10 Greatest NFL Shoutouts in Rap History

We've already established that the world of hip-hop is surprisingly not all that far off from the world of the NFL. Now we can go from the similar pairings in the game today to the cool moments when the world of hip-hop music crosses over to the gridiron.

Hip-hop artists have a lot of ways of making their point, and who says it has to be direct?

Why can't an artist turn one of the greatest NFL passers into a verb? Why can't a set of NFL teammates serve as a setup for a series of rhymes?

Here are some of the best NFL player shoutouts in hip-hop history.

(Note: Some of the songs featured in this slideshow may have explicit lyrics.)

Donovan McNabb: Kanye West ('Talk About Our Love' with Brandy)

Kanye West, appearing in a guest verse on a track with Brandy, takes some time to shout out one of the more prominent running quarterbacks in the league (at least in 2004, when this song came out).

"

Now you in the field runnin' plays like Donovan / McNabb before you get in a cab / I trade in my cab / Just to take you back to last summer man...

"

Brett Favre: Andre 3000 ('The Art of Storytellin' Part 4' with DJ Drama)

It's not easy being one of the more successful guys in your trade even after being around for nearly 20 years. Andre 3000, using up one of his few verses of 2007, put together a classic verse, including this shoutout to the then-Green Bay Packers quarterback:

"

I started off starvin' / now they got me out here Brett Favre-ing / trying to see if I still got it...

"

T.J. Duckett/Michael Vick: Ludacris ('Living the Life' with Notorious B.I.G.)

In the first of a seemingly endless string of Michael Vick references in hip-hop, Atlanta rapper Ludacris gives a shoutout to both Vick, then-quarterback of the Falcons, and running back T.J. Duckett.

On a side note, how much of a drag was it to have Warrick Dunn on a fantasy football team with Duckett stealing all of the touchdowns? 

"

When it comes to these women, dog, ain't no one f@#$@ with me / They running back...you'd think I had T.J. Duckett with me / that's 'cause I throw it like Vick from the yard line / menage a trois, it's safe to say I'm having hard times.

"

Boomer Esiason/Anthony Munoz/Ickey Woods: Wale ('W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.')

Up-and-comer Wale has made a name for himself as one of the big draws in the Washington, D.C. rap scene, but in one of his first major hits he unleashed this barrage of references to Cincinnati quarterback Boomer Esiason, offensive tackle Anthony Munoz and fullback Ickey Woods (best known for the Ickey Shuffle):

"

The eye of a Bengal, shuffling my Ickey / Y’all Boomer, you need you an MD like Esiason / Dominating of the Eastside shall commence / And I shall convince that I'm the truth, yo / They try to block me like Munoz.

"

Now signed with Miami-based rapper Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group, it might not be that much of a stretch to see a few Dan Marino references dropped in soon.

Bo Jackson/Joe Namath: A Tribe Called Quest ('Scenario')

Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest is a major sports fan (he currently hosts a sports podcast), so it's not a huge surprise he would kick off the song "Scenario" with a reference to Oakland Raiders running back Bo Jackson. The lines are a perfect spin on Jackson's popular "Bo Knows" ad campaign of the time:

"

A-yo Bo knows this (what?) / and Bo knows that (what?) / But Bo don't know jack / 'cause Bo can't rap...

"

He also drops in a quick reference to New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath.

"

Brothers front, they say the Tribe can't flow / But we've been known to do the impossible like Broadway Joe so...

"

Julius Peppers/Peyton Manning/Ray Lewis: Nelly ('Heart of a Champion')

Using a sample of the popular "Roundball Rock" song used by NBC for its NBA broadcasts, Nelly takes the time to drop in references from around the NFL. In addition to then-Carolina Panther Julius Peppers, he also name-drops Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis (in the punniest way possible):

"

I'm the one that you've been Raven about, like Ray Lewis...

"

Vince Lombardi: Lil Wayne ('Ignorant S#%@' with Drake)

While he didn't contribute a verse on the original recording of "Ignorant S#%@" for Jay-Z's American Gangster album, he was happy to jump on the beat on the So Far Gone mixtape with protege Drake.

After (forebodingly) saying he was trying to avoid that "T.I. or (Michael) Vick vacation," Wayne reminds listeners of his status as a Green Bay Packers fan:

"

And I'm a cheesehead, word to Vince Lombardi.

"

Walter Payton: Big K.R.I.T. ('No Wheaties')

One of the best songs on this list as far as the number of quality football inclusions, Big K.R.I.T. steals the show with his transition from the sweetness of the beat being similar to "Sweetness," Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton, to his transition to greatness like Drew Brees:

"

The epitome of greatness face it no one plays it close / Sweetness on the beat that Walter Payton flow / On track to be the best, what you pacing fo'? / Call plays, step back, pump fake and throw / Who dat? Drew Breezin' down the field? / The document is monumental s@!$, reel to reel.

"

Eli Manning: Nicki Minaj ('Roman's Revenge')

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning calls the plays, and apparently so does rapper Nicki Minaj:

"

I call the play, now do you see why? / These b$%#$ calling me Manning Eli / Manning Eli, these b$%#$ calling me Manning Eli!

"

Randall Cunningham: Jay-Z ('Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)')

Few quarterbacks could move around the pocket like Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham, making him a no-brainer for when Jay-Z needed a mobile quarterback for his hit song "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)":

"

Can I live? I told you in '96 / That I came to take this s@#$ and I did, handle my biz / I scramble like Randall with his / Cunningham but the only thing running is numbers fam / Jigga held you down six summers; damn, where's the love?

"