Alex Ovechkin and Jakob Chychrun have entertained many with their pregame tunnel ritual this year, where they shimmy their shoulders to the popular 2012 hip hop track “Bandz A Make Her Dance” by Juicy J feat. Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. Chychrun has even made it his new goal song at Capital One Arena.
Now, the artist behind the song appears headed to DC later this week. Juicy J and his older brother, fellow rapper Project Pat, posted photos of custom Capitals black Screaming Eagle jerseys they likely received from the team ahead of Project Pat’s show at Karma DC Live Music Venue in Northeast this weekend.
The number 36 on each jersey represents the famous Three 6 Mafia hip hop group of which Juicy J was a founding member and Project Pat was closely related through the Prophet Posse and the Hypnotize Camp Posse.
Both rappers posted the eyes emoji (👀) before tagging the Capitals’ account, hinting at a possible collaboration between the two. The Capitals’ final two home games of the season are on Thursday, April 10 against the Carolina Hurricanes and Sunday, April 13 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The latter game is the day after Project Pat is scheduled to take the stage in DC.
The Capitals responded to Juicy J’s tweet of his jersey with a quote retweet using just the eyes emoji.
Ovechkin initially started calling Chychrun by the nickname “Bandz” after the defenseman went helmetless for warmups ahead of an October 17 game against the Dallas Stars.
Chychrun wore an elastic headband to keep his hair back on the ice, and alternate captain Tom Wilson was actually the first to connect the headband to the song.
The pregame tunnel ritual has only garnered more notice and made its way outside of just the Capitals’ fandom during the increased period of media attention due to Ovechkin’s chase to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record. Ovechkin and Chychrun recently danced to the song in a Massachusetts bar during their night out with rookie forward Ryan Leonard, which went viral.
Juicy J isn’t the only hip hop star to acknowledge the Capitals recently, as Lil Wayne, who has a feature on “Bandz A Make Her Dance,” tweeted out congratulations to Ovechkin on breaking Gretzky’s record on Monday.
“Congrats to my mf brudda Alexander the Eight!” Lil Wayne tweeted. “Let’s go get the cup back now! Ovechtzky!!!!!”
Ovechkin met Lil Wayne after a DC performance by the popular rapper in 2011. The two have seemingly stayed friendly since, with Weezy also congratulating Ovechkin on a 2016 hat trick against the Minnesota Wild and later calling Ovechkin “my dude” in an interview with ESPN.
