Add Rap Skills To The Scouting Report For SDSU’s Tim Shelton

Give it up for San Diego: It’s got the best weather in the country, one of its best college basketball teams and arguably now the best rapper in college, too. All of which means it was a good Monday in San Diego for the Aztecs, and an even better start of the week for one of their stars, Tim Shelton.

Let’s get the intro verse out of the way early: Coach Steve Fisher‘s team moved up to No. 16 in the major polls, a six-spot bump after beating No. 12 UNLV at home on Saturday. The hero of that game, Jamaal Franklin, earned Mountain West Player of the Week honors.

Now, what the Greek, er, Aztec chorus is talking about. Shelton’s music video, “Aztec Motto,” played before the win over the Rebels at Viejas Arena and was released on YouTube shortly thereafter. As you can imagine, it got 16,000 views in the day and blogs buzzing all afternoon. To be sure, it’s a tribute to all things Aztec first and foremost, showing off San Diego State’s student section, “The Show,” that turns an SDSU dunk contest into a practice-court party.

But it’s really Shelton’s showcase. The production value’s great, mixed in with the beat from “The Motto” by Drake and Lil Wayne, but don’t let it lull you past the forward’s skills on the mic. Samples of lines include: “Win win win, cut down nets/Aztec got next” and “Got the fans going H.A.M.on Fisherville” as a nod to the 66-year-old coach, who sadly doesn’t make a cameo.

Shelton also shows off his smarts by making another video with an Aztec tie-in (he made “Game Time Ready” last season). College pride videos have an instant fanbase connection that helps the film spread like wildfire. How do I know? A group of close friends made a University of Oregon-themed video in 2009 sensing a Rose Bowl run for the Ducks. That first video sits at 1.3 million views, with its follow-up getting 1.6 million. That group, dubbed Supwitchugirl, expanded its reach into apparel and, boom, college debt was paid for quickly.

While the NCAA won’t be letting Shelton make a dime off SDSU apparel, he’s earned a ton of currency for credibility – both on court and in the studio – after “Aztec Motto.”