red and black and let a barrage of shots fire off on Yo Gotti's "Act Right" when he warned, "Kilo all day, motherf**ker, I'm tripping / But if you run up on me thinking I'm slipping / Michael Jordan with the chopper / Bet I hit you like Pippen / Act right."(Photo: CMG, Epic)

Pusha T – 'Numbers on the Board' - King Push thought he was like M.J. flying on the verge of greatness when he put numbers on the board, rhyming, "We really gym stars, I'm like D. Rose / No D-league, I'm like this close / '88 Jordan, leaping from the free throw."(Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

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Pusha T – 'Numbers on the Board' - King Push thought he was like M.J. flying on the verge of greatness when he put numbers on the board, rhyming, "We really gym stars, I'm like D. Rose / No D-league, I'm like this close / '88 Jordan, leaping from the free throw."(Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Ace Hood – 'Hope' - Ace Hood wanted to be like Air Jordan when he inspired "Hope" and confessed, "Growing up I wanted to be like Jordan / Even though I couldn't really afford 'em / Who's to say I can't be an Obama, a Tiger Woods, worth about a billion dollars?"(Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

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Ace Hood – 'Hope' - Ace Hood wanted to be like Air Jordan when he inspired "Hope" and confessed, "Growing up I wanted to be like Jordan / Even though I couldn't really afford 'em / Who's to say I can't be an Obama, a Tiger Woods, worth about a billion dollars?"(Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Ice Cube – 'When Will They Shoot' / 'It Was a Good Day' - Ice Cube caused riots like sneaker heads bumrushing the line for the latest Js when he snapped on The Predator's intro "When Will They Shoot?" Asserting #23's confidence, he spit, "Like Jordan, I'm going coast to coast / Dribbling the funk / Here comes the n***a with the motherf**king monster dunk / Get off me punk!"Cube also bragged about his ball handling skills on the peace treaty classic "It Was a Good Day" as he lived out his hoop dreams with, "Called up the homies and I'm asking y'all / Which park are y'all playing basketball? / Get me on the court and I'm trouble / Last week f****d around and got a triple double / Freaking n****s every way like M.J. / I can't believe today was a good day."(Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

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Ice Cube – 'When Will They Shoot' / 'It Was a Good Day' - Ice Cube caused riots like sneaker heads bumrushing the line for the latest Js when he snapped on The Predator's intro "When Will They Shoot?" Asserting #23's confidence, he spit, "Like Jordan, I'm going coast to coast / Dribbling the funk / Here comes the n***a with the motherf**king monster dunk / Get off me punk!"Cube also bragged about his ball handling skills on the peace treaty classic "It Was a Good Day" as he lived out his hoop dreams with, "Called up the homies and I'm asking y'all / Which park are y'all playing basketball? / Get me on the court and I'm trouble / Last week f****d around and got a triple double / Freaking n****s every way like M.J. / I can't believe today was a good day."(Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

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A Tribe Called Quest – Lyrics to Go' - Phife let the world know you could put money on his lyrical ability and that he was a sure shot like Mike in the clutch when he let go his lyrics and fired off with, "Don't worry about getting gassed / I push the pedal to the metal / Always wanted this 'cause it surely beats a scramble / I'm Jordan with the mic / Huh, wanna gamble?"(Photo: Chris McKay/Getty Images for BET)

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A Tribe Called Quest – Lyrics to Go' - Phife let the world know you could put money on his lyrical ability and that he was a sure shot like Mike in the clutch when he let go his lyrics and fired off with, "Don't worry about getting gassed / I push the pedal to the metal / Always wanted this 'cause it surely beats a scramble / I'm Jordan with the mic / Huh, wanna gamble?"(Photo: Chris McKay/Getty Images for BET)

Diddy Featuring Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes — 'Victory' - B.I.G. was like Jordan when he ripped Diddy's "Victory," scoring with, "Excellence is my presence, never tense, never hesitant / Leave a n***a bent real quick / Real sick, raw nights, I perform like Mike / Any one: Tyson, Jordan, Jackson / Action, pack guns, ridiculous / And I'm, quick to bust, if my ends you touch."(Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Diddy Featuring Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes — 'Victory' - B.I.G. was like Jordan when he ripped Diddy's "Victory," scoring with, "Excellence is my presence, never tense, never hesitant / Leave a n***a bent real quick / Real sick, raw nights, I perform like Mike / Any one: Tyson, Jordan, Jackson / Action, pack guns, ridiculous / And I'm, quick to bust, if my ends you touch."(Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Drake – 'Barry Bonds (Freestyle)' - Drake's confidence to take it to the hole had him driving up the lane hard like he was Jordan after he left suckas pouting like Isaiah Thomas after he snatched their chicks. Drizzy dunked like Mike with, "Yeah... that's the reason why he looking hard / 'Cause I've done snatched the Chips Ahoy out the cookie jar / He just mad 'cause his girls at the house / With her tongue sticking out like a Michael Jordan rookie card."(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella)

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Drake – 'Barry Bonds (Freestyle)' - Drake's confidence to take it to the hole had him driving up the lane hard like he was Jordan after he left suckas pouting like Isaiah Thomas after he snatched their chicks. Drizzy dunked like Mike with, "Yeah... that's the reason why he looking hard / 'Cause I've done snatched the Chips Ahoy out the cookie jar / He just mad 'cause his girls at the house / With her tongue sticking out like a Michael Jordan rookie card."(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella)

Fabolous – 'Never Let It Go' - Fabolous felt like the Chicago Bull when he rapped about going for your dreams no matter what what the odds are on "Never Let It Go." Fab took flight like his idol with, "I'm like Michael Jordan if we talking scoring broads / To me you got one chance to miss ya shot / Better get ya J up, life is not a layup."(Photo: Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

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Fabolous – 'Never Let It Go' - Fabolous felt like the Chicago Bull when he rapped about going for your dreams no matter what what the odds are on "Never Let It Go." Fab took flight like his idol with, "I'm like Michael Jordan if we talking scoring broads / To me you got one chance to miss ya shot / Better get ya J up, life is not a layup."(Photo: Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

Future – 'Jordan Diddy' - Future thought he was M.J. and Puff when he set them as his benchmarks to aspire to on his booming trap anthem "Jordan Diddy." Future felt a lot like the basketball god when he spit, "Aye, I'm Michael Jordan, b***h, I'm in every city... / I'm M.V.P. / Michael Jordan status, n***a I got six rings." (Photo: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images For BET)

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Future – 'Jordan Diddy' - Future thought he was M.J. and Puff when he set them as his benchmarks to aspire to on his booming trap anthem "Jordan Diddy." Future felt a lot like the basketball god when he spit, "Aye, I'm Michael Jordan, b***h, I'm in every city... / I'm M.V.P. / Michael Jordan status, n***a I got six rings." (Photo: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images For BET)

Jay Z – 'The Best of Both Worlds' / 'Encore' - Hov has likened himself to the greatest throughout his career and felt the most like #23 when he rhymed on "The Best of Both Worlds," "It's not even close, just leave it alone / I'm Michael Jordan, I play for the team I own."And just like Jordan, he couldn't stay away either. After proclaiming his initial retirement, S. Dot warned, "When I come back like Jordan, wearing the 4-5 / It ain't to play games with you, it's to aim at you / Probably maim you." (Photo: Jonny Nunez/Getty Images)

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Jay Z – 'The Best of Both Worlds' / 'Encore' - Hov has likened himself to the greatest throughout his career and felt the most like #23 when he rhymed on "The Best of Both Worlds," "It's not even close, just leave it alone / I'm Michael Jordan, I play for the team I own."And just like Jordan, he couldn't stay away either. After proclaiming his initial retirement, S. Dot warned, "When I come back like Jordan, wearing the 4-5 / It ain't to play games with you, it's to aim at you / Probably maim you." (Photo: Jonny Nunez/Getty Images)