Nearly 20 years after Atlanta rapper Young Dro saluted Deion Sanders in his breakout hit “Shoulder Lean,” Coach Prime is finally responding to the rapper’s longtime disappointment.
During a recent appearance on The Water Boyz Show, Young Dro admitted he had carried a lingering grievance with the Colorado Buffaloes head coach. The Grand Hustle rapper said he admired Sanders’ reputation for supporting artists but never understood why the football icon failed to acknowledge the lyric that helped immortalize his name in one of Southern hip-hop’s biggest records.
“I have a little beef with Deion Sanders,” Dro said. “Because I always see him reach back to artists and was bringing them out when he was at Colorado. He used to bring artists up. But nobody ever mentioned him but me in a number one hit.”
Dro’s comments quickly reignited discussion around “Shoulder Lean,” his 2006 breakthrough single featuring T.I. The chart-topping anthem famously referenced Sanders with the lyric, “Red, black, and white Chevy, man, I’m ridin’ Deion [Sanders],” cementing Coach Prime’s name in a defining moment of Atlanta rap history.
Coach Prime addressed the criticism during an appearance on THE CFB SCOOP, saying the oversight was never intentional. Sanders explained that he does not closely follow new music and often depends on his children to keep him updated on the latest artists.
Coach Prime (Deion Sanders) & ATL Rapper Young Dro Settle 20-Year-Old Beef
“First of all, I don’t listen to too much music, but my kids keep me up on game,” Sanders said. “But there’s no way that somebody would have put me in the song and I wouldn’t have shown them love. Ain’t no way in the world.”
The Hall of Famer also issued a public apology after learning about Dro’s comments.
“I don’t believe that,” Sanders said. “Well, I don’t know how I got back to you, but I apologize on behalf of my team if we didn’t show you the love that you deserve and the respect that you deserve.”
He closed by thanking the rapper for keeping his legacy alive through hip-hop.
“And I appreciate you, man. So thank you. Thank you for mentioning me and keeping me popping in this generation, man. I appreciate that.”
The exchange brings unexpected closure to a story that has lingered since the mid-2000s. For Young Dro, the recognition finally arrived.
For Coach Prime, it offered a chance to salute one of Atlanta’s signature rap records and the artist who made his name echo through hip-hop history.
Leave a Reply