Hit-Boy speaks on being part of NFL's 50th anniversary of hip-hop celebration

From N.W.A wearing Los Angeles Raiders gear as they reached pop culture stardom to Jay Z's Roc Nation sports agency brokering a landmark deal for Dez Bryant, hip-hop's history is woven into the DNA of the NFL.

The league is joining in the celebration of hip-hop's 50th anniversary with a video series called "Football and Flow." The three-part series explores the fandom of three of hip-hop's biggest artists from around the country. Rakim speaks on his love of the New York Giants, Hit-Boy shares his love of the Los Angeles Rams and Ludacris reflects on the legacy of the Atlanta Falcons. The episodes will air on NFL.com, the NFL's YouTube page and on social media, releasing one at a time: Rakim's on Friday, Hit-Boy's on Dec. 1 and Ludacris' on Dec. 8.

"Hip-hop has served as the soundtrack for generations since its inception," Shayna Hayes, NFL head of content for entertainment and initiatives, said in a statement. "'Football and Flow' is a true celebration of this cross-pollination of music and sports.'"

Ludacris will also be one of the headliners for the Falcons' music festival commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop ahead of their game Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Jermaine Dupri, Ceelo Green, Big Boi, T.I., Jeezy and Quavo are the other headliners for the event that features dozens of rappers, deejays and producers.

"Over the past 50 years, hip-hop has evolved into the leading genre globally and is integrated into every aspect of the football experience," Walter Brock, director of "Football and Flow," said in a statement. "Recording artists, football players and fans share the same competitive spirit, hustle and grit necessary to perform on the world's largest stages and in life."

Hit-Boy speaks on being a fan of the Los Angeles Rams

Hit-Boy, a three-time Grammy award winner, expressed his gratitude for the league including him in the "Football and Flow" series.

"Always been a fan of football since I was a kid," he told USA TODAY Sports, "and for them to want to put me in this situation and kind of appreciate me through the music, it’s just dope to see that the NFL on that level would bring me in on something like this."

The Fontana, Calif. native said that he became a fan of the Rams when they were still in St. Louis. He was around 10 or 11 years old when Kurt Warner led the team to two Super Bowl appearances in three seasons.

The Rams returned to Los Angeles in 2016. When they won Super Bowl 56 at SoFi Stadium, Hit-Boy was able to take his 1-year-old son to the first championship game – a first for both of them.

"I just thought that was a dope moment," he said. "The fact that it was in L.A., the Rams was in the game, it was just a moment."

This year, the Rams gifted Hit-Boy, his father Big Hit and Hit-Boy's son with custom jerseys. They represent three generations of Chauncey, which was written on the nameplate with the jersey numbers 1, 2 and 3. Big Hit was released from prison this May and the producer and his father have been recording music. Big Hit's debut album, "The Truth Is In My Eyes," is due out Dec. 5.

Although Hit-Boy doesn't have distinct memories of sharing football fandom with his father because he was incarcerated, the "Racks in the Middle" producer said that both he and Big Hit played football growing up. He remembers seeing his father's trophies and photos at his grandmother's house.

"I guess I just inherited that from him," he said.

Hit-Boy speaks on comparison between hip-hop and football

Hit-Boy said he sees the parallel between music and football because, in his role as a producer, he views himself equivalent to a head coach.

"I have to manage a lot of situations at once, a lot of different artists, a lot of different soundscapes," he said, "and that’s kinda like a coach; he’s gotta manage the cornerbacks, the quarterbacks, the running backs, the offensive line. Even though he has the personnel to help him with that, he’s still overseeing the project, so I can relate in that way directly."

With hip-hop celebrating its 50th birthday, Hit-Boy, who won the 2021 Grammy for Best Rap Album for Nas' "King's Disease," said that he appreciates how different generations are successful. He is hopeful that the rising artists will continue carrying the torch.

"It’s great to see it just still going, pushing boundaries and being the leader of culture, really," he said. "That’s where a lot of people get the energy for music from is rap or hip-hop. Just to see it still going and it’s expanding, the young kids finding new innovative ways to make music, the OGs still doing they thing, the people that came out in the ‘80s and ‘90s, they could still drop albums and it’s just dope to see it keep moving."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL honors hip-hop with video series starring Hit-Boy, Rakim, Ludacris