San Antonio Spurs guard Cory Joseph has a new rap anthem in his honor (Video)
The histories of the NBA and hip-hop are inextricably linked, and not just because professionals in both crafts try their hand at the other regularly. Some of the greatest tracks in history feature references to famous players in the game’s history, whether it be superstars like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade or very good ones with some cultural relevance like Nick Van Exel — and those examples only come from the work of Jay-Z. Basketball offers rappers a wealth of material to cover and usually provides new examples with every new season.
As far as I know, though, no one has ever recorded a totally sincere tribute to a little-known fourth-year guard who averaged 13.8 minutes per game for the sitting NBA champions. That has all changed now with the release of “Cory Jo” by the Toronto rappers C Black — not to be confused with Black C — and Mike Black. As you might gather from the title, it’s about San Antonio Spurs reserve and Toronto native Cory Joseph. Watch it below (via Project Spurs):
This song and video could very easily come across as ridiculous. Joseph has not become a big name in his three full seasons and didn’t gain much national attention in his sole year at Texas. The Spurs value what he does, especially as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili require more rest, and Joseph earned some attention when he dunked on Serge Ibaka in Game 4 of last spring’s Western Conference Finals. But he only seems like a worthy subject if the performer knows him personally (which appears to be the case here). This whole thing could’ve been really awkward.
Yet it’s actually a pretty respectable effort, in part because C Black makes it about Joseph’s connection to Toronto rather than focusing on a level of superstardom that doesn’t exist. The refrain — “You on that Steve Nash / We on that Cory Jo / That 05 / Toronto” — is explicitly about the city now having its own basketball standard-bearer. And even if it’s questionable that Joseph deserves that title, it’s hard to argue with the idea that his winning a championship gives him a special place in the city. He’s representing a burgeoning basketball culture on a world stage and doing the city proud. The song is about taking pride in someone from the neighborhood who made it big, not some foolish claim that he’s greater than everyone else in the sport. Even the Nash line doesn’t suggest that British Columbians stop rooting for the future Hall of Famer. They’re just saying that Joseph is their analogue to him.
We’ll keep you posted when other members of the Spurs bench get their own anthems. I hear Tiago Splitter’s crew goes hard.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
