Introduction
Regardless of where you stand on rap and hip hop — and let’s be real, you’re probably here because you’re a fan — there’s no denying that it was both an influence and an outlet for urban culture since the 1970s when it saw its first iterations come to fruition. MC-ing has been an influence to and influenced by poetry, while genres that developed from DJ-ing have gone on to spread to musical culture internationally. On the whole, the genre has provided the world loads of meaningful and prolific music, and with it, has brought some of the most fantastic names a potential dog-namer could ever ask for.
Rap Inspired Dog Names in Pop Culture
While few dogs seem to be able to keep a steady rhythm outside of wagging their tail or incessantly barking (and even then it seems a little off), one dog changed the face of video games and helped to cement the rise of hip hop-style music worldwide: PaRappa the Rapper.
PaRappa was the beanie-capped canine protagonist of the self-titled video game released for the original PlayStation back in 1996. Outside of its unique visual design that put two-dimensional paper-cutout-like characters and backgrounds in a three-dimensional space, the game claims something even more impressive, especially for its place and time: it is credited as the first true rhythm-based game.
In recent years, Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band all ended up so popular that they each saw subsequent numbered and themed titles follow suit (at least until game manufacturers buried the genre with over saturation), all of which were based on the rhythmic timing of hitting buttons first laid out by PaRappa.
Unlike mainstream rap of the time, PaRappa was upbeat and light, accessible to all ages (also largely thanks to having canine characters), and more importantly, was participatory, and even taught many of its players how to keep a beat (if they didn’t already), as well as complex rhythmic timing. As the game was written in Japan, the lyrical content was quirky at best, but in the long run, it seemed to add to the game’s overall appeal, especially since some of the lines in combination with the music were incredibly catchy.
It was quite well-received when it was first released and by the time sales began to die upon its re-release, it had already totaled 1.4 million copies worldwide. The next year, in 1998, it received awards for “Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design” as well as “Outstanding Achievement in Sound and Music”, which was not only a testament to its clever design and overall execution, but a signal that the continued rise of rhythmic genres like rap and hip hop were further cementing themselves in worldwide culture.
It ended up being so popular that it was also released on several more platforms including PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, and also had sequels developed in the years following. On top of all that, there was even an anime television series that was produced in 2001 and 2002 along with a short spin-off in 2016 that aired after the original game was re-introduced to PlayStation 4 owners through the system’s digital store.
Rap Inspired Dog Name Considerations
One of the best aspects of rap and hip hop is easily the unique and varied range of names that go along with artists and their respective groups (many of which already had to do with dogs). By example, one of the most famous dogs and rappers in the world happens to be Snoop Dogg (along with Lil’ Bow Wow, Nate Dogg, Tim Dog, and Pitbull), while many others possess names or use terminology that could be considered dog-related such as Run, Yella, Lab, and Scratch.
If you’re looking for a clever way to name your dog, start by making a list of their most prominent traits, as chances are you’ll be able to find something suitable to match them up with from this list or on your own.
For instance, if your dog happens to love running or sprinting, then Run, DMC, Simmons, Jay, and Mizell all work to play off of the group Run-DMC. If they tend to scratch themselves a lot, then DJ would be a great name, as they are always scratching (yes, pun intended). If they love to bark then Yella would be a great choice (especially if they’re yellow) the same way Eazy would be a great name for a laid back dog.
There are certainly plenty of ways you can play off the names on our list or come up with some of your own. Either way, you’ll be doing your dog and the genre a favor by paying tribute to each other with endless amounts of loyalty.
Male Rap Inspired Dog Names
Votes | Name | Vote |
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1 |
Prince
After Arabian Prince, a member of N.W.A
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1 |
Dre
After Dr. Dre, one of rap's most prominent and successful artists
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1 |
Tupac
After Tupac "2Pac" Shakur, one of the best-selling artists of all time
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1 |
Rakim
One of rap's most influential and talented MC's
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1 |
Ice
After Ice Cube, a member of N.W.A., rapper, actor, writer
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1 |
Andre
After Andre 3000 of Outkast, producer, actor, dancer, rapper
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1 |
Slick
After Slick Rick, one of the most sampled hip hop artists ever
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1 |
Method
After Method Man of Wu-Tang Clan
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1 |
Ghostface
A member of the Wu-Tang Clan
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1 |
Notorious
After Notorious B.I.G., known as one of the greatest rappers of all time
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1 |
Biggy
After Christopher George Latore Wallace, aka Notorious B.I.G., Biggy Smalls
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1 |
Quest
After A Tribe Called Quest, one of the most heralded and intelligent acts in hip hop
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1 |
Wu
After Wu-Tang Clan, considered one of the best rap groups ever
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1 |
Benji
A slang term for a $100 bill
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1 |
Bootleg
A variously-used term for pirated music, original songs
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0 |
Furious
After Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
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0 |
Buster
A person who talks too much trash
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0 |
Flex
A slang term for showing off
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0 |
Decks
A slang term for turntables
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0 |
Hook
The catchy part of a song or chorus
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0 |
Scratch
Moving a record back and forth to get a rhythmic or musical scratching sound
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0 |
Drop
A part of the song where instruments drop in or out
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-1 |
Simmons
After Jospeh Simmons, the younger brother of Russell Simmons
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-1 |
Griff
After Professor Griff, a member of Public Enemy and now lecturer
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-1 |
Ad-Rock
After Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, musician and rapper from the Beastie Boys
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-1 |
Yauch
After Adam "MCA" Yauch, Buddhist, film director, member of the Beastie Boys
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-1 |
Combs
After Sean Combs, aka Puffy Daddy, rapper, producer, entrepreneur
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-1 |
Def
After Mos Def, a socio-politically active hip hop artist and actor
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-1 |
Herc
After DJ Kool Herc, the "founder of hip hop"
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-1 |
Kool
After DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican-American DJ who helped pioneer the hip hop genre
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Female Rap Inspired Dog Names
Votes | Name | Vote |
---|---|---|
1 |
Yella
After DJ Yella, a member of N.W.A. as well as a producer and rapper
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1 |
Eazy
After Eazy-E, known as "The Godfather of Gangsta Rap"
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1 |
Nas
After Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones, aka Nas, rapper, producer, entrepreneur
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1 |
Snoop
After Snoop Dogg, one of the best-known artists in the genre worldwide
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1 |
Smalls
After Christopher Wallace, aka Biggy Smalls, whose final album went Diamond after his death
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1 |
Shakur
After Tupac Shakur, aka 2Pac, one of the most celebrated rappers of all time
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1 |
Bands
A slang term for rolls/wads of money
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1 |
EQ
An equalizer
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1 |
OG
A slang term for original gangster, someone old-school
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0 |
Flash
After Grandmaster Flash, one of the pioneers of DJ-ing, scratching, and mixing
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0 |
Runner
After Run-DMC, one of the most influential and famous groups in hip hop culture
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0 |
Jay
After Jason "Jay" Mizell, a member of Run-DMC
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0 |
Mizell
After Jay Mizell, aka Jam Master Jay
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0 |
Flavor
After Flavor Flav, the member of Public Enemy who popularized the hype man
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0 |
Beastie
After the Beastie Boys, the multi-platinum hip hop trio
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0 |
Diamond
After Michael "Mike D" Diamond, drummer, rapper and founding member of the Beastie Boys
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0 |
Zee
After Jay-Z, one of rap's most successful artists of all time
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0 |
Guru
After Guru of Gang Starr, one of the most thought-provoking lyricists in the genre, let along music
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0 |
Afrika
After Afrika Bambaataa, the originator of breakbeat
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0 |
Bambaataa
After Afrika Bambaataa, "the father of electro funk"
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0 |
Dibs
A slang term for money
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0 |
Feddie
Another slang term for money
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0 |
Dime
An attractive female
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0 |
Lab
A slang term for a recording studio
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0 |
Getty
A get-together with friends/family
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0 |
Break
A change in the song where several instruments drop out
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0 |
Cue
The process of, where, when, and how a song is lined up before and during mixing
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0 |
Remix
Cutting up another song for reuse or remixing the original track
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0 |
Fader
The sliders used to control the volume of different decks or tracks
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0 |
Beats
Rhythmic beats
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