Hoops, Rap and Every thing Black| A New Column by SLAM

Most know, however for these of you who don’t: SLAM was based in 1994 as a publication that intertwines the sport and hip-hop tradition. As a ‘94 child myself, I used to be raised on SLAM. I’m from the period of hoop that coined the phrase, “ball is life” and I used to be that child coming residence from college, turning on the pc and getting in a rabbit gap on YouTube wanting up highlights and mixtapes. Not simply basketball mixtapes although, however hip-hop mixtapes, too—I’m a DatPiff and Weblog Period child. If I wasn’t exterior hoopin’ or in any individual’s gymnasium, I used to be consuming basketball another kind of method and in all probability listening to rap on the similar time.

Hoops and rap grew to become the lenses during which I see the world by way of. And naturally, these lenses are filtered with my Blackness, one thing I take delight in and by no means draw back from.

Hoops, Rap and Every thing Black is a weekly column that zeroes in on the 2 elementary parts of SLAM—hoops and rap—whereas threading in different elements of the colourful tapestry of Black tradition. You, readers, can count on dynamic storytelling, options, interviews, private essays, pictures, temper boards and movies. I’ve additionally put collectively a 22-playlist (impressed by the No. 22, which I wore for many of my hoop profession) known as Hoops, Rap and Every thing Black playlist that can associate with every column.

Only for enjoyable, right here’s the mood board I created when conceptualizing what I need Hoops Rap and Every thing Black to mirror; this could provide you with a glimpse of what to anticipate.

Slightly bit extra about me: Modestly, I developed to be a fairly first rate hooper and performed DI ball at Longwood College in Virginia. I nonetheless hoop each probability I get, and God keen I’ll hoop for the remainder of my life. I grew up within the DMV, and over the course of my profession performed for notable packages like Hoop Sales space and Below Armour’s DC Assault (now DC Premier), and faculties like Fredericksburg Christian Faculty and Middleburg Academy. I performed with and towards execs and high-level hoopers at each flip. I bought my Grasp’s in Sports activities Business Administration from Georgetown College and am at present wrapping up my second Grasp’s in Journalism at NYU.

Now that we bought all that out of the way in which, let’s get to it. I admire you for being right here, and hope you be a part of me each week on this journey. You possibly can learn the primary column here.