These NBA Jersey Designs Inspired By The Hip-Hop Artists And Cities They Represent Are Dope AF

Uniform and jersey concepts are one of the most fun things that creative artists who also happen to be sports fans like to play around with, usually resulting in some of the coolest alternate designs you will ever see.

Sometimes designers mix and match two sports like the NBA and the NFL or the NHL and MLB.

Sometimes artists just come up with fresh new designs for every team in a sports league like the NFL or the NBA.

And sometimes artists choose to mash up sports with pop culture to create designs that we wish were actually real.

Today is one of those days.

With the NBA Playoffs in full swing and music festival season officially underway, Vivid Seats and Audiomack teamed up to merge hip-hop and hoops with a collection of NBA jersey designs inspired by rappers representing their hometowns.

These cool new concept jerseys which celebrate the deep connection between basketball and hip hop, feature hidden gems such as the pattern found on Chance The Rapper’s 10 Day mixtape cover, Post Malone’s signature barbed wire tattoo, and more.

The result is a pair of jerseys for six teams: one inpsired by a superstar rapper from that town, with the other representing an emerging emcee poised to be a major player on the music scene.

First up, Chicago…

The fabric pattern of the jersey top, with cumulus clouds, is inspired by Chance the Rapper’s debut mixtape, 10 Day.

The lone balloon on the jersey calls to first Leather Corduroys studio album, Season.

With the Brooklyn Bridge on the shorts, this uniform texture is inspired by the shirt Jay-Z wore last year’s hit, “Apeshit.” The marks on the shoulder strap call back to album cover for The Blueprint 3.

The IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway is featured prominently on this jersey, highlighted by the 5 train – which stops at the Barclays Center.

The floral pattern on the jersey derives inspiration from the Migos’s fashion styles, while the uniform numbers are a callout to the cover for the group’s hit album, Culture II.

The pattern on the uniform pants is a nod to the graffiti on the wall of Keed’s video “It’s Up.”

The gold color is a favorite of Drake’s, and the prayer hands and owl eyes call to mind “God’s Plan” and OVO, respectively.

Leon penned “81” following Kobe Bryant’s 81-point performance against the hometown Raptors. The links in the fabric of the jersey are a subtle reminder of the bracelets and chains he often wears. On the shoulder, the Roman numerals represent the rap collective Leon started.

Astroworld – Scott’s hit album – is woven into this jersey throughout.

The red camo pattern is reflective of the outfit she wore during a photo shoot with Fader. The jersey number is drawn from 1501 Certified Entertainment, an independent Houston Label.

The jersey is trimmed with the same barbed wire that outlines Malone’s forehead.

The jersey reflects her feminine but in-your-face vibe. The bright neon trim is a hallmark of her style, from her clothes to her hair dye.