“This one’s for North Carolina, come on and raise up.”
That’s how the chorus of NC-native Petey Pablo’s “Raise Up” starts, and since its 2001 release, the song has become a Tar Heel State staple. Now, it could be enshrined into law with other state icons like the dogwood, plott hound, and cardinal.
A bill was filed in the NC Senate this week that would establish (a censored version of) “Raise Up” as NC’s official hip-hop song due to its cultural significance. Can you name another song that name-drops Hoke County? NC is the only state with an official toast, and if adopted, the only state with an official hip-hop song.
The Carolina Hurricanes have even adopted “Raise Up” as the slogan for the 2024-25 season after the song was chosen as the team’s goal song in 2018. Watch the hype video of Pablo throughout the Lenovo Center + Oak City.
