Work Hard, Play Hard: 10 Rappers Who Went To College On Sports Scholarships

Many rappers claim they were superior athletes back in their day, but only some actually have the credentials to prove it. It’s one thing to say you had a wicked jump shot or that you were a heavy hitter on the football field (before you started selling crack, or course) but having the proof to back it up is a whole different story. There are several MCs who actually had skills in the athletic arena and proved so by moving on past the Friday night lights to display their skills on college campuses around the nation. But, clearly, for one reason or another, be it injury or not being able to cut it, they wound up rapping instead. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t have their shining moments.

Here are 10 rappers who put enough work in while in high school to earn athletic scholarships at the collegiate level…

MORE ON HIP-HOP WIRED!

• 10 Flicks Of Kanye West Looking Whipped For Kim Kardashian [PHOTOS]

• Chris Brown Says New Neck Tattoo Is A Sugar Skull Not Rihanna [PHOTOS]

• Behind The Scenes Of Fat Joe, French Montana & Lil Wayne’s “Yellow Tape” [PHOTOS]

• Bangin Candy “Birthday Song’s” Big Booty Girl: Delianna Urena [PHOTOS]

• Rick Ross Shoots “Diced Pineapples” Video In Anguilla [PHOTOS]

• Bape x UNDFTD x adidas Campus, Stan Smith & ZX 5000

• Wired 25: Hip-Hop’s 25 Favorite Athletes

• Streets On Fire: 10 Victims Of Chicago’s Violent Murder Spike [PHOTOS]
—
Photo: Getty

2 Chainz
Alabama State University
Basketball

Before he was one of Hip-Hop’s hottest commodities, 2 Chainz, born Tauheed Epps, was a hoops star at North Clayton High School on the south side of Atlanta, during the mid ‘90s. After catching a drug charge his senior year his college offers dwindled, but he later accepted an athletic scholarship to play ball at Alabama State University. 2 Pointz!!!

Rick Ross
Albany State University
Football

Rick Ross is now known for his dope rap lines. But back in the early ‘90s he was known for his play on the offensive line for Carol City Senior High School. He later attended Albany State University in Georgia on football scholarship. Down, set, uuuugh!

Stalley
University of Michigan, Long Island University
Basketball

Stalley starred on the prep basketball scene in Massillon, OH and even matched up against Lebron James in high school. He went on to attend the University of Michigan and Long Island University to play hoops. The long-bearded MMG rapper only took up rapping after multiple injuries sidelined his hoop dreams.

Cam’Ron
Texas JUCO
Basketball

Killer Cam was a killer pink point guard in the mid ‘90s at the Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics. Do to his piss poor grades any chance he had at accepting a scholarship to a big school went down the drain, but the rapper did attend a JUCO in Texas before inexplicably leaving the school to return to the streets of Harlem.

Master P
University of Houston
Basketball

The Ice Cream Man was reportedly cold on the basketball court. Cold enough to earn a basketball scholarship to the University of Houston out of high school (though some reports claim that he was a walk-on). However, P never played a game for the Cougars, allegedly leaving school after suffering a pre-season knee injury. He later had two failed attempts at a career in the NBA.

Plies
Ohio University
Football

The “goon affiliated ex-drug dealer” was allegedly good enough to play college pigskin before he decided bringing O-Dog to rap form was going to be his claim to fame. Plies reportedly attended Ohio University where he was a receiver on the football team.

M-Dot
BHCC, MCLA, Fitchburg State
Basketball

Independent East Coast rapper M-Dot probably didn’t have to use any of his rap bread to pay off student loans. The Boston native played collegiate hoops for three schools including, Bunker Hill Community College, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Fitchburg State.

Lil Romeo
University of Southern California
Basketball

Master P’s seed was good enough to earn a college scholarship from the University of Southern California, though he wasn’t good enough to keep it that long. After getting no burn whatsoever playing sparingly in two seasons, Romie Rome was stripped of his free ride.

Wale
Robert Morris, Virginia State University
Football

The DC rapper once rocked Nike cleats as well as Nike Boots, playing football before breaking out as an MC. The “Lotus Flower Bomb” rapper reportedly attended Robert Morris and Virginia State University on football scholarships before transferring to Bowie State and eventually dropping out.

Babi Mac
University of Tennessee
Basketball

As a basketball player, Cait McMahan won two national championships alongside Candace Parker at the University of Tennessee. Upon graduation she started an indie rap career and now goes by the alias Babi Mac.