Cody Zeller inspires rap songs

Discussion

March 13, 2013

Cody Zeller inspires rap songs

JACLYN LANSBERY Associated Press Wed Mar 13, 2013, 12:56 AM EDT

BLOOMINGTON — If you've ever attended an IU basketball home game during the last two seasons, you may have heard the popular sing-along "This is Indiana" blaring from the speakers.

Played at Bloomington college parties, heard in bars and watched on YouTube - with almost 2 million views - Brice Fox and Daniel Weber's "This is Indiana" might be familiar to anyone living in Bloomington.

Fox and Weber were previously known to many in the IU community as Chi Chi Lightning and Tino Esposito, personas from several YouTube videos they created prior to their successful "This is Indiana" hit in early January. The IU athletic department gave the duo access to archival footage of old basketball games and permission to film at Assembly Hall and Cook Hall, the basketball team's practice facility.

Fox, who was joined by Weber in Los Angeles to pursue a music career after graduation, still gets feedback from friends who hear the light-rap song in even New York or Chicago bars.

"I know it's something that a lot of students and basketball fans look forward to seeing at pretty much every halftime," said Fox, who graduated from IU in 2011. Fox added that sales for the song on iTunes pick up around the basketball season, especially this season.

But Fox and Weber aren't the only two who've turned to music to express their pride for IU Hoosier basketball. Songs about all-star Cody Zeller seem just as likely to gain national attention.

Three YouTube videos about Zeller, each with well over 1,000 views, pop up in searches, The Herald-Times reported (http://bit.ly/ZffWMV ). With the most views is "The Big Handsome Anthem" by Joby Wright & Bo'z N Da Hood. The video stands out due to its catchy notes and the fact that Zeller clearly seems to be a participant in the filming that took place about one year ago. The lyrics "Cody's so large and aesthetically pleasing/the mover is here/this is our season," describe Zeller as "The Big Handsome," a nickname Wright said friends gave him before they thought of the idea for the song.

"But it was kind of cool to see people respond the way they have," Wright said. "And it's been really cool the way students have supported us. It's been a great process."

IU basketball is ingrained in Wright's childhood. His father was a former assistant coach to Bob Knight for nine years, which included the 1987 championship in New Orleans.

"The Big Handsome Anthem" gained compliance from the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and Wright said he and the group did the video because Zeller endorsed it.

In January of this year, the rap song "Cody Zeller" by a three-man group from Gary called Number 1 Playaz played during the CBS Sports' "Inside College Basketball" during an 11 p.m. broadcast. Although the three guys don't have any affiliation with IU, or IU basketball, they saw making a song about Zeller and IU sports as a quick way to get exposure.

"It will also give (Zeller) a song to motivate him before his games and stuff," said Jerry Haymon Jr., one of the group members whose group name is Playo.

Does he listen to these songs to personally prepare for his games? Wright is sure he listens to "The Big Handsome Anthem."

"Cody is in video, so Cody was listening to ours," Wright said. "But he's a good kid."

Text Only

The "Z" Watch

IU still working towards sixth banner
Monday night in Atlanta, Louisville won the school’s first National Championship since the year I was born - 1986. This accomplishment is significant to Indiana basketball fans, because the last two times the Cardinals cut down the nets (1980, 1986), the Hoosiers did it the following year. The stat, of course means nothing, other than both schools had strong programs in the 1980s.

April 11, 2013
Zeller declares for NBA
Indiana’s Cody Zeller turned down one chance to play in the NBA. He couldn’t say no twice.
The 7-foot sophomore center who returned to school last fall for one more shot at a national championship announced Wednesday he is leaving college early to enter the NBA draft. The reason was simple.

April 11, 2013
Washington shows support for Zeller
Washington residents don’t get to see Tyler Zeller much these days, but for one night, he was back in Indiana.
Zeller, along with his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates played the Indiana Pacers Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, much to the enjoyment of more than a hundred Washington residents that made the two-hour trip to Indianapolis.

April 10, 2013 1 Photo
Zeller scores 18, but Pacers beat Cavs 99-94
For the first 43 minutes Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, it looked like a great homecoming for former Washington Hatchet - now Cleveland Cavalier - Tyler Zeller. The final five belonged to the Indiana Pacers.

April 10, 2013 1 Photo
Oladipo, Zeller named All-Americans
Statistics through March 17
First Team
Trey Burke, Michigan, 6-0, 190, sophomore, Columbus, Ohio, 19.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 6.7 apg, 40.1 3-pt fg pct, 1.6 steals, 35.2 minutes (62 first-team votes, 319 total points)
Otto Porter Jr., Georgetown, 6-8, 205, sophomore, Morley, Mo., 16.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 42.7 3 pt-fg pct, 1.9 steals, 35.3 minutes (62, 319)
Victor Oladipo, Indiana, 6-5, 214, junior, Upper Marlboro, Md., 13.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 59.9 fg pct, 44.3 3-pt fg pct, 2.2 steals (58, 306)
Doug McDermott, Creighton, 6-8, 225, junior, Ames, Iowa, 23.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 56.1 fg pct, 49.7 3-pt fg pct, 86.0 ft pct (44, 279)
Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga, 7-0, 238, junior, Kamloops, British Columbia, 17.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 65.2 fg pct (47, 278)

April 1, 2013
Hoosiers look ahead after disappointing finish
Indiana left Washington in a dour mood.
Tom Crean knows his team can't afford to let it linger if it intends to continue chasing another national championship banner.

March 30, 2013
Turnovers spell disaster for No. 1 Indiana
Nineteen turnovers. Sixteen baskets. A season-low 50 points.
Top-seed Indiana had no answer for the 2-3 zone of Syracuse, and now the Hoosiers are heading home after a 61-50 loss Thursday night bounced them from the NCAA tournament.

March 29, 2013
Indiana can't solve Syracuse zone in Sweet 16
It took winning a national title for Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim to get over a late-shot loss to Indiana the last time the schools faced off in the NCAA tournament.

March 29, 2013
Top four seeds left in East Region
Yelps of support and echoing applause greeted the voice booming over the loudspeakers Wednesday at the scheduled start of practice for the East Regional's fourth seed: "Coached by Jim Boeheim, please welcome the Syracuse Orange!"

March 28, 2013
Basketball is a king's sport in Indiana
Indiana athletic director Fred Glass must be ready for the game each time he goes out.

March 26, 2013
More The "Z" Watch Headlines

The "Z" Watch

Search Results

Discussion

Cody Zeller inspires rap songs

Site Map

Contact Us