Most dads will never ask for a song. They'll say they want socks, or nothing, or "just a card is fine." Then you hand them sixteen bars about the way they guard the thermostat, and they pretend to be annoyed while they play it four more times.
Below you'll find a short list of real rap songs about fathers, then 28 original bars you can give your own dad, sorted by who's rapping and why. After that: a quick method for writing your own, and a way to turn it into a video of you and him.
Real rap songs about fathers
Hip-hop has plenty of songs about fatherhood, and they split into two moods: rappers talking to their own children, and rappers working through a dad who let them down. We describe each one in our own words. Listen to the official releases for the actual songs.
| Song | Artist | Year | What it's about |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Papa'z Song" | 2Pac | 1993 | A son's angry letter to a father who wasn't there, with a last verse that tries to see the dad's side. |
| "Just the Two of Us" | Will Smith | 1997 | A father raps to his young son Trey over a reworked Bill Withers classic. Released as a single in 1998. |
| "Hailie's Song" | Eminem | 2002 | Eminem sings, not raps, about how his daughter keeps him going through a rough stretch. |
| "Mockingbird" | Eminem | 2004 | A dad explains hard family times to his girls and promises he'll keep them safe. |
| "Glory" | Jay-Z ft. Blue Ivy | 2012 | Written right after his daughter was born, with her newborn cries on the track. |
| "Daughters" | Nas | 2012 | Nas admits how hard it is to raise a teenage girl. It earned two Grammy nominations. |
| "Growing Up (Sloane's Song)" | Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ed Sheeran | 2015 | A new father writes advice to his baby daughter for the years ahead. |
| "March 14" | Drake | 2018 | The closing track of Scorpion, where Drake talks about becoming a father to his son. |
| "Father Time" | Kendrick Lamar ft. Sampha | 2022 | Kendrick looks at the tough-guy lessons his father taught him and what they cost. |
Notice the gap. Rap has a lot of dads talking to kids and a lot of sons processing absence, but very few warm, funny songs from a kid to a dad who showed up. That's the space your own bars can fill.
Original bars from a son
-
You taught me how to throw a spiral in the yard,
and you still clap the loudest, even when it's hard. -
You fixed my bike, my car and my first broken heart,
with the same old toolbox and a "son, let's start." -
We don't say "love you" much, we just nod at the game,
but every time you text "proud of you," I read it the same. -
You said "measure twice" about wood and about life,
I measured once, Dad, and that's how I met my wife.
Original bars from a daughter
-
You learned every braid off a video at night,
my ponytail was crooked but you swore it was right. -
You checked every boy like a bouncer at the door,
now I bring my husband and you check him some more. -
Daddy's little girl got a mortgage and a dog,
you still call me "kiddo" and you still read my blog. -
You taught me to change a tire in the rain,
so I'd never have to wait on anybody again.
For his birthday
-
Another year older and the candles cost more,
we called the fire department, they're waiting by the door. -
Happy birthday, Dad, you still don't look a day over cool,
you just stretch a little longer when you climb out of the pool. -
Fifty-five years and you still love a plan,
so the plan is cake, then a nap, then cake again, my man. -
We got you the gift that you swore you'd never use,
a brand-new pair of socks to go with your old shoes.
For Father's Day
-
One day a year we let you choose the station,
and you pick the same three songs from your graduation. -
Father's Day breakfast, we cooked it ourselves,
the pancakes are burnt but we're proud of ourselves. -
You never had a manual, you still got it right,
from the monster under my bed to the curfew at night. -
This day's for the man who drove every mile,
paid for every trip and still sends a goofy smile.
Dad-joke bars
-
Touch the thermostat and you'll hear the alarm,
Dad's guarding sixty-eight like it's a family farm. -
He's at the grill with tongs like a samurai sword,
the burgers are charcoal but he says they're "well-scored." -
His lawn is so straight it could be on TV,
he waters it more than he ever watered me. -
I said "I'm hungry," he said "hi, Hungry, I'm Dad,"
thirty years later it's the best joke he's had. -
He turns off the lights in a room that I'm in,
"we don't own the power company," that's his favorite spin.
For a stepdad or granddad
-
You didn't have to stay, but you stayed every year,
you chose me, and that's why I'm rapping for you here. -
You came in the picture when I was half-grown,
and you made room at your table like I was your own. -
Grandpa's got stories that get longer each time,
the fish was a foot, now it's ten, and that's fine. -
He taught Dad, then taught me, how to bait a hook,
how to shake a hand and how to read a book.
From a dad to his kids
-
I used to sleep in, now I wake up at six,
for cereal, cartoons and a tower of bricks. -
You grow an inch every time that I blink,
I'm pausing the clock, or at least that's what I think. -
You can be anything, a doctor or a star,
just call your old man when you borrow the car.
How to write rap lyrics for your dad
Start with one thing only he does
Every dad has a signature. Maybe he whistles while he parks, owns a "lucky" grill spatula, or tells the same story about a 1998 road trip. Write that down first. A specific habit makes the bar his, and it tells him you were paying attention.
Pick a mood before you write
A Father's Day song can be sentimental, roast-style or both. Decide up front. If you go funny, end on something warm (bar 22 style) so it doesn't land as a pure tease. If you go sweet, add one joke so he doesn't have to cry in front of the whole family.
Put the payoff on the last word
Line one sets the scene. The rhyme word in line two carries the punch or the emotion. In bar 4, "measure twice" sounds like shop class until "my wife" turns it into a story about growing up.
Say his name, or what you call him
"Pops," "Old Man," "Coach," "Papa Joe." Whatever the family uses, put it in at least one bar. It turns a nice verse into his song.
Turn it into a video of you and your dad
A song for dad hits harder when he can watch the two of you perform it. On RapVideo AI's birthday rap song page, you upload a photo of yourself and a photo of your dad, or one picture with both of you in it. Prefer to rap alone? Choose Solo and add one photo. Next, choose a stage (Hotel Lobby, Luxury Lobby or Studio Booth) and write a topic of up to 120 characters. The AI composes a brand-new rap about that topic and produces the voices and the beat at the same time. The voices are AI voices, not clones, so neither of you will sound like yourselves or like any famous rapper.
Topics that work well for dads:
- "My dad Mike, grill master, thermostat cop, worst jokes, best hugs, turning 60"
- "Father's Day for Pops, who taught me to fish and still can't use his phone"
- "Me and my stepdad Ray, who showed up for every game since I was nine"
Write the topic in whichever language you want the rap sung in. If you'd rather make a sung birthday tune with his name, try the personalized birthday song maker, and for a hug or a slow dance from an old family photo, see AI family video.
To get a rap about your dad, pick the New song style. Original remake drops your two faces into the original "Hotel Lobby" clip and keeps the real song, so whatever you type in the topic box won't be used.
Expect the video in roughly 2 to 3 minutes. One standard video (Standard, 720p, 12 seconds, 9:16) uses 10 credits. You can buy a one-off pack of 12 credits for $9.99, or go monthly with the Basic plan at $29.90 for 100 credits, which works out to about $2.99 a song. If a render fails, the credits come back automatically. Full details are on the pricing page, and the step-by-step guide covers which photos work best.
FAQ
What is a good rap song for my dad?
For a real track, Will Smith's "Just the Two of Us" is the warm classic. For something made for your dad, use the original bars above and swap in his name and habits.
Are there rap songs for dad from a son?
Most well-known rap songs about fathers are written by dads or by sons dealing with an absent father, like 2Pac's "Papa'z Song." For a loving song from a son, bars 1 to 4 above are a good start.
Are there rap songs for dad from a daughter?
There are few famous ones. Most father-daughter rap songs, like Nas's "Daughters" and Eminem's "Mockingbird," are written from the dad's side. Bars 5 to 8 above are written from the daughter's side.
What is a good Father's Day rap?
One habit, one memory, one thank-you. Bars 13 to 16 are built for it; add a dad-joke bar if your family likes to roast.
Can I use lyrics from a real song in a video for my dad?
We'd advise against it, because song lyrics are copyrighted. RapVideo AI writes an original rap from your topic, so you don't need anyone else's words.
Can I make a rap video with my dad if we don't have a photo together?
Yes. Upload one photo of you and one of him. A single photo with both of you in it also works.
Is it free?
No. A standard video costs 10 credits, and failed renders are refunded automatically.
More ideas
Writing for the whole crew? See our list of rap songs about friends, or borrow some punchlines from these funny rap lyrics.
RapVideo AI is independent and not affiliated with any artist or song mentioned on this page.