I've been itching to start up this Okay Sport column, and what better way to do that than with a story that ties the sports and rap worlds together so perfectly. MSU football signee, and highly recruited Exton, Pennsylvania Wide Receiver Jay Harris, has opted to withdraw from his football scholarship for a rap career (MSU claims this parting was mutual). My initial inclination was to file this one under "Not Okay," but let's not shit on this young man's dreams before it's needed.
As a die hard Michigan Wolverines fan, I'm in favor of anything that makes their rival, Michigan State, weaker, and this news seems to do just that. Taking my fandom out of the discussion, I would never advise anyone in life to pursue a career in rap (EVER), but honestly a career in the NFL is probably one of the few more fleeting career choices out there. Though a very gifted athlete at 18 (ESPN rated him the second best High School wideout in the state), he still would need to prove himself at the collegiate level for at least 3 years and hope to be one of the very few lucky enough to be drafted into the NFL (aka Not For Long) where he would be defeating the odds lasting more than 3 years. So it's not as if he's turning down guaranteed millions.
Below, you can get a sample of the kid's music. Do I like it? no, not at all, but the reality is there's music far worse in regular rotation on the radio as we speak (I don't even think I need to name names) so who knows if it'll work out. So if rap is what makes this kid happy, go for it, clearly his heart isn't 100% in football, and you won't make it far down that path without full commitment anyway. If you want to keep tabs on Jay 'DatBull' Harris, he plans on dropping his debut LP on June 1st (his vid already has 425k hits). Check out his video for "Datbull 4 Life," below. What y'all think? does dude have a chance with rap? should he beg MSU for that scholarship back? or maybe see if UPS is still hiring? Really though, there's nothing wrong with using college football to get a free college education while you rap on the side (that would be the wisest move IMO).
Spotted at yahoo sports
