Fans Drag Swerve Strickland for Dissing John Cena’s Rap Skills

Swerve Strickland took a shot at John Cena’s rap career — and fans wasted no time firing back in a big way.

During a recent appearance on the Kings of the Ring Podcast, the AEW star reflected on wrestlers who crossed into hip-hop and brought up Cena’s 2005 album You Can’t See Me. While Strickland acknowledged that Cena had some skill on the mic, he suggested the former WWE Champion didn’t fully understand what he had: “It felt like a persona… It was a skill he had but he didn’t understand what the skill was.”

Actor and rapper O’Shea Jackson Jr. responded on Twitter and explained why Cena’s rap persona resonated with audiences at the time. According to him, the reason Cena’s music worked was that it felt authentic rather than forced.

“Black people we quickly try to filter who’s laughing with us and who’s laughing at us. But there’s a reason why John’s shit worked. John was dope. It wasn’t a character. WWE tried to make it a character. I was a Rock guy and even I loved the Dr of Thuganomics.”

Another fan pointed directly to Cena’s commercial success and reputation within the culture, arguing that his track record speaks louder than Strickland’s criticism.

“Mind you John Cena has a DIAMOND ALBUM.. Cena is on record saying while he understands the rebellious nature of hip hop, and that he respects the culture by giving credit. Swerve’s most famous rap lyric is ‘She was black and ugly.’”

Some responses kept things simple by comparing the two performers directly — and they weren’t exactly siding with Swerve: “John a better rapper than swerve is the funny part lol.” Another critic went further and suggested Strickland’s comments came from jealousy rather than honest criticism.

“Swerve is so jealous of John Cena. It's f****** hilarious 😂. He has none of the ability John Cena has and he isn't the good guy everyone says Cena is. So, f*** you Swerve 😂.”

Bottom line — Swerve’s take on John Cena’s rap career clearly struck a nerve, especially with fans who grew up during the Doctor of Thuganomics era.