Comparing Rappers to Their Dragon Ball Counterparts

At around the same time, I became a Dragon Ball fanatic, I was ensnared by the world of hip-hop — a kaleidoscopic universe filled with explosive characters, innovative techniques and indelible personalities that, in some way or another, would come to define my identity years later. Same with Dragon Ball.

Not to be that guy, but, well before folks got on Twitter talking about, “What if DBZ happened in New York,” I was comparing rappers to Dragon Ball characters. I’ve got the texts to prove it. But that’s beside the point. Years later, making those comparisons is about as fun as things ever get for me, and that’s part of why I’ve put together a longer-than-it-should-be list making them.

So today, in honor of DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO, check out OKP’s list comparing rappers to Dragon Ballcharacters. Promise, it’s fun!

Drake = Perfect Cell

Photo illustration by Louie Chin for Okayplayer.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: an unbeatable force with the ability to mimic his enemies appears, and his dominance becomes as inevitable as a new Super Saiyan transformation. Theoretically, his own considerable abilities are enough, but he fortifies his arsenal by draining the life force of others. Oh yeah: he’s also nigh-indestructible. Sure, this is myopic, but depending on how bitter and short-sighted you are, So Far Gone was basically the beginning of the Imperfect Cell Saga, and The Weeknd and PartyNextDoor might as well have been Androids 17 and 18.

Like Cell, Drake is a virtuoso with the ability to adopt any style he pleases. Triplet flow? He’s got it. U.K. rap? Sure. Additionally, he’s got preternatural durability — aka, the ability to come back from basically any attack. Remember when Pusha T blasted him with “Story of Adidon”? We do too, but Drake might as well have been hit with a super Kamehameha and regenerated, ‘cause he bounced back with a massive No. 1 album and multiple No. 1s on the Hot 100 like it never happened. Up until the spring of 2024, Drizzy seemed invincible, but, after awakening the abilities of another formidable warrior, the world was once again reminded that Perfect Cell wasn’t so perfect.

50 Cent = Broly

If Broly was the legendary Super Saiyan, 50 Cent was the legendary super gangsta. After surviving nine gunshots and coming back to deliver the best rap debut since Uncle Snoop, Fif achieved a level of instantaneous dominance that made him inescapable in the classroom, in the club, in the gym — everywhere. For his part, there were literal legends about a Saiyan of Broly’s ability. He pretty much always beat his enemies, with only outlandish team-ups leading to his defeat.

Between their mythic status and their love of needless destruction, 50 Cent and Broly would be best pals — class bullies who take a step back on the playground to admire their respective work. Since he’s been out of the streets, Fifty’s brand of attack has usually consisted of diss songs, memes and snarky tweets. For his career, Broly’s been decidedly less elaborate, preferring to destroy your planet with a wave of his finger. Different ways to skin a cat, I guess.

They can both be vicious, but these days, they’re more interested in kicking back and maybe appearing in a movie or two. But don’t get it fucked up: one wrong move, and they’re liable to blow your ass up, whether on the battlefield or on your Instagram feed.

Kendrick Lamar = Goku

Photo illustration by Louie Chin for Okayplayer.

It feels a little on the nose, but sometimes the obvious answer is the correct one, and, for his 13 years in the mainstream, KDot has been rap’s closest answer to Dragon Ball’s spikey-haired hero, Goku. He might shun the whole “savior” label, but from the very beginning, his good-bad duality has led folks to brand him as such. And make no mistake, narratively speaking, in a world of ghostwriters, swagger-jacking and sneak-dissing, Kendrick is the good guy. But his similarities go deeper than the plot points. Both are heroes from unexpected places; sure, Compton isn’t a home base for space pirates, but based on Kendrick’s own bars, when it comes to violence, parts of it could rival Planet Vegeta. Kendrick’s primary inspiration was a fiery warrior famous for rocking a red bandana. See what I’m getting at?

On top of all that, there’s their versatility, penchant for lectures and ability to raise their power to new levels when pushed too far. For Kendrick, that moment came when Drizzy unloaded a series of potent diss songs. If we could peep footage from the day Kendrick recorded “Not Like Us,” I’m pretty sure we’d see the room enveloped by a familiar golden glow.

2Pac = A Self-Actualized Bardock

Now, this one is tricky, because in Bardock The Father of Goku, Goku’s pops is an impressive, yet ultimately fairly weak character. He beats up on hundreds of Frieza soldiers and is one of the strongest Saiyans of his era, but that’s only of his era. But. But! If he had been able to continue training, evidence suggests that he could have been one of the strongest warriors ever. Given his rebellious attitude and his whole rocking a red bandana thing, he might have been the 2Pac of the Saiyan race.

Like Bardock, ’Pac wanted his people to rebel against the man before it was too late. I mean, what is Frieza if not a metaphor for white supremacy? Also like Bardock, ’Pac had hands and he could pull out the big guns if necessary. Similar to Bardock, 2Pac wasn’t always the best guy. But generally speaking, he was down for and willing to die for his folks, and he was cut down before he could reach his full potential. Also, by his own admission, there would be no Kendrick Lamar if there was no ’Pac. Literally speaking, there would be no Goku if there were no Bardock.

Snoop Dogg = Master Roshi

Photo illustration by Louie Chin for Okayplayer.

This one might seem left field, but walk with me: these are tales of evolution that took two legendary figures from feared warriors to lovable, but pervy elder statesmen. If you came of age in the early ‘90s, the Snoop Dogg you were introduced to is very different from the Snoop of today. Playful as he was, that Snoop was Mr. 187 — an embodiment of the gang-banging culture that terrified the government and your next-door neighbors. He was also one of the very best rappers in the world, with a lethally agile flow, sly humor and a penchant for indelible hooks. Between ‘93 and ‘95, he was arguably the biggest rapper in the world — a rap champion, you might say.

Like Snoop, Master Roshi also underwent big-time changes. When folks first started hearing about him, he was the strongest fighter in the world and a literal world martial arts champion. While he wasn’t a criminal, his combat skills made him feared across the globe. Beneath all the badass stuff, though, both these guys are fairly lovable and more than a little chill. And they love baddies; Roshi had a thing for exercise videos (and every pretty girl that approached him); Snoop actually has experience producing porn. One went from the invincible turtle hermit to the silly Billy Master Roshi. The Doggfather went from gangsta to Uncle Snoop. Throw on shades, give him a turtle shell and you’re looking at Master Roshi’s Black twin brother.

Travis Scott = Future Trunks

You’re lying if you say Future Trunks was never your favorite character. Just look at his sword. Peep the Capsule Corp drip. Yeah, Goku took down Frieza, but who actually sliced him in half and blew him to bits? That would be Future Trunks, who pulled up and bodied the most terrifying forces in the universe while embodying all the icy cool of that kid from your homeroom who always had new Jordans and a fresh cut. While he looked like a dweeb in high school, Travis Scott has always been that guy. He dates baddies. His lyrics are like hypebeast fortune cookies. Listen to “Butterfly Effect.” He’s all vibes. Think about it: Future Trunks would be way more chill if all the Z-fighters didn’t get killed. If you peep LaFlame’s hairstyle, it’s pretty easy to see it looking like Super Saiyan Trunks’. Yeah. I just feel good about this one.

JAY-Z = Beerus

Photo illustration by Louie Chin for Okayplayer.

How much do we even think about JAY-Z as a rapper these days? It’s been seven years since his last LP, and he’s become so exceedingly rich, it just continues feeling like he’s become something much bigger than bars and beats. But the reality is that he is, by a significant margin, the greatest rapper to ever pick up a microphone. He’s got it all: triple-time flows, double-time. Metaphors, lyrics that can be as incisive as they are vivid — as playful as they are lethal. He can break your heart. He can put it back together again, too. He’s HOV. God MC, actually. He’s Beerus.

Beerus is the God of Destruction, a being whose combat abilities are so strong that Frieza’s father straight-up told him he’d never want that smoke. He’s the best there is pretty much, but his cosmic responsibility to blow up planets makes him feel like he’s much larger than simple fist fights, even if he loves to pop out and show Saiyan from time to time. Like JAY, he’s neither a bad guy nor a good guy all the time. JAY got Meek Mill out of prison and has donated millions of dollars to various foundations over the years. He also co-founded prison reform organization,

. But he also left Colin Kaepernick hanging. Sigh. Um, Beerus? I mean, he’s the God of Destruction, but it’s kinda his job. He’s funny, at least.

Rakim = Kami

Rakim, Kami. The names even kinda sound alike, right? Maybe not really, but they're counterparts all the same. At the time he emerged, no one had seen anything quite like Rakim — an agile rhymer whose calm delivery and diverse bar structures helped him earn the title “God MC.” While laidback flows are customary now, it was Rakim who brought it to the game in the first place. Kami was something new, too, and soon, he’d also be known as God — a literal one, as the guardian of the Earth. With his combat skills and ability to create the dragon balls, Kami stood as a mythic figure that stood guard over the planet for many years. They also inspired — gave birth, even — the future rap legends…

Kid Buu = Lil Wayne

Watching Lil Wayne jump from remix to remix in 2007 was kind of like watching Kid Buu during his prehistoric planet destruction spree. It was a flurry of chaos and murderous creativity that could bring any opponent to their knees. A metabolism fueled by blood shed and self-created anarchy. Both gave off an air of spontaneity and impulse, with Weezy jumping to different beats as though he had too much energy to burn, and Buu just needing to scratch the itch of planetary annihilation. Neither had traditional “goals”; it was pretty much destroy shit and vibes. It was all about production, and any symbolic milestones that accompanied were secondary to the thrill of the kills themselves. Weezy said he wanted us to feed him beats; Buu wanted us to feed him people. At their core, both took different forms, but fans (and victims) will always remember the moment these two were the most feared monsters in the universe.

’Ye = Vegeta

Photo illustration by Louie Chin for Okayplayer.

If ever there was a being more prideful — more arrogant — than ‘Ye, it would be Vegeta. He’s the prince of all Saiyans, and he won’t let you forget it. Through most of Dragon Ball Z, a self-mythologizing Vegeta rant was lurking around the corner like a villain who’s somehow always way stronger than the last. But did you turn it off though? Of course you didn’t, just like you didn’t when ‘Ye told Sway he didn’t have the answers, or when he said he said he was Walt Disney. Even when you suspect — when you know — they’re dead wrong, they’re really hard to turn away from. And their talent often justifies the attention. Vegeta destroyed planets; ‘Ye broke records. Vegeta became a Super Saiyan; ‘Ye made “All of the Lights.” They both cuffed rich, self-absorbed baddies, they’re both controversial — both respect power more than anything else. ‘Ye went MAGA; Vegeta went Majin. On top of all that, they’re also among the two-to-five greatest ever at what they do, have raging tempers and have done a bunch of wild shit their kids are going to have to ask them about one day.

The Game = Mr. Satan

For what felt like decades, Mr. Satan stood as the best capper in cap history, successfully convincing the world that he, an ordinary ass man, defeated a super-powered android monster. He’s able to sell it with his charisma. In hip-hop, there is no greater liar than The Game, to the point where there are entire YouTube compilations of his tall tales. Like Mr. Satan, he’s technically good at what he does, but all that gets overshadowed by the self-produced fan fiction.

Nas = Piccolo

Photo illustration by Louie Chin for Okayplayer.

If Rakim is Kami, then Nas is Piccolo, the logical conclusion of the Guardian of Earth’s evolution. I mean, look at that shit on Piccolo’s head? Looks like a kufi, to me. Technically, Piccolo is Kami’s son, or nephew or whatever, but you get the idea. Like Rakim, Nas rapped from the back of his throat as he distilled ghetto proverbs over jazzy soundscapes. Only, Nas layered Rakim’s delivery with an expansive imagination and more varied vocal performances to become an even more potent spitter. Similarly, Piccolo ultimately surpassed Kami, with the force of his attacks, as well as his penchant for strategy, making him one of the most formidable warriors in the entire Dragon Ball universe. Like Nas, Piccolo took some losses — if we’re being real, Nappa literally cooked his ass — but by the time Dragon Ball Superhero came out, he’d more than redeemed himself.

J. Cole = Yamcha

In his day, Yamcha was one of the baddest mofos out there, you know? When he roamed the desert with Puar, advanced in the World Martial Arts tournaments, fought bravely against the Saiyans, the guy was a problem. But by the time Frieza came to Earth, bruh was always ducking smoke! He had talked tough in the past, but as he and the Z-Fighters made their way across the wasteland to stare death in the face and defend the planet the way they were supposed to, he was talking ’bout, “I don’t think I can do this, you guys!” That was J. Cole as he pulled out of the battle with Kendrick this past spring. To be fair, it all got a lot uglier than anyone wanted, and you know, we should commend him for his self-awareness and emotional maturity. But rap is a combat sport, and functionally, the world saw J. Cole’s inner-Yamcha at work

Nicki Minaj = Frieza

For a long time — and perhaps still — Frieza and Nicki Minaj were the most feared forces in the universe. When folks heard the name “Frieza,” they knew it was quiet for them and all their loved ones. Only figuratively speaking; I’m sure planetary takeovers are loud and very unpleasant. Between 2009 and 2017, Nicki was similarly inevitable; whenever she was nominated for a female rap award, she was more or less the only choice. Both Frieza and Nicki were so dominant that they looked to take down anyone who could even begin to challenge them. For Frieza, it was the Saiyans. For Nicki — for a long time at least — it was pretty much every girl that picked up a mic. Both have a messy streak (Frieza killed Vegeta’s father and kept Vegeta around as his little pet!) and both are endlessly versatile; Frieza can basically shapeshift into any one of four battle forms, while Nicki can do boom bap or electropop. They both have fanatical followers that will seemingly die for them at any minute. All hail Lord Nicki.

Doechii = Pan

As I said before, folks love acting like Pan wasn’t a problem, but I don’t think Doechii will have that same issue. Fresh off dropping her Alligator Bites Never Heal project, the Florida rhymer stands as one of rap’s next great dual-threats, and her enthusiasm and all-around versatility should ensure she gets the Super Saiyan transformation Pan’s never gotten. We can only hope.

Wu-Tang Clan = Ginyu Force

There were a lot of powerful dudes in the Dragon Ball cannon, but none were as collectively cool as the Ginyu Force, a clique that prioritized style and substance at every turn. In their own way, so did the Wu-Tang Clan, an eclectic mix of spitters with distinct abilities and aesthetics that made them into individual superstars. Like the Ginyu Force, they broke out in subcommittees, too; Raekwon and Ghostface Killah teamed up for Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Jeice and Burter joined forces to face Goku. They’ve both also got a controlling leader who insists on things being done a certain way. Although each of them could conquer a planet all by themselves, together, they were the most destructive group of their era.

Chance The Rapper = Gohan 

Chance The Rapper was the one. Like, the one. Go listen to 10 Day and Acid Rap and tell me I’m lying. Shit, even Coloring Book. From the beginning, he demonstrated the rarefied combination of subtext, creativity and rhyme dexterity to become one of rap’s all-time greats. But then, shit just kind of started getting weird and a little annoying. When the baby voices — not the cool Playboi Carti ones — started becoming a thing, the generational GOAT trajectory started to not be. Big Day isn’t as bad as people remember, but it was disappointing. Powerful as he is — as nice a guy as he is — Gohan’s been a disappointment, too. From the moment he botched his battle with Dabura, it was clear that Gohan wasn’t going to be his father.

Tyga = Krillin

Tyga has always been the designated, “Hey, this guy sucks, why is he still here?” rapper. And from where I’m standing, that’s always been unfair. The RIAA would feel the same way. Dating back to the early 2010s, Tyga has stacked platinum plaque after platinum plaque as one of rap’s most deceptively consistent hitmakers. Just when you count him out, he pulls up with a “Taste.” You can’t count Krillin out, either. Thought he was going to get crushed by Dodoria? Well, his Solar Flair technique managed to distract the Frieza henchman long enough for him to save the day. Thought he was killed by Frieza? Well, he came back and cut his tail off. Clown them if you want, but when we need them most, they’ll pull up with a powerful hit.

Megan Thee Stallion = Kefla

As fiery as she is powerful, Kefla is Megan Thee Stallion coded — a mighty being with all the confidence of her male counterparts. Like a Vegeta or Goku, she’s been bred for battle and has no qualms taking it to the most powerful beings to ever live. Because folks love to ignore Pan (and, understandably, Dragon Ball GT), she’s seen as one of the only fearsome female warriors in her universe. Ditto for Megan, who’s been getting these bars off for a long time, letting folks know the true power of a Super Saiyan from Houston.

Jay Electronica = Yajirobe

If you only tuned into Dragon Ball Z, you only remember Yajirobe as a lazy slob. But when we were first introduced to him in Dragon Ball, his power actually rivaled Goku’s. Seriously, they fought to a stalemate, and he even killed one of King Piccolo’s kids. So, in theory, Yajirobe was one of the three or four strongest beings on planet Earth. But you know how it goes from there: in the next 30 or so years, he essentially doesn’t do shit and basically squanders his amazing potential (for humans, at least). Considering this, I could only think about Jay Electronica and the first time I heard “Exhibit C.” I was spellbound by his mic presence and penchant for symbolism — his self-assuredness and vocal tone. Fourteen years later, he’s only released one official album, and he’s literally spent all his time fucking around on X (formerly Twitter) and spewing occasional nonsense. At least Yajirobe isn’t as self-important.