Kevin Durant taps Shohei Ohtani’s iconic cowboy hat pic to hype Boldy James & Nicholas Craven’s upcoming release
Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, a known hip-hop enthusiast, recently showed excitement for the upcoming album release from Boldy James and Nicholas Craven by sharing an iconic photo of Shohei Ohtani.
On X (formerly Twitter), Craven announced a new collaborative album with James, set to follow up their well-received 2022 project “Fair Exchange No Robbery.”
Durant reposted Craven’s announcement, adding a picture of Shohei Ohtani, then with the LA Angels, receiving a cowboy hat from Mike Trout after a home run in a game against Seattle.
For the Angels, players who hit home runs are traditionally welcomed back to the dugout with cowboy hats.
Kevin Durant is regarded as one of the biggest MLB fans in the NBA.
Kevin Durant has a hip-hop song with LeBron James
Kevin Durant has dabbled in hip-hop himself, though his music isn’t as widely released as the rap tracks from NBA players like Damian Lillard, Lonzo Ball and Miles Bridges.
During the 2011 NBA lockout, Durant and LeBron James recorded a track called “It Ain’t Easy,” which eventually surfaced in 2018. The three-minute, 45-second song reflects their journeys from modest beginnings to NBA stardom.
ESPN reported that the track was recorded in Ohio. It tells the story of Durant and James' journeys from modest beginnings to NBA stardom.
The track’s producer, Franky Wahoo, revealed that it was originally planned as a solo project for Durant until James made a surprise appearance.
"LeBron James and Kevin Durant came up [to the studio] 'cause it was during the lockout," Franky Wahoo told Noisey. "Originally it was only going to be Kevin Durant that was going to record, 'cause he did music and stuff, but then LeBron James ended up showing up."
In his verse, Durant reflects on his early struggles and critics, emphasizing that he’s stayed grounded despite his success.
“I got the money, but that's the root to all evil. I stayed the same, but it's changing all the wrong people. Yeah, uh, and every hater all the same, I'm feelin' like the world is Skip Bayless, and I'm LeBron James,” he raps in the song.
James, in turn, touches on his family and the strength he drew from being raised by a single mother.
“Single parent, just moms, and dad gone. It's all good, Pops, you made your kid strong,” he raps.
Wahoo also said there were talks about potentially featuring the song in the NBA 2K series.