John Cena marked the 20th anniversary of his debut studio album, You Can’t See Me, by reflecting on his unexpected transition from professional wrestler to recording artist. The album, which was released in 2005, achieved Platinum certification, a rarity for musical projects spearheaded by athletes or wrestling personalities. Despite the commercial success of the record, Cena never released a follow-up LP, a fact he discussed candidly in a new interview with Tom Rinaldi.
In a clip released by Billboard to promote the full interview, which premieres tonight following WWE Raw, Cena joked about his unique standing in the music industry.
“Only platinum artists never have a follow up. Is that, right?” Cena asked.
When pressed on why a second album never materialized despite the accolades, Cena attributed the decision to his age and the specific energy required for the genre.
“It is a young man game, and I’m not in it anymore,” Cena stated.
Cena described the genesis of his rap career as unintentional, stemming from his dissatisfaction with the stock music originally assigned to him by WWE production. During his rise in the early 2000s, Cena adopted the persona of the “Dr. of Thuganomics,” a character heavily influenced by hip-hop culture who would rap insults at opponents before matches.
“The rapping thing was an accident,” Cena explained. “I listened to the music they played for me. I’m like, Man, I could do better than this. Wait, I could do better than this.”
He noted that the recording process was far more labor-intensive two decades ago compared to modern standards. Cena detailed how he leveraged personal connections to get studio time rather than using accessible digital tools available today.
“This wasn’t now where we have the technology of like, you can mix on your iPhone,” Cena said. “I had to go to a studio instead of like, I think my cousin knows a guy might be able to know a guy. And then we recorded Basic Thuganomics for like, 10 grand”.
Cena presented the finished product to WWE management, who approved it for use. “Handed it to WWE like, you just play this like, this is you? Yeah, sure, no problem,” Cena recalled.
The “Lost Tracks”
While You Can’t See Me features 17 tracks, including the hit anthem “The Time is Now,” Cena revealed that the recording sessions produced a significant amount of unreleased material. He estimated that dozens of songs were recorded but ultimately cut from the final project.
“There’s like 70 lost tracks of the album that never made it out,” Cena disclosed.
When asked if the existence of such a large vault of unreleased music “begs a follow-up,” Cena rejected the idea. He insisted that the editing process ensured that only the highest quality material reached the public, implying that the unreleased songs do not meet the standard for a new release.
“It does not,” Cena said regarding a potential second album. “I was able to shave off the ones that shouldn’t make it and give you the ones that should. And I’m lucky to get that”.
Cena also discussed the origins of his fandom for hip-hop culture, tracing it back to his youth in the late 1980s. He cited the rebellious nature of the genre as the primary draw for him as a teenager, even if his personal circumstances differed vastly from the artists he admired.
“My affinity for hip hop came to me through teenage rebellion,” Cena said. “It was rap music back then, and there was commercial rap, and in like, the late 80s, it started to be a voice of rebellion.”
Cena specifically referenced the music coming out of Compton, California, during that era, likely alluding to groups such as N.W.A. He acknowledged the disconnect between his suburban upbringing and the systemic issues addressed in the music but found a way to relate the anti-authority message to his own life.
“For a teenager, or a young adolescent, to hear that, regardless of what they were saying, and there’s no way I could go through the struggles of systematic racism in Compton,” Cena admitted. “But when someone says, the police, my parents are the police. Them like it was exactly what I needed as a teenager.”
He emphasized that the “bravado,” “strength,” and “truth” of the genre resonated with him deeply. “They weren’t holding back with anything they were saying,” Cena noted.
You Can’t See Me was released on May 10, 2005, by WWE Records and Columbia Records. The album debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200 chart and featured Cena’s cousin, Tha Trademarc. The lead single, “The Time is Now,” became Cena’s long-standing entrance theme and remains one of the most recognizable songs in professional wrestling history.
The album’s success coincided with Cena’s ascent to the top of the WWE card, as he won his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21 just a month prior to the album’s release. The platinum certification signifies sales of over one million units, a milestone that validates the crossover appeal Cena held even early in his main event run.
The full interview with Tom Rinaldi, which delves further into Cena’s career, the legacy of his music, and his upcoming retirement tour, is scheduled to premiere tonight immediately following WWE Raw.
@billboard John Cena sits down with Tom Rinaldi to talk his rap career, what drew him to hip-hop, and the “70 lost tracks” from his 2005 debut album. Full interview drops tonight after Monday Night Raw. #JohnCena #wwe #youcantseeme #rap ♬ original sound – billboard
