Cleveland Hip-Hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony recently recorded the “The Negro Leagues Anthem,” the official anthem sanctioned by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
According to MLB.com, NLBM Marketing Director Bob Kendrick selected the track as he was assembling a compilation CD about “black baseball,” which is being produced to raise funds for the museum.
“When I heard it, I was like, ‘Wow, this is really good,'” Kendrick told MLB.com. “These young men did an outstanding job of interpreting the Negro League experience and embracing it and appreciating what that experience was about.”
Kendrick stated that the group researched the subject matter prior to recording the anthem, which lent credibility to the track.
“They got a real understanding of what the struggles were, but also how talented these athletes were, as well,” Kendrick continued. “They brought that out in this first track.”
The museum is also being extremely selective about what artists and songs that will be included on the compilation.
“We’ve got complete control over content…This is about pride, and it is about the spirit that made the Negro Leagues so special.”