15 Rap Songs About Cheating You Will Appreciate
The genre of hip-hop is known for exploring a variety of subject matters. One subject that has come up time and time again in rap songs is cheating. Broken hearts and relationships gone wrong occupy the lyrical minds of even some of our most hardcore hip-hop stars. Join me as I go through just 15 great rap songs about cheating. Hopefully, you get turned on to some good tunes along the way.
Rap Songs About Cheating You Will Love
Let’s begin by first kicking off with a Kanye West song entitled “Blame Game.”
“Blame Game” by Kanye West
“Blame Game” is an epic and versatile track from West’s landmark 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. This song blends hip-hop, R&B, and spoken word while exploring the concept of blame being passed back and forth by partners in a relationship after infidelity has taken place. It’s one of Kanye West’s most ambitious tracks from what’s possibly his greatest album.
- You Might Like: R&B vs Hip Hop
“Chick on the Side” (Remix) by Salt-N-Pepa
This track from Salt-N-Pepa’s debut Hot, Cool & Vicious takes us back to 1986. Salt-N-Pepa were one of the first major all-female hip-hop groups. This is a fun and funky track that remixes a 70’s Pointer Sisters classic.
It also makes it Salt-N-Pepa’s own, a perfect demonstration of the direct lineage between funk and rap. The members of the group accuse an unlucky man of having a chick on the side, and the whole tune is a lot of fun.
- You Might Also Enjoy: Underrated Rap Songs
“Hit ‘Em Up” by 2Pac
This is an iconic diss track by 2Pac that shows the late, great rapper flexing his skills on Biggie. This is a great energetic song with a lot of great disses and wordplay, including 2Pac boasting that he hooked up with Biggie’s wife.
While the allegations themselves are still a topic of speculation in the hip-hop community, the line is still one of the all-time great cheating disses. 2Pac was a master of the diss track and was quite the lyrical warrior.
- You Might Also Enjoy: Rap Songs About Friends
“Fancy Clown” by Madvillain
MF Doom and his numerous aliases produced some of the best and most forward-thinking hip-hop in history. He always had a good way of tackling personal and human topics with a unique perspective and a dark sense of humor, and “Fancy Clown” from 2004’s Madvillainy is no different. It’s interesting how Doom juxtaposes a laidback and chill beat with heavy lyrics directed towards his cheating girlfriend.
- You Might Also Enjoy: Rap Songs That Go Hard
“Give it Up” by Public Enemy
Public Enemy were some of the original hip-hop legends, known for their politically charged lyrics and punk rock, anti-authoritarian attitude. “Give it Up” is a mid-90’s hit that deals with cheating in a different sense.
Instead of being about cheating in a romantic context, this song deals with how the inner city black community is cheated by society and left out in certain respects. The song is an upbeat and energetic tune that calls for unity and self-reliance against a corrupt society.
“Thru Your Phone” by Cardi B
Cardi B peddles in silly, over-the-top fun with big hooks and larger-than-life production. She has really perfected her persona as a tough woman with an attitude, and in “Thru Your Phone” she’s no different.
This track is a very explicit diss on rapper Offset, who just happens to be Cardi’s ex-boyfriend who was unfaithful in their relationship. Anyone who follows modern pop music knows that when Cardi B is scorned, the results are usually a fun, catchy, energetic anthem.
- You Might Also Enjoy: Hottest Female Rappers
“Wilshire” by Tyler the Creator
When Tyler and his Odd Future alumni hit the scene over a decade ago, they were often known for their goofy and irreverent raps. As of 2021’s Call Me If You Get Lost it appears Tyler is tackling some deeper, more human subjects like love gone wrong.
This is an epic and experimental eight-minute autobiographical track where Tyler recounts a tale of trying to have a relationship with a woman who’s dating his friend. Tyler explores all angles of the steady descent into guilt and ruin that these types of relationships often bring.
- You Might Also Enjoy: Underground West Coast Rappers
“The Night He Got Caught” by A Tribe Called Quest
This is an overlooked track from the later period of A Tribe Called Quest’s career. This song’s meaning is self-explanatory and autobiographical, as rapper Q-Tip recalls the time he was caught by his girlfriend while in the act of hitting up an old flame.
The song is short, catchy, and a lot of fun, but A Tribe Called Quest deal with the subject matter in a mature and serious way. It serves as a warning against the temptation to cheat and doesn’t contain any boasting or excuses.
- You Might Also Enjoy: Best Underground Rappers
“Never Be the Same Again” by Ghostface Killah
This great song by Wu-Tang alumni Ghostface Killah comes from his 2001 album Bulletproof Wallets. This is a deep and brooding track. Ghostface often relies on gangster rap imagery for his raps, but “Never Be The Same Again” stands out for how vulnerable and open Ghostface allows himself to be on this track.
This song heavily explores how people often have to pick up the pieces and rebuild their entire lives after a partner is unfaithful. Ghostface describes how the woman’s cheating has ruined his living arrangements, his reputation among his community, and more. It’s an overlooked gem in Ghostface’s catalogue.
- You Might Also Like: New Underground Rappers
“In the Trunk” by Tech N9ne
This is a brutal and seemingly misogynistic track, and Tech N9ne is certainly known for his over-the-top and detailed descriptions of violence and insanity, so that’s not a big surprise.
Some listeners may be bothered but taken with a grain of salt, this track is a ton of fun and will definitely get you pumped. It’s told from the perspective of a man getting revenge on his cheating woman, and his revenge is brutal.
“97 Bonnie & Clyde” by Eminem
If you thought that last entry on the list was a dark one, let’s revisit this old school Eminem classic from his 1999 breakout hit The Slim Shady LP. While the Tech N9ne song I mentioned earlier might be a tad more brutal in a cartoonish sense, Eminem taps into some genuine darkness here.
This is a dark and brooding song about a man who is driving to dispose of his ex-wife’s corpse with his young daughter in the car unaware of what’s happening. Eminem plays a brutal character here, but it’s a reminder of how daring and adventurous his music used to be.
- You Might Also Like: White Male Rappers
- You Might Also Like: White Female Rappers
“Ex Girl to the Next Girl” by Gang Starr
Gang Starr were one of the most innovative hip-hop groups of all-time. Lyrically, they touched on a variety of subjects, and they briefly touched upon cheating on “Ex Girl to the Next Girl” from their 1992 album Daily Operation.
This is an upbeat song with a positive message to any men listening, urging us not to get hung up on women who might have been unfaithful. Essentially, the song’s message is that there isn’t much difference from one girlfriend to the next, and you should be working on yourself as much as possible. This is definitely one worth checking out if you’re into old school hip-hop.
“Me and My Crazy World” by Lost Boyz
Here’s an overlooked classic from Lost Boyz’ 1997 album Peace, Love, and Nappiness. These guys don’t get talked about as much nowadays, but they’re worth checking out if you’re a fan of that old school 90’s rap sound.
This song explores cheating from the perspective of a man who wants out of the mess he’s created. The protagonist is in love with two different women, and he knows he has to make a decision because he can’t have both. It’s an interesting way to tackle the subject of cheating and it’s a great song on top of that.
“It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy
This is a fun and lighthearted track from 2000, Shaggy’s biggest hit. This rap/reggae crossover track explores cheating from the angle of a man trying to lie his way out of being caught in the act by his partner. It’s a dance-oriented hit that’s extremely catchy and has some humorous lyrics.
Although the track is lyrically mostly swagger and bravado, the song ends on a positive note with the main character realizing the errors of his manipulative ways, giving a wholesome end to this 2000’s club hit.
Nookie” by Limp Bizkit
This is on the harder edge of the rap spectrum, coming from the hip-hop influenced world of nu-metal. This track displays the red-capped Fred Durst rapping about a cheating girlfriend who he keeps visiting again and again for “nookie.”
It’s another humorous track by a band that specializes in silly lyrics, but the song has an undeniable groove. It’s also lyrically relatable, as we all have that old flame we can’t quite seem to escape.
Throughout this list I looked at 15 rap songs about cheating from a variety of perspectives. We’ve got R&B-infused anthems as well as old school, hard-hitting hip-hop classics. We’ve got the sounds of men and women both scorned and pleased with themselves simultaneously. There’s a lot of musical ground covered here, and I hope you found some great new music to check out while reading.
If you enjoyed the article, be sure to subscribe to my Devoted to Vinyl YouTube channel and Facebook page.
This article was written by Avery and edited by Michael.
