North Carolina Considers Elevating Petey Pablo Hit to Official State Anthem

Petey Pablo once commanded the nation to "take your shirt off, twist it 'round your hand, spin it like a helicopter," and now North Carolina lawmakers are taking those lyrics to heart — officially.

A bill introduced Tuesday in the North Carolina Senate aims to immortalize Pablo’s 2001 hip-hop classic "Raise Up" as the state's official hip-hop anthem. Senate Bill 512 celebrates the song's lasting impact on North Carolina culture, placing it alongside cherished state symbols like the dogwood flower and the cardinal bird.

"Raise Up," released in August 2001, immediately became an iconic tribute to North Carolina pride, reverberating through stadiums, campuses, and street parties across the state. The bill notably coincides with the recent 50th anniversary of hip-hop and acknowledges North Carolina's pivotal contributions to the genre, particularly from its Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Petey Pablo, a Greenville native inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2024, is among a roster of influential Tar Heel hip-hop artists highlighted in the bill, including J. Cole, Rapsody, 9th Wonder, Phonte and Big Pooh.

Democratic Senators Natalie S. Murdock and DeAndrea Salvador, who sponsored the bill, emphasized "Raise Up" not only as a cultural phenomenon but as a representation of the spirit and resilience embedded deeply in the state's DNA.

For those new to the anthem — or those simply needing a refresher — revisit the music video that made "Raise Up" a part of hip-hop history below.