Finally, The Rock’s rap debut has happened as WWE Superstar and Hollywood’s highest-paid actor is featured on Tech N9ne’s “ASIN9NE” album.
The Great One as many wrestling fans know him by, appears on Tech N9ne’s twenty-third studio album. For years in the WWE, The Rock has been known for his mic skills. Very few can stand tall against The Rock and his verbal abuse. Now hip hop fans have gotten a taste of Rock’s mic skills and many are pleased.
The Rock’s rap debut comes on the song “Face Off,” alongside Joey Cool and King Iso. This isn’t his first connection to the genre. Johnson appeared on Wyclef Jean’s 2000 single “It Doesn’t Matter” where he said his wrestling catchphrase.
Lyrics of The Rock’s Rap Debut on “Face Off”
It’s about drive, it’s about power, we stay hungry, we devour
Put in the work, put in the hours and take what’s ours
Black and Samoan in my veins, my culture bangin’ with Strange
I change the game so what’s my motherf—kin’ name? (Rock)
What they gonna get though?
Desecration, defamation, if you wanna bring it to the masses
Face to face now we escalatin’ when I have to put boots to asses
Mean on ya like a dream when I’m rumblin’
You’re gonna scream, “Mama”
So bring drama to the king Brahma (Then what?)
Comin’ at ya’ with extreme mana (Ahoo, ahoo, ahoo)– The Rock, Tech N9ne (Genius.com)
The Rock and Hip Hop
The Rock has been a huge hip hop fan. In fact, his very first ring entrance on the independent scene was Tupac’s “All Eyez On Me.”
For those who are unaware, The Rock started his career at the USWA. At the time The Rock would wrestle under the ring name of Flex Kavana and according to him, he was, “pist broke making forty bucks per match.”
USWA located in Memphis, Tennessee, was The Rock’s first step towards the WWE. “I first started my pro wrestling career, well before the bright lights of the WWE, in a little wrestling territory called the USWA down in Memphis, Tennessee.”
As Tupac’s “All Eyes On Me” was played in the gym, The Rock gave the full back story via Instagram. The Rock explained, Tupac Shakur’s ‘All Eyez On Me’ song was his first entrance music, “My very first match in the company in front of about two hundred people, at a flea market, ‘All Eyez On Me’, this was my ring music.”
Rock’s decision didn’t sit well with the promoters, who suggested to The Rock to not use the song. “After the match the promoter came to me & was like “Dee, you can’t use this music! Theirs kid’s out there, theirs a lot of motherf—ka’s in the song and N words”, I was like well I’m sorry to tell, I gotta’ be me, I have integrity and if I go out there then this is my ring music!”
The promoter then threatened to fire The Rock, who quickly ran to find a clean version of the iconic song. “I found the radio version of ‘All Eyez on Me’ kept my integrity. The bottom line is always be you, always play chess when everybody else is playing checkers, always play the long game! All Eyez on Me!”
Watch The Rock tell the story below.