Mega Man

by Adam Figman | @afigman If you’re a hip-hop enthusiast who prefers gritty street lyricism to trendy, new-age fashion rap, we hope you’re already plenty familiar with New York MC Cormega. And though you also should be aware of the solid catalog of albums that highlights his impressive résumé, you might not know that Mega is an intense hoophead as well, having played a little ball in his early years and then developing into an intense fan as he got older. After showing respect to the basketball references that litter his raps, we got up with the man himself—whose new album, Raw Forever, hits stores today—to talk about bball, sneakers, music and more. SLAM: What’s your personal history with the game? Cormega: I used to play for Riverside [Church, NYC-based AAU program]. I used to play when I lived in Co-Op City [in the Bronx]. Back then I was probably a forward. I really wasn’t good, to me. The best person I ever saw play basketball back then was my friend Anthony Cole fr...