Spoilers for Luke Cage ahead. In the grand tradition of fictional mentors, Luke Cage's true calling as Harlem's greatest hero is launched by the sudden and tragic death of Pop. Far from being just a mentor and father figure to Luke, Pop also mentors...
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It seems as though the Fonz, a popular character from the TV show Happy Days, was a huge inspiration to a young Jay-Z.
Jay claims he once was cool as the Fonz was.
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They thought I'd make another Illmatic
But it's always forward I'm movin'
Never backwards, stupid, here's another classic Nas – Stillmatic (The Intro)
But it's always forward I'm movin'
Never backwards, stupid, here's another classic Nas – Stillmatic (The Intro)
What is this?
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Illmatic, widely regarded as the greatest rap album of all time, served as inspiration for the title of this project. Fans were expecting a record similar to it, but Nas neglected it in the beginning of the album. Esco doesn’t think changing the blueprint will make Stillmatic any worse, and promises another classic to the listeners.
Although Nas said he can’t move backwards, he actually did, while rapping a song backwards.
My caravan doors open up
I jumped back in the van and closed it shut
I think the Marvel series Luke Cage drew inspiration from this line.
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Paper chasin', tell that paper, "Look, I'm right behind ya"
Lil Wayne (Ft. Cory Gunz) – 6 Foot 7 Foot
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“Paper chasin” is a common phrase in rap — it means making money, or at least hustling to make money.
Wayne takes it literally here – like Melanion chasing Atalanta, he is quick on the heels of Paper as it flees from him.
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Niggas is goin' over their favorite shit (For what?), to be tapin' this
The Beatnuts (Ft. Big Pun & Cuban Link) – Off the Books
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What is this?
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What is this?
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Knowing something horrible that most people can’t imagine can cause one to lose the ability to see the good in the world. Holding these disturbing secrets has made his conscience a bit darker.
This is probably also a reference to a track he sampled from the game by Square Enix, “Kingdom Hearts.” One can immediately see the connection