Omar Gooding’s Rap Revival: How His Father’s Death Unleashed a Hidden Hip-Hop Hurricane You Never Saw Coming!
Added on August 23, 2025 inEntertainment News Cards
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Ever wonder what happens when cosmic timing nudges a Hollywood chameleon into stepping behind the mic? Well, Omar Gooding, usually gracing our screens with his quick wit and acting prowess, decided 2017 was the year the stars aligned for him to drop his long-anticipated rap debut. Talk about a celestial plot twist—losing his legendary dad, Cuba Gooding Sr., and welcoming his own son into the world in the same orbit of time. It was like the universe itself was daring him to channel all that legacy, love, and loss into something raw—Hip-Hop. With his brother Cuba Jr. giving his stamp of approval on the heartfelt track “Legacy,” which pays homage to the family’s rich soul roots, Omar’s journey from comedic actor to serious MC feels less like a pivot and more like destiny calling. And just when you think he’s settled, he’s breaking out the lyrical razor in “For The Culture,” teaming up with the likes of Glasses Malone to show he’s not just rapping—he’s rapping-rapping. So, can the stars predict if this next phase will see Omar outshine his past, or is it all about honoring the bloodline while shaking up the culture? Well, if Mercury in retrograde made him pick up a mic, I say we’re in for some wild verses. LEARN MORE
Omar Gooding is best known for his acting chops and comedic timing, but a lot of people did not know he’s also an MC.
Part of that is because his current rap journey didn’t really begin until life hit him with a two-piece combo in 2017. The passing of his father, Cuba Gooding Sr., and the birth of his son happened in the same year. The double milestone forced him to finally commit to Hip-Hop and release his first solo album that same year.
“I started checking off accomplishments in my head,” Gooding told AllHipHop. “What if your son is like, ‘Dad, you talk about rap. You never rap. Where’s your album?’ I put out my first solo album that same year… I felt a heaviness about my father, like [he said], ‘Okay, bro. This is you. Go ahead.’ Hip-Hop is my thing.”
The family connection has always weighed heavy on Gooding’s music and brother Cuba Gooding Jr. co-signs one particular song. “Legacy” became a turning point when his brother gave him the ultimate seal of approval. “My brother was like, ‘This is the best thing I ever heard in my life,’” he said.
The song is a nod to the family history of entertainment. Gooding Sr. was the lead singer of the classic R&B and soul group The Main Ingredient. The Main Ingredient had an incredible run in the 1970s, including the ubiquitous classic “Everybody Plays the Fool.” “Legacy” samples the original 1972 hit and mentions the Oscar-award winning Gooding, Jr.
Now, Gooding is shifting into the next phase with a new single called “For The Culture,” which he describes as his sharpest lyrical display yet. The track also gets an added boost from Los Angeles rapper Glasses Malone, who jumped on after hearing the record.
“When I wrote this I went, ‘Damn,’” Gooding admitted. “My circle of MCs responded, ‘Oh, so you rapping-rapping now.’” Glasses Malone jumped on after hearing the song.
The recorda comes after a gaggle of headlines linked to his Cam’ron diss series. But Gooding does not want to be known exclusively for his rivalry with the Harlem diplomat.
“I think it’ll be a good switch-up from just hearing me dissing Cam’ron,” he said. “This is really for the culture. I’ve been with rappers. They know I get down.”
The full conversation between AllHipHop’s Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur and Omar Gooding will be released soon. Stay tuned!
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