Music and Family

I was interested to know how my dad, who was born in 1971 and had a strong love for basketball as I do, related to all of this when we sat down to talk about music. I always knew as a child that my dad enjoyed listening to music, but I was unaware of how much the sport he loved had influenced his musical career. A fun fact is that he played professional basketball for 8 years in Sweden. This is a glimpse of our conversation which was in Swedish but I have translated it to English.

Me: “So, Dad, what kind of music were you into growing up? I know you like artists like Jay-Z and Outkast now, but what was it like back when you were a teenager?”

Dad: “Oh, man. Back in the late '80s, when I was around 16 or 17, there was a lot of different music floating around. I was into rock at that time. You had bands like Metallica and Guns N’ Roses, those guys were huge! It was raw and loud, and it kind of matched the energy I had for basketball back then. I also remember listening to a bit of U2 and Queen. There was something about the epic sound that felt larger than life. That kind of music pumped me up before games, even though it was so different from the hip-hop I got into later.”

Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses

Me: “That’s cool! How did you actually listen to music back then?”

Dad: “Well, no Spotify or YouTube back then! It was all about cassettes and the radio. I remember saving up to buy my favorite albums on tape. I had this portable cassette player that I’d take with me everywhere, especially on bus rides to games. Sometimes I’d even record songs straight from the radio if I was lucky enough to catch them. It was a bit of a hunt to get your hands on the music you wanted back then, but it made it feel special. It was also cool to share the music with your friends and see who had what music.”

Me: “When did you get into hip-hop? You listen to it nowadays I know and we listen to it together when I'm back from the States during the summers, but was it part of your life back then?”

Dad: “It was basketball that really introduced me to hip-hop. In the early '90s, hip-hop, and basketball were connected. I started listening to groups like A Tribe Called Quest, DMX, and of course, Outkast. The beats, the rhythm, and the stories felt tied to the basketball culture I was in. The Americans on the team usually influenced me by bringing music from their country. We’d play basketball with these tracks, and it just felt right. I still get that same feeling now when I listen to Jay-Z. It’s like the sound of determination.”

Me: “So do you think basketball influenced your music taste?”

Dad: “Absolutely. Basketball has this rhythm to it, and hip-hop has the same. The two are so connected, it’s about timing, skill, and attitude. That’s why even now, I listen to that hip-hop sound. I love the energy of Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya!’. It’s upbeat and keeps you moving forward. It’s like a reminder to shake off whatever’s holding you back, whether in basketball or life.

One of my dads most played songs - Hey Ya! by Outkast

Me: “Do you think your taste in music has changed a lot since you were younger?”

Dad: “Yeah, for sure. When I was younger, I liked that loud sound of rock, but as I got older and more involved in basketball, hip-hop took over. It became the soundtrack to my life, especially when I started playing professionally. But I'd say today that I listen to all kinds of music. Reggae, rock, hip-hop, Swedish music, and I like some songs you are playing but I don't remember the names of the songs.”

Talking with my dad about his connection to music made me realize how much our experiences shape the sounds that stick with us. For him, music wasn’t just about listening, it was about his passion for basketball, keeping him motivated, and becoming part of the culture he was in. Music moves with us through the different stages of our lives, just like it did for him. And I can really relate to what my dad was saying about listening to different genres and how life influences the music we listen too. He was one of my first influence towards music so it probably played a big role of what kind of music I like today.