LL COOL J and The Roots Reimagine Grammy Award-Winning Single “Mama Said Knock You Out” for NBA Tournament Anthem

NEW YORK — The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that Grammy Award-winning hip-hop icon LL COOL J, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, actor, author and founder and CEO of Rock The Bells , has collaborated four times with Grammy Award-winning hip-hop group The Roots, will reimagine the legendary song “Mama Said Knock You Out,” which will serve as the official anthem for the premiere NBA tournament in season.

The anthem, a custom cover of LL COOL J’s Grammy® Award-winning single “Mama Said Knock You Out,” features the familiar refrain from The Roots’ popular track “Here I Come.” The reimagined version combines the iconic lyrics of the 1991 hit “Mama Said You Knock You Out” with the energetic melody of “Here I Come.” It will serve as the musical backdrop for the in-season stages of the tournament, beginning with group play involving all 30 teams and progressing through single elimination rounds, culminating with the championship.

The spot pays homage to the classic VMA Award-winning music video while infusing it with a modern twist. It transforms LL COOL J’s presence from the boxing ring to the tournament stage into hardwood season. This scene includes a tribute to the tournament’s coveted trophy, the NBA Cup, and features a live performance by The Roots.

“I’ve been a lifelong NBA fan, and it’s a true honor to have my record serve as an anthem for this monumental moment,” said LL COOL J. “I’m excited to see the energy in the song translates to on-court play during the NBA In-Season tournament.

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LL COOL J and THE ROOTS Reimagine GRAMMY Award-Winning Single “Mama Said Knock You Out” for NBA In-Season Tournament Anthem pic.twitter.com/fdARZOJDSR

-NBA (@NBA) November 3, 2023

The anthem will feature three distinct versions, each featuring puns from The Roots’ Black Thought that correspond to different segments of the tournament. The first version of the song will debut on television tonight during opening night of the NBA In-Season Tournament on ESPN, across all NBA social platforms and on the NBA app. It will serve as the opening theme song for each night of the NBA In-Season Tournament, broadcast on ESPN, TNT, local television broadcasts and radio broadcasts.

LL COOL J and The Roots are set to wrap up their U.S. tour, “The FORCE Live,” on November 19 at TD Garden in Boston, MA.

The NBA In-Season tournament begins tonight with Group Play in NBA team markets. Each team will play four group matches on Tuesdays and Fridays in November. Eight teams will advance to the single-elimination Round of 16, which includes the quarterfinals (December 4 and 5) in the team markets on TNT and the semifinals (December 7) on ESPN and TNT and the championship (9 December) on ABC. at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. More information about the in-season tournament is available here.

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About LL COOL J
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning hip-hop icon, Kennedy Center honoree, recording artist, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder and CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J has created one of the most diverse careers and brands in the entertainment industry and continues to showcase his wide range of talents with every project. Three decades after his emergence on the scene, LL COOL J continues his dynamic and pioneering career. LL COOL J started out in the nascent and burgeoning rap and hip-hop scene of the ’80s, which grew into the musical and cultural phenomenon that is today’s hip-hop. Through it all, LL COOL J has remained a musical and cultural force, a living icon and an important and relevant artist. In March 2018, LL launched his own timeless SiriusXM hip-hop channel called “LL COOL J’s Rock The Bells Radio”, amassing millions of daily listeners. The channel features a wide range of timeless hip-hop content, music, interviews and in-depth retrospectives curated, programmed and presented by the award-winning artist. Since its inception, Rock The Bells has grown into a global platform that has become the preeminent voice of timeless hip-hop.

About the roots
The legendary Roots Crew have become one of the most well-known and respected hip-hop groups in the industry, winning four GRAMMYS, including “Best R&B Album” for Wake Up!, and “Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance” for “Hang in There”. (with John Legend) and “Best R&B Vocal Performance in a Group or Duo” for “Shine.” This brings the group’s number of GRAMMY nominations to twelve. Additionally, “The Roots Picnic,” an annual star-studded mix of musicians, has become a celebrated institution. The Roots were named one of the greatest live bands by Rolling Stone and are the official house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

About the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization whose mission is to inspire and connect people around the world through the power of basketball. Built around five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories across more than 50 languages, as well as derivative products. on sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents. NBA rosters entering the 2023-24 season included a record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers worldwide across all leagues, teams and player platforms. NBA Cares, the NBA’s global social responsibility platform, partners with renowned community organizations around the world to address important social issues in education, inclusion, youth development and family, as well as health and well-being.