Jabari Parker is a power forward, and one of the stars of the Milwaukee Bucks, but he’s here with us today to talk about something other than basketball.
This Sunday the American Heart Association is putting on the Greater Milwaukee Heart and Stroke 5K Run/Walk at Veteran’s Park, and Jabari made a special Spotify playlist that you can listen to as you run, as you walk, as you jam out, and as you help fight heart disease, and stroke.
Here is the playlist
Justin Barney:
Jabari, thank you so much for being here. What’s up?
Jabari Parker:
What’s up?
Justin Barney:
As a lifelong Bucks fan, this is a big honor.
Jabari Parker:
I appreciate that.
Justin Barney:
Alright so Jabari, you made this playlist for the Milwaukee heart, and stroke 5K run, could you pull one song from this playlist that you love, and tell me what that song is and its importance to you?
Jabari Parker:
It’s a Tupac song called “Keep Ya Head Up”, and it’s something that resonates with my culture, through my everyday life, from a kid, and even to now. When I’m in the weight room it’s always the first song I start off with.
Through my rehab, and even now it keeps me motivated, because it gives me the brighter picture. It shows me the strength that comes from within. By just having good body language and keeping your head up, you can start off something very strong, and that’s what I always have in my heart when I play.
Justin Barney:
Right on. Why does it resonate with your culture? How?
Jabari Parker:
It’s a line in the song that says, “I remember what Marvin Gaye used to sing to me, he had me feeling like black was the thing to be.”
A lot of people used to pick on me for my skin complexion, my sisters especially because they were fair skinned. I just enjoyed loving myself, and especially loving my people, and I don’t really see a bright side through my culture that’s celebrated, through skin complexion and hair texture.
I learned how to love myself when Tupac gave that line.