Mike Will Made It is taking his talents to the NBA and ESPN.
According to Variety, the renowned producer will make his foray into the sports industry by partnering with ESPN’s Custom NBA Strategy as its first-ever lead producer. He’ll create music for the NBA’s upcoming 2023-24 season.
“It didn’t take us long to figure out that Atlanta music, Mike Will, and NBA on ESPN were a strong cultural fit,” ESPN’s vice president of sports marketing Curtis Friends said. “Mike Will Made It is cooking up his recipe for the NBA on ESPN custom music strategy that will set the tone for fans throughout the season.”
How It All Started
The matchup first began when the Atlanta, GA, native played tracks he’s been storing up for the right time for the ESPN team.
One of those songs was “Different Breed,” the first of many to come for the new partnership.
It was featured during the NBA Tip-off TV spot, which aired on Oct. 16 on Monday night’s football segment.
The single, featuring Swae Lee and Latto and led by Ear Drummers/Giant Music is also currently available for streaming.
“As an independent record label, nothing excites us more than collaboration and creativity,” Giant Music’s managing director Matt LaMotte said. “We couldn’t ask for better creative partners than Mike Will and ESPN.”
Mike Will Made It And His Rise To Fame
What’s more, the Grammy-winning producer is one of the culture’s most beloved musicians.
Mike Will Made It first got his start by producing mixtapes for rappers such as Waka Flocka Flame and Gucci Mane during their rise in the early 2000s, per Variety.
In 2006, he launched Ear Drummers Entertainment and before long, Ear Drummers Records was created in 2013, with the first artists on the label being Rae Sremmurd. The group consists of brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi, and its name even spells “Ear Drummers” backward.
The Perfect Partnership
Now, Mike Will Made It is excited to take his love for music to the next level, by doing something that he’s always done.
“This is the perfect partnership because I make the music people want to ball to,” he expressed.
Only time will tell what Mike Will Made It and company will cook up for the NBA’s new season.