The Washington Wizards use hip-hop to introduce fans to Marvin Bagley III

When Washington Wizards fans show up at Capital One Arena this season, watch the team’s broadcasts on TV, and even follow the series on social media, they may hear the unfamiliar voice of one in every of the team’s players.

Forward Marvin Bagley III, who was traded to the Wizards in January after spending the primary 6 1/2 seasons of his profession with the Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons, shall be heard across all media outlets as a participant within the Wizards’ local music initiative, and the community shall be introduced to his hip-hop alter ego MB3FIVE . The Wizards launched the Wizards DMV music portal in August 2023 to highlight music artists from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. From tons of of entries last season, several were chosen whose music – from hip-hop to Afrobeats to local go-go favorites – was used during team broadcasts, in-arena gameplay, social videos and team events. The press release states that in lieu of monetary payment, artists “compensate for experiences, merchandise, tickets and exposure.”

Over the summer, the Wizards content team approached Bagley about participating on this season’s portal after reading about his musical past on a neighborhood news station. They believed that his music best captured the essence of what he wanted the portal to be.

“It’s just powerful music,” said Bernard Palin, senior director of digital media at Monumental Sports & Entertainment. “I feel it has an incredible sound. I really like this atmosphere, I really like this energy. I really like the story he tells. And I really like that it is so authentic.

“Honestly, using his music was just a no-brainer.”

Bagley, who averaged 13.3 points and eight.1 rebounds in 24 games for the Wizards last season, was a straightforward sell after participating.

“I was just excited to do it, show my passion, showcase my songs and music,” he said.

The Tempe, Arizona native said he has been writing and rapping because the age of 5, spending countless days sitting within the backseat of his father’s automobile listening to The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and Rakim. He first recorded in a studio when he was in highschool and released his debut album in August 2019, just a little over a 12 months after the Kings were chosen second overall within the 2018 draft.

Bagley said that each one the teams he played for prior to now – the Kings, Pistons and Duke University – supported his concentrate on music during breaks in the sport, and that the Wizards did an incredible job of allowing him to truly be himself, especially through the portal.

“Obviously I’m here to compete, play basketball and play at the highest level and do everything I can for the team,” Bagley said. “But I think they did a great job of understanding that basketball doesn’t last forever and doesn’t define who I am.”

After 4 albums and three EPs, including a six-song EP released in August, Bagley believes he’s finally able to express his true self in his music. In the past, he felt he had to hold back his art because he was nervous about what the audience, the band, or his teammates would consider him. His early work included typical start-from-scratch raps (“Can’t Relate”) and fame-costing raps (“Cut the Check”). He called this era a “failure.”

Two or three years ago he asked himself whether he was giving every part he had to his music. During the pandemic, he witnessed others suffer losses, and years ago, he was still coping with the death of a young cousin in a automobile accident.

he still had the rap flex, but delved deeper into relationships, from misfortune (“Patience II”) to admiration (“Proud”) to love (“Peace”). He used to avoid swearing and using vulgar lyrics, but there are several such cases in his newer work.

“You see a lot of things that go on in this world, and you get a different perspective just from looking,” Bagley said, “and that’s where my perspective comes from.”

Time on this earth is brief, Bagley told himself, and if music is for self-expression, why hold back. Why inhibit your creative development by fear of opening up to yourself and the opinions of others? It was enlightening – to do away with doubts, do away with fear of the unknown and just speak from the guts. It made him feel fuller.

“I’ve always been true to myself, but when I decided to just say, ‘You know what, I’m going to do what makes me happy, I’m going to tell my story, I’m going to say what I want to say, how I feel and just really, fully be myself ” – I feel that is when the switch flipped and I could just make music that I feel comfortable with, whether people prefer it or not “I don’t like it, I don’t agree with it, or whatever it is,” Bagley said. “It doesn’t bother me anymore.”

And music shouldn’t be a distraction. Athletes are greater than only a career and wish moments to calm down and take a break from work. For some playing the Call of Duty video game, for (many) others recording a podcast. Bagley shouldn’t be the primary basketball player to rap: Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Flau’jae Johnson, Damian Lillard and others.

Bagley’s musical interests will not be an issue. Then-Kings CEO Vlade Divac told Andscape in 2018 that he “loves it when players discover themselves.” Wizards teammate Jordan Poole unprompted told reporters last week that he “loves playing with Marvin” and “listen to his album on Apple Music and Spotify.”

Bagley said he has combined basketball and music for thus long that combining the 2 is second nature to him. He recorded in highschool while being the No. 1 player in his class, ahead of future NBA star Jaren Jackson Jr. and Trae Young. A 12 months later, he averaged 21 points and 11.1 rebounds for the Duke Blue Devils as a real freshman, earning the 2018 ACC Player of the Year award.

“Music helps me spiritually, helps me mentally just get everything I’m thinking, get everything I’m feeling, everything I want to talk about, just get it out, put it to music and make it sound a certain way ” said Bagley.

Bagley is a musical chameleon. On one track (“Who Want It”) he sounds similar to late New York grunge rapper Pop Smoke, and on one other (“Proud”) he takes a detour inspired by Wizkid’s Afrobeats. He records music almost year-round and releases music almost exclusively within the off-season. He will not be within the studio much throughout the season, but during this time he refines his flow and lyrics, in addition to improving his songs. He is currently working on his next full-length album, a follow-up to his 2021 album.

I tell Bagley that music seems to be therapeutic for him, a way to release all his pent-up emotions. Then I asked him a hypothetical query: If you could not make music, how would you do away with all these thoughts and feelings?

He said he would proceed to write, whether it’s poetry or a book. He would find one other way to express himself.

“I feel like I would continue to look for different ways to release what I’m feeling or the thoughts that I’m having and just repress them so I can get them out of my head,” Bagley said.

Before we parted ways, I had to ask Bagley a vital, if rambling, query. The attacker has been following and learning rap music since he had his baby teeth. He has collaborated with hip-hop stars akin to Lil Durk and Fabolous. And in 2018 he said that his favorite album of the 12 months was Drake and his rap MVP was J. Cole.

So I had to know, purely on a skill level, who won the 2024 heavyweight battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. (I instructed Bagley not to include Lamar’s “Not Like Us” in his evaluation since it gave the impression of an unfair advantage: the song hit a record 21 weeks and was No. 1 on the highest rap chart on October 7.)

Bagley initially said he would give Drake the nod, but after admitting things were getting just a little tense between the 2 emcees, he modified his mind in favor of Lamar, who will perform the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in February 2025.

“Euphoria” continues to be one in every of my favorite songs. I listened to this song before the match. I listened to this song often,” he said. I hope he continues to make music and consistently drop. But once he falls, you’ve got no alternative but to face him and listen.