Rappers Who Should Absolutely Guest Host on WWE RAW
There’s literally no better time for the worlds of wrestling and rap to collide.
Editor’s Note: This article was written in early December during the influx of Guest Hosts on RAW after The Authority’s brief (and I mean brief) departure. If references seem dated, just revert your mind to the small period after Survivor Series where hundreds of possibilities were opened and TLC(S) when all hopes and dreams were crushed by one of the worst events in WWE History. Cool? Cool.
We’re currently in that lull period of the year after Summerslam and before the Royal Rumble where very little feels like it’s happening. They aren’t building up to the biggest event of the summer and we’re still a couple months away from the Road to Wrestlemania, so it feels like everything’s moving without a destination. Without a doubt WWE’s feeling the heat from the slump in ratings this season, with record-low viewership this quarter. This of course has brought back the dreaded celebrity guest host shtick to RAW that was featured heavily in 2009 and 2010.
Over the last couple of weeks we’ve seen appearances from Jerry Springer, NeNe Leakes, Grumpy Cat, and Larry The Cable Guy — while somewhat entertaining in their own right, none on the cutting edge of relevancy in mainstream pop culture.
But what if hip hop finally found a place on RAW? Over the last couple of years, WWE is slowly (and I mean at a snail’s pace) realizing that rock music is dead, and their soundtracks/theme songs are going to have to start switching up the sounds. In the last year we’ve seen them feature a bit more hip hop in their programs, especially on the WWE 2K15 soundtrack which features Wiz Khalifa, B.o.B, Future, Nas, Flo Rida, and the return of rapping John Cena.
Vince McMahon, let me the heavy lifting for you and line up 10 rappers who should absolutely guest star the longest running weekly episodic television show in history.
Birdman
Off the bat, this absolutely needs to happen. Over the last twenty years, Birdman has evolved from one-half of the Big Tymers (alongside Mannie Fresh) to a full-blown financial figure in hip hop. If he isn’t topping the Forbes charts, he’s at least in the Top 5 with a net-worth of at least 9 figures.
Beyond his bank account he’s become the flag bearer for “boss shit” in hip hop, leading one of hip hop’s most profitable record label with Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and Drake on the roster. His infamous hand-rub has become as immortal as Hogan’s ear-cup to the fans, and his co-signs are as strong as Jimmy Hart’s in the 80’s & 90’s. It’s easy to say he’d be a perfect candidate to host RAW. Just imagine Birdman being introduced on RAW (awkwardly by Michael Cole) to doves flying from off-camera, and sonning The Miz by throwing an exploding wad of cash in his “moneymaker”.
If there’s any petition to get anyone on this outrageous list on RAW, please let it be Birdman.
Migos
In 2014, better-than-The Beatles group Migos snapped a photo with Randy Orton at an airport, and a viral phenomenon was born. #MigosOrton is more than a hashtag, it’s a movement combining the worlds of hip hop and professional wrestling. The worlds of the young, flashy Migos and the seamlessly splendid stunt of the former 12-time World Champion, Randy Orton.
Migos don’t even have to be a major part of RAW (as they probably shouldn’t be), just have the worlds of Migos and Randy Orton collide one more time for a never-ending worldwide trend of #MigosOrton.
DJ Khaled
We’re reminded by previous appearances from Jon Heder & Jeremy Piven (and to a less extent, K-Fed) that all guest hosts don’t have to be beloved, and that’s where DJ Khaled comes in. DJ Khaled is undeniably a force in hip hop, capturing multiple summers with hit records like “We Takin’ Over”, “I’m On One”, and “No New Friends”. But the RAW audience is about to learn, just like hip hop fans know, that DJ Khaled can sometimes be a little… much.
I imagine Khaled could fill RAW up with his headstrong ad-libs and shameless plugs of albums and features until fans absolutely despise him. If you grant him the power to create matches, he could very well take the credit for his favorite team. Imagine a normal tag team match announced as DJ Khaled featuring The Miz and Damien Mizdow vs. The New Day. He could be so bad, that he’s actually good, and fans would respect him 10x more for that.
Rick Ross
Rick Ross has earned the distinction of one of the most high-profile acts in hip hop, hovering around the heights of JAY Z and Kanye West in terms of overall presence..
However, Rick Ross never breaks kayfabe. From the time the camera hits him to when the red light goes off, he’s one of the most untouchable bosses and that’s a character that’s got to thrive on Monday Night RAW. While his acting experience is minimal (as the rest of his list), let the boss make some power moves and matches on RAW. Hell, he could even get in on the action. Ross standing face to face with “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry (who could make an argument as the biggest boss that you’ve seen thus far), and shoving him down to the ground (with a little help from The New Day) would make headlines around the country. Moze Definitely.
Bobby Shmurda
Bobby Shmurda has emerged in 2014 as one of hip hop’s most notable breakout act, blasting to the moon with the viral sensation/Top 10 hit “Hot Nigga”. It’s unlikely that WWE would go for an artist whose last name is Shmurda, nor whose single is named “Hot Nigga”, but here’s WWE’s opportunity to capitalize on a viral smash before it becomes older than dirt, as well as associate with a rapper who isn’t Flo Rida.
Imagine Bobby Shmurda coming to the aide of The Bunny who’s being pushed around by the (hopefully) heel Adam Rose, after a tag team match with The Usos, and runs him off. The segment closes with The Bunny, The Usos and Bobby Shmurda Shmoney Dancing in the ring with the rest of the RoseBuds. Of course Michael Cole will probably off at the announce table embarrassing himself by trying.
Wale
Wale has the distinction of being one of the genre’s most popular MCs. with Grammy nominations and chart-topping singles under his belt. But what sets him apart from the rest of the rappers on this list is that he’s actually enamored with the current WWE product. He’s one of the only rappers you can catch ringside at a WWE RAW event or even watching with a sea of celebs at Summerslam, just don’t start popping off in his mentions or else.
It would be a great moment for the Verizon Center, Wale, and WWE to feature DC’s prodigal son Wale guest host an episode of RAW to overwhelming support from his hometown. Perhaps a run-in with Erick Rowan would suffice, or supporting The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods) ringside in their efforts for the WWE Tag Team Titles.
Kanye West
I don’t know how to explain this but: I can’t see this happening, but you can totally imagine this happening, right?
Kanye West is in the upper echelon of hip hop and a major influential figure in entertainment, so why is it so hard to perceive him hosting RAW? Quite frankly, he may be too big for RAW.
But if Kanye West hosted RAW, the entire RAW set would be re-designed by Virgil Abloh to something of Yeezus Tour proportions just to set the stage for his arrival. RAW would be flipped upside down with a new ring design, different lighting, and probably wouldn’t feature any announcing in order for the action to speak for itself. Minimal, yet powerful. It’s the exact opposite of the bombastic, show-business mind state of Vince McMahon. Let’s just change the name right now to ‘RAW is Yeezus’.
Action Bronson
Forget Action Bronson as a guest host, get him in the ring. Action Bronson’s one of those talents that could actually be a performer in the ring, if he decided to ever retire from rapping and become a professional wrestler. He’s got the undeniable charisma, wit, and comedic timing of a veteran entertainer, and he’s surprisingly one of the more athletic big men we’ve seen…ever.
It would be great to see Action Bronson join Daniel Bryan in his bearded crusade against Bray Wyatt for a night, only for Bronson to take Wyatt down with his patented stage-rushing-fan toss/suplex/torture rack. And then he drags Michael Cole from across the announce table and STO’s him too. BRING BRONSOLINI to RAW.
Wiz Khalifa
Wiz Khalifa seemingly has a strong relationship with the WWE, featuring his songs at pay-per view theme songs (“We Own It” at Royal Rumble 2014), debuting his music videos (“Shell Shocked”), and being a major part of the WWE 2K15 soundtrack by dragging John Cena bars back from the dead.
The lovable stoner may be too skinny to get into any action that would be believable, but there’s a bit of tongue and cheek comedy could pull off with Khalifa being the most notable weed head of this generation. Imagine if Heath Slater and Titus O’Neil is searching backstage for Wiz because he’s a threat to their precious airtime on RAW (hey, comedy squashes are still airtime on RAW), and when they get to his dressing room they’re met with a huge cloud of smoke. Out comes Wiz Khalifa, who says that he’ll be in the corner of an opponent for Heath Slater. The opponent? None other than Rob Van Dam (it writes itself ladies and gentlemen). What are the odds of WWE acknowledging weed on TV with their strict Wellness Policy? None. But a man can dream for top-notch entertainment. Right?.
Wu-Tang Clan
Fun fact: The same year that the Wu-Tang Clan dropped ‘Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)’, was the same year that WWE RAW debuted on the USA Network. And they’ve become staples of their respective industries.
As Wu-Tang Clan are in the midst of dropping their latest collective album, A Better Tomorrow (December 2nd) how incredible would it be for the clan to guest host Monday Night RAW. Surprisingly with all of these guys being a product of the 60’s & 70’s (wow, they’re getting up there huh?) we don’t see them getting too physical. Let the Wu-Tang Clan get behind WWE legends like Sgt. Slaughter, Bruno Sammartino, Jerry “The King” Lawler or Ric Flair against the likes of a Tyson Kidd or Fandango to show them that the Wu-Tang Clan and WWE legends aren’t nothing to fuck with.
