Remembering Dikembe Mutombo With A Look Back At His Top 5 Lyrical Mentions

Dikembe Mutombo, the eight-time NBA All-Star whose superhuman shot-blocking abilities made life difficult for opponents throughout the ’90s and ’00s, died today of a brain cancer at the age of 58. Over the course of his 18-season career, the 7’2” Congolese American center played for the Nuggets, Hawks, 76ers, Nets, Knicks, and Rockets. He tallied 3,289 blocks—enough to land him at No. 2 on the all-time list, right behind Hakeem Olajuwon.

Mutombo was known for wagging his finger at those whose shots he swatted down, and while that’s his enduring image, he was, by all accounts, a big-hearted humanitarian who kicked in $10 million for a hospital in his home country and served as the NBA’s first-ever Global Ambassador.

Most importantly for our purposes as a music website, Mutombo long been popular among rappers, and he’s been referenced in 994 songs, according to Genius data. In honor of the NBA icon’s passing, we’re counting down his Top 5 lyrical mentions, as determined by Genius pageviews.

No. 5: “Wow.,” Post Malone (1.6M pageviews)

Everywhere I go (Hey)
Catch me on the block like I’m Mutombo (Wow)

Posty’s breakthrough single was “White Iverson,” so you know he’s a hoops guy. On this 2018 track, Malone plays on the double meaning of “block” by shouting out a guy who won NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times.

No. 4: “All Day,” Kanye West ft. Paul McCartney, Theophilus London, and Allan Kingdom (1.7M pageviews)

Got a middle finger longer than Dikembe, my nigga, uh
I don’t let ‘em play with me
I don’t let 'em talk to me no kind of way

Of course Kanye was a fan of the finger wagging. On this 2015 track, a typically cocksure Ye stands tall like Dikembe in the paint, refusing to be disrespected.

No. 3: “How Much a Dollar Cost,” Kendrick Lamar (1.8M pageviews)

Gotta see how I’m chillin' once I park this luxury car
Hopping out feeling big as Mutombo

This Obama-approved story song from To Pimp a Butterfly takes place in South Africa, where Kendrick wrestles with conflicted feelings about wealth and comes face to face with God, who’s disguised as a beggar. Before his fateful meeting with the homeless man, Kendrick, who famously stands 5’5”, feels nearly two feet taller than normal thanks to his fancy ride.

No. 2: “Planez,” Jeremih ft. J. Cole (2.6M pageviews)

And oh, you nasty, oh, oh, you nasty
Both graduated, so fuck keepin' it classy
Look, they love me in the Chi like MJ
They love me in the Chi like Oprah
No nigga could block, not even Dikembe

Guesting on this sensual 2015 track by Chi-Town R&B hero Jeremih, J. Cole brags about the attention he gets from women in the Windy City. Nothing can stop him from scoring—not even the dude who averaged more than four blocks per game in the 1993-94 and 1995-96 seasons, as per Basketball Reference.

No. 1: “Jumpman,” Drake and Future (3.3M pageviews)

Jumpman, Jumpman, live on TNT, I’m flexin', woo
Jumpman, Jumpman, they gave me my own collection, woo
Jump when I say jump, girl, can you take direction? Woo
Mutombo with the bitches, you keep gettin' rejected, woo

Drizzy does well with the ladies. After all, he can be seen kicking it courtside on televised NBA games, perhaps wearing his custom OVO Jordans. By comparison, his unnamed rival on this 2015 Future team-up keeps getting denied—much like a hapless shooter challenging Mutombo inside.