Detroit ― Detroit Pistons playoff home games have become a rapper’s delight, drawing a variety of homegrown talent from Eminem to Big Sean to Kash Doll.
Eminem, also known as Marshall Mathers, crashed Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers with buddy 50 Cent. 50 Cent was supporting his mentor’s hometown team, wearing a blue hat with “Detroit” written on it. Seated to the left of 50 Cent was Paul Rosenberg, Eminem’s longtime manager, and next to Rosenberg was rapper Denaun Porter, Eminem’s longtime cohort and on-stage hype man.
50 Cent and Eminem weren’t back for Game 7, but the halftime show Sunday night will be Detroit rapper Trick Trick. Also in attendance are DeJ Loaf, Tay B and Gmac Cash.are
The Pistons are arguably a draw for any fan of the city, but welcoming Detroit’s top artists of any genre to Little Caesars Arena has been an intentional act for the team’s front office.
Alicia Jeffreys, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said it’s a natural fit for the team to collaborate with local artists and to provide a space for them to connect back to their city.
“Our perspective is that the franchise belongs to the people of the city of Detroit and so we want to celebrate like people who are authentically from here,” Jeffreys said.
Local artists frequently reach out to come to games, she said, not just during the playoffs.
“Every single game we have creators, influencers in the building to experience what we have going on,” she said. “They bring sort of a different layer of storytelling. I think basketball teams these days are not just the sports on the court, we’re a media platform. We tell stories.”
The players, too, she said, are trying to build their brands in a different way than players were 25 years ago. The players also want to connect with and boost the local creators, she said. They build the pre-game playlist for the arena themselves, often featuring local rap and hip-hop artists.
“We have a very young team on the court and we’re mirroring that energy for our fan base and telling the story the way they consume the game,” Jeffreys said.
Still, she said, during the playoffs, “it gets tough” to accommodate the requests. Space around the court is at a premium.
“Everybody wants to be here, which is a good problem to have,” she said. “We try to accommodate as much as possible because also, you know, we want to respect and appreciate the level that someone may deserve to be at, whether it’s courtside or in a premium seat, or like a premium experience.”
That means when 50 Cent and Eminem show up, everyone slides down.
“We were like, ‘Oh, we gotta find a seat,'” Jeffreys said when they heard Eminem wanted to come. “We gotta find a way.”
The 50 Cent video showed him and Eminem meeting before the game with Detroit rapper Big Sean, who sat courtside near the Pistons bench. Big Sean also tossed Pistons merchandise to the Game 5 crowd during a timeout. Last year, the Pistons hosted a Big Sean party at Little Caesars Arena during a March 25 game.
50 Cent took the hit online for the Pistons’ Game 5 loss.
“I know it’s my fault Detroit lost,” he wrote on social media with a video attached, “now they want to say I’m bad luck.”
Big Sean has been a presence throughout the playoffs, attending the first round against the Orlando Magic.
Detroit rapper Gmac Cash has been a presence and has coined the the catchphrase “The Pistons won again,” which plays after every Detroit victory.
Kash Doll, born Arkeisha Knight in Detroit, sat courtside for Game 1 of the Cleveland Eastern Conference semifinals May 5 during the 111-101 victory.
“You know, the Pistons won again,” she told The Detroit News.
Kash Doll called the game “amazing” and said she was excited to be back home.
“I love this city, I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Kash Doll said. “And I feel as I’ve evolved, the city’s evolving right beside me.”
satwood@detroitnews.com
jpignolet@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Eminem, 50 Cent, Gmac Cash among rappers at Detroit Pistons playoffs
Reporting by Sarah Atwood and Jennifer Pignolet, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
