For the majority of a decade, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have been busy cementing their legacies as boxers, all while manifesting a near mythic pop culture status - established largely in part to their potential matchup.
The spectacle and grandeur of a highly anticipated prize fight is undeniable, and members of the Hip Hop community are highly aware of this. In fact, many performers themselves employ spectacle and grandeur as powerful agents to enhance their music. That is why it should come as no surprise that emcees of all kinds have used the ruthless aggression found in both “Money” Mayweather and Pacquiao, as well as the pageantry that surrounds their fights, as inspiration in their lyrics since the two fighters’ rise to prominence.
So, which rappers are inspired by which fighters? Can we use lyrics from some artists to calculate whether they prefer Pacquiao or Mayweather? Click along to find out.
Eminem - Manny Pacquiao
Rappers do a lot of hypothetical throne-protecting and/or belt-defending in their music, but only a select few resonate as truthful when doing so. Eminem belongs to that elite club, and so it’s only natural that he sees himself in Manny Pacquiao - a true, literal champion.
“You knocked me down, I went down for the count
I fell but the fans caught me and now
You're gonna have to beat the fuckin' pants off me to take my belt
Word to Pacquiao”
- "Asshole"
Nicki Minaj - Floyd Mayweather
The femme-fatale of Rap, Nicki Minaj, is always tenacious in her trademark delivery. It seems fitting that she took time in what is arguably her biggest hit yet, "Anaconda," to make reference to the also pugnacious Floyd “Money” Mayweather. I mean, with the right amount of jewelry and set of heels on, they’re probably about the same height and weight.
“He say he don't like 'em boney, he want something he can grab
So I pulled up in the Jag, Mayweather with the jab like
Dun-dun-dun..”
- "Anaconda"
Waka Flocka Flame - Manny Pacquiao
The enigmatic Atlantian is known for going “hard in the paint” but what about between the ropes and in the squared circle? Wacka took a featuring role in the remix of Will.I.Am and Britney Spears' track to take note of the sweet science of boxing, choosing Pacquiao as his point of reference.
“We party hard, we yell it out
Disrespect me, knock him out
Crack a smile, Pacquiao
Fuck the VIP, I’m in the crowd”
- "Scream and Shout"
GZA - Floyd Mayweather
Raekwon isn’t alone in the Wu-Tang Clan in his support of Floyd “Money” Mayweather. GZA is on board with the one-time Wrestlemania headliner, too. In "Paper Plates," GZA touts his friendship with the boxer and claims his at-bat record to be perfect, much like Mayweather’s fight record. Ironically, this track was a diss against Mayweather buddy 50 Cent.
“You ever see someone who roll with Mayweather
Rhyme like Ricky Hatton
Smash whatever you throw, 1000 is what I'm battin'"
- "Paper Plates"
Crooked I - Manny Pacquiao
Slaughterhouse, the Shady Records supergroup, features Joe Budden, the one time rival of 50 Cent (a dear friend of Mayweather). However it wasn’t Budden who “pumped it up,” so to speak, by choosing sides with the Money Mayweather rival on their track “Sound Off.” In this instance, it was Crooked I who referenced Pacman, finding a common ground with the Filipino fighter in their alleged 'illness.'
“You rappers chasin popularity by any means doin silly things
Buyin too many size 20 skinny jeans
The West treat me like I'm really king
I'm Pacquiao in the Philippines, illest thing them niggas seen
- "Sound Off"
Dizzy Wright - Floyd Mayweather
When it comes to displays of allegiance, Dizzy takes the cake here. While all these other emcees were busy making sly little analogous references to their favorite fighters, Dizzy Wright was busy recording an entire song in dedication to Floyd Mayweather. I’m sure the Vegas native will be there on Fight Night to put his money on “Money.”
Rick Ross - Undecided
Even though Rick Ross visited the Mayweather training camp, it wasn’t all too long ago when Ross was calling the controversial fighter out on tracks like Triple C’s “Go” and his own “Mafia Music”
“Creflo prayed, Mike Vick paid
Bobby Brown straight, Whitney lost weight
Kimbo Slice on the pad when I write
That Mayweather money lookin' funny in the light
But who really cares? We just throw it in the air
Celebratin' wealth, pourin' Moet in her hair”
- "Mafia Music"
Ross didn’t stop there, though. Not only did he title a song “Pacman” based on the similiarities he sees between he and the Filipino fighter, he also has referred to him as the world’s greatest:
“Put the coupe on a pair of Chuck Taylors
Bought the block, no Love for the neighbors
Top down, praying to my Lord and Savior
We on the floor, Pacquiao the world's greatest”
- "Shot Caller (Remix)"
So, even though Ross went on to squash the beef with Mayweather (on Snoop Dogg’s “I Wanna Rock” Interstate Trafficking Remix, Ross says: “Put that on this remix, bracelet cost me three bricks/ Squash that shit with Mayweather, I call that real G shit”) and has been a supporter of him in the recent months, his equal support of Pacman is still documented forever.
We’ll see where his loyalty lies come Sunday when a winner is declared.
Jay Z - Undecided
Jay Z lives at the height of luxury. So, it’s no wonder that he’s rapping about being ringside at Pacman fights and leisurely watching a Mayweather fight on an HD satellite feed while flying in a Mach jet. That’s just Hov’s lifestyle.
While some may think the verdict here is that Jay Z supports Pacquiao, since he’s close enough to Manny to nearly get his snot (or his victim's snot) on him, and alternatively chooses to watch Mayweather fights from his plane. However, it’s totally possible that the outcome doesn’t matter to Jay. He’s throwing an after-party for the fight with tickets priced at a costly $50,000, making it so that no matter who wins-- Jay wins.
“Now I'm balcony, Opera, Black Tux, Binocula
Black luxe, Stop it I shouldn't be so popular
Name keep poppin' up Face keep poppin' up
On the tube I'm just watchin' Pacquaio box 'em up
How would I know HBO would get a shot of us
Sitting so close that we almost got snot on us”
- "Thank You"
"I just landed in that G4-50
Caught the Mayweather fight 'cuz the satellite is crispy"
- "Light Up"