John Cena’s Mount Rushmore Of Rap Includes Nas, Jay-Z, And Rakim

Rakim, Eminem, Jay-Z, and Nas all make up John Cena’s Mount Rushmore of rap.

The WWE superstar has a character based in white-boy hip-hop, but beyond that, Cena shared on Club Shay Shay that rap was a form of rebellion during a time when he felt as if he needed more attention.

“I was one of five boys, and I had a lot of angst with how the household was being run. I was a rebel. That music found me at the right time,” Cena said during his interview with Shannon Sharpe.

The athlete has been credited with bringing hip-hop to the sport. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) was widely regarded as a rock and roll company, according to Cena.

They didn’t have any depth of field for hip-hop, and I listened to my own music being like, ‘I could do better than this,’” according to Cena. “I called up a friend who knew a friend who had a studio. We got some beats and we made an album. And that was it, that was it.”

Growing up, Cena gravitated towards wordplay, poetic bars, and thought-provoking lyrics. The athlete/performer admits that the “F*ck The Police” social justice anthem, both necessary and poignant, was relatable, even to him.

“To a 13-year-old kid the police are my parents, and it was me who was like, ‘Well, f—k that.”

Cena’s debut album is his only album. It appeared on Billboard’s 200 list at number 15. That album was called You Can’t See Me.

He counts Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant—athletes who entertained careers in music, as influences as well.

Cena recently announced his upcoming retirement from WWE. VIBE reporter Armon Sadler compiled a list of wrestlers the athlete will need to face before calling it quits.

View Cena’s interview on Club Shay Shay below: