Multi-platinum Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan on his love for the MLB's Braves, NFL's Falcons, NBA's Hawks and MLS' United
Rich Homie Quan first made music fans take notice with his 2013 mixtape Still Goin' In: Reloaded, which Rolling Stone named the 10th best mixtape of the year. One of its singles, "Type of Way" charted high in the Billboard Hot 100.
Shortly after that, Quan was part of hit collaborations alongside YG, Young Jeezy and 2 Chainz. That same year, the 2013 Michigan State Spartans football team made Rich Homie Quan's "Type of Way" their anthem, which led Quan to performing the song on the sidelines at the 100th Rose Bowl.
Plenty of industry honors followed for Rich Homie Quan. 2014 brought BET award show nominations for Best New Artist and Rookie of the Year, while XXL named him to the XXL Freshman Class. Further BET honors came in 2015 as Quan was nominated for Best Club Banger and the People's Champ Award. The following year in 2016, Quan received a nod for Hip Hop Song Of The Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
Moving ahead to the recent past, Quan released another acclaimed mixtape via 2017's Back To The Basics. His latest studio album is 2018's Rich As In Spirit, which hit stores on March 18th. Rich As In Spirit was put out by Motown Records and includes collaborations with Rick Ross, 30 Roc and Nard & B.
In support of Rich As In Spirit, Rich Homey Quan is now on the road for a tour that kicked off June 14th in Phoenix. Upcoming dates include July 3rd at Reggie's in Chicago, July 16th at New York's Gramercy Theater, and August 18th at Atlanta's Masquerade.
I spoke with Quan about his history with sports -- much of rooted in Atlanta -- on behalf of Sportskeeda. Tour dates and other info on the multi-platinum, Georgia-based rapper can be found online at www.richhomiequan.com.
Word has it that you were a standout baseball player in high school. How far did you go towards pursuing a pro baseball career?
Rich Homie Quan: After playing one year of college baseball I lost interest in the sport and diverted my energy into my music career.
Were the Braves always your favorite MLB team growing up?
Rich Homie Quan: Of course! They will always be my favorite. I have always supported the home team first and foremost.
Last year you collaborated with Atlanta United from MLS. When did you first get into soccer?
Rich Homie Quan: To be honest, I didn't know much about soccer as I've never been a huge fan. But after that game my state of mind totally changed as far as soccer goes. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had.
I've also read that you are big into the Atlanta Falcons. Who is your favorite player on the current roster?
Rich Homie Quan: Yes, I am a huge fan! It is a toss-up between Matt Ryan and Julio Jones.
Have you always been only into Atlanta teams in sports?
Rich Homie Quan: No, not at all. There are a lot of other teams I like, such as the Golden State Warriors, Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Which of the Atlanta teams do you watch the most?
Rich Homie Quan: Definitely the Falcons.
What was the last game you watched in-person at a stadium?
Rich Homie Quan: An Atlanta Hawks game.
Sports aside, what is coming up in your career?
Rich Homie Quan: I am currently in talks with a television network about possibly doing some reality TV. Also working on dropping my next album, continuing to tell my story through my music and doing more international tours.
Finally, is there a career accomplishment you are most proud of?
Rich Homie Quan: My BET Awards.