The Masked Singer first began in the US in January of 2019. The concept of celebrities competing anonymously behind goofy masks was intriguing to many, and the show has quickly become a hit with millions of viewers every week. The judges panel features a comedic line up of Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, and Ken Jeong and is hosted by Nick Cannon. The show has featured legends like LeAnn Rimes, JoJo, and even Tony Hawk.
However, there is an interesting theme of rappers going on the show. While this might not seem like something they would typically do, most of them have loved the experience they had performing behind the mask. Here’s are ten rappers you might be surprised to learn were on The Masked Singer:
7 T-Pain
As the first winner of The Masked Singer, its safe to say T-Pain did an incredible job on the show. Dressed as The Monster, his voice was fairly unrecognizable as he is known for using autotune in his work. The show allowed him to truly show off his vocal ability. He told Daily News it was a “great opportunity to really show another side of me, and kind of gave me a second coming.” He explained that “I have people that just been doubting me my whole career and things like that because I've put some different aesthetic on my vocals than everybody else.” While the show initially had to convince him to join, it ultimately captivated viewers and led him to victory.
6 Nick Cannon
It is pretty unusual for the host of a show to also compete on the show itself. However, in season 5 of The Masked Singer, that is exactly what happened. Nick Cannon tested positive for COVID and therefore was absent from the first 4 episodes of the season. Niecey Nash filled in for Nick as host, and he made his reapperance as the Bulldog in episode 5 as a wildcard. His journey only lasted him one song, 'Candy Girl' by New Edition before he had to unmask and return to his position as host.
5 Tyga
Tyga, dressed as Dalmation, performed 'Beautiful' by Snoop Dogg on the current season of The Masked Singer before getting eliminated in the second episode. Judges thought he could be Nelly or Lil Yachty, while Nick Cannon claimed he knew it was Tyga all along. Robin Thicke, who has collaborated with Tyga in the past said “We’re lucky to have you on the show. Every time we have the young, hottest cats on the show it makes us look cooler.” Tyga explained his reason for doing it was that Wayne did it. Good enough for us!
4 Wiz Khalifa
In May of 2021, the Chameleon was revealed to be rapper Wiz Khalifa. He made it all the way to the season finale coming in third place overall. While Robin and Nicole were able to identify him, Jenny and Ken were shocked. After he was unmasked, Khalifa said “It was a goal of mine to do my best, hold it down for hip-hop and shock the world.” He definetly was able to accomplish that goal, as well as another goal of making his son and family proud. He also explained it was a way to get back on stage post-pandemic.
3 Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne hit The Masked Singer stage during season 3 as Robot, a character he explained he chose for his kids. In an interview with MTV's Jamila Mustafa, Wayne revealed that he was originally trying to get Nicki Minaj to go on the show after watching T-Pain on season 1. However, the show was more interested in getting Lil Wayne himself to compete. He was eliminated on the first episode after singing 'Are You Gonna Go My Way' by Lenny Krafitz, but still had a great time.
2 Busta Rhymes
The Dragon, aka Busta Rhymes was on The Masked Singer season 4. Singing 'Mama Said Knock You Out' by LL Cool J, he was unfortunately unmasked on episode 1. However, according to Entertainment Weekly, he had a positive experience. “I wanted to get on the show because everything made sense, as far as the way the opportunity was presented — the professionalism of the production and the network, the incredible accommodations that they extended to us so that we can feel above and beyond comfortable in the process of the whole experience.” He explains picking The Dragon to represent his passion and conviction.
1 Bow Wow
Another contestant that made it all the way to the finale was Bow Wow as The Frog in season 3. He told PEOPLE he wanted to do the show because “It felt like the perfect opportunity for me to showcase my skills, showcase my talent, and just remind the world that I’m still that dude and pretty much, I can do anything.” The show was right before he went on tour and he also said he was able to use that as a practice rehearsal in front of a crowd. Bow Wow also claimed to do the show for his daughter Shai, who was so loyal and never told his secret.