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Stuart Scott brought hip-hop into sports broadcasting, but he was more than just an advocate in pushing forward a genre. According to Freddie Gibbs, the ESPN journalist was an “artist” and a “hero” for black communities. In addition, the rapper also claims Scott “saved his life” by inspiring him to follow up on all his medical check-ups. Check out his explanation for both below and read his full interview/ode with Billboard here.
“Coming up in America in the 80s and 90s, we were not too far removed from slavery. People forget that. Those effects and that tone during those times in America lingers on in the Black community, so to see a Black man excel in something is always an achievement. For me to get up every morning and look at this guy on the TVStuart Scott was a hero
“I found out about his passing early on Sunday when I turned on SportsCenter, and it wrecked my day. I feel like he was just on television at the ESPYs, speaking on fighting cancer, or on a special doing cage fighting to combat his illness, and keep his body fresh. He definitely didn’t look like the same Stuart Scott, but he was hanging in there and fighting. It teaches us a lesson. I’m gonna be real: A lot of guys in the Black community, we don’t have health insurance, we don’t go get check-ups, we don’t put our health first. We’re too busy out here trying to maintain, get money, do whatever we gotta do. We don’t go to the doctor enough. When I saw how he was combating cancer and how it came up on him so sudden, that made me step back and take a better look at my health and go and get care and insurance. I have a daughter on the way now. At first, I was just out here living for me, but I saw how he was fighting to live for his daughters and that really inspired me. It definitely brought a tear to my eye. That was a true inspiration. To see him be such an advocate for cancer and bringing awareness, he might have saved my life, with me going to the doctor to get check-ups.”
Stuart revolutionized being a sports anchor. He brought hip-hop culture into it. Nobody else was saying what he said on air, and sometimes he pushed the envelope when he said the newest Jay Z line with a Michael Jordan highlight. But Stuart Scott was an artist.
