Getty Image/Merle Cooper
Of the last 25 years, there are few figures in the world of sports that had a larger impact on their sport and pop culture than Kobe Bryant. As a five-time champion and 2008 MVP with the Lakers, Bryant was, along with Shaq and Allen Iverson early and LeBron James later in his career, the face of the NBA. Being on the Lakers certainly didn’t hurt his cultural impact, as he is an L.A. icon, but his reach goes far beyond Los Angeles.
In the world of hip-hop, Bryant has been heavily referenced in song lyrics for the last two decades plus, eventually becoming the avatar for competing and championships. Here we are looking at 24 (plus a couple bonus tracks) times Bryant’s name came up in rap songs, as his legendary status is cemented by his impact not just on basketball but the culture as a whole. Even after his tragic death in 2020, Bryant’s legacy is still felt and artists continue to point to the Lakers great as one of the great examples of a winner and hooper.
“Overnight Celebrity” — Twista ft. Kanye West (2004)
Kanye: Give you ice like Kobe wife/We sorta like Goldie, right?/The way we mold ’em right
Twista: I could make you a celebrity overnight
The hook to Twista’s smash hit with Kanye features West referencing the massive diamond ring worn by Vanessa Bryant at a press conference after Kobe was charged with sexual assault in Colorado in 2003.
“Swagga Like Us” — T.I. ft. Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and M.I.A (2008)
Tryna get that Kobe number, one over Jordan
This is another Kobe reference from Kanye, this time using Kobe as a stand-in for 24 (and Jordan for 23), which happens frequently, as Bryant became the most iconic No. 24 in sports.
“I Wanna Rock” — Snoop Dogg (2009)
Smokin’ on that Kobe, f**kin’ wit’ that purp
Unsurprisingly, Kobe is frequently referenced in L.A. rap. Here one of Los Angeles’ finest, Snoop Dogg, drops a Kobe reference in this 2009 track, which is far from the last time someone used Kobe and the Lakers as a metaphor for purple (and gold) strands in their weed.
Kobe Bryant” — Lil Wayne (2009)
Lil Wayne took the Kobe love to a whole new level in 2009 when he released a track titled and entirely about the Lakers star, so there’s not one bar to highlight here, but just the entire song.
“Beamer Benz or Bentley” — Lloyd Banks ft. Juelz Santana (2010)
Where my ring and my confetti? I’m Kobe Bryant-ready
By 2010, after winning his fifth title with the Lakers, there was no one more synonymous with winning than Bryant, with Lloyd Banks making that evident from his hit single from that year.
“See Me Now” — Kanye West ft. Beyonce, Big Sean, and Charlie Wilson (2010)
They say G.O.O.D. Music like the new Miami Heat, s**t/Comparin’ them to us, man they gotta add Kobe
After Bryant’s 2010 championship, LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade to create the Big 3 in Miami. However, as Big Sean boasted on “See Me Now,” comparisons to Kanye’s budding G.O.O.D. Music label and the Heat wasn’t good enough, as they’d need another legend in Bryant to be on their level.
“The City” — The Game ft. Kendrick Lamar (2011)
I’m Kobe on the Lakers floor, except I give you eighty-four
Bryant’s greatest individual performance was scoring 81 points against the Raptors in 2006, and that night gets pretty regularly referenced in hip-hop, with L.A.’s The Game providing one of the more notable ones on “The City.”
“Stay Schemin’” — Rick Ross ft. Drake and French Montana (2012)
Kobe ’bout to lose a hundred fifty Ms/Kobe my n****, I hate it had to be him
Rick Ross has a number of Kobe mentions in his songs (and, really, any NBA star); on 2012’s “Stay Schemin’” guest rapper Drake makes a reference to Bryant’s on-going divorce at the time — which Kobe and Vanessa eventually resolved and stayed together.
“Believe It” — Meek Mill ft. Rick Ross (2012)
Spend Iguodala on my Rolly/Young n**** ball like Kobe
Meek Mill gives us a double NBA reference here, with the Philly native shouting out then-Sixer Andre Iguodala and his 6-year, $80 million deal before noting he’s balling like Kobe.
“Kobe” — Chief Keef (2012)
While Lil Wayne’s 2009 track was very literally about Kobe Bryant, Chief Keef’s “Kobe” is more about the mindset of thinking he’s Kobe in various ways. But, like Wayne’s track, there are too many Kobe lines in it to just pull one out.
“Bugatti” — Ace Hood ft. Rick Ross and Future (2013)
Ballin’ on n***** like Kobe/F**k all you haters, you bore me
Ace Hood’s boastful hit from 2013 wouldn’t be complete without a reference to ballin’ like Kobe.
“Juice” — Chance the Rapper (2013)
I just faced a Veg-er/And you love being Kobe when you make the lay-er/Til you realize everybody in the world f**kin’ hates the Lakers
However, there was certainly some Lakers fatigue felt by fans outside of L.A., which Chance the Rapper makes mention of in this line from 2013’s “Juice”.
“untitled 02 | 06.23.2014.” — Kendrick Lamar (2014)
This the first time I confess/Me and Top is like a Kobe and Phil/A father figure f**k with him, you get killed/F**k with me and he will kill you himself
Another L.A. connection here, as Kendrick Lamar compares himself and Top Dawg ENT founder Anthony Tiffith to Kobe and Phil.
“Still Think About You” — A Boogie wit da Hoodie (2016)
I shoot up and lean back on some Kobe s**t/They don’t know how to pass on some Kobe s**t
One of the funniest Kobe lyrics comes from A Boogie wit da Hoodie on his 2016 track where he highlights Bryant’s reputation as a premier bucket-getter and not a facilitator.
“Views” — Drake (2016)
Me and Niko used to plot on how to make a change/Now me and Kobe doin’ shots the night before the game
Sometimes a reference is just a status check, as is the case here with Drake boasting about hanging out with Kobe.
“Shake It Fast” — Rae Sremmurd ft. Juicy J (2016)
I get to ballin’ like Kobe in the fourth quarter/So much money on me I can’t even get it sorted
Kobe has long been the go-to for references to being clutch, as is the case here on Swae Lee’s verse from Rae Sremmurd’s 2016 hit.
“THat Part” — ScHoolboy Q ft. Kanye West (2016)
Walkin’, livin’ legend, man, I feel like Kobe/I just dropped sixty, man, I feel like Kobe/Lamar was with me, man, I feel like Kobe
More than a decade from his “Overnight Celebrity” chorus, Kanye West was back at it with the Kobe references, this time shouting out Kobe as a living legend as well as his iconic final game performance when he scored 60 against the Jazz.
“Stargazing” — Travis Scott (2018)
I’m way too gold for this beef, feel like I’m Kobe, yeah
Surprisingly one of the few references we could find that played off Kobe Bryant and Kobe beef, but Travis Scott made it happen in his 2018 track.
“Shotta FLow” — NLE Choppa (2019)
Feelin’ like I’m Kobe, can’t nan’ n**** hold me/If he wanna run up on me, shoot him like Ginobili
Another double NBA reference, this time from NLE Choppa, who is not the only one to pair Kobe and Ginobili — a match made in rap lyric heaven for the ability to rhyme together.
“Commercial” — Lil Baby ft. Lil Uzi Vert
I turned eight million right until I’m a quarterback/Spent a million like I’m tryna bring Kobe back
“Commercial” came out just a few weeks after Kobe’s death, and clearly Lil Uzi Vert’s verse was recorded at some point in that window as he became one of the first in hip-hop to mourn the loss of the legend on a track.
“Bean (Kobe)” — Lil Uzi Vert ft. Chief Keef (2020)
You know I’m ballin’, usual like Kobe
Not long after his verse on “Commercial”, Lil Uzi Vert again referenced Kobe, this time on a track with his name in the title. However, unlike Lil Wayne or Chief Keef’s songs, this one does not feature constant references to the Lakers legend, just at the start of the opening verse.
“Woodlawn” — Aminé (2020)
Look, RIP Kobe/N****, RIP Kobe/You was like a dad to a n****, so I’m sad, my n****/Had to get you tatted on me
After his death, there were tons of tributes to Bryant from all over the basketball, music, and entertainment worlds, showing how far-reaching his impact was, and on his 2020 song “Woodlawn”, Aminé pays heartfelt homage to his idol.
“Rich Flex” — Drake and 21 Savage (2022)
Ayy, I’m livin’ every twenty-four like Kobe did/Shoutout to the 6, R.I.P. to 8
Drake often plays with numbers in his lyrics, and here he pays tribute to Bryant with both his numbers, 24 and 8.
“2024” — Playboi Carti (2023)
Ooh, two fours in the Sprite, got me feelin’ like Kobe, R.I.P., uh
One of the most recent Kobe references, Playboi Carti showed once again how Bryant remains synonymous with the number 24.
BONUS TRACKS
“K.O.B.E.” — Kobe Bryant ft. Tyra Banks (2000)
This has all-but been scrubbed from the internet, but back in 2000 Kobe Bryant made a brief foray into the rap game with a debut single alongside Tyra Banks (???). It did not go over particularly well and Bryant made the wise choice to focus his efforts on the court — but he was better on the mic than he gets credit for.
“Freestyle” — Shaq (2008)
The most legendary NBA beef of the 2000s was that of Shaq and Kobe, with the peak coming when Shaq hopped on the mic for a freestyle at a club and infamously asked Kobe “tell me how my ass tastes.”
