Rap and hip-hop stars who played sports in high school

The relationship between hip-hop music and athletics is long and documented. We're used to seeing professional athletes try their hand at rap careers, but did you know that many successful rappers were also standout athletes in high school?

Here is a look at five rappers who were also notable high school athletes.

2 Chainz (Tauheed Epps), North Clayton (College Park, Ga.)



Standing at 6-foot-5, Epps was an athletic forward for the Eagles who reportedly went on to receive an athletic scholarship to Alabama State. While reports of a scholarship have not been confirmed, it does appear that Epps did play at least one season in college.{PAGEBREAK}Romeo, formerly Lil' Romeo (Percy Romeo Miller), Windward (Los Angeles) and Beverly Hills (Calif.) Miller, the son of rap mogul Percy Miller (better known as Master P), started off his career at Windward before transferring to Beverly Hills. After averaging 8.6 points per game as a senior, Romeo accepted a controversial scholarship offer to USC which was reportedly linked to his good friend and super-recruit, Compton High's DeMar DeRozan.

Then-USC coach Tim Floyd told the Wall Street Journal, "Percy Miller called while driving both players from a tournament in Fayetteville, Ark. Percy Miller said 'DeMar and Romeo are ready to make their decision, and would you like to have them both on scholarship?' I said absolutely."

Miller went on to play sparingly for the Trojans in two seasons (nine games, 19 total minutes) before leaving the team. DeRozan recently completed his fourth season with the Toronto Raptors, in which he averaged just more than 18 points per game.{PAGEBREAK}Nelly (Cornell Haynes Jr.), University City (St. Louis) Though rumors that Nelly was taken in the MLB Draft are false, the St. Louis rapper was still a standout athlete for University City. Known by his given name, Cornell Haynes Jr., he played basketball, baseball and football, and was even recognized in his high school yearbook in his senior year: "Haynes was [quarterback Terrance] Wilkes’ favorite target this season, as the Lions’ leading receiver. He dazzled the crowd with amazing catches."



According to St. Louis Magazine, he also played for the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association and later went to training camps for the Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates. The music video for one of Nelly's biggest hits, "Batter Up" is baseball-themed.{PAGEBREAK}The Game (Jayceon Taylor), Compton (Calif.) The Game found solace from the street life by playing point guard for the Compton High basketball team alongside future USC guard Jeff Trepagnier. According to LA Weekly, the rapper also built relationships with Gilbert Arenas and Baron Davis through AAU basketball.

The rapper claims that he was offered a scholarship by Washington State which was later retracted after he was disciplined on campus, but the school says it has no record of him attending.{PAGEBREAK}Cam'Ron (Cameron Giles), Manhattan Center for Science & Math (New York City) In an interview with ESPN the Magazine, Cam'Ron spoke in detail about his high school basketball career. He said that his high school team at Manhattan Center went 24-0 his senior year before losing in the first round of the playoffs.

He also said that he was considered a Top 25 player in high school and was drawing interest from Miami, Georgetown, Wyoming and USC. After dropping out of high school and getting his GED, Cam'Ron said Miami set him up with Navarro Junior College with the hope that he would eventually transfer to Miami, but a torn hamstring forced him to redshirt his freshman season. When Cam'Ron returned home, he got heavy into the music business and gave up basketball.

Another interesting fact: Cam'Ron's high school point guard was fellow Harlem rapper, Ma$e.