From Teaming With Travis Scott to Rapping in Mandarin: John Cena’s 6 Best Hip-Hop Moments

It all started when John Cena revealed his Doctor of Thuganomics persona in 2002 during his time in WWE’s OVW. The brash character, which was a mix of a braggadocious rapper and arrogant antagonist, debuted on SmackDown! in June of 2022. Cena made a name for himself very quickly in the WWE world due to his penchant for freestyling. His most iconic moment came when he dropped some incendiary bars against Kurt Angle, including, “How am I gonna get out-battled by a wannabe Kojack?”

John Cena lit up the rap world when he dropped off his debut (and to date only) rap album, You Can’t See Me, on May 10, 2005. The surprisingly versatile rap record ended up charting at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA. The album’s lead single, “The Time Is Now,” forever became associated with Cena’s WWE persona, and the wrestling world as a whole. The song’s popularity has not waned either, and currently has over 15 million streams on Spotify.

Cena recently reflected on the single’s success in an interview on Club Shay Shay back in 2024.

“At the time, WWE was a rock and roll company,” he told host Shannon Sharpe. “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.’ 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.”

As part of the promotion for his debut rap album You Can’t See Me, Cena attended the 2005 VH1 Hip Hop Honors as part of his crossover into rap. At the event, Cena performed his hit single “The Time Is Now,” and got some serious support from rap legends like Snoop Dogg.

“This is Big Snoop Dogg on the WWE, and if y’all really want somebody to get their a— kicked, run up on my nephew right here,” Snoop Dogg told red carpet reporters alongside Cena. Jazzy Jeff also commended Cena’s “cross-platforming” and Ice-T gave him a shout out as well. The moment marked a serious achievement for Cena, who was viewed as a hip-hop outsider at the time.

Cena got the ultimate rap co-sign when he hopped on a 9th Wonder beat alongside Murs in 2006. “H.U.S.T.L.E.”, which appeared on the album Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition, gave the WWE superstar an undeniable amount of credibility in the rap space. Together, Murs and Cena trade bars about their grind and determination to make it to the top, and the moment showed haters that Cena’s foray into rap was more than just a statistical characteristic of Doctor Thuganomics. The collaboration was well received by both fans of wrestling and rap music, and cemented Cena as an authentic ally of hip-hop.

There are tons of great John Cena freestyles to choose from, but none are as impressive as the time he rapped in Mandarin. Cena had been learning Mandarin for several years, as part of his work with WWE’s global brand, and demonstrated his skills during a segment on WWE Raw in 2016. The short freestyle highlighted Cena’s dedication to connecting with his international fans in China, and showed his willingness to embrace multiple cultures.

Let’s not forget John Cena’s stunning heel turn at WWE’s Elimination Chamber event just this past weekend. In Toronto, Cena aligned with Travis Scott and The Rock to unleash a serious beatdown on WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. The surprising alliance, which included a viral slap from La Flame, again demonstrated Cena’s longtime support for rappers. While Cena wouldn’t discuss the shocking moment at the match’s press conference, The Rock commended Scott for his involvement.

“He wanted to get his hands bloody,” The Rock said of the Utopia star. “I whispered to him as he was going out. I said, ‘If you’re gonna get your hands bloody, make it count.’ He slapped the s—t of Cody tonight. He was really, really hyped up.”