Ian Wright further cemented his status as one of football’s most loved pundits on Saturday night after dropping a subtle tribute to rapper DMX live on Match of the Day.DMX tragically passed away on April 9, five days after suffering a heart attack. He was just 50 years old.The US chart-topping artist, whose real name was Earl Simmons, was responsible for classics such as Party Up (Up in Here) and X Gon' Give It To Ya.Another DMX hit was the 1998 song Ruff Ryders’ Anthem.And MOTD viewers noticed Wright’s tribute to the late performer while he analysed Leeds United’s 2-1 away win over Manchester City on Saturday.
“They beat the champions-elect - how?” Gary Lineker asked the former Arsenal star.Wright responded: “They stopped them, dropped them, opened up the shop on them, to be honest.”The MOTD pundit got the reference in perfectly, without giving anything away with his facial expressions.
He then said: “You like that?” when Lineker commented “nice tribute”.Watch the clip here…
Superb. How could anyone not love Wrighty?
For those a little confused, with no idea what Wright was talking about, Ruff Ryders’ Anthem opened with the lyrics: “Something new… Stop, drop, shut 'em down, open up shop.”
The clip soon went viral on social media and here’s how viewers reacted…
As the original tweet says, we must protect Ian Wright at all costs.
A great pundit but an even better bloke.