The close relationship between UK Rap and soccer

The 32nd round of Ligue 1, still ongoing, will be remembered for the thrilling match between Lille and Lyon, which ended 3-4 thanks to the last-minute goal scored by Mama Baldé. However, the most spectacular goal was scored by Edon Zhegrova of Lyon - an Albanian-born footballer who celebrated by wearing the mask of M Huncho, the same one the London rapper wears during his live performances and on the covers of almost all his albums (Utopia, Huncholini the 1st, my neighbours don't know.). There is a strong bond between the two: as reported by Rising Ballers on Instagram, Zhegrova and M Huncho met last week on the set of a music video. There may be more than mere idolization from Zhegrova towards M Huncho; the two could be united by a strong friendship, and it's plausible that the former might soon appear in one of the artist's music videos, or perhaps he is venturing into a parallel career as a rapper - several footballers have recently pursued this path. But Zhegrova's celebration is more than just confirmation that football and UK rap influence each other.

Where does the relationship between football and UK rap originate?

Before the story of Dide, the incognito rapper behind a mask made of roses who claims to be a Premier League footballer, took hold, and conspiracy theories about his true identity spread like wildfire on the web (some long imagined it was Eddie Nketiah or Sheyi Ojo from Cardiff), it was the most famous lyrics of some rappers that solidified this ambiguous bond. One of the artists who holds sport dear is Stormzy: he demonstrated this in 2022 by featuring José Mourinho in the music video for Mel Made Me Do It. Many examples can be found in the lyrics of songs. Among them, Central Cee, who in the single Eurovision debuted in 2022, chose to include very unique bars for his features: French artists Ashe 22 and Freeze Corleone along with Spanish artist Beny Jr. "J’suis Koulibaly, t’es Adil Rami"; "I need Robben’s left foot"; "With Costa problems, but they love me, I’m Neymar".

He then confirmed his passion-obsession for football by attending several matches at Stamford Bridge to watch the Blues play - accepting a gift from Ben Chilwell, a Chelsea jersey with his number 23 on the back. Yet, no one seems to have taken the issue as seriously as Dave. The Briton - known for lyrics containing references to footballers - and especially for the track Thiago Silva, founded the football tournament known as the Santan Cup in 2017, which in 2022 was the stage for the debut of the bespoke Stone Island kit - the first true appearance of the brand's logo on a football field. Among the various stages between 2017 and 2024, it is important to mention how the major sportswear brands have leveraged this growing connection. With the presence of Camavinga, Corteiz, and Nike, for the launch of the OG colorway of the Air Max 95, they thought of a crossbar challenge where hitting the crossbar earned one a pair of sneakers. Corteiz itself - founded by the Briton Clint - made the patterns of football jerseys a solid starting point.

UK rap has permeated football to the extent that it has even reached celebrations; Edon Zhegrova's courage will probably follow the new wave of bold celebrations already inaugurated by Garnacho and Cole Palmer.