Iman Shumpert Freestyles Over Kanye West's "Grammy Family" Beat

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Iman Shumpert #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers jokes during warmups prior to the game against the Golden State Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena on December 25, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Iman Shumpert got bars.

Aside from his uncanny resemblance to Desiigner, Iman Shumpert has a much deeper relationship with hip hop. The basketball player's been dabbling in hip hop for quite some time now, dropping mixtapes and singles and even trying to get at Kendrick Lamar after he dropped his "Control" verse. Today, he takes his rap career to another height after stepping into Funk Flex's studio to prove his abilities on the microphone.

Funk Flex just dropped off Iman Shumpert's recent freestyle at his Hot 97 studio. Now, it's safe to say when anyone takes on a 'Ye beat, especially one of the golden ones out of his catalog, it sets a higher standard than usual. However, Iman doesn't seem phased by a challenge and goes all in during his latest effort. The rapper tackles the Kanye West produced "Grammy Family" joint off of DJ Khaled's Listenn... The AlbumFor over four minutes, Shumpert addresses an array of topics during his freestyle. He mentions his feats as a basketball player, his family life, his basketball career and overall, proving his abilities on the microphone. While he goes in, Desus and Mero are seen in the background giving some priceless reactions to Iman Shumpert's efforts. If at any point he decides to leave basketball (which is highly unlikely, at least in the near future), he does prove he has the ability to carry his talents into the rap world and probably have some sort of impact in it.

Aside from his freestyle, he's been gearing up to drop off a new project in the near future. The baller turned rapper recently dropped off his single "Seductive" and prior to that, he dropped off his single "My Way" within the same time frame. His Theytriiidit EP is slated to drop in the near future. He also assisted Fredo Santana on his latest project, Fredo Kruger 2 on the song, "Turnt They Back." Maybe we'll find some other Chicago rappers on Iman's upcoming project as well.

Watch the full freestyle below: 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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