John Cena’s Entrance Theme Producer Reveals How Much He Was Paid For It

The producer of John Cena’s entrance theme recently revealed how much he was paid for the beats to the song and noted he’s never met the WWE star in person. Cena’s “The Time Is Now” has become one of the most well-known entrance themes of all-time. Cena is set to retire at Saturday Night’s Main Event next month. In the lead-up, ESPN has published a feature on Cena’s 2005 rap album. The LP, You Can’t See Me, featured “The Time Is Now” and a number of other tracks. It hit the top 15 of the Billboard 200.

Jacob Dutton (aka Jake One), who provided the beats for “The Time Is Now,” spoke in the article about his experience with the track. You can see the highlights below:

On Not Knowing Cena Before Working On the Track:

“I had absolutely no idea who John Cena was. My manager was playing my beats for everyone, and Cena happened to get a hold of one of my beat CDs. My manager called me and said this dude from the WWE wants to use three of my beats. I didn’t take him seriously because a pro wrestler wanting beats from me to rap over just sounded so ridiculous.”

On Being Paid $30,000 For the Beat:

“He paid me with a personal check, and the deal with WWE is that you aren’t entitled to royalties. I had just graduated college and needed the money. It just so happened that one of the songs he made ended up being a cultural phenomenon.”

On The Song’s Legacy:

“It’s just one of those things that refuses to go away. I may have songs that have gone platinum or have been streamed more, but, in popular culture, nothing comes close to ‘The Time is Now.’ I hear it everywhere, and that’s the coolest thing.”

On Not Having Met Cena In Person:

“I have never met John Cena in person, and I haven’t talked to him since he bought the beat. That’s OK, but I would like WWE to get me a plaque or something because that song has to be platinum by now.”