Where football meets rap: Inside the musical careers of Memphis Depay, Rafael Leao and more
“To just play football, that’s not for me,” Memphis Depay said toHYPEBEAST earlier this year. “My name is bigger than football in what I live, what I do, and what I represent.”
Indeed, the Netherlands international has enjoyed an impressive football career, which began at PSV and took him to Manchester United, Lyon, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Corinthians – the latter of whom have just tied him to a new contract – but has managed to boost his profile significantly through his exploits as a rapper.
Depay initially began releasing independent music in 2017, inspired by his family background and travels around the world. He dropped his first studio album in 2020, titled ‘Heavy Stepper’, which served as both a celebration of his wealth and high fashion, and detailed his upbringing and struggles against adversity. The album relies too heavily on generic rap tropes, and he was forced to clarify that the lyrics “I need money like the Glazers” on the track ‘Big Fish’ were not intended as a dig at United’s majority owners.
He has, however, accumulated millions of views across YouTube and Spotify, and showed growth as an artist on the 2025 collaborative EP ‘Favelas’. The project explored Depay’s new life in Brazil after joining Corinthians, successfully fusing trap and funk as he fully embraced the local culture.
Depay did stir up controversy this summer after a drawn-out row with Corinthians officials. Before the 32-year-old’s renewal was agreed, the club had withdrawn their initial two-year extension offer, and he accused the club of “unacceptable behaviour”. Just 24 hours after returning to help the team reach the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals, Depay risked causing another rift by releasing a new music video for the song ‘Don’t Panic’, which shows Corinthians headquarters up in flames.
Supporters are currently protesting against the club’s ownership regime amid growing financial chaos, but Depay claimed his video was “filmed months ago”, before adding in a social media statement: “I hope its a peaceful protest where people can express what they think calmly. About my music, I insist it’s just art.”
Despite all of that, there will be plenty more to come from Depay in the rap arena. “I spend so many hours in the studio, put my own money into sessions and music videos, so it’s become serious,” Depay, who has cited Tupac, Jay-Z and 50 Cent among his inspirations, added to HYPEBEAST. “I have about three albums worth of unreleased songs. It’s something that I’m excited about.”
