John Cena just shook the hip-hop world by naming Eminem on his Mt. Rushmore of rap legends—and he’s calling out Slim Shady himself for a collaboration on a track!
WWE legend John Cena recently announced plans to retire soon. Although he has been part of the professional wrestling world since 1999, some fans may remember his brief rap career. In 2005, the Massachusetts native released You Can’t See Me, his first (and only) studio album. Eventually, Cena decided to take his wrestling persona in a different direction and abandoned rap altogether. However, the Suicide Squad star didn’t abandon his love for hip-hop. Recently, Cena named Eminem among his “Mt. Rushmore of hip-hop—” and that was his least surprising answer.
John Cena Wants to Work With This Rapper
Throughout his time in the spotlight, John Cena has been open about his admiration for the real Slim Shady. The professional fighter previously invited Eminem to contribute a verse to his WWE theme song.
“[He’s] one of the most gifted, prolific poets I’ve ever had the chance to listen to,” Cena told Esquire in 2021. “I think if you gave him this music rather than rehashing something he made for a specific beat, I would like to think he would completely put me to shame by giving it his own Eminem touch.”
Therefore, it’s unsurprising that the 16-time WWE champion considers the “Without Me” rapper among the best to ever do it. During a recent appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, host Shannon Sharpe asked Cena to name his “Mt. Rushmore of Hip-Hop.” Cena didn’t hesitate in his answer: “Jay-Z, Eminem, Nas and Rakim.”
“I know that list is obviously going to incite riots,” acknowledged the pro wrestler. “We all have our bias, we all have our favorites.”
He continued, “I was brought up in the East Coast, boom bap. I love wordplay, I love poetry. It’s what I based my [WWE] character on. So I think all that’s super clever.”
Jelly Roll Got to Collaborate With “Childhood Hero” Eminem
John Cena isn’t the only star to dream of an Eminem collaboration. For Jelly Roll, that dream came true when the country hitmaker contributed to “Somebody Save Me,” off the 15-time GRAMMY winner’s latest album The Death of Slim Shady.
The “Need a Favor” singer gushed about the experience in a touching social media post. “I always say my childhood hero’s lived somewhere between Willie Nelson and Eminem,” wrote Jelly Roll. “So you can imagine how I felt when I got that the call that Eminem would be sampling my song ‘Save Me’ on his new album.”
