While a large chunk of their lives is dedicated to racing, NASCAR Cup Series drivers also have personal lives and varied interests in life, contrary to popular belief. Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch recently gave fans of the sport an insight into his personal preferences, especially when it comes to rap music.
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Busch was asked by Jeff Gluck back in 2018 about who he thought was the best rapper alive at the time. The then #18 Toyota Camry driver for Joe Gibbs Racing replied, “This is like asking who the best President ever was. You get in a lot of trouble with fans these days and whose opinion matters most, which none of them do.”
After initial reluctance, Busch spilled the beans, mentioning his favorite artist, “My favorite of all time, which I’ve always listened to, has been Eminem. I enjoy listening to Eminem and kind of hearing what his take is. Obviously, he’s kind of graphic sometimes and a little bit dirty or whatever. But I know a little about Tupac. He’s obviously really good.”
Perfectly summing up Marshal Mathers, better known by his stage name Eminem’s style, Busch also mentioned one of the greatest prodigies in the world of rap and hip-hop music. Tupac Shakur, better known as Tupac alone is also one of the biggest names in the industry. The late rapper is known for superhit songs such as ‘Ambitionz Az a Ridah’ and ‘Keep Ya Head Up’.
Another NASCAR driver who is a die-hard fan of rap music
Embracing his love for rap music and the artist Gucci Mane, Mark Martin is one person who is not shy of accepting his fanboyism for the Alabama-born artist. The NASCAR Hall of Famer elaborated on the same during an episode of the ‘Rubbin is Racing’ podcast from 2022 and said, “I had one of the son’s friends ask me if I listened to Gucci Mane. I didn’t know who it was. As soon as I found him, it was crazy.”
“In my opinion, there is no one in the same zip code with Gucci Mane. If I rap, I would never do a duo with him. Every time he does one with anybody he just crushes them. This guy is unbelievable!” he further exclaimed.
Martin, who was featured on one of Mane’s tracks recently also spoke about how his affinity towards the famous artist has helped him understand and deepen his relationship with his fans. “It puts me in the shoes of race fans, you know, because these people have the power just like Antonio Brown has the power, and I have a little bit of power to make people’s life better,” opined the former driver.
Meanwhile, active drivers are on the lookout as the 2025 season inches closer with The Clash and the Daytona 500 approaching soon. It also remains to be seen whether any other NASCAR-rap collaborations make way for fans to cherish this year.
