Rapper BIA Says She's Been a 'Hardcore Ride or Die' Boston Celtics Fan Since Childhood

The "Whole Lotta Money" rapper tells PEOPLE she's been going to Celtics games since she was "like 10 years old"

Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics poses for a picture with recording artist Bia after the game against the Sacramento Kings at TD Garden on November 25, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
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Before she became a chart-topping artist, BIA was a young Boston Celtics fan.

"I've been going to Celtics games since I was like 10 years old," the "Whole Lotta Money" rapper told PEOPLE backstage at her AT&T NBA All-Star Pregame performance on Sunday. "I'm a hardcore, ride-or-die Celtics fan. Live and die green, bleed green."

BIA, who says she and the Boston basketball team are "like peanut butter and jelly," recalls going to games at Boston's TD Garden "religiously with friends" as a kid.

"We used to get the tickets that were like, ten bucks all the way in the balcony. You couldn't even see the Celtics when you were in those seats," she laughs.

These days, her outings to a Celtics game look a little different when she arrives at the arena. "Now I'm going courtside."

Celtics fans know BIA as a regular face sitting courtside, and now so do the players. "That's my dog," she says of guard Jaylen Brown. Earlier this season, Brown gifted her his game-worn jersey.

BIA is serious when she says she's a hardcore fan. She's on a first-name basis with the league's referees. "I get in it. I know the refs. I'm talking to them; they're talking to me back. They're like, 'girl...,'" she reveals with a laugh.

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The blend of sports and music is seamless, says BIA.

"I think music, especially rap and hip-hop, is a lifestyle. I think a lot of athletes relate too. Whether you're in the entertainment world or not, you relate to the lifestyle of hip-hop. I think that's how it all ties together. Sports and music just goes."

And her fans will be excited to know that the wait for BIA's highly-anticipated album is almost over, she tells PEOPLE. "I just wrapped up my album. It should probably be out within maybe a spring, summer vibe. That's what it's giving right now."

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