Anthony Edwards Just Dropped a Rap Album with Wale, Pusha T, and Quavo

In one of the skits, entitled “Ant Speaks,” Edwards declares that both him and his older brother are “legends in the making”—the former on the court and the latter in the rap game. The 27-year-old bdifferent has been making music for about seven years, but said he didn’t start “taking it serious” until 2022. Of all the songs on the album, bdifferent points to the opener, “Too Basic,” as his favorite. The rags-to-riches tune has an air of euphoria that sets a fitting tone for the album, with the chorus marveling at the Edwards’ family’s collective glow up: “I come from the slums, how the hell I get ahead?”

Legend In My Hood was facilitated by Culture Jam, the Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment multimedia company that also curated Kawhi Leonard’s 2021 compilation album featuring Rod Wave, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, and others. When the outfit first approached the Edwards brothers with the opportunity, bdifferent said their response was instant. “Of course!” he said. “Why would we not do that?”

But, in typical Edwards fashion, both men wanted to ensure that their album would have its own unique flavor, rather than simply replicating Leonard’s project. “You know my name, man,” bdifferent said with a laugh. “We can’t be like nobody else.” Esean Bolden, the founder and CEO of Culture Jam, approached the situation from a uniquely sports and cultural angle. “I always wanted to figure out, Hey, what if we did a modern version of the AND1 Mixtape?” Bolden said. “That was just the seed. It blossomed into something.”

With Nardo Wick, Hit-Boy, and Key Glock also in the mix, Legend In My Hood blossomed into a star-studded extravaganza. At the center of it all is Edwards, the only guy on earth who can act alongside Adam Sandler, hand out the White Boy of the Year award, and be a legitimate NBA MVP candidate. (Dropping 41 on the Portland Trail Blazers on opening night was a timely furthering of his legend.) His brother, who’s been in the front seat for the entire ride, explained what makes Edwards so magnetic. “He got the highest charisma that I’ve seen,” bdifferent said. “He can really just relate to people. It doesn’t matter where you put him, any corner of the world, he’s going to be able to resonate with people.”