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Travis Scott‘s headline-grabbing appearance at Elimination Chamber in February alongside The Rock, John Cena and Cody Rhodes is already one of the most noteworthy events in wrestling history. The Houston native, a passionate wrestling fan, has since gotten back into the ring to help Cena defeat Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 and may even be plotting his own wrestling match, which would likely be must-see TV.
On his Earth-shaking diss track “Not Like Us” from last year, Kendrick Lamar included a wrestling reference when laying the smackdown on Drake, rapping: “Sweet Chin Music and I won’t pass the aux.” Shortly after, Mr. Sweet Chin Music himself, Shawn Michaels, offered both men the chance to settle their beef on WWE programming — something that has sadly yet to happen.
All in all, it has been a banner year for wrestling’s relationship with Hip Hop. The two have never seemed closer in audience, with stars from both worlds crossing back and forth and bringing their fans along with them for the ride. Whether that be Liv Morgan calling out Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, The Weeknd soundtracking WrestleMania for six years in a row or Metro Boomin hosting WWE Bad Blood in the ATL, it’s currently very hard to be a fan of Hip Hop or wrestling and not have a vested interest in the other.
Below, HipHopDX takes a look at some of the greatest Hip Hop/wrestling crossover moments in history.
Fourth Rope
Westside Gunn may be the biggest wrestling fan in Hip Hop. Not only does his deep discography feature tracks dedicated to wrestlers, but his album artwork frequently depicts iconic images throughout the history of the sport. Last year, the Griselda rapper decided to take his love one step further by creating his own promotion called Fourth Rope, which synergizes wrestling, rap and fashion.
The Fly God has so far held three events across three different states (a fourth is scheduled for later this month) and featured independent talent such as Zilla Fatu, former WWE star Nic Nemeth and the legendary Hardy Boyz. Buoyed by Westside Gunn’s natural flair for DIY promotion and building a fan base from the ground up, Fourth Rope has been one of the few bright spots in recent years on the independent circuit as it looks to fill the cool, authentic and underground aesthetic previously pitched by the likes of ECW and Ring of Honor.
Ric Flair Drip
There has been no shortage of wrestlers getting a shoutout on a rap song. As mentioned above, Westside Gunn has several songs named after stars past and present, while the likes of 2 Chainz, Smoke DZA and JPEGMAFIA are also prolific namedroppers. But “Ric Flair Drip” more than deserves its own special mention.
The first hit song named after a wrestler, Offset and Metro Boomin’s glistening trap anthem was inspired by the extravagant fashion and wild behavior of the legendary Ric Flair. Flair, who is now in his 70s, features prominently in the song’s video (as do some of his iconic robes), with Offset also sporting a chain imprinted with the hall of famer’s likeness.
No other song has quite captured the dual essence of the bravado, showmanship and unpredictability of both Hip Hop and professional wrestling.
Sexyy Red’s NXT Takeover
A vocal wrestling fan on social media, Sexyy Red got to live out her dream last year when she appeared on an episode of WWE’s NXT, getting physical with Tatum Paxley and Michin. Later in the night, she accompanied Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans to the ring and helped the duo win their main event tag match against Gallus.
According to Big Sexyy, WWE were so pleased with her performance that the company wanted to bring her on in a more permanent role, similar to how they have done with Bad Bunny and Logan Paul. However, the “SkeeYee” star said that her schedule restricted her from being able to commit to full-time training.
Ice-T at WrestleMania 2000
There has been no shortage of rappers accompanying wrestlers to the ring on the grandest stage of them all. Last year, Lil Wayne performed “A Milli” with some assistance from Jey Uso, while Lil Uzi Vert was deployed the year before to get Jey and his twin brother Jimmy hyped up for their main event match against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. However, by far the most memorable rap performance at WrestleMania is Ice-T’s rendition of “Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy” for The Godfather.
For those unaccustomed, The Godfather is a pimp character (complete with pimp cane) who would walk to the ring with an ensemble of women, affectionately known as The Godfather’s hoes. For his WrestleMania 2000 entrance, he was also flanked by the gangsta rap legend who wore a decadent red pimp outfit while having the time of his life.
No Limit Soldiers
During the dying days of WCW, the now-defunct wrestling promotion would pay extortionate fees to celebrities such as Dennis Rodman, Kiss and Jay Leno to try and boost sagging ratings. Another beneficiary of this ill-thought out plan was Master P, who in 1999 was one of the biggest names in Hip Hop.
An actual wrestling fan, Master P jumped at the chance to be featured prominently in WCW and was given his own stable of wrestlers who became known as the No Limit Soldiers. They were booked into a month-long feud with a redneck faction that was poorly received by the very southern, very white WCW audience. The group were quickly broken up but Master P reportedly pocketed $200,000 every time he appeared on TV.
John Cena Goes Platinum
Yes, John Cena raps his own theme song and yes, WWE decided to capitalize on this by having him record an entire album. Titled You Can’t See Me, the project was unsurprisingly greeted with a less than enthusiastic reception following its release in 2005, but it has had staying power.
Initially debuting on the Billboard 200 at number 15 with 43,000 first-week sales, You Can’t See Me has since gone on to sell over 1.3 million copies, making Cena the only person to star in a number one Hollywood movie, be a WWE World Champion and have a platinum plaque.
WaleMania
Something akin to wrestling’s version of SXSW or Coachella, WaleMania began in 2015, kicking off a festival of wrestling, Hip Hop and culture that celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this month — something Wale could only have dreamed of growing up as a WWE fan. Held during WrestleMania weekend, WaleMania has reeled in the biggest names from both worlds, with the likes of Big E, Kofi Kingston, Flatbush Zombies and DJ Whoo Kid putting on a show for Hip Hop and wrestling fans alike.
This year, WaleMania took things to the next level by being broadcast on Netflix live from Las Vegas and headlined by Wale himself. While the annual event has now come to an end, it sustained success over the last decade is a testament to the D.C. rapper’s love of the sport, the appetite for events that cross genre boundaries and the surge in interest in wrestling among Black America.
Snoop Dogg Lays the Smack Down
Snoop Dogg, who is not usually one to turn down lucrative opportunities, has become something akin to the WWE’s Hip Hop mascot in recent years. He made his first WWE appearance in 2008 surrounded by Playboy bunnies but has stepped up his participation since then.
At WrestleMania 32 in 2016, Snoop’s cousin Sasha Banks recruited him to perform her theme song and accompany her to the ring for her battle with Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. The same year, before he’d even dialled up his wrestling involvement, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
By 2021, Tha Doggfather had decided it was time to get physical. Not letting the fact that he was approaching 50 get in the way, the rap legend made an appearance in rival company AEW, delivering a frog splash from the top rope. Not long afterwards, in his role as co-host of WrestleMania, Snoop earned significant praise from WWE for his improvisation during a segment in which Shane McMahon legitimately tore his quad.
Seizing the moment, Snoop would go on to deliver The People’s Elbow on The Miz and score his first ever victory, much to the delight of his hometown crowd.
Machine Gun Kelly Gets Powerbombed
Machine Gun Kelly is no stranger to physical harm — just watch Jackass Forever where he gets smacked into a pool with a giant hand. When MGK appeared on WWE Raw in 2015, the Cleveland native performed a live version of “A Little More,” only to be greeted by Kevin Owens at the top of the stage.
To give Kelly his due, most celebrities show up, plug whatever they’re trying to sell and leave, but MGK was game to get thrown about. In a shocking moment, he was picked up by Owens and powerbombed into the abyss off the stage. Kelly still pops up from time to time, most recently with Logan Paul at Summerslam last year, and was also a playable character in WWE 2K22.
WWF Aggression
In the early ’00s, the WWE were on to a moneymaker in releasing CDs of the wrestlers’ theme music. Sensing a lucrative additional revenue stream, the company attempted various gimmicks such as wrestlers recording their own singles (WWF Originals) and an album of rap remixes of theme songs, which brings us to WWF Aggression.
To capitalize on the popularity of the time, WWE recruited some of the biggest names in Hip Hop at the time such as Snoop Dogg, Method Man, Redman, Mystikal and even Run-DMC to put their own spin on entrance songs by The Rock, Stone Cold and The Undertaker.
One of the most bizarre bits of crossover branding ever, the album proved to be a commercial success, if not a critical one. It charted in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 and sold over half a million copies in the U.S. alone.
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