16 Hip-Hop Pro Wrestling Entrance Themes

A common insult tossed at rap is that it is exactly like the WWE meaning that the reality we see and hear from the rappers is manufactured and fake. Rapper beef only exists to sell records and give hip-hop an edge that it would not have you could shine an illuminating light on the factory-processing underbelly of the music industry.

There is a certain amount of truth to rap music's comparison with professional wrestling. After all, hip-hop does feature colorful often theatrical characters. They both blend reality with carefully curated narrative fiction and they both have detractors who would deny each respective medium, it's proper place amongst American artforms. However, I choose not to see those comparisons as a negative. First of all, pro wrestling is effin' awesome and you are a philistine if you cannot appreciate the intricate beauty of well-crafted match. Secondly, how often can you seen a grown man get tossed of a 30-foot steel cage into a table and get up to wrestle a match. Spectacle is spectacle, people.

The intersection of pro-wrestling and hip-hop has also taken place within the WWE, too. Professional wrestling has been using hip-hop as one of the most important parts of their show for years, the entrance. Many wrestlers use rap songs as the music they march to the ring to before they go to battle. Hell, the face of the WWE for the last decade, John Cena, started his career out as a thuggish white rapper that would run his opponent's down on the mic. XXL has compiled a list of wrestling's greatest hip-hop entrance themes for you.

Word, life.

John Cena

Entrance: "My Time Is Now" by John Cena & Trademarc

With his the colorful shirts, superhero persona and endless, unrelenting merchandise sales, John Cena has remained the face of the WWE for the last ten years of its existence.  Cena's "My Time Is Now," is perhaps the most notable hip-hop entrance theme ever. Featuring a sample of M.O.P and rapping from Cena himself, this song is one of the most ubiquitous and famous entrance themes of all-time.

John Cena...Again

Entrance: "Basic Thuganomics" by John Cena

While his character has morphed over the years into about as blandly, PG-rated as it gets over the years, John Cena was once "The Doctor Of A Thuganomics," a goofy, evil-ish white rapper who wore throwback jerseys and metal chain around his neck. (It was stupid but people miss it.) Cena's popularity allowed him to eventually release a real-life actual rap album where his original entrance theme, "Basic Thuganomics," came from.

Shane McMahon

Entrance: "Here Comes The Money" By Naughty-By-Nature

The son of WWE chairman Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon was of one WWE's most inexplicable daredevils. Always willing to get tossed off a scaffolding or through a plate-glass window, Shane-O-Mac proved himself to be more than the worthless rich kid. Shane's theme featured Naughty-By-Nature opining on Shane's rich kid persona and daredevil theatrics.

Mark Henry

Entrance Theme: "Somebodies Gonna Get It" by Three 6 Mafia

Mark Henry is one of the most feared and dominant ass-kickers in all of professional wrestling. Thus, it makes sense that the gothic stomp of Three 6 Mafia would provide the soundtrack for the next induction to Henry's Hall Of Pain. When the refrain of "Somebody is going to get their ass kicked" breaks into the arena, fans know it's time for a good ol' fashion wig split.

Cryme Tyme

Entrace: "Bringin' Da Hood 2 U" by Jim Johnston

Nobody is going to accuse professional wrestling of having progressive ideas on social issues anytime soon. The tag team Cryme Tyme's gimmick was in many ways was straight up racist. "Thug" is possibly the most generic and racist gimmick that a black professional wrestler can have. Cryme Tyme was as generically thuggish as they came donning a bulletproof vests, du-rags and platinum chains around their neck. Nope.

Big E Langston 

Entrance: "I Need Five" by Jim Johnston

Big E Langston is one of the most legitimately strong human beings in professional wrestling. A former professional weightlifter, Langston's signature has been pinning his opponents for five seconds longer than prerequisite three-count. His theme song, "I Need 5," highlights that reality.

Montel Vontavious Porter

Entrance: "I'm Comin" by Silkk the Shocker

It's always nice when actual famous rappers provide the entrance themes of your favorite wrestler. While Silkk the Shocker hasn't done anything of notoriety in years, his theme, "I'm Comin'" for Montel Vontavious Porter a.k.a. MVP is one of the better hip-hop themes for wrestlers.

D-Generation X

Entrance: "The Kings" by Run-D.M.C. Featuring The Chris Warren Bard

One of the most iconic theme songs in all of professional wrestling is D-Generation X's "Break It Down." In 1999, legendary rap group, Run-D.M.C., re-mixed the song for a WWE compilation album and theme briefly became the primary entrance theme for the legendary, troublemaking stable.

Rikishi & Too Cool

Entrance: "Turn It Up" By Jim Johnston

Before John Cena, Too Cool were the original hip-hop loving white guys in the WWE. The group took off when they joined forces with Rikishi to perform their signature dance after winning a match each night.

Eddie Guerrero

Entrance: "Viva La Raza" by Jim Jonston

Before his tragic death in 2005, Eddie Guerrero was considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time. As part of the legendary luchador family, the Guerreros, Eddie employed a latin-tinged rap song, "Viva La Raza," to accompany to the ring.

The Oddities

Entrance: "Oddities" by Insane Clown Posse

The Oddities were a forgotten professional wrestling stable that consisted of WWE's least talented cast-offs including Luna Vachona, Giant Silva, Kurrgan and an inexplicably masked John Tenta carrying a Cartman doll. For a stable patterned after a gang of sideshow freaks, the group fittingly had a rap theme performed by noted makeup enthusiasts, Insane Clown Posse.

R-Truth

Entrance: "What's Up?" By R-Truth & Jim Johnston

While plenty of wrestlers have performed their own theme song over the years, it's rare to see them perform the song on the way to the ring each night. With the accompaniment of invisible white toddler, Lil' Jimmy and on occasion, The Miz, R-Truth raps and dances to his own theme as prepares for his next match. (RIP Awesome Truth.)

Stephanie McMahon

Entrance: "Welcome To Queendom/All Grown Up" by Jacki-O

While Vince's daughter, Stephanie, remains one of the most grating character in the history of professional wrestling, Stephane has employed two rap themes since her debut on-screen in 1999. Both of the songs have been performed Miami rapper Jacki-O.

The Usos

Entrance: "So Close Now" By David Dallas

The Usos are the sons of WWE legend, Rikishi, so it makes a certain amount of sense they would continue their father's tradition of having a hip-hop theme. After entering the arena with a dance that pays homage to their Samoan heritage, fireworks let off and their entrance breaks into a furious hip-hop song.

X-Pac

Entrance: "Make Some Noise" by The Chris Warren Band

One of the most legitimately loved and eventually wildly, wildly, wildly hated wrestlers in WWE history, Sean Waltman a.k.a. X-Pac featured one of the more memorable rap songs in wrestling history. "Make Some Noise" was a remix of D-Generation X's classic, "Break It Down," and accompanied X-Pac to the ring each night.

New Jack

Entrance: "Natural Born Killaz" By Dr. Dre & Ice Cube

ECW's New Jack was one of the most legitimately terrifying human beings in professional wrestling history. Taking part of the notorious Mass Transit Incident, he once beat a 17-year old kid to death with a toaster. New Jack's entrance was the equally relentless Ice Cube and Dr. Dre collaboration "Natural Born Killaz" that would often blare throughout the entirety of his matches.