When Music & Sports Collide: Every Musician Who Has Appeared on ‘ESPN 30 for 30’

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The ESPN 30 for 30 documentary series has been telling in-depth stories about the greatest moments, people and teams throughout sports history since 2009 — and the films are still coming fast and furious, with the most recent debuting just this month.

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One of the most recent entries — The Greatest Mixtape Ever — debuted back in May and tells the story of the AND1 Mixtape and AND1 Live Tour, which started in the late ’90s and showcased the flashy skills of young streetballers across the country, and the hip-hop music that soundtracked the game.

But that’s far from the only time musical talent has been featured on the 30 for 30 series. Below, find every musician who has appeared in a 30 for 30 documentary, plus how you can watch every episode now.

Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg is one of ESPN 30 for 30‘s most prolific presences, appearing in at least four different documentaries in the series (so far). Uncle Snoop was most recently interviewed for 2022’s The Greatest Mixtape Ever, which documents how the AND1 Mixtapes forever linked the worlds of hip-hop and basketball. Previously, the rapper appeared in 2010’s Straight Outta L.A. to talk about the 13 notorious seasons the NFL’s Raiders spent in his native Los Angeles; 2015’s Trojan War to discuss the rise and fall of the USC Trojans football program under Coach Pete Carroll; and 2017’s Nature Boy, which tells the over-the-top life story of professional wrestling superstar Ric Flair.

Ice Cube

Speaking of 2010’s Straight Outta L.A., the Volume 1 doc was directed and narrated by Snoop’s fellow West Coast legend Ice Cube. And that’s not the N.W.A rapper’s only ESPN 30 for 30 contribution: He also co-narrated the three-part Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies film back in 2017.

Donnie Wahlberg

As a noted Boston native, of course New Kids on the Block bad boy Donnie Wahlberg had to be involved in the Celtics/Lakers doc too, so he shared narration duties with L.A. superfan Ice Cube.

Common

Chicago rapper Common was interviewed for 2012’s Benji, which tells the heartbreaking story of local high school basketball star Ben Wilson and how his murder devastated the city. He also appears alongside Snoop in this year’s The Greatest Mixtape Ever. (Another Chicago musician, R. Kelly, shows up in 2012’s Benji too.)

Kid Rock

Detroit rocker/rapper Kid Rock represented for the Motor City by narrating 2014’s Bad Boys, which looks back at the infamous – and wildly successful – Bad Boys era of the NBA’s Pistons.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx, an Oscar-winning actor and Grammy-winning musician, handled narration for 2019’s Rodman: For Better or Worse, which tells the colorful story of NBA great and lightning-rod public figure Dennis Rodman.

Ice-T

You can’t talk L.A. sports without Ice-T. The West Coast rapper also shows up in the Ice Cube-directed Raiders doc Straight Outta L.A. Speaking of which, Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons also shows up for Cube in Straight Outta L.A.

Nas

Rap legend Nas is featured in 2010’s One Night in Vegas, which details a new friendship between heavyweight champ Mike Tyson and superstar rapper Tupac Shakur, who was murdered in Sin City after attending Tyson’s bout with Bruce Sheldon in September 1996. Notorious record producer Suge Knight also appears in One Night in Vegas, to discuss Shakur’s final, fatal night in Las Vegas.

Toby Keith

Country singer Toby Keith is featured in 2014’s Brian and The Boz, which tells the life story of NFL linebacker Brian Bosworth and how he memorably marketed himself as The Boz – and got lost in his own persona.

Too $hort

Bay Area rapper Too $hort appears in 2014’s The Day the Series Stopped, which digs into the 1989 World Series between cross-town rivals the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants. It was nicknamed the Earthquake Series because of the Loma Prieta quake that happened right before the start of Game 3.

Ludacris

Atlanta rapper Ludacris was an avid superfan of Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, whose downfall following his conviction for running a dog-fighting ring is covered in 2020’s Vick.

Cyndi Lauper

Pop singer/songwriter Cyndi Lauper is featured in 2021’s Once Upon a Time in Queens, which is an in-depth look at one of the most dominant MLB teams of all time, the 1986 New York Mets.

Jadakiss

The Lox MC Jadakiss handles narration for the hip-hop-centric The Greatest Mixtape Ever.

Fat Joe, Xzibit, Jadakiss, Funkmaster Flex, DJ Clue, Sheek Louch, DJ Skee & Styles P

A slew of hip-hop heavyweights appear in 2022’s The Greatest Mixtape Ever, which shows how hip-hop and basketball were permanently linked by the AND1 Mixtape series.

How to Watch Every 30 for 30 Documentary 

There’s one quick and easy way to access the entire 30 for 30 streaming library: ESPN+. The streaming platform is $6.99 a month or $13.99 a month to add Disney+ and Hulu.

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Whether you’re a die-hard sports fan or a novice viewer, it’s easy to get immersed in the award-winning 30 for 30 documentary series. The library collection is packed with fascinating stories spanning football, basketball, soccer, boxing and more. 

Other bingeworthy 30 for 30 releases include Breakaway, Al Davis vs. The NFL, The Infinite Race, Elway to Marino and Long Gone Summer.

Love true crime? ESPN+ has a selection of 30 for 30 episodes available to stream right now such as The Life & Trials of Oscar Pistorius, O.J.: Made in America, No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson, The Two Escobars exploring the intersection of sports and soccer as it relates to Pablo Escobar, and The Price of Gold, which is about the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan saga. 

Interested in combat sports? You’ll find 30 for 30 documentaries such as Chasing Tyson detailing the memorable bouts between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield on ESPN+.

All caught up on 30 for 30? Click here to start your subscription to ESPN+ or join via the link above. 

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