It's not just Cleveland's own rappers who have cause to reference our fair city, rappers from all over the world have given us a shout-out. Here are our top picks for the best hip-hop songs to feature Cleveland in their lyrics.
It's not just Cleveland's own rappers who have cause to reference our fair city, rappers from all over the world have given us a shout-out. Here are our top picks for the best hip-hop songs to feature Cleveland in their lyrics.
The members of Odd Future may all be currently working on separate things, but there was one time when ringleader Tyler the Creator threw Cleveland a quick shoutout on this Mellowhype track. "My n**** Brain Leftin', O-high like Cleveland."
On this track the rapper does name drop Cleveland, but he's referencing Cleveland Avenue in Atlanta, where he's from. However, Young Thug follows it up quick with a Kyrie Irving reference rapping, "I'm on Cleveland like I'm Kyrie Irving/Same place I caught my first STD."
"Purple Coming In" is a reference to Future's love affair with lean (a purple, prescription-strength cough syrup-based drink), and it follows him where ever he goes, including Cleveland. "I sip out my cup and I need it/I grew up in the rut and I seized it/Sip the four of that Tuss' out in Cleveland."
Slum Village, the hip-hop group across the lake from Detroit, is known for having one of the most influential producers in the genre, J Dilla. While Dilla split from the group in 2001 a pre-megastar Kanye West takes over the production duties and even has a verse on “Selfish.” It's an ode to females across the Globe. Elzhi raps and thanks, Jonetta from Cleveland for “some good head” in her Jetta. (Clever).
Ohio is unofficially the adopted home of Harlem rapper, Cam'ron (he owns a nightclub in Columbus). He's name-dropped plenty of Ohio cities throughout his discography, but "Get it in Ohio" is where he talks about the state the most. Rapping about supplying drugs to the different cities. While Cleveland isn't mentioned in this track the rapper does reference LeBron saying, "And in Akron, my n****s they would throw things/Not King James, these were coke kings."
King Chip recognizes his Cleveland roots on this Freddie Gibbs cut. The rapper, formally known as Chip tha Ripper, talks about how cold CLE can get in the winter rapping, "Cleveland n****, wintertime I catch a flight to somewhere sunny/Come to visit."
On “B.O.B.B.Y.," the Wu-Tang leader, RZA, takes a stab at Indians fans saying, "Stalked like a tomahawk, Indian bitch you get scalped/Like a ticket sold in Cleveland, you feel me in." The scalping here is referencing both the scalping of someone's head and those who illegally sell tickets at a higher cost, "like you might see at a Cleveland Indians game," according to Genius.
