“We lived like Bob Hope.” - Arn Anderson

The other day I saw news that “The Nature Boy” Rick Flair of 80’s professional wrestling fame was coming out of retirement to wrestle Hulk Hogan in Australia. This is possibly one of the worst ideas in the history of a sport wrought with bad ideas.  I can’t say I really even remotely pay attention to wrestling anymore, but I do know it’s an occupation best undertaken by young dudes who are ‘roided out of their face and have no problem performing choreographed homoerotic ballet for thousands of people. It is not the place for grandpas to karate chop each other’s flabby jiggly chests. Eghck! - Pusha T®

That bad idea however, does not nullify the over the top amazingness of 1980’s Rick Flair. Flair was the prototypical 80’s bad guy in wrestling, he was a consummate showman and one of the best ever at “talking a lil shit” as The Birdman would say.  Flair’s character (which seems to be an exaggeration and indulgence of his actual personality) postured himself as a self aggrandizing, child of privilege and international playboy.  “I can’t help that I’m custom made…” pretty much sums up his mission statement for the character. In the above clip we get to see a Behind The Music style look at the life of The Four Horsemen (The Beatles to Flair’s John Lennon), featuring copious amounts of shit talking, fancy cars and beautiful ladies.

The thing that I find interesting about this clip is how the lifestyle that they say they lived as The Four Horsemen so closely resembles the life that rappers talked about having in the late 90s.  Tully Blanchard in the clip talks about how they preached “a lifestyle, a  doctrine” of behavior, which was most likely a reflection of the air of excess that was prevalent in all of 80’s pop culture but also serves as a blueprint for alot of late 90’s rap music. The nature of their rhetoric is so eerily close to that of seminal rappers like The Cash Money Millionaires, Jay-Z & Notorious B.I.G that I can’t really believe its entirely coincidental. I know it’s easy to say “Son, nouveau riche is nouveau riche. That game don’t change“. If we look at chronology of Flair and The Horsemen, they were wrestling at their prime throughout the 80’s. If we look at Jay, Biggie and Cash Money, those dudes were all poor kids in the 80s who serve as the perfect unwitting acolytes to Flair’s cult of personality.

But you don’t have to take my word for it…

“Can we get a picture here of that watch? Arn you’re really living the life, baby.
Check that watch, check that lil time piece baby…” - Tully Blanchard
VS.
“…[Baby] I look at you at least ten million form your head to your feet. What’s your Rolex like?
[Mannie] I mean.. it’s shinning, it’s big. It’s official big…
[Baby] …That’s beautiful, baby.”  - Mannie Fresh & Baby: Chopper City Intro

“…I got a real big house, on the big side of town…” -  Rick Flair
VS.
“..house real big, cars real big, dick real big, everything real big…” - Mannie Fresh:Real Big

“…you’re the richest and the best and you talked about it…” - Tully Blanchard
VS.
“…worth about a millie on a silly night/ on the really, I’m worth about a hundred millie on a rainy night../
Playboy, and my game be tight…” - Baby: Money & Power

“…I’m surfing in Hawaii, I’m down in Myrtle Beach laying in the sun.
I’m driving around in one of my two Corvettes or speeding across the inter-coastal in my Danzi 29.
WOOO!” - Rick Flair
VS.
“…When I’m in L.A. the six-four is ill/ When I’m in the A-T-L it’s the Coupe DeVille
When I’m down in Miami, I’m hoppin through/ With the all black Ninja with the sock over my shoe” - Jay- Z:Lobster & Scrimp

I know what you’re saying “Correlation doesn’t indicate causality, dude. I don’t believe you, you need more people.” Well then I provide these more recent examples to acknowledge the omnipresent influence of The Horsemen.

“…Lex Luger¹ narcissist/ the mirror gets excited…” - Wale: Look Up In Da Stars

“…Lex Luger¹ flexin’, Schwarzenegger flexin’
Rap game in The Torture Rack, Im flexin’ like a Mexican..” - Gucci Mane: Flexin

Check this bonus video of Ric Flair talking about some magnificent times as a member of The Four Horsemen.

¹ Lex Luger was a later day member of the Four Horsemen, at times he was known as The Narcissist with his signature move The Torture Rack. I have no idea why Gucci associates flexing with Mexican people.

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