Rubio Drops ’90s Rap Lines in First Briefing for Leavitt

gang slang. “I mean, the top people in that government are, to say the least... they’re insane in the brain, and so we need to address that,” Rubio said. He was referencing the title of Californian rap crew Cypress Hill’s 1993 single “Insane in the Brain.” Rubio then quoted another rap pioneer when he told reporters Tehran was “facing real, catastrophic destruction to their economy.” Citing Ice Cube’s 1992 classic “Check Yo Self,” Rubio warned: “They should check themselves before they wreck themselves in the direction that they’re going.” The full lyrics of both songs Rubio quoted contain a slew of profanities and are deemed explicit on Spotify. Rubio has previously identified himself as a fan of profane hip-hop and rap, particularly N.W.A., Tupac, and Eminem. In March, he quoted the politically-charged rap group Public Enemy when discussing the U.S. bombing Iran. “Every day, the Department of War lets the drummer get wicked over every portion of Iran that has military capabilities,” he said, quoting from Public Enemy’s 1990 single “Welcome to the Terrordome,” where Chuck D raps: “I got so much trouble on my mind, refuse to lose, here’s your ticket, hear the drummer get wicked.”Marco Rubio samples Ice Cube (“Check yourself before you wreck yourself”) and Cypress Hill (“Insane in the brain”) pic.twitter.com/6AIHOicJrF— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) May 5, 2026Read more at The Daily Beast.