Key Takeaways
- Feature spotlighting Ken Carson’s most creative WWE-inspired bars, showing how deep his fandom runs as he weaves wrestlers and wrestling lingo into his lyrics.
- The piece breaks down specific lines referencing John Cena’s “you can’t see me,” Mick Foley’s Mandible Claw, Steve Austin’s “Austin 3:16,” Jeff Hardy’s high-flying flips, and WWE’s “don’t try this at home” PSAs.
It’s one thing to say you’re a pro wrestling fan; everyone has apparently had a phase where they were glued to watching WWE at some point as a youth. It’s another thing to be such a fan that, as a rapper, you’re finding slick ways to flip your favorite pro wrestler or some wrestling terminology into a dope line. Complex cover star Ken Carson is one of those fans; when it came time to drop a Re-Rank, Ken wanted to give us his take on the best wrestlers of all time.
Don’t believe that Ken Carson knows ball? Guess we gotta prove it. With the release of his cover story—which finds Carson speaking about the term “underground,” his Opium family, and and making music with NBA Youngboy in Utah—we felt it was only right to take a look at Ken Carson’s best WWE references, featuring some of your favorite WWE legends.
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“Wheredoistart,” xperiment
Lyric: “Niggas can't see me, I'm Cena, this my villain's arc”
One of the Never Seen Seventeen’s greatest catchphrases was “you can’t see me,” so Ken flipping that to speak on how the competition can’t see him is a nice touch, especially when you couple it with the fact that, during Cena’s retirement tour, he finally turned heel.
“Gynecologist,” xperiment
Lyric: “Put a sock in it, Mick Foley / The stick made him scream, he like, "No, please"
Here, Carson is referring to the “Mandible Claw,” the finishing move WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley employed. While it didn’t start out as him putting a sock on his hand before sticking his fingers under his opponent’s tongue and pressing until they passed out, it morphed into that as Foley’s career in WWE evolved. Have a nice day!
“Xposed,” More Chaos
Lyric: “You ain’t did shit that you rap about, that boy a wrestler”
This is actually witty; Ken’s playing on the “kayfabe” aspect of pro wrestling, where a pro wrestler’s gimmick or character may have them saying or doing things they may not be about in real life, but have to be as part of the performance.
“Off The Meter (feat. Playboi Carti),” More Chaos
Lyric: “I'm fuckin' this bitch at 3:16 a.m., I feel like Steve Austin”
The promo that made Steve Austin famous happened thirty years ago after he won the 1996 King of the Ring tournament. Playing off of Jake Roberts, who at the time was carrying around a Bible to the ring, Austin said that while Roberts may talk about “John 3:16,” he told the crowd that “Austin 3:16 says that I just whipped your ass!” Use your own imagination there.
“LiveLeak,” More Chaos
Lyric: “You was gon’ die regardless, bitch, flip her, this a Jeff Hardy stick (Huh, huh-huh)”
In this lyric, Ken’s using wrestling references to speak about his tool. Jeff Hardy, one-half of the famous Hardy Boyz, was known to take to the top rope and do all kinds of flips and dives; his finisher is the Swanton Bomb, which is essentially performing a front-flip off the top rope and landing on your opponent. In this line, Ken’s saying the stick will make you flip like Jeff Hardy.
“margiela”
Lyric: “I’m really livin' that life, it's not WWE, don't try this shit at home”
This is a warning shot to whoever from Ken that he’s really about what he’s speaking on. It plays off of a real WWE PSA that would air highlighting the injuries WWE Superstars go through in their profession in an effort to encourage youngsters to not risk their lives attempting to do what they see on WWE TV.
“Rockstar Lifestyle”
Lyric: “Like a wrestler, I'm 'bout to hit this bitch with my finishеr / Fatality, Mortal Kombat, yeah, I'm endin' her”
Like in Mortal Kombat, WWE Superstars employ signature moves that are meant to put their opponents out for a final three-count. Think the Undertaker’s Tombstone Piledriver or Triple H’s Pedigree. Those are finishers; just don’t put your significant other in the Pedigree or any of these maneuvers.
Just like WWE—and Ken Carson—said, don’t try this at home.
