If you're an avid wrestling fan, it's possible you've argued over the best wrestling themes of all time. The usual suspects—such as the iconic tunes that accompanied Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Goldberg, Bret Hart, and Chris Jericho—are revered as some of the most recognizable songs you can rock out to in private or sweat to during an intense workout. Besides your typical gamut of rock themes, there have been a good number of rap bangers in rotation across the most prominent wrestling federations.
We have to keep it a buck, though; some terrible attempts at rap music have been created to amplify a wrestler's entrance and persona. Covering your ears in disgust might be the immediate reaction to the horrendous bops given to the likes of Cryme Tyme, P.N. News, Men on a Mission, and MVP. (Silkk the Shocker really thought "Like Tropicana, I got the juice" was a fire bar on "I'm Comin'.") Thankfully, there is a nice variety of solid-to-great wrestling rap themes you wouldn't be embarrassed to play in someone's ride when they confidently pass you the aux.
So, if you need some inspiration or validation, here is our ranking of the 15 best wrestling themes performed by a bevy of respectable rappers.
15."Oddities"
Performed by the Insane Clown Posse
Used by The Oddities
It was quite the time to be alive during the storied WWF's "Attitude Era," which spanned from the late '90s to the early 2000s. From the top of the card to the bottom, the WWF played host to a roster full of entertainers that made watching Monday Night Raw a weekly priority. One of the era's strangest yet wholly endearing gimmicks was The Oddities, a stable of off-the-wall characters perfectly suited for a circus. That colorful group of wrestlers included a large array of personalities, such as The Jackyl, Kurrgan, Giant Silva, Golga, Luna Vachon, Sable, and George "The Animal" Steele.
Thanks to their oddball behavior, they endeared themselves to the rabid fans in the arena whenever they galloped down to the ring, and the music that marked their arrival was the super catchy "Oddities" by the Insane Clown Posse. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, massive wrestling fans in their own right who’ve competed in the ring as members of the weirdo stable themselves, provided the perfect funhouse anthem for the group. "If you think you too good for us sideshow freaks, let me know / And I'm gonna whip smack your cheeks! Come on." The ICP has a penchant for putting out tunes that make their face-paint-covered followers go wild. Not only did they do that with "Oddities," but they also caused wrestling fans around the nation to bop in unison—even if they've never seen the freak show group before.
14."I Need Five"
Produced by Jim Johnston
Used by Big E Langston
Before Big E spread bundles of positivity alongside his New Day brethren Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, he spent his time dominating anyone unlucky enough to try him in WWE's developmental program NXT. The crowd in the Full Sail University arena quickly took notice of his overwhelming strength, recognizing his potential as a future WWE Champion (which he thankfully fulfilled as a notable career achievement in 2021).
To get his point across before even stepping through the ropes, this anthem, produced by legendary WWE/F composer Jim Johnston, made it clear that three seconds just weren't enough to satiate Big E's hunger for destroying his victims. Whoever is rapping on this mighty track understood the assignment and knocked it out of the park. The slower pace that accompanies this powerlifter-themed banger is hard as hell, and the infectious callout that starts it is inspiring. "Three ain't enough, man, I need five!"
13."What’s Up?"
Performed by R-Truth
Used by R-Truth
The man formerly known to many wrestling fans as K-Kwik switched up his name to R-Truth during the latter portion of his career. With that switch came a new theme that just so happens to come from the man himself. "What’s Up?" is an ear worm thanks to the callout chorus that the live crowd always belts out alongside "The Suntan Superman."
R-Truth put out some heat here and made sure to spit its most memorable bars whenever he trotted down to the ring. The beat may sound like it was made on a Yamaha Keyboard, but that amateur sound does little to negate the top quality of this exciting tune. Shout out to the funniest man in wrestling and one of the better rappers to have ever entered the squared circle!
12."619"
Produced by Jim Johnston
Used by Rey Mysterio
"Who's that jumpin' out the sky?" Well, that would be none other than the legendary luchador, who Cardi B is even a fan of, Rey Mysterio. Throughout his illustrious career, the master of the 619 has made everyone's jaws drop due to the incredible high-flying feats he pulled off during his runs in AAA, ECW, WCW, and WWE. When he finally debuted in WWE in 2002, he made a hell of a first impression on fans who were not already in the know. Before he locked horns with Chavo Guerrero, he shocked the world by popping right out of the bottom of the entrance ramp while a burst of pyro went off behind him.
And as he continued his entrance, this fire theme blared through the arena loudspeakers. Once again, Jim Johnston is the musical genius responsible for creating this bop, and whichever unknown rapper he put behind the mic for this one absolutely delivered the goods. We hope lil' Rey Rey breaks this classic theme out when the time comes for him to wrestle his final match.
11."Time To Rock & Roll"
Performed by Lil' Kim
Used by Trish Stratus
Some of the best things to have ever come out of Canada are Tim Hortons, Maple Syrup, Avril Lavigne, The Weeknd, and WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus. It was so fun watching the prototypical wrestling Diva grow from being nothing more than eye candy into a great in-ring competitor who put on epic bouts with Lita, Jazz, and Victoria. During the height of her career, Trish made her way to the ring while the unmistakable voice of Lil' Kim graced her with some triumphant bars.
This theme proved to be the perfect match for Trish thanks to some fitting lyrics that spoke of how far she had come in the wrestling business, her undisputed top spot among her peers, and how fierce she is as soon as the bell rings. Lil' Kim and Trish Stratus are a hell of a tag team, don't you think?
10."Psycho"
Performed by Mad One and Konnan
Used by The Filthy Animals
The super-lit trio of Konnan, an unmasked Rey Mysterio, and Billy Kidman (better known as the Filthy Animals) stuck out as one of the many highlights of WCW in the company's latter years. They had a bunch of dope tunes during their run as an unruly stable that was just too cool to hate, and the song that sticks out the most is the one with a super catchy piano string in the background.
Rapper Mad One slid all over this track and left us with some unforgettable bars that we still recite to this day. "I snatch the rabbit out your hat and choke it / I snatch the weed out your pocket and smoke it!" Konnan and Mad One’s "Bow Wow Wow" is also pretty hard in its own right, but although it's good, "Psycho" is the theme we'll always prefer to play at an insanely loud volume.
9."Here Comes the Money"
Performed by Naughty by Nature
Used by Shane McMahon
You can't help but feel like a bonafide billionaire every time the opening salvo of this theme starts up on your playlist. Shane O'Mac's infectious theme perfectly encapsulates his gimmick as the ultimate moneymaker whose profits are simply unmatched. New Jersey's own Naughty by Nature (composed of rappers Treach and Vin Rock) made the right move by joining forces with Jim Johnston—what a legend—to grace Shane McMahon with this excellent theme.
The bar, "Ching ching, bling bling, cut the chatter / You ain't talkin' money, then your talking don't matter," hits so hard; any discussions that aren't about adding more commas to our checking accounts are irrelevant. End the broke boy talk or you’re catching a signature Shane O'Mac Coast to Coast for your disrespect.
8."You Look Fly 2 Day"
Produced by Jim Johnston and O. D. Hunte
Used by Rikishi and Too Cool
If you played this theme at a wedding, we're pretty sure nobody would just stop moving; the party would get jumping even more! And for the people in attendance who can utter Rikishi's name without mispronouncing it, hearing this tune will make them lose their minds. This dancefloor-friendly song added so much to the presentation of the sunglasses-wearing Samoan and his two funky-fresh cohorts, Grand Master Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty.
One of our favorite occurrences during the Attitude Era was watching Too Cool break out into their famous post-match dance routine, which always brought the crowd to its feet. It was especially entertaining whenever that dance number included other wrestlers (the Hardy Boyz and Lita did their thing that one time, we gotta admit). We have to give all the props in the world to this unforgettable tune for getting us to do a nice little two-step in our living rooms and stunting on everyone while wearing our Sunday best.
7."Know Your Role"
Performed by Method Man
Used by The Rock
Question: do you still own your copy of the wrestling rap album WWF Aggression? While it wasn't the greatest collection of rap songs we've ever heard, it still holds a special place in our hearts because of the all-star assembly of MCs on it. Redman, Snoop Dogg, Ice-T, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and a bunch of other standout lyricists produced some of their hardest bars while spitting over remixed instrumentals inspired by Attitude Era themes.
One of the best tracks off that album that deserves its place on this list is the electrifying remix of The Rock's theme. Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man exudes the same level of cool that everyone associates with the "Brahma Bull" across this invigorating track. The Rock used this theme one time during a SmackDown appearance and it was one of the dopest entrances ever! Johnny Blaze never misses when it comes to delivering vigorous bars, and that's super apparent on this track.
6."Basic Thuganomics"
Performed by John Cena
Used by John Cena and and Tha Trademarc
Before John Cena fully embraced his destiny of being one of the biggest babyfaces the wrestling world has ever seen, he played the part of the unruly and oh-so-bold heel who used scathing freestyles to attack his rivals. You simply couldn't deny the greatness of the "Chain Gang" representative; anyone who has the "testicular fortitude"(shout out Mick Foley) to get in the booth and record his own theme song is one of the undisputed GOATs.
"Basic Thuganomics" is one of the toughest tunes Cena has ever made. It's clear that he picked up the mic with a purpose, as evidenced by bars like, "We dominate your conference with offense, that's no nonsense / My theme song hits, get your reinforcements." This theme embodies the early years of Cena that saw him knocking dudes out with a master lock chain, finishing them off with his signature FU move, and screaming "Word Life" to his haters.
5."The Time is Now"
Performed by John Cena and Tha Trademarc
Used by John Cena
If you still own that copy of WWF Aggression, then you probably also have Cena's better-than-expected debut LP in your album collection. You Can’t See Me came out during a time when Cena began staking his claim as the biggest WWE superstar and the most reliable face of the company. Not only was he holding down the fort as a WWE champion, but he was also finding the time to enter the studio and prove all the naysayers who doubted his rapping skills wrong. "The Time is Now" is the first track off Cena's only record and it's a hell of a way to get the ball rolling.
From 2005 until now, Cena has relied on this theme for good reason; it's legitimately a good song thanks to those celebratory horns and a chorus that almost everyone can recite from memory. All the memes about Cena being invisible, and those hilarious videos with that one dude shouting "And his name is John Cena," can all be traced back to this supreme wrestling theme.
4."The Kings"
Performed by Run-DMC
Used by D-Generation X
If you're a '90s baby, then you most likely got embroiled in the great fanboy wars that took over schoolyards everywhere: Sega vs. Nintendo, Pokémon vs. Digimon, Marvel vs. DC—these caused some of the most heated debates. For the young wrestling crowd, screaming matches erupted over which group (D-Generation X or the nWo) was better. The DX faithful proudly stood by the outlandish antics of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chyna, Rick Rude, X-Pac, and The New Age Outlaws. At the start of the2000s, DX became stronger than ever with Triple H at the helm as he reigned as the WWF Champion.
To mark the occasion, Run-DMC's take on the iconic DX theme became their new entrance song. Greatness ensued. The best track on WWF Aggression just so happens to be the first track on it: "The Kings." Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels crowned DX as wrestling royalty with a banger full of braggadocious bars. After some repeat listens, we could easily recite parts of it in our bathroom mirror. "The King of Rock, who? / That be my hobby and job / And when I come and bring the ruckus / Suckers duck and then dodge."
3."Wolfpac"
Performed by C-Murder
Used by the nWo Wolfpac
It's so refreshing to see wrestling be cool again. And that's due in part to the epic Bloodline storyline, Cody Rhodes finally "finishing his story," and the rise of All Elite Wrestling. Before this new wrestling renaissance came to be, fans had to go all the way back to the golden era of "Monday Night War" to reminisce about the good ol' days. Everyone and their grandmother tuned into WWF Monday Night Raw and WCW Monday Nitro since they were the hottest shows in town. The immense cool factor put on display by the men and women on both programs made them electric personalities.
In the case of the best stables, nWo's Wolfpac sticks out in our minds; the red-and-black contingent of Kevin Nash, Randy Savage, Konnan, Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig, Rick Rude, Lex Luger, Sting, Scott Hall, and Disco Inferno was, just like their iconic catchphrase, "too sweet." The fans knew they were about to wreak havoc once that wolf howl came over the loudspeakers and C-Murder started dropping bars warning everyone not to turn their backs on the Wolfpac. We still have our Wolfpac shirts in the closet and are always ready to throw up that hand sign because we have to let the world know the "Wolfpac is back causin' mass destruction."
2."Some Bodies Gonna Get It"
Performed by Three 6 Mafia
Used by Mark Henry
There was a time when Mark Henry wasn't regarded as the Olympic strongman he truly was; fans got used to watching him enter the arena to a sultry R&B tune that perfectly described his "Sexual Chocolate" persona. Thankfully, he ditched all that cornball behavior and morphed into an unstoppable force that was always eager to induct his victims into the "Hall of Pain."
During that legendary career resurgence, Henry's aura intensified thanks to the impressive lyrical stylings of Three 6 Mafia's DJ Paul, Juicy J, and Crunchy Black. The booming, haunting beat behind this song is perfectly in line with the terrifying presence Henry embodied when he grew his hair out and stopped being a punchline. "Somebody gon' get they ass kicked / Somebody gon' get they wig split / Beat 'em up, beat 'em up, break his neck, break his neck!" Three 6 Mafia and Mark Henry are the perfect pair—in our eyes.
1."Natural Born Killaz"
Performed by Dr. Dre and Ice Cube
Used by New Jack
Do you know how hard a rap song has to be to be played during the entirety of a match for the wrestler it represents? That's the case for Dr. Dre and Ice Cube's gangsta rap classic "Natural Born Killaz," which wrestling fans closely associated with ECW's maniacal New Jack. Once that blood-curdling cry from a helpless woman was heard throughout the arena, the hardcore fanbase for Paul Heyman's infamous wrestling company ECW came unglued; the person standing in the ring was about to get the beating of a lifetime.
New Jack took out all of his frustrations on everyone with the aid of garbage cans, hockey sticks, guitars, and whatever else he could get his hands on. This track easily earns the top spot on this list since it's an original song that wasn't even made for the world of professional wrestling. Paul Heyman just had the genius idea of using real music for his roster's theme songs and made the right move giving New Jack a West Coast classic. Next time you find yourself in a street brawl, embody New Jack's spirit by having your homie play this song as loud as possible while you put hands on whoever crossed you!
