The 50 Coolest Cars in Rap Video History

From one-off supercars to custom art decos to classic drop-top Chevys.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Cars in videos, whether they're full-length films, short stories or music videos are props. They're used to hold a place, represent something, and help tell a story. The type and condition of the car used will heavily determine whether the artist is trying to portray depression, oppression, succession, or celebration. In rap videos they typically stand for the struggle or rising above the struggle and sitting at the top, cruising in their lifted Impala on Daytons. We took a look at hundreds of rap music videos, scraping around for the best of these potrayals, and we've found classic Chevys, powerful super sports cars, rare customs, and a few special-in-their-own-right vehicles. See what Rick Ross, T.I., Curren$y, the Hot Boys, and Dr. Dre have beed driving over the years in The 50 Coolest Cars in Rap Video History

Related: The 25 Biggest Car Collectors in Hip-Hop

Related: 50 Rappers and Their Signature Rides

Related: 25 Most Iconic Hip-Hop Cars

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50. Mercedes-Benz C-Class

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Artist: Jay-Z
Song: Big Pimpin'

For a while, everybody and anybody wanted to be a "pimp," not in the literal sense (okay, maybe partially in the literal sense), but in the regard that you were the man. You held it down with women, clothes, and of course, cars. If the CL-Class held it down for UGK and Jay-Z, then that was the car everybody wanted.



49. Mercedes-Benz S550

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Artist: Wale
Song: "600 Benz"

Wale's "600 Benz" is an example of a song in which the car does not match the song. And although a difference of 50 on the model nameplate might not seem like a big difference, the two cars are drastically set apart. The S600 starts at $160,000, while the S550 starts at $95,000. The S600 has a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12, the S550 has a 4.6-liter biturbo V8. The S600 has 510 horsepower, while the S550 has 429. So, yeah, Wale, we did notice, and there is a difference.



48. Third-Generation Dodge Challenger SRT

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Artist: Wiz Khalifa
Song: "Mezmorized"

Sure, everybody reaaaally got to know Wiz Kahlifa and his Challenger SRT, thanks to the "Black and Yellow" phenomenon, but viewers actually get a longer, clearer look during this video. Just like the bright paint job, the car's engine is equally as loud and powerful, with a 425hp, 6.1-liter V8 kicking under the hood.



47. Hummer H1 Stretch Limousine

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Artist: Juvenile
Song: "Bling Bling"

These days Hummer Limos are equated with screaming 16-year-old girls taking 800 pictures all white getting glitter over every single possible surface. They're the vehicle of choice for high school dances. However, those are all H2s, the later, sissy models of the Hummer. Before GM tried to expand the brand, there was only the H1, and Birdman, Lil Wayne, and Juvenile stretched one out for a completely unique ride, at the time.



46. Maybach 57s

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Artist: Rick Ross
Song: "Maybach Music"

There really isn't anything exciting about a Maybach (see: why the company no longer exists), but the fact that they cost as much as mansions made them a symbol of exclusivity that an extremely limited number of people could afford. Rick Ross took this idea, purchased two custom-made Maybachs, and branded his music group with it, eventually subjecting him to plenty of "going out of business" jokes. The song below was just the beginning of the foundation for his empire.



45. Jeep Grand Cherokee

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Artist: LL Cool J
Song: "Back Seat"

The Cherokee might be one of the most plain vehicles on this list, but thanks to LL Cool J, Jeeps like this had an entirely new dimension. No longer were they purely for rough and tough outdoor excursions. Kids everywhere were now dreaming of a different kind of rough and tough play in the backseat, making Jeeps a hot item of choice.



44. Fourth-Generation Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

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Artist: Ludacris
Song: "Rollout"

"Where'd you get that matchin' 'Benz, with them windows tinted?" The silver SL-Class on 20-inch rims in the "Rollout" video was the perfect ride to match and represent that gigantic head of Luda's.



43. Ferrari 360 Spider

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Artist: Curren$y
Song: "Showroom"

Even pitted against the white Lamborghini Murcielago, the baby blue Spider kept drawing our eyes to the left side of Curren$y's garage showroom. The mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive V8 sports car used a ground-breaking all-aluminum chassis, making it lighter, faster and stiffer.



42. W123 Mercedes-Benz 300D

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Artist: Childish Gambino
Song: "Heartbeat"

The W123 (the chassis type) model took over for the W114 and W115 and became the best-selling Mercedes-Benzes in history at the time. The 300D, specifically, had a 3-liter, 5-cylinder diesel engine in it. The executive styling was the perfect choice for this strange video, in which Donald Glover drives around with his girl in the backseat.



41. Custom Beat Police Car

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Artist: LL Cool J
Song: "Boomin' System"

Everybody knows that the ladies will give you attention if your system is fly. That's a fact. That's why LL is riding around in his beat police cruiser trying to make sure everybody's bass stays all the way turnt up.



40. Cadillac Escalade

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Artist: Mike Jones
Song: "Still Tippin'"

After the Navigator passed (aka unwillingly had it pried from its cold, dead fingers) the torch to the Escalade, it became the SUV that every important had to be driving. Whether it was a band, a politician, or a rapper's crew, the Caddy SUV became the go-to full-size. Unlike Mike Jones, nobody had to repeatedly ask what? to know that the 'Lade was rolling through.


mike jones - Still tippin video uncut by czarc13

39. Lamborghini Diablo

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Artist: Birdman
Song: "Number One Stunna"

The Diablo is a special ride, in the fact that it was the first Lamborghini to cross the 200mph mark. Naturally, that kind of reputation is going to catch the attention of Birdman, who will go to any and all lengths to get a leg up on everybody with his whip game.



38. DeLorean DMC-12

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Artist: Rockie Fresh
Song: "Nobody"

Rockie Fresh knows the people at a shop in Chicago that makes DeLoreans, so he had no difficulty getting his hands on one for a couple of his breakout videos. The "Back to the Future" backstory that follows the DeLorean everywhere is a perfect fit for his futuristic electric light show.



37. Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster

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Artist: Young Jeezy
Song: "My President"

If you even remotely followed popular culture and the music scene, there's only one phrase that would follow the statement, "my president is black." Let me hear you say, "my Lambo is blue." The sky Murciélago in the video was even Jeezy's personal car, not some rented bullshit that many rappers pull together for their shoots.



36. 1970 Chevrolet Impala Convertible

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Artist: Young Jeezy
Song: "Put On"

The 1970 was the final year of the Impala, but in a video full of despair and struggle, this car was the single bright-shiny focal point. "When they see me off in traffic, they say Jeezy on some other shit," he raps. "Send them pussy niggas runnin' straight back to the dealership." Today this car might be considered a vehicle with classic long-bodied styling, but in its debut days, it was leading the pack innovative design.



35. Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé

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Artist: Rick Ross
Song: "Stay Schemin'"

We chose the Drophead Coupé for a simple reason: You can't get a convertible Ghost ... yet. Expect that to be coming within the next year or two, as the company's sales have been growing, and they're looking to expand the Ghost lineup even further.



34. Fisker Karma

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Artist: Rick Ross
Song: "So Sophisticated"

Using the Karma in the "So Sophiticated" video is a perfect example of what Fisker is trying to portray with this car. It's a car cool enough and sexy enough to make an appearance in one of the biggest rapper's music videos, yet it's advanced enough to be a representation as a "smart" choice.



33. 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS

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Artist: Chamillionaire
Song: "Ridin' Dirty"

Already a car with a cult-like following, Chamillionaire's custom '96 Impala SS became a symbol of what coppers singled out on the streets. It was flashy with its giant chrome rims, bright with its red paint job, and loud in more ways than the sound system. To many racist law enforcers, that was enough to pull somebody over.



32. 1983 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

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Artist: Afro Man
Song: "Crazy Rap"

If you can't sing along to the lines, "so, roll, roll the '83 Cadillac Coupe Deville," we give up on you. Go home. If you're already home, go into your garage. If you don't own a garage, go sit next to a tree and think about your actions. 



31. Second-Generation Pontiac GTO Convertible on Spinners

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Artist: Three 6 Mafia
Song: "Ridin' Spinners"

It's a little bit painful to see all of these classic cars tarnished with the 25-inch+ rims that are wrongly slapped on, but we still have the appreciate the heritage that the rappers have chosen to use. The second-gen GTOs got rid of the typical stacked headlights and moved to a flatter, more muscled look. You know, because spinners flex real hard.



30. Bentley Continental GTC

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Artist: Lloyd Banks
Song: "Beamer, Benz or Bentley"

Of the three options, we'd have to say the GTC is the most impressive of the video bunch. The 2010 model, which was when the song was released, had a 6.2-liter W12 with 552 horses. Not feelin' the luxury? Maybe try Joel Ortiz's "Nissan, Honda, Chevy."



29. Lincoln Continental

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Artist: Ludacris
Song: "Diamond in the Back"

Once you calm down your laughter at Ludacris' hairstyle in this video, please do take a minute to recognize and take a moment of respect for the car that he's sittin' on. Luda strayed from the typical Chevy choice and went with a late '60s Continental, which has all the chrome he could need.



28. Seventh-Generation Chevrolet Impala

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Artist: Big K.R.I.T.
Song: "What U Mean"

Along with people like Stalley, Big K.R.I.T. is a youngster that has developed a respectful appreciation for the finer crafted old-schools, like this heavily customized Chevy Impala. The blowers that are nearly higher than the windshield and the sparkling candy paint give this classic a clean, refreshed feel.



27. Cadillac Eldorado

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Artist: Rich Boy
Song: "Throw Some D's"

Back in '06 Rich Boy had the entire country collectively yelling at any and every Cadillac owner they saw to "throw some D's on that bitch!" Most kids didnt' even know what the D stood for (if you still dont' know, the song is referring to Dayton rims), but they were down for the movement, simply because the the Polow da Don-produced track was so ridiculously catchy. Rich Boy stayed true to form in the video, cruising around in the boats that were Eldorados.



26. Aston Martin DB7 Vantage

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Artist: Will Smith
Song: "Just Cruisin'"

You'd think a song dedicated to chillin' would feature one of the old-schools, possibly lowered with some Daytons and a shiny new grille. Not in Will Smith's world. He's driving what appears to be (damn you old video quality!) an Aston Martin DB7 Vantage. This might be the first time an Aston was featured in a video that wasn't a chase scene.



25. 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

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Artist: Nelly
Song: "Ride Wit Me"

Complete with a "Lunatics" license plate and cheetah print seat covers, Nelly was rockin' the Trans Am hard in his cowboy hat on the way to meet his homies. He even managed to pick up a fine-lookin' newly wed that got stranded on the side of the road.



24. 1962 Chevrolet Impala

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Artist: Curren$y
Song: "16 Switches"

The '63 was big, low-slung, and long, but the only other person Curren$y needed in the car was a bikini babe drivin' him around town. Of all the Chevys that he owns, this might be our favorite.



23. Ecto-1 Cadillac Hearse

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Artist: Mistah Fab
Song: "Ghost Ride It"

This is the car that started the entire trend, make that phenomenon, of ghost riding, and it's only right that it's taken to the literal sense with the Caddy hearse from the Ghostbusters. This might have been partially used as a literal joke, but we would have no issue driving one of thes on the daily.



22. 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass

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Artist: Dorrough
Song: "Ice Cream Paint Job"

We have nothing against the Cutlass. It's a great vehicle from a forlorn company. We just have one question. Why does he use this car, when the lyric is "Chevy tuned up"? That'd kind of being like if the "Inside Peanut Butter, Outside Jelly" song used a car with black leather and black paint.



21. Lamborghini Gallardo

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Artist: G.O.O.D. Music
Song: "Mercy"

The line in the song is "Lamborghini Murci, your chick she so thirsty." Murci meaning Murcielago. But in the video there is no Murcielago to be found. There's a Gallardo LP560-4, but no Murcielago. According to the director Nabil Elderkin that was due to time constraints, but c'mon, guys. It's Kanye West. He couldn't have made somethin' happen?



20. 1961 Chevrolet Impala

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Artist: Tupac
Song: "To Live and Die in L.A."

We don't think there could be a single better situation than a foursome of attractive women picking us up on the street in a bright yellow '61 Impala. This year Impala helped reshape the auto industry, introducing the Super Sport to the lineup, and even though the bat wing was gone, the rear still had that unique dipping deck lid. 



19. Third-Generation Chevrolet Corvette

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Artist: Mac Miller
Song: "Missed Calls"

If you're going to try to stop your ex from marrying some random new dude, there are few cooler cars to do so in than a Corvette. It's both a good way to impress and convince her and a good getaway for when the groom's family comes after you guns up. 



18. Lamborghini Aventador

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Artist: Lupe Fiasco
Song: "Around My Way"

Lupe Fiasco might be predictable in his way of speaking out against today's society, but one thing that always keeps us on our toes is his car game. He certainly loves his classics, like his Chevy Camaro, but he's stated that he's fallen in love with the lines of Ferraris. Priced at nearly $400,000, the Aventador is one of the pinnacles of super sports cars right now.



17. 1963 Chevrolet Impala

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Artist: King Tee
Song: "Let's Go Dippin'"

"More bounce to the ounce is what counts so I show it." Everybody knows Dre for putting his Impala on three wheels, but King Tee shows he knows how to get the engine lifted, as well. 

16. Bentley Azure

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Artist: Jay-Z
Song: "Hard Knock Life"

Line one, verse one of this song expresses what many people in the rap game are so proud of. "From standing on the corners boppin', to driving some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen," he says. A lot of rappers talk about how they used to have nothing, have come up through the rubbish, and now are worth more than the could have ever imagined. Cars, like Jay's Bentley Azure in this video represent that achievement. 



15. 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS

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Artist: Young Dro
Song: "Shoulder Lean"

We've got Camaros, plenty of Impalas and Corvettes, so there was no way we were leaving out the mean muscle of the Chevelle. Rather than Dro actually driving the car in his own video, TIP is there with the assist, rolling around in the drop-top Chevy. Don't act like you had one shoulder dippin' to this song with the other hand on the wheel back in the day. 



14. 991 Series Porsche 911 Carrera S

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Artist: Wiz Khalifa
Song: "It's Nothin'"

There comes a time in every man's life when you just have to go out into the desert with an extremely fast car, be a chief, kick up some dust, and push the throttle to the absolute limit. Wiz Khalifa recognized that. Have you? 



13. Chopped-Up Maybach 57

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Artist: Jay-Z and Kanye West
Song: "Otis"

To any car fanatic, the opening scene of "Otis," in which you see Kanye and Jay holding a blow-torch and a chainsaw walking toward a Maybach is both horrifying and sad at the same time. As the ultimate epitome of "sophisticated ignorance," the two rappers take a piece of machinery that cost more than $400,000, a work that was designed an built purely with the idea of precision and craftmanship, and completely destroy it. The result was an outrageous top-chopped, no-door, silver-trimmed, fire-throwing animal that was basically a piece of junk.



12. Ferrari 325 GTS

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Artist: Curren$y
Song: "Jet Life"

Never one to disappoint with the cars in his videos (that he actually owns), Spitta pulled out a classic Ferrari for this Big K.R.I.T.- and Wiz-assisted track. The 328 GTS was based on the 308 GTB and GTS, and launched back in 1985. 3-2-8 actually stands for the 3.2-liter V8 engine under the hood of the car.



11. Lamborghini Countach

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Artist: Yelawolf
Song: "Daddy's Lambo"

The entire video focuses on Yeller's plan to steal a hot chick's father's Lamborghini Gallardo, however, it's not until we get into the actual chop shop that we see a car that we truly desire. The mid-engined, rear-wheel Countach has one of the most distinct designs a sports car has ever worn. That should come as no surprise, considering it was built by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio, the same man that dreamt up the Miura. This V12 stunner was produced from '74 through '90.



10. Aston Martin V8 Volante

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Artist: Rick Ross
Song: "Aston Martin Music"

The V8 Volante has styling unlike another other Aston. We're with the kid that's passing up on the Vanquish and going for the more vintage look. . By the way, the "Volante" basically means convertible, which can get confusing in the Bond movie The Living Daylights, because they use a hardtop Volante.



9. Saleen S7

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Artist: 50 Cent
Song: "Candy Shop"

Some people watch the "Candy Shop" video and get boners looking at the fine selection of women that 50 was able to round up. We're stuck begging for more camera time for the S7 that we're drooling over. Seven liters, a twin-turbo V8 and 750 bhp will get us going every time.



8. 1969 Jaguar

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Artist: A$AP Rocky
Song: "Goldie"

Rocky is certainly never one to follow, as he's show by setting trends across the hip-hop boards. He had the same mentality in choosing his the car for the first official video off his debut album. "I wanted something old school, because I wanted to floss, but I didn't want to do it in a manner where I was like your typical rapper," he said. "I could have got a Lamborghini, I could have got a Ferrari, you know, but I said, 'F it.'"



7. Nissan Skyline GT-R R34

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Artist: Ludacris
Song: "Act a Fool"

There were five of these "GT-Rs" used in the film, but here's a little secret: Not all of them were actually GT-Rs. Some were actually the less rare GT-S models redesigned to look like GT-Rs. We're not sure which was used in the Ludacris video, but it'd make absolutely no sense to use the real thing. Still ... it's a Skyline. 



6. 1967 Pontiac Parisienne

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Artist: Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg
Song: Young, Wild and Free"

It's a damn shame to see such a beautiful car done up in an L.A. Lakers scheme, but it still doesn't detract from the fact that this is a rare treat to ever see one of these vehicles. The Parisienne was the top-of-the-line Pontiac in the '60s and '70s, coming standard with features like courtesy lights, trim moldings and chrome accents.



5. 1967 Yenko Chevrolet Camaro SS 427

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Artist: Stalley
Song: "Slap"

We could have put every single car from this video on the list, but that wouldn't really be fair now would it? A ton of rappers put SS Chevys into their videos, but Stally took it the an entirely different level with the Yenko.

When the Camaro first came out, restrictions held it from having an engine bigger than 400 cubic inches. So, Don Yenko of Yenko Chevrolet went ahead and took a 427 L-27 from a Corvette and dropped it into the Camaro. Only 54 cars of this specific year, rated at 423 horsepower, were produced.



4. Toyota Supra

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Artist: Ludacris
Song: "Act a Fool"

This exact Toyota Supra is THE car that introduced import tuners to the uneducated, non-gearhead public through the movie The Fast and the Furious. The car that Paul Walker destroyed in his race against Vin Diesel was a '93 and makes its appearance with the rest of the gang in Luda's 2 Fast 2 Furious anthem. Too bad Walker isn't the one driving it.



3. Maybach Exelero

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Artist: Jay-Z
Song: "Lost One"

Seeing Jay-Z step into the Exelero in this video is like watching a scene from the digitally enhanced movies 300 or Sin City. The car doesn't look real, and considering nobody ever sees the one-off, it's nearly on some fairy tale ish. "There once was a super sports car created by the ultra-luxury division of Mercedes-Benz that nobody could afford. A person referred to as the Birdman attempted to make the purchase but could not carry the weight." We think it'd start something like that.



2. 1964 Chevrolet Impala

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Artist: Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre
Song: "Let Me Ride"

There are few songs that have done more for the image of the Impala. The classic Chevy had already created its own lane as THE spacious, American family car to have, but Dr. Dre brought it to an entirely new level of respect on an entirely different block. "Ridin' in his four with 16 switches" was more than a car lyric, it became representative of the casual ride by.



1. Custom 1939 Lincoln-Zephyr Convertible Coupé

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Artist: T.I.
Song: "You Know What It Is"

T.I. raps that he's "probably riding in a car you've never seen in the states" toward the end of this track, and although it's true, people probably have no idea what this is, it doesn't have anything to do with being foreign. That's because this car isn't foreign, it's a Lincoln. Zephyrs were built starting in 1936, and quickly became the company's biggest seller. Although seeing this car these days is likely a once-in-a-lifetime chance, Lincoln actually sold 15,000 of these in its first year. Under the hood of the originals (this custom probably has a new block), sat enormous V12 engines with a little more than 100 horsepower. Now, when you see one of these with your friends, you can say you know what it is.



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