25 Hip-Hop Stars You Didn't Know Were Big Car Collectors
Cars and hip-hop culture have been linked since 1979 when the Sugarhill Gang released their single Rapper's Delight. Vehicles have been featured prominently in hip-hop songs, music videos, and album covers. Modern hip-hop artists are often attracted to cars that symbolize their wealth, and some now own a large collection of impressive vehicles. Here are 25 hip-hop stars who are also big car collectors.
Curren$y
Curren$y may not be the most prolific hip-hop artist, but his car collection more than earns him a spot on this list. He is obsessed with mid-1980s Chevrolet vehicles, owning the Corvette, Impala SS, Monte Carlo SS, and El Camino SS. He takes his love for vehicles to the next level, naming entire projects and songs after cars and featuring them heavily in music videos.
Fabolous
This rapper has been active since 1998 and has always been known for name-dropping vehicles in rhymes. Fabolous can be seen in a tricked out Jeep Wrangler and Aston Martin Rapid. There have even been rumors of him being one of the concept Bentley SUV's first test drivers in 2012.
Soulja Boy
Soulja Boy was, perhaps, the first hip-hop artist to have a song go viral on the Internet. He keeps his beloved red Bentley Continental close and has also been seen driving a Lamborghini Gallardo and an Audi R8.
Bow Wow
Check out #bowwowchallenge on any social media platform and see how performing stunts in other people's vehicles can go horribly wrong. Bow Wow may have once been known for his car collection, but now he just seems to pretend to have one in addition to owning a private jet.
Nelly
Nelly was a huge hip-hop artist from the year 2000 until the middle of that decade. He is known for his customized Ford Flex (modified by Funkmaster Flex) and his Mustang.
Wiz Khalifa
Like his friend Curren$y, who is also on this list, Wiz Khalifa has a passion for vehicles. Perhaps most known for his Black and Yellow Dodge Challenger, Khalifa also owns a Pontiac Bonneville and Chevrolet Camaro SS.
Jadakiss
Seemingly unfazed by his contemporaries, Jadakiss has his own style when it comes to cars, preferring the Acura/Honda Integra or Volkswagen Corrado. He has also owned several high-end vehicles, such as the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz CLK430, and BMW M6.
The Game
The Game should be known as the biggest car enthusiast in hip-hop as he holds the distinction of mentioning more cars in his songs than any other artist. His signature ride would probably be his Porsche Panamera, although he also owns a Rolls-Royce Ghost and a Ferrari F430.
T.I.
One of T.I.'s songs was featured in an early Need For Speedgame. However, after achieving success as a hip-hop artist, his cars and the lyrics he sings about them have evolved. The Mercedes-Benz SLR, Ferrari 599 GTB, and Bentley Mulsanne all have a place in T.I's collection.
Will. I. Am
Will. I. Am owns several custom vehicles that he designed himself. These include a Delorean knockoff and a truly unique 1958 Volkswagen Beetle. His most recent purchase, a highly customized Tesla, is a real eye-catcher. Will. I. Am is known for dropping lots of cash on modifications for his vehicles.
Diddy
Diddy has been known for singing lyrics about his cars and wealth for over twenty years. He is frequently seen in his Lamborghini Gallardo or Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. Diddy even bought his son a Maybach for his sixteenth birthday.
50 Cent
When 50 Cent made his hip-hop debut in 2000, he could be seen riding around in a bulletproof Chevrolet Suburban. Today, he owns several luxury vehicles, including the Lamborghini Gallardo and Murcielago, Ferrari F430, and Rolls-Royce Ghost. Many of his vehicles have been featured in his music videos and on his album covers.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg is all about his classic rides, which signify his love for low-rider culture and West Coast vehicle style. He owns a 1967 Cadillac Deville, Dodge Challenger, and 1967 Pontiac Parisienne Convertible.
Kanye West
West can usually be seen driving his black-on-black Lamborghini Aventador around Los Angeles. He also owns a Mercedes-Benz Mclaren SLR and an Aston Martin DB9. His song Mercy with label mates Big Sean, 2 Chainz, and Pusha T is about a Lamborghini vehicle and how it is a massive status symbol.
Jay-Z
Jay-Z has a massive collection of high-end cars. He even had a Bentley Azure convertible on his album cover for Hard Knock Life...Vol 2in 1998. Some of the vehicles he owns include the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Bugatti Veyron, Maybach 62S, and Ferrari F430 Spider.
Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne may have inherited his love for vehicles from his boss, Birdman, who is also on this list. Among the vehicles he owns are the Maybach 62, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Porsche Boxster, and Bugatti Veyron. Rapping for over twenty years for the same record label seems to have great benefits.
Rick Ross
Rick Ross is one of only two people who own the Maybach Coupe. Ross even has a label named Maybach Music Group, which hints at his love for high-end motoring. Although Maybach seems to be his car of choice, he also owns a Bentley Continental, a Rolls-Royce Ghost, and a classic 1973 Chevrolet Impala.
Akon
Akon has identified his unique Spyker C8 Spyder SWB as his favorite ride, and it is not hard to see why. Akon's vehicles are usually painted white and have matching white interiors and trimming. His Porsche Panamera is no exception.
Wyclef Jean
Jean has been active in hip-hop for almost twenty-five years and has collected some incredible vehicles along the way. These include the McLaren F1, the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Bentley Arnage, and the rare Pagani Zonda. However, cars are not the only vehicle Jean collects. He also owns a few custom chopper motorbikes from Orange County Chopper.
Flo Rida
Flo Rida broke records for digital downloads with his breakout single Low in 2008. Shortly after the single was released, he started purchasing high-end luxury vehicles. Flo Rida is known for rolling in a Ferrari California, Mercedes-Benz CL, or Bugatti Veyron.
Pharrell
Pharrell's car collection was featured heavily in his song with Snoop Dogg DropIt Like It's Hot. From this point onward, it became clear he was serious about cars. The Ferrari Enzo, Rolls-Royce Phantom, and hybrid GMC Yukon are just a few of the vehicles he owns.
Lupe Fiasco
Fiasco broke onto the scene with his single Kick, Push, which was about him skateboarding down the street. What most people do not know is that he is also an avid car collector. Along with some of his vehicles, he was the Ride Magazinecover story in 2012. Fiasco owns a large variety of cars and has also been featured in Maximand DUBmagazines.
T-Pain
A 2009 Forbes article reported that T-Pain owns thirty-two vehicles, making him a true gearhead. Just some of the vehicles he owns include the Ferrari F430, Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, 1972 Chevrolet Impala, and Mini Cooper.
Funkmaster Flex
Flex is known for his lifelong love of vehicles. His website even has a car section for other hip-hop and car enthusiasts to discuss great rides. Since 2005, he has also customized several cars for Ford prior to their commercial release. He may be the only artist or DJ to ever have a job as a car designer.
Birdman
Birdman's most popular vehicles have been the Bugatti Veyron, Maybach 62S Landaulet, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. When Lil Wayne was just sixteen years old, Birdman claimed to own fifty cars. Given the success of Young Money, he may, very well, own even more today.