Nets fans' newly established chant of “Broooo-klyn! Broooo-klyn!” was created by John Forté, a “Brooklyn musician -- Grammy-nominated for his work with the Fugees -- who was asked by the Nets to create a song that could serve as an anthem for the team’s rebirth,” according to Benjamin Hoffman of the N.Y. TIMES. A portion of Forté’s song -- titled “Brooklyn: Something to Lean On” -- is played “before every game as part of the Nets’ elaborate player introductions.” Forté said, “I didn’t just want this be some sort of cheesy tune. I wanted the blood to get moving. I also wanted it to be lasting.” Nets Senior VP/Event Marketing & Community Relations Petra Pope said, "It speaks to who we are in Brooklyn. We’re in one of the coolest boroughs, and it had this great vibe while still making you want to cheer and chant, so it encompassed everything we were looking for.” When deejay J. Period first heard the song, he “immediately had a vision for it as an arena anthem and set about remixing it to maximize its impact.” J. Period said, “Honestly, I think similar to everyone else, my reaction was that the Brooklyn chant is awesome. It became about enhancing that chant and building everything around it to energize the crowd.” Pope said that the team, which has the song on its website, has “received requests to release it more widely and that it will explore that option.” Meanwhile, J. Period, who “picks all of the music played at the games, thinks a restrained, judicious use" of Nets investor Jay-Z’s image and music "will serve the team well, especially since Brooklyn has so many other distinguished artists to choose from” (N.Y. TIMES, 12/11).
