Against All Odds

10.5.20

Desean Jackson Against All Odds Released 10.1.20

It is not everyday that athletes drop an album, or that rappers throw a touchdown pass or hit a three pointer, but it does seem to happen from time to time. It does make sense where sports and music go so hand in hand. Rappers talk about scoring like the players, and the players listen to music while they practice and in between whistles. The latest occupation flip-flopper to hit our speakers, is Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver, Desean Jackson.

This year, the Eagles are 1-2-1. Desean Jackson has ten receptions and 121 receiving yards, but the season is early and these guys are known to fight. Perhaps this slow start, and an awful year was motivation to finally drop his new project, Against All Odds. His post on Friday stated, “The name of the album speak for it self !” and the intro speaks about how he never thought he’d really make it to the NFL. Now he is living out his NFL dreams, and he is putting out music, which dare I say, is good?

If you follow Desean Jackson or his Instagram page, you do know that he is so much more than a football player. He is one with the culture, more sports than just his. He has always been in the studio and doing radio interviews. He has also been vocal about social injustices, and doing his part to correct his wrongs. It make sense that he put out this project, but I am a bit surprised of what it holds.

The project is eleven songs, thirty minutes long. He also has features from Cassie Veggies, Young Scooter, Black, Plies, Snoop Dogg and others. He uses everyone to their best abilities, and showcases his own versatility on the project. The Plies song is a party song, the Cassie Veggies song is musical, while the Snoop Dogg song has an old school hip-hop vibe and Young Scooter is, of course, more gutter rap. It really is such an interesting and quite entertaining mash up of music and talent.

Typically, athletes sound out of place, or maybe we just assume they sound out of place since we know this is not their home territory. Now, it is not like Desean is super lyrical and spitting crazy bars, but it sounds decent. The project is quick, but there are definitely a few bops on here. They do not say much, but they sound cool in the background. Quite honestly, a lot better than many others I have heard.

Lonzo Ball, Point Guard from the New Orleans Pelicans put out an album Bounce Back Album earlier this year, which also included a feature from his brother, Gelo. Lance Stephenson, who is currently playing for the Chinese Basketball Association was also featured on Lonzo’s album. Aaron Gordon, after getting jipped of his Dunk Contest win for the second time, has put out several rap songs with music videos. The list goes on. The thing with these guys is, they mostly talk about basketball, or talk trash about each other. The key to hip-hop is having a relatable story to tell, so unfortunately having a father that got you to the NBA, or merely coming in second for a national championship, just does gain traction in hip-hop.

Overall I am super impressed with the features on this project, and it is not a bad listen. After this project, and many years of athletes wanting to take their talents to music, and vice versa, it will be interesting to see if something like this becomes more accessible.