Andy Murray, 22, comes into the United States Open as the No. 2 player in the world, shooting up four spots in the rankings since he was a finalist at the Open last year. Ahead of his first game at this year’s US Open tonight, Andy Murray has recorded a rap song to be included on a new album by American doubles stars the Bryan Brothers.
The young Scot joins a long list of sports stars who’ve tried their hand at rapping or singing when not on the field of play.
Here’s our pick of the best (not critically, you understand) musical sports stars, with video accompaniments to prove just how bad some of these guys are.
Carl Lewis
First up it’s America’s favourite athlete of the 1980s, Carl Lewis, who took up singing when he quit the track in the early 1990s. He shouldn’t have bothered, as this terrible, terrible rendition of his national anthem proves.
Mark Butcher
England cricketer Butcher, who retired last month, always took his guitar on tour with him and often conducted sing-alongs in his hotel room with other members of the England cricket team. He’s currently promoting his new album Songs From The Sun. Here he is in action.
Matt Stevens
Before he tested positive for cocaine in 2009, England rugby player Matt Stevens made a name for himself in the dressing room at the 2007 World Cup by belting out The Gambler by Kenny Rogers ahead of each game. He went on to release his version of the song ahead of England’s loss to South Africa in the final, although the two incidents are not thought to be related. Here he is singing Mack the Knife on The X Factor: Battle of the Stars.
Tennis stars
Andy Murray’s foray into rap doesn’t represent his first time behind the mic as this clip of world tennis stars singing (in the broadest possible sense of the word) The Twelve Days of Christmas demonstrates.
Jacques Villeneuve
The former F1 world champ penned lyrics and strummed his guitar throughout his driving career but it wasn’t until 2007 that he released his first album, Private Paradise. Check out one of the songs below, plus an explanation from Jacques about exactly what he’s up to.
Shaquille O’Neal
Okay, so you’re at the centre of a much-publicised, long-running feud with a fellow basketball player, what do you do to get one over on your rival? Go into rap, of course, and diss him gangsta style. That’s exactly what Shaq did when he took to the stage and launched into a tirade against Kobe Bryant, asking him somewhat bizarrely “how’s my ass taste?”
Peter Ebdon
Why, oh why did snooker star Ebbo release this truly awful cover of David Cassidy’s I Am A Clown? Yes Pete, you are a clown.
John Daly
‘All my exes were Rolexes,’ sang golfer Daly on his country album way back in the 1990s, and he wasn’t wrong. Considering his lifestyle (gambling, alcoholism, outrageous garb) country music is a perfect fit for the major winner, and he’s toured the bars of America playing his tunes. Here he is playing alongside Hootie & The Blowfish.
‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage
What made the Macho Man really macho was when he turned to rap music to vent his spleen at fellow actor, sorry wrestler, Hulk Hogan, not unlike Shaquille O’Neal above. Check out his flavours below, with a bizarre introduction from bona fide rap star 50 Cent.
Brett Lee and Kuma Sangakarra
Andrey Murray is ready on his first album
Cricket’s a tough game, what with hard leather balls flying around at 90 MPH, broken bones aplenty and all that sledging, so why, oh why are Brett and Kuma singing I Want It That Way by Backstreet Boys? The image of the game has just regressed by decades.
