Rihanna, Panthers, NASCAR and DaBaby: The Queen City’s rise in pop culture
Cassia Sari
·2 min read
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The more the Queen City is sung about or featured in a film, the closer Charlotte gets to becoming a household name for more than banking.
The Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, and Charlotte Motor Speedway consistently make headlines. In the entertainment world, Charlotte is a hotspot for blockbuster films and inspired dozens of tracks across multiple genres.
Swipe through the gallery below to browse the films, shows, songs, books and more that reference Charlotte.
Many scenes from the iconic Days of Thunder movie were filmed at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Pictures posted on social media showed pop star Rihanna wearing a Carolina Panthers jersey at a party in Tokyo in May 2023.
Based in Wilmington, One Tree Hill mentions Charlotte plenty of times through it's nine seasons on air. One of the main characters, Nathan Scott, eventually plays for the Charlotte Bobcats in the fictional universe.
In the 20th season opener of South Park, the Carolina Panthers are shown during a bit making fun of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles joining the Panthers.
This SNL sketch poked light fun at Charlotte in 2021 by imitating LaVar Ball, father of LaMelo Ball. He called Charlotte the
In this episode of The Simpsons, Homer Simpsons pulls out a blue card that reads
In the eighth season of The Bachelorette, Luke Bryan surprised the contestants with a concert at the intersection of Trade Street and Tryon Street in Uptown.
Filmed in Charlotte, this Netflix dating show featured plenty of date spots around the Queen City. This scene took place at The Oak Room in South End.
Filmed in Charlotte, this Netflix dating show featured plenty of date spots around the Queen City. This scene took place at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery.
The popular television show Bones is based off a book series by UNC Charlotte professor Kathy Reichs. The books mostly take place in Charlotte and has plenty of references to restaurants, streets and neighborhoods.
As the title implies, this book is set in Concord, following one of North Carolina's richest families.
The Hunger Games was entirely filmed in North Carolina with many scenes shot in Charlotte, Shelby and Concord. The scene pictured here was filmed at the Knights Theater. Other film locations include the Philip Morris Cabarrus Plant and the Charlotte Convention Center. Amelie's French Bakery provided the sweets for a train scene.
Set in Charlotte, Two by Two is about a father who loses everything in his life based on circumstances within and beyond his control. Most of Sparks' books are set in North Carolina, and he lives in New Bern.
The box art for this video game features an past version of the Charlotte skyline.
The NASCAR film was filmed in Concord at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Lake Norman. The house pictured here was Ricky Bobby's home, which recently hit the market for nearly $10 million in Lake Norman.
A counselor in the comedy movie wears a cropped Carolina Panthers shirt. It was filmed in the Hendersonville area.
The film about robbing the Charlotte Motor Speedway was, of course, filmed at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Masterminds is about the 1997 Loomis Fargo Heist in Charlotte. Mostly filmed in Asheville, the movie doesn't show much of the Queen City, but the
War Room was filmed in Charlotte. In this scene, you can see the angled structures of the Truist Building in the background view. The film opened #1 in box offices.
The Ultimate Gift mostly takes place in Charlotte, and former Charlotte mayor and governor of North Carolina appeared in a few scenes!
Shallow Hal was filmed all around Charlotte and Concord. This scene was filmed at Freedom Park, but other scenes were shot in Uptown and South End at the Capital Grille and Pike's Soda Shop.
The story of American Animals is based in Kentucky but was filmed around Charlotte. The unique Queen City skyline is even featured.
Ashby, starring Nat Wolff and Emma Roberts, used South Mecklenburg High School as its shooting site. For football scenes like the one pictures above, students from Charlotte were used as extras!
Ashby, starring Nat Wolff and Emma Roberts, used South Mecklenburg High School as its shooting site.
DaBaby, a Charlotte native, mentions the Queen City fairly often in songs throughout albums. In
Celebrities sport blue and black Panthers or teal and purple Hornets swag often, either because of their fan status or just because the QC produces fashionable jerseys.
Rihanna - In May, Rihanna was seen wearing a Panthers jersey at a party in Tokyo.
“Saturday Night Live” (2021) - An SNL sketch poked light fun at Charlotte in 2021 by imitating LaVar Ball, father of LaMelo Ball. He called Charlotte the “regional bacon capital of the world,” a play on “banking,” and the “Gateway to Gastonia.”
Kenan Thompson, portraying Ball, called the Charlotte Hornets “the most storied franchise in all of basketball,” and said that after LaMelo wins, he’s going to unite North and South Carolina into a “super Carolina called Carolossus, monster of the South.”
“The Ultimatum” (2023) - This year’s season of The Ultimatum, a Netflix dating show, was filmed in Charlotte. The contestants went on dates around Charlotte at spots like Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Canopy and Para.
Music
“Under the Sun”, Dreamville, J. Cole, Lute, and DaBaby (2019) - This record marked the first time these three iconic North Carolina-based artists collaborated. Lute and DaBaby, both from Charlotte, had verses about the Queen City, even mentioning historic Beatties Ford Road by name.
DaBaby specifically mentions Charlotte in many of his songs. His success has helped establish the city as a breeding ground for talent in the rap and hip-hop genre.
“Promised Land”, Grateful Dead (1976) - A song about traveling throughout the United States, Promised Land references Charlotte and Rock Hill in the opening verse. The song was originally written by Chuck Berry in 1964.
Movies
“Shallow Hal” (2001) - Starring Jack Black and Gwenyth Paltrow, Shallow Hal was filmed throughout Charlotte and Concord. Freedom Park, Bank of America Headquarters, Capital Grille, and Pike’s Soda Shop were all featured in the 2001 romantic comedy.
“The Hunger Games” (2012) - The first movie of the series was filmed in Charlotte, Shelby and Concord. The pre-game interviews with the tribute’s was filmed at the historic Knight Theater, and their entrance was filmed at the Charlotte Convention Center.
“The Ultimate Gift” (2009) - Former Charlotte Mayor and N.C. Governor Pat McCrory made an appearance in this Charlotte-based film.
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