John Cena used to rap, though it feels like a lifetime ago. In the 20 years since his debut album, Cena has become a household name and a successful movie star, no longer needing music to boost his fame. Still, he has a deep love for the genre. During a recent appearance on the *Club Shay Shay* podcast, Cena was asked to share his top four favorite emcees—his personal Mount Rushmore. His choices were surprising but logically sound (and no, Logic isn’t on the list).
Aware that his picks might stir up controversy, Cena acknowledged the potential backlash for leaving out certain rappers. "Everyone has their bias," he said. "I know the list is gonna incite riots, [but] we all have our bias, our favorites.
That's what makes music special." Despite his hesitation, Cena revealed his top four to host Shannon Sharpe, with New York artists dominating the list: Nas, JAY-Z, and Rakim. "But I was brought up in East Coast, boom bap," he explained. "I love wordplay, I love poetry. It's what I based my [WWE] character on."
His fourth pick? Eminem. Longtime fans won’t be surprised by this choice, as Cena has been an admirer of Eminem since the beginning. He even once hoped to collaborate with the Detroit rapper on a remix of his iconic theme song. "He’s one of the most gifted, prolific poets I’ve ever had the chance to listen to," Cena told *Esquire* in 2022. "I think if you gave him this music… I would like to think he would completely put me to shame by giving it his own Eminem touch."
Did you read this?
Although Cena is more famous for wrestling than rapping, he credits his rap skills with saving his wrestling career. On a 2023 episode of the *Whiskey Ginger* podcast, Cena revealed that his raps kept him employed in WWE. He recalled that Stephanie McMahon, daughter of WWE executive chairman Vince McMahon, was impressed with his rhymes and gave him more screen time as a result. "She was the head of the writing team," Cena remembered. "And she was like, 'Well, make something up about me right now.'" The rest, as they say, is history.
