Back in October 2009, American rapper Jay-Z released the song, “Empire State of Mind.” The song’s lyrics included nods to a range of superstars across sports and arts, including Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade. Speaking in an interview on the All the Smoke podcast, Wade revealed that he heard the song for the first time while partying at a strip club. The interview occurred back in December 2019, as part of Episode 9 of the podcast, according to a tweet by Showtime Basketball.
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Apart from name-dropping Dwyane Wade, Empire State of Mind also included an ode to LeBron James. The song proved to be a major worldwide hit and the nod to the two former teammates were part of the same line.
Dwyane Wade heard Empire State of Mind for the first time while partying in a strip club
During an interview, Wade disclosed that he was unaware Jay-Z had referenced him in his latest song. This resulted in him hearing the name drop for the first time while it was casually played at a club.
Wade was asked on the podcast which was the favorite among the songs he had been name-dropped in. The Miami Heat legend had no doubts about the response:
“Jay-Z, by far. I remember where I was when I heard it, I was in the stripclub, back in the day. So, a long, long time ago. They played it like casually, and I was like, wait wait wait, what? I went up to the DJ and I was like, wait, play it again. They played it all night. I was like, “momma, I made it.” I remember talking to Jay about it man. I remember asking Jay, to me it is crazy that you are creating something that is magical for you and you think of me, right? What made you say this? It means a lot.”
Wade revealed that he felt as if he had made it, and was delighted to be a part of Jay-Z’s hit song. The 41-year claimed that it meant a lot to be part of Jay-Z’s song. Still, it is hilarious that he had no idea he was part of the lyrics until he casually heard the song at the strip club.
Jay-Z is not the only musician to have name-dropped Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade’s mention in the Jay-Z song was not the first or the only time his name made its way into a popular song. He and his wife Gabrielle Union have previously featured in Nicki Minaj’s “Want Some More.”
Interestingly, even before becoming a part of Empire State of Mind, Wade was part of another song by a famous musician. None other than Kanye West had also name-dropped the player in his 2007 release, The Glory.
Indeed, Dwyane Wade’s presence in Jay-Z’s lyrics might have been a pleasant surprise, but it wasn’t an entirely new experience for him. Wade’s notable accomplishments in the NBA not only brought him recognition on the court but also extended to off-court perks and acknowledgments in popular music.
