Spotify named Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander its first guest editor with the launch of a monthly 50-song playlist titled Heat Check by SGA to help listeners discover established and emerging artists.
Gilgeous-Alexander brings a decorated basketball resume to his new curation duties. In 2025, he claimed the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award before defending it successfully in 2026, making him the 14th athlete to secure the honor in back-to-back years.
Across his second consecutive MVP run, he put up 31.1 points per game and powered the Thunder to a league-leading 64-18 record. His resume also includes the 2025 championship and Finals MVP award earned after Oklahoma City beat Indiana.
Spotify highlights those consecutive MVP awards and championship wins in introducing the partnership. The stated playlist goal is helping listeners discover established and emerging artists through the guard’s own selections. The company says the playlist starts with 50 songs selected by Gilgeous-Alexander, who will refresh it monthly by mixing established names with emerging artists.
“Music for every vibe, every part of the day, every mood, and above all, just really good music,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of his selections.
The new role gives listeners something that changes beyond launch day by offering an ongoing look at the guard’s listening habits. Spotify is also releasing an interview about his earliest music memories, favorite artists, and current rotation. Drake figures prominently in that conversation.
Gilgeous-Alexander called Drake the greatest rapper ever and picked Iceman as his favorite album of 2026, ClutchPoints reported in its coverage of the Spotify interview. Gilgeous-Alexander also said he heard Drake mention him on the album. The write-up said that he initially went back and listened to the track again to verify he heard his moniker properly.
Spotify says another video will focus on Take Care ahead of its 15th anniversary. Rather than being part of the footage already made public, the company’s press release indicated that specific segment was still to come.
The launch puts Gilgeous-Alexander’s choices alongside Spotify’s established editorial offerings, including RapCaviar. His playlist arrives as Drake has been questioning changes to Billboard’s streaming rules.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s next playlist update is planned for the following month.
