There’s always been a unique connection between hip-hop and sports. Besides the many friendships that exist among certain rappers and certain athletes (cc: Drake and Johnny Football), some of today’s rhyme spitters actually hit the field or the court themselves. Artists like 2 Chainz and Plies went on to play college basketball and college football, respectively, while Master P even landed a spot in the NBA at one point. And, of course, we have athletes turned rappers as well. (We see you, Shaq.) So with that being said, here’s 10 rappers who used to play sports in a competitive manner, before they became the successful hip-hop artist we know today.