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It’s funny just how Ric Flair’s wrestling persona mirrors a rapper’s guise.  His NWA/WCW days were all about what he had, how he has it, the women he gets, and how great he is.  Doesn’t that sound like 50 Cent, Kanye West, or DJ Khalid (who has a label called We The Best)?  Rappers always say that they are using their songs to mimic the things they have seen throughout their lives and in their particular neighborhoods, but could it be true that everyone is just copying the original gangster known as Ric Flair?

Hip-hip didn’t come around until the 80’s, and at first started out as the foundation for break dancing.  It has now morphed into a “Look At Me” center for egotism.  A lot of people get disgusted when this behavior is portrayed by rappers, but the same behavior is applauded when done correctly by a sports entertainer.  That is one of the hidden gems of professional wrestling:  Egregious behavior is beautiful when done correctly.  No one has ever done self-aggrandizing better than Flair.

This leads me to my greatest evidence that Flair’s wrestling character is no different from a modern-day hip hop artist.  On September 17, 2013 the Rick Ross-led Maybach Music Group released the album, ‘Self Made Vol. 3’.  The beginning of the song Bout That Life (by Meek Mill feat. French Montana, K Kutta, Torch & Iceberg), Flair can be heard spouting a familiar, yet never boring promo shtick…

It’s so hard for me to sit back here, in this studio,

Looking at a guy out here hollering my name

When last year I spent more money on spilt liquor

In bars from one side of this world to the other, than you made

You’re talking to the Rolex wearing, diamond ring wearing, kid stealing (WOO!)

Wheeling dealing, Limousine riding, Jet Flying, son of a gun

And I’m having a hard time holding these alligators down…

LOL!!  How great is Ric Flair?  The only thing missing there was his infamous comment about Space Mountain.  Sometimes, printed word can’t do the type of justice that video can, so I have included this promo for your viewing pleasure.  (The actual words used in this song starts around the 1:34 mark.)

I know this is just a continuation of the same spiel his been spewing throughout his career but so what!  It’s amazing!  This particular passage fits perfectly with this rap song.  I mean, Flair is simply playing a character, but in reality most rappers are too.  You don’t even have to love this music genre to enjoy this particular song.  I personally enjoy just listening to Flair’s opening a dozen times and just moving on to the next song.

There has been a lot of Flair news lately:  He kicked off WWE’s Old School Raw, was in the middle of a 49ers/Panthers NFL controversy, and had a contempt of court outstanding warrant in North Carolina.  According to FOX Sports, Flair has received death threats because of his pregame speech to the San Francisco 49ers.  It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the Nature Boy, but that’s just the way life goes when you are a wrestling icon with the charisma of Liberace, Bill Clinton, and Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Lion, whatever he is calling himself these days) combined.

In truth, I have no real reason for writing this post other than I love hearing and watching Ric Flair promos.  I loved what Maybach Music did with Flair’s promo.  It is properly placed and effectively accentuates the point of a song that otherwise would have no real unique characteristics.

In the video below Flair explains where some of his promo and wrestling persona stuff actually comes from; it’s sports entertainment gold…

[amazon_link id=”B0000DIJOW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]WWE: The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection[/amazon_link]

[amazon_link id=”B0009E32TI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]WWE: The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the ’80s[/amazon_link]