30 Times Rappers Have Rapped About Thanksgiving
These rappers have the turkey holiday on their minds.
The meaning of Thanksgiving can symbolize something completely different depending on how a person has experienced the holiday in their lifetime.
If you grew up poor, chances are your memories of Thanksgiving aren’t so fond based on lean years of celebrating the fourth Thursday of November.
The same can be said for rappers. Many of them have referenced the holiday in their rhymes, and the outcome always seems to take a different turn. Whether it be Kanye West reminiscing on a relative, DMX remembering the tough times of his youth, or Quavo flipping a witty metaphor about drugs, Thanksgiving takes on a new connotation, for better or worse. Here are 30 Times Rappers Have Rapped About Thanksgiving.
(This was originally published on November 27, 2014.)
1.“So how we livin’/Like a turkey on Thanksgiving or like Robin Givens?”
Song: Big Daddy Kane, “Another Victory” (1989)
Album: It’s a Big Daddy Thing
2.“I mean really, how you think I’m livin’? On the strength I’m livin’ like it’s Thanksgiving/So yo, whassup turkey, tryin’ to jerk me?”
Song: King Tee, “At Your Own Risk” (1990)
Album: At Your Own Risk
3.“Times are hard in the ghetto, I gotta steal for a living/Eating turkey-flavored Now and Laters for Thanksgiving.”
Song: DMX, “Born Loser” (1993)
Album: N/A
4.“Gobble gobble, from the incision/Stuff that b***h and it ain’t Thanksgiving.”
Song: Ice Cube, “2 N the Morning” (1994)
Album: Bootlegs & B-Sides
5.“You just working with the scraps you was given/And mama made miracles every Thanksgiving.”
Song: 2Pac, “Dear Mama” (1995)
Album: Me Against the World
6.“Sling skins for a living, my name ain’t November/This ain’t Thanksgiving, you ain’t Michael Bivins.”
Song: The Notorious B.I.G. Feat. Lil’ Cease, “Can I Get Witcha” (1999)
Album: Born Again
7.“They call it Thanksgiving, I call your holiday ‘hell-day’/’Cause I’m from poverty, neglected by wealthy.”
Song: Nas, “What Goes Around” (2001)
Album: Stillmatic
8.“Now that you’re gone, it hit us/Super hard on Thanksgiving and Christmas, this can’t be right.”
Song: Kanye West, “Family Business” (2004)
Album: The College Dropout
9.“I ain’t giving in, you’re gonna just sit there/In one f***ing place finnickin’ til next Thanksgiving and/If you still ain’t finished it I’ll use the same s**t again.”
Song: Eminem, “My Mom” (2009)
Album: Relapse
10.”F**k a turkey on Thanksgiving/N***as lucky to get ham.”
Song: Danny Brown, “New Era” (2010)
Album: The Hybrid
11.“Might be a holiday/I’mma pull the bacon biscuit/Pockets got a lot of stuffing/Thanksgiving.”
Song: RiFF RAFF, “Cool Cup” (2011)
Album: N/A
12.“Lies on the lips of a priest/Thanksgiving disguised as a feast.”
Song: Jay-Z and Kanye West Feat. Frank Ocean, “No Church in the Wild” (2011)
Album: Watch the Throne
13.“When a hater sticks to you like mud on a cleat/Thanksgiving with the birds drugs for a feast.”
Song: Rick Ross Feat. Meek Mill, “No Church in the Wild” Freestyle (2012)
Album: N/A
14.“Brand new crib I’m paintin’ it, half a mil just paid for it/No Thanksgiving paradin’ this, but we marchin’ like the Saints came in.”
Song: Mac Miller Feat. Cam’ron, “Ignorant” (2012)
Album: Macadelic
15.“And hey, ayo, we made it: Thanksgiving/So hey, maybe we can make it to Christmas.”
Song: Kanye West, “Bound 2” (2013)
Album: Yeezus
16.“And when Thanksgiving come around/I ain’t tryna bring hoes through to mama.”
Song: Big Sean Feat. Miguel, “Ashley” (2013)
Album: Hall of Fame
17.“My bedroom is the chicken room/I’m eating like it’s Thanksgiving fool.”
Song: Gucci Mane Feat. Young Thug, “Miracle” (2013)
Album: Trap God 2
18.“Baking soda, YOLA whipping/Ain’t no turkey on Thanksgiving.”
Song: Kendrick Lamar Feat. Jay Rock, “Money Trees” (2013)
Album: good kid, m.A.A.d city
19.“Naked b***hes in the kitchen sniffin’ off of dishes/Got them Thanksgiving turkeys, Quavo sellin’ whole chickens.” (Quavo)
Song: Migos, “Wrist Game” (2013)
Album: Streets on Lock
20.“I’m from the real streets, and I call it the Lam/No Thanksgiving, but I’mma go ham.”
Song: Lil Durk, “Times” (2013)
Album: Signed to the Streets
21.”My young n***as look up to me/Get a hand going for a buck fifty/No thanksgiving, I ate dinner/I ain’t missing out on no meals.”
Song: DeJ Loaf, “Desire” (2015)
Album: #AndSeeThatsTheThing
22.”Ratatouille, boy, I’m comin’ for my cheese/Thought it was Thanksgiving how I stuffed it in my jeans”
Song: “Shit on Me” (2015)
Album: Institution
23.”The reason I never went to work for it/See a nine to five was so jive turkey/But when Thanksgiving came that check didn’t hurt me.”
Song: Kendrick Lamar, “untitled 08 | 09.06.2014.” (2016)
Album: untitled unmastered.
24.”I’m cookin’ like it’s the last Thursday in November/That means it’s Thanksgiving, I’m making baked chicken/I’m on my second plate, and your pieces ain’t hittin'” (Remy Ma)
Song: Fat Joe, Remy Ma & French Montana Feat. Ry SO Valid, “Cookin” (2016)
Album: Plata O Plomo
25.”Sucker free, no shuckin’ me, I don’t jive turkey/Say “Happy Thanksgiving,” shit sound like a murder to me.” (Meek Mill)
Song: Meek Mill Feat. JAY-Z & Rick Ross, “What’s Free” (2018)
Album: Championships
26.”I pray for many Thanksgivings, I pray that Tifa don’t cook/You know her mama’ll put sugar in they greens.”
Song: Isaiah Rashad, “HB2U” (2021)
Album: The House Is Burning
27.”Gotta bring ’em to my city just to show ’em how I’m livin’/And you the type of girl I wanna bring to Thanksgiving/But that’s a given, that’s a given.”
Song: Jack Harlow Feat. Lil Wayne, “Poison” (2022)
Album: Come Home the Kids Miss You
28.”I was at Frank Gibbins before Thanksgiving, thanks to my health/Too many flaws, tryna generate wealth.” (Travis Scott)
Song: Travis Scott Feat. Young Thug, “SKITZO” (2023)
Album: UTOPIA
29.”Pockets, they be on dinner time, Thanksgiving time, November slime.” (Lil Wayne)
Song: Yeat & Lil Wayne, “Lyfestylë” (2024)
Album: 2093
30.”Our last conversation, you was against it/Told you I was going to Turks for Thanksgiving/I heard what I wanted to hear but didn’t listen.”
Song: Clipse, John Legend & Voices of Fire, “The Birds Don’t Sing” (2025)