For many fans, LeBron James’ love for golf is well known. But before the 41-year-old became a regular on the course, he also quietly dabbled in rap. Even Shaquille O’Neal has shared his music before. Now, that side of the superstar is back in the spotlight after Kevin Durant revealed a secret from their 2011 studio sessions.
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Durant dropped the surprise revelation during Thursday’s episode of Boardroom Talks with Speedy Morman. The Houston Rockets star explained that he and James actually recorded multiple songs together during the 2011 NBA lockout, with Rich Paul also playing a role in convincing LeBron to give rapping a real shot.
“We had like three songs, I think… Me and Rich Paul really were the ones that got it going and convinced Bron to rap,” Durant said.
When Morman asked where those recordings are now, Durant admitted he wasn’t exactly sure.
“That’s a good question. They’re in that studio in Akron. Somebody out there, engineer somebody, got them.” As it turns out, LeBron James appears to know exactly what happened to at least some of the missing material.
Responding to the revelation on his Instagram Story, James wrote, “Hahahaha! I actually got one of the tracks! Maybe 2.”
Instead of the recordings simply being lost somewhere inside an Akron studio, there is now a chance that LeBron James himself has access to music that fans have been wondering about for more than a decade. The revelation is especially interesting because one of the duo’s collaborations has already entered the public eye.
“It Ain’t Easy,” recorded during the 2011 lockout, remained a heavily rumored piece of NBA and hip-hop lore before producer Franky Wahoo eventually released the full track in 2018.
According to Wahoo, Durant was initially expected to be the only NBA star recording that day. James eventually showed up, joined the session and added his own vocals.
The producer later explained that the original beat could not be commercially used, so the production was rebuilt around the players’ existing vocals before the song was released. There were even discussions about potentially using the track in an NBA 2K project, although that never materialized.
Both rappers reflected on their journeys from humble beginnings to NBA superstardom, with James delivering the second verse. Even Shaquille O’Neal has previously shared one of the rare clips of the duo’s rap attempt on Instagram.
Fans already knew James and Durant had one secret track in their history. Now they know there were apparently three. In 2014, he recorded “Kingdom” with childhood friend and former high school teammate Sian Cotton.
The track eventually became public, giving fans another rare look at his musical side. LeBron’s relationship with hip-hop has also gone beyond simply recording songs.
In 2019, he assumed an official A&R role for 2 Chainz’s Rap or Go to the League, helping shape the project’s overall direction. It remains to be seen whether the collaboration with Durant that was missing will ever be released.
KD confirmed they exist. LeBron James says he has one, possibly two. After 15 years of waiting, fans may finally get the chance to hear how the two future Hall of Famers fared again in the recording booth.