“They told me buss down my AP, perfect timing.” I bet you’d expect that line to come from one of your favorite rappers. But, what if I told you it came from the starting quarterback at The University of Colorado, Shedeur Sanders? Sanders, the son of infamous football legend Deion Sanders, jumped into the rap game with the song “Perfect Timing” a few months ago, and the single serves as the perfect example of the relationship between sports and music. On YouTube, the song has accumulated over 140k plays and is used as a TikTok sound for videos on the daily. Shedeur takes on a braggadocious flow letting listeners know his price went up. His sound resembles those of Lil Baby, Gunna, and a few other heavyweights in that lane. Sanders spends most of the song focusing on his successes and accomplishments: what he can afford, what clothes he wears, and what fast cars he’s driving. The cover of the song is him flexing his famous watch pose celebration that gained national attention. It feels like a seamless transition, almost as though he was meant to create music. What’s behind his easy approach? Well I can tell you. Rappers and athletes both share one thing: competition. Shedeur has established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the country, but that came with a lot of sleepless nights and hard work. The same can be said for rappers. Hours and hours in the studio, searching for beats. Football players spend hours in the gym and film room, perfecting their craft. But, this just doesn’t happen in football. Both lanes are highly competitive and the rewards lead to a luxurious lifestyle. Boxers are now walking out to their fights with their favorite rappers, rappers are practicing with NBA trainers, and even playing in semi-pro leagues (watch The Crew League on Youtube and you’ll see what I mean). But, what creates this relationship between hip-hop and sports? The strong ties between hip hop and sports can be found in their need to perform in the public eye and compete at the highest level. From halftime performances at the Super Bowl, to prime time NBA matchups where artists are dripped out court-side, sports and music are two sides of the same coin. Both feed off the energy of their fans, and both need competition to thrive. “Perfect Timing” serves as the anthem of athletes and artists coming together. Shedeur may be one of the biggest names in college football, but musically, he’s another rapper on the come up.