Kansas State Wildcats basketball hasn’t enjoyed this much success in March Madness since 2018, and they can attribute it to rapper Lil Baby. The team adopted this new ritual ahead the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and has kept it going. After beating Michigan State in 98-93 overtime thriller, a video showed the team playing Lil Baby’s music in their locker room as they celebrated.
The Wildcats advance to their first Elite Eight appearance in five years, and head coach Jerome Tang has turned the program around his first season at the helm. Last year, the Wildcats had a 14-17 record and finished with the second-worst record in the Big 12 Conference.
The Wildcats Ride
They are lead by senior point guard Marquise Nowell and Florida transfer Keyontae Johnson. Nowell is coming off an NCAA Tournament record of 19 assists against Michigan State. The New York native has had fans in awe with his toughness and flashiness he has displayed throughout the tournament.
Tang has also been an advocate for the team playing Lil Baby’s music before games. It is not a playlist either but one song in particular that they all enjoy. Tang and his players enjoy the song titled “Low Down” from Lil Baby’s 2020 album “My Turn.”
Lil Baby’s Rise To Stardom
The rap artist from Atlanta hit the scene in 2017 with his hit song “My Dawg.” He followed that up with his debut mixtape “Perfect Timing,” and from there he was been on a historic run.
He has totaled three consecutive No. 1 albums, three albums to go gold, 52 gold singles that were his own songs or ones he was featured on, four albums that went platinum, and 55 singles that were his own song or ones he was featured on the record.
The star rapper has also inked endorsement deals from Mountain Dew, Finish Line, Reebok, Axe, and Budweiser. In 2022, he released the official World Cup soundtrack and performed at the opening ceremony.
It is easy to see why older generations and younger generations relate so well to Lil Baby, like Tanga and his Wildcats squad. He has catapulted to the top in a very short period of time while still only in his 20s. The Wildcats will continue their pre- and postgame ritual as they march into their Elite Eight matchup on Saturday evening against Florida Atlantic at Madison Square Garden.
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