Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was previously regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time before making a stunning debut in acting in 2002 which he’s stuck with ever since. He’s marketed himself in all types of business ventures and created a name for himself through all times of investments. But who would have guessed that a rap career would be next?
No, I’m not kidding. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has made his rap debut on the new Tech N9ne track, “Face Off” — from the new album, “ASIN9NE” — dropping a few bars at the end of the song. And while this wild announcement left audiences extremely confused, no one was left disappointed. But it definitely begs the question: how did this even happen???
A Jack of All Trades
It’s only fair that we go over Johnson’s achievements after his wrestling career because he really has done it all. Johnson’s first leading role in acting was as his titular character in the film The Scorpion King (2002), and has since starred in the comedies The Game Plan (2007), Tooth Fairy (2010), and Central Intelligence (2016); the action-adventure films Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012), G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), Hercules (2014), and Skyscraper (2018); the science-fiction films San Andreas (2015) and Rampage (2018), and the animated film Moana (2016). His role as Luke Hobbs in the Fast & Furious films, beginning with Fast Five (2011), has helped it become one of the highest-grossing film franchises. Johnson also stars in the Jumanji films and is set to portray Black Adam in its superhero film adaptation.
In 2016 and 2019, Johnson was even named by Time Magazine as one of the world’s most influential people because of his accomplishments, starring and producing the HBO comedy-drama series Ballers (2015–2019), co-founding the entertainment production company Seven Bucks Productions in 2012, releasing the autobiography The Rock Says, which was a New York Times bestseller in 2000, and holding his own personal ventures as a businessman with clothing, energy drinks, and tequila.
From Disney to the Rap Industry
While Johnson becoming a rap icon wasn’t exactly in the cards for most people, anyone who’s watched Moana in 2016 or The Game Plan in 2007 knows that Johnson has always had it in him to rhyme and rap. Many fans remember that the 49-year-old performed a rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” in The Game Plan, costarring Madison Pettis. And later on, in Moana, he sang the beloved theme “You’re Welcome,” which has since gone quadruple platinum. So what makes “Face Off” any different?
“Face Off,” the new single on Tech N9ne’s new album, “ASIN9NE” from Strange Music, also features Joey Cool and King Iso. The track marks a collaboration between the most successful independent rapper in hip hop and the biggest A-list actor in Hollywood.
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According to Variety, Tech N9ne knew he wanted a fighter to be featured on the track because he envisioned the song as a hype-up anthem that can be played in stadiums or at the gym, and what better person to do that than The Rock himself.
While the original vision for the song was to have Dwayne recite spoken words to close out the song, the actor brought his own energy, eventually writing a verse for himself and recording it in the studio amid the pandemic. That verse is also featured in a video promoting Johnson’s new collection of activewear in partnership with Under Armour called Outlaw Mana.
you just be doing stuff https://t.co/Zo2yop4uU0
— HOOD VOGUE is tired of poverty (@keyon) October 9, 2021
Overall, Johnson’s newest musical endeavor — as with his other side hustles, like his tequila and clothing lines — was well-received by fans everywhere. Many fans took to Twitter to discuss their surprise about Johnson’s debut, most of them poking fun at how Johnson does it all.
I’d like to believe that Dwayne fills a bowl with things to do at the beginning of the year, and then pulls from it once a month. https://t.co/K46BrCZpcm
— Dionne Warwick (@dionnewarwick) October 9, 2021
And there you have it. The man, the myth, the legend… what can’t he do?
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