Athletes Who Have Turned to Music
Lance Stephenson drops "Poppin," Breezy isn't on it.
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Lance Stephenson Flows - After an offseason trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, Lance Stephenson has gone Hollywood. As a solid closer to Black Music Month, he dropped a song called "Poppin'," which is all about being a baller (see how that almost rhymes?). "Album coming soon," he said.Well, thanks to Jim Jones, we already knew that rappers are ballin’. But is it valid the other way around? Read on.(Photo: Rocky Widner/Getty Images)
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Serena Williams - In 2012, a song featuring this tennis star made the rounds. "I ball hard no tennis racket,” she spit. “They be like, 'Serena, is you really rapping?'" Judging from the results, we’d say the verdict is still out. But we did like her take on Beyoncé's "7/11" video.(Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
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Floyd Mayweather - The Money Team's own hangs with the likes of 50 Cent, Ray J and Justin Bieber, so it's no surprise he's already tried his hand at rapping, even teaming up with Ludacris for the 2009 song "Undisputed."(Photo: Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
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Stephen Jackson - One of the worst parts of the 2011 NBA lockout? When ballers got bored and started looking for new day jobs. Spurs star Stephen Jackson dropped a mixtape titled What's A Lockout? in December. Three cheers for arbitration.(Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
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Oscar De La Hoya - Famed boxer Oscar De La Hoya released a self-titled Latin pop CD in 2000. The disc was nominated for a Grammy. How do you say "SMH" in Spanish?(Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
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Kobe Bryant - KB tried his hands at rapping early in his NBA career. His single, "K.O.B.E" –– inexplicably featuring Tyra Banks –– was heavily panned by critics. It's never a good sign when Shaq beats you in a rap battle.(Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)
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Wayman Tisdale - A center and power forward for the Pacers, Suns and Kings, Tisdale was also a bass guitarist, recording eight jazz albums before his battle with bone cancer and sudden death in 2009.(Photo: David McNew/Getty Images)
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Tony Parker - Even Tony Parker got in on the rap act. The San Antonio Spurs star released a French rap album titled TP in 2007. Jamie Foxx made a guest appearance.(Photo: Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Steve Dykes/Getty Images
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Roy Jones Jr. - Jones dropped a rap album titled Round One: The Album in 2002, with the appropriately titled single "Y'all Must've Forgot." Who knew Roy could predict the future?(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Manny Pacquiao - Manny probably won't be embarking on a second career any time soon, but he did take the stage on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to sing "How Deep Is Your Love."(Photo: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
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Rasheed Wallace - Rasheed Wallace is the NBA's all-time leader in technical fouls, and that continued when he launched his Urban Life Music label in 2000. He was last heard on the mic in 2008 alongside fellow Philly repper Young Chris on "Threats."(Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Gary Payton - This former Supersonics star GP dropped Living Legal and Large in 1994. (Photo: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Bacardi)
Photo By Photo: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Bacardi
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Deion Sanders - Football and baseball weren't enough for Neon Deion, who dropped his Prime Time rap album in 1994. The LP peaked at No. 70 on the Billboard 200 — maybe not so primetime after all.(Photo: Fernando Leon/Getty Images)
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Carmelo Anthony - Melo won't be stepping inside the booth any time soon, but the Knicks baller founded Krossover Entertainment and once signed Cassidy to the label.(Photo: Marc Serota/Getty Images)
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Chris Webber - C. Webb released his 2 Much Drama LP in 1999. He also produced "Blunt Ashes" and "Surviving the Times" for Nas' Hip Hop is Dead album.(Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
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