A Complete History of Kanye West's Movie and TV References

Yeezy has an arsenal of pop culture trivia.

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Image via Complex Original
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Kanye West is a pop culture geek. He's made three official short films and most of his music videos have such a clear narrative and visual flair that they could pass for shorts themselves. But before 'Ye started flexing his artistic muscle, the Chicago native's love for film and TV was blatantly obvious. How so? He could never shut up about it.

Whenever Mr. West drops an album, you can bet it will contain jokes and allusions to the most popular films leading up to its release, lines that, sometimes, come masterfully short of being too on-the-nose. Based on their sheer amounts of mentions, A Different World is his favorite sitcom, with Martin a close second. And like the rest of us, he loves Quentin Tarantino's movies. (Given the subject matter of the singles, fingers crossed for an awesome Django Unchained reference on West's upcoming album, Yeezus).

With his one of his two latest records, "Black Skinhead," containing a multitude of references to films like 300, Inglourious Basterds and King Kong, we've decided to take a look back through the super MC's entire discography to compile all of his many cinematic name-drops. Read on for a complete history of Kanye West's movie and TV references, in honor of his birthday today.

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Written by Frazier Tharpe (@The_SummerMan)

Shrek in "The Bounce" (2003)

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Reference: "Chi-Town go-gettin pimps, we mobsters/Gingerbread man even said, 'You're a monster!"

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For many, this was the official introduction to Kanye West, the rapper, as he knew it would be. With that in mind, most in his place would avoid referencing a popular children's movie, but as we'd learn in countless instances going forward, Kanye just doesn't give a fuck (and he has good taste in movies). But he throws in a South Central reference a few bars later, just for good measure.

Vanilla Sky in "Through the Wire" (2003)

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Reference: "My dogs couldn't tell if I/I looked like Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky, it was televised"

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In the immediate days following Kanye's infamous car accident, his face was so fucked up that he and his crew feared he'd resemble Tom Cruise's character in Vanilla Sky, who suffers horrible disfigurement following a nasty crash.

Edward Scissorhands in "Livin' In a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "They call me Edward Scissorhands, 'cause I'm trying to cut"

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This standout track from 'Ye's Freshmen Adjustment mixtape is all-Hollywood themed through and through, introducing the day-one fan to his deep mainstream film knowledge. We kick things off with an Edward Scissorhands reference, a rare Tim Burton nod from Yeezy, whose influence you can spot on some of his more macabre music videos like "Flashing Lights" or "Paranoid."

What Lies Beneath in "Livin' In a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "You gon' find out what lies beneath right here"

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Dick jokes by way of underrated Michelle Pfeiffer thrillers.

The Preacher's Wife and Sleepy Hollow in "Livin' In a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "The preacher's wife/don't give head, get a divorce man/The kids been calling you the headless horseman/Like Sleepy Hollow, when she see swallow"

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Peep Kanye's skewed marital priorities.

13 Ghosts, Hollow Man, Friday the 13th, Ghost, and Backdraft in "Livin' in a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "Thirteen ghosts use my hollow man for Friday the 13th/you be ghost, backdraft from the toast"

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A bar as written by Kanye after walking down an aisle at his local Blockbuster Video store.

Almost Famous and The Lord of the Rings in "Livin' in a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "Get a chain that's stainless, they almost famous/My bling got 'em calling me Lord of the Rings"

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You go to Jacob with $2,500; Ye goes with $25,000. Hence, he's the rap game's Sauron.

The Shining, Do the Right Thing and Don't Say a Word in "Livin' in a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "The shining, make it hard for her to do the right thing/But I don't say a word, I'll never tell"

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Kanye's ice is colder than The Shining's Jack Torrance in the picture above. No woman will be able to resist.

A Nightmare on Elm Street in "Livin' In a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "One, two, 'Ye coming for you/Three, four, better lock your door/Five, six/Seven, eight/Nine, ten, never sleep again"

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A Nightmare on Elm Street famously flips a nursery rhyme into an ominous theme song, which 'Ye here double-flips into the chorus.

Sleepers in "Livin' In a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "Shit's deeper than the Sleepers"

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We don't wan to know about anything that can possibly be deeper than Sleepers, the super-disturbing late '90s flick about four Hell's Kitchen boys who experience unspeakable horrors when they're sent to juvie.

Jeepers Creepers, Clockers, Baller Blockers, and Absolute Power in "Livin' In a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "Jeeper Creep-up on your block and cops Clock-us/Try to Baller Block-Us, use Absolute Power"

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Even this far back in his career, and in a song this lighthearted, Kanye found time to inject some social awareness into his bars.

9 1/2 Weeks and Rush Hour in "Livin' In a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "You gave him 9 1/2 Weeks/Why you trying to rush hours, huh?"

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This character in Kanye's crime narrative gets a near three-month sentence, which is the exact opposite of the fun times Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger engage in over the same time period in 9 1/2 Weeks. As for Rush Hour's Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, they're just happy to be here.

The Cell in "Livin' In a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "And in the cell, don't drop soap in the showers, huh"

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Here, 'Ye continues from the previous jail bars, but flips "cell" with the special kind of prison Jennifer Lopez finds herself in the trippy Y2K thriller The Cell.

Juice and Life in "Livin' In a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "They try to give me life, I'm out in an hour, huh/Back on the block with more juice than 'Pac"

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As with every rapper, Kanye's lawyers are probably Jewish and thus possessing the inherently superb legal skills necessary to get him out of any prison predicament and back on the streets in mere minutes. This is just the first of many classic Eddie Murphy movies that he will mention on wax.

Three Kings and Me, Myself and Irene in "Livin' In a Movie" (2005)

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Reference: "You in my things like the Suicide Kings/There's only three kings, Me, Myself and Irene"

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The hottest MCs are Kanye, Kanye and...Irene? Shoud've spent more time on IMDB to make this one work, 'Ye.

A Different World in "Spaceship" (2004)

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Reference: "Lock yourself in a room doing five beats a day for three summers/That's a different world like Cree Summer's"

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Judging from how many times he's referenced it over the years, Kanye's a big fan of the HBC-set sitcom A Different World, so much so that he's able to reference a supporting player like Cree Summer, who played endearing campus activist Freddie Brooks.

Romeo Must Die in "Never Let Me Down" (2004)

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Reference: "Look what an accident did to Left-Eye/First Aaliyah, now Romeo must die?/I know I got angels watching me from the other side"

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Kanye feels especially blessed to escape his accident relatively unscathed, considering how many celebrities died around that time, including Merlin Santana, most famous for portraying troubled teen Romeo on The Steve Harvey Show.

Regis & Kathy Lee in "Jesus Walks" (2004)

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Reference: "The way Kathie Lee needed Regis, that's the way I need Jesus"

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It's true, Regis Philbin is something of a daytime talk-show kingmaker. Before putting Kelly Ripa on the map, Kathie Lee Gifford was the quintessential younger blonde co-host to old man Regis on his successful ABC morning show.

Candyman in "Breathe In Breathe Out" (2004)

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Reference: "So say my name like Candyman/And I'mma fix you up like the handyman"

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Ladies, say Kanye's name five times and he'll appear out of thin air. To service your needs, not to murder you.

Pootie Tang in "School Spirit" (2004)

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Reference: "See that's how dude became a young Pootie Tang, tippy tow"

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Kanye honed his pimp skills to the effect of Chris Rock's smooth-talking blaxploitation creation on the college campus chasing sorority girls. At least school was good for something.

Juwanna Mann and In Living Color in "Talk About Our Love" (2004)

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Reference: "How you listen to a girl that still want a man?/Tell me the truth, is that a man or Juwanna Mann?/I'm wonderin' why she ret ta go like Wanda then?"

In most of his relationship verses, Kanye tends to have bad luck winning over his girl's friends. On this Brandy single, the R&B star's homegirl is apparently chirping in her ear, re: Kanye's alleged infidelity and worse. He's probably not helping his case by comparing her to Juwanna Mann and Jamie Foxx's Wanda character from In Living Color, two cases of a man masquerading as a woman.

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Forrest Gump in "Hey Mama" (2005)

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Reference: "Forrest Gump mama said, 'Life is like a box of chocolates'/My mama said, 'Go to school and get your doctorate'"

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This song is way too sweet (and bittersweet, in retrospect) to give Kanye flack for being the 1,987th person to reference Mama Gump's ubiquitous life advice by way of a Whitman's Sampler.

The Golden Child in "Gone" (2005)

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Reference: "See me at the airport, at least twenty Louis/Treat me like the Prince and this my sweet brother Numpsay/Brother Numpsay!"

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Kanye is a huge fan of classic Eddie Murphy. Here, he merges the comedian's role as royalty in Coming to America with this classic exclamation from 1986's The Golden Child to depict the royal treatment he and his entourage receive on their various jet-sets.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith in "Gone" (2005)

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Reference: "I'mma open up a store for aspiring MCs/Won't sell 'em no dream but the inspiration is free/But if they ever flip sides like Anakin/You'll sell everything, including the mannequin"

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Anakin Skywalker's inevitable switch to the "Dark Side" finally occurs in the final Star Wars prequel, Revenge of the Sith. So far during his tenure as a label boss, Kanye hasn't had to contend with his MCs switching sides on him—yet.

Scary Movie in "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" (2007)

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Reference: "Bustin' Scary Movie nuts, I had to get the freak off/That new Tom Cruise to the Moulin Rouge"

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Early aughts movie marathon at the West house (courtesy of this standout from Consequence's 2007 album Don't Quit Your Day Job)! And if 'Ye's re-enacting that infamous Scary Movie scene, who's the Nicole Kidman to his Tom Cruise? Note: The couple divorced around the time Moulin Rouge was released.

8 Mile in "Southside" (2007)

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Reference: "Can't wait 'til they say 'Ye ran up at the Oscars'/Poppa, I heard his life is like a movie/Like when Em played him and Mekhi played a rasta"

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This one comes from Common's second Kanye-backed album, Finding Forever. To date, the Oscars are one of the only award shows where Kanye's behaved himself. And of all his short films, he's yet to produce something as autobiographical as 8 Mile. We can't wait for the day 'Ye drops that biopic.

Do the Right Thing in "Good Morning" (2007)

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Reference: "I mean, did you even see the test?/You got D's motherfucker, D's, Rosie Perez"

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Before hashtag rap was ubiquitous, Kanye starts off the finale to his college trilogy with this clever triple entendre that references his apparently horrible grades, which share a letter with Rosie Perez's bust, who plays Spike Lee's love interest in the same film that sees another character go on a similarly profane rant over D's [batteries].

Back to the Future in "Good Morning" (2007)

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Reference: "Good morning, and look at the valedictorian/Scared of the future while I hop in the DeLorean"

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'Ye continued to push rap soundscapes with Graduation, so it's only fitting that the intro to the sonically advanced disc features a reference to pop culture's most classic tool for time travel, the DeLorean DMC 12.

The Pursuit of Happyness in "Champion" (2008)

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Reference: "We was sort of like Will Smith and his son/In the movie, I ain't talkin bout the rich ones"

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Kanye's a bit hyperbolic here, comparing he and his dad's struggle to that of the homeless Christopher Garner and his junior, portrayed by father and son Smith. Former G.O.O.D. Music affiliate Consequence famously claimed this line was his suggestion. 

Purple Rain in "Stronger" (2007)

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Reference: "You know how long I been on ya?/Since Prince was on Apollonia"

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Kanye's been fiending for his black Kate Moss since Prince lusted after Apollonia in Purple Rain, i.e. a long ass time. Purple Rain came out 13 years before "Stronger" dropped. Talk about nursing a crush.

Snakes on a Plane in "Good Life" (2007)

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Reference: "Have you ever popped champagne on a plane, while gettin' some brain/Whipped it out, she said, 'I never seen snakes on a plane!'"

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Kanye's absolutely making yet another reference to his endowment, but what if his fellow Mile High Club partner really just meant she's yet to see Samuel L. Jackson's so-bad-it's-great flick? Her loss.

The Cosby Show/A Different World in "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (2007)

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Reference: "I ain't one of the Cosbys, I ain't go to Hillman"

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Kanye uses Hillman College, the HBC Denise Huxtable attends in Cosby Show spinoff A Different World, in yet another reference to how he just wasn't built for that university life.

The Devil Wears Prada in "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (2007)

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Reference: "Life is a, uh, depending how you dress her/So if the Devil wears Prada, Adam and Eve wear nada/I'm in between but way more fresher"

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One of Kanye's best-executed film references to date finds Mr. West landing somewhere between saint and sinner, and dressed to the nines, natch.

Chappelle's Show in "Barry Bonds" (2007)

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Reference: "Fresh off the plane, konichiwa bitches!"

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A callback to the fan-favorite "Racial Draft" skit from Chappelle's Show.

Chicago in "Everything I Am" (2007)

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Reference: "You see how I creeped up?/You see how I played a big role in Chicago like Queen Latifah?"

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Kanye put on for his city in a major way, not long after Queen Latifah had a major role in Rob Marshall's Chicago, the film adaptation of the beloved stage musical.

A Different World in "The Glory" (2007)

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Reference: "Class back in session, so I upped it a grade/Two years, Dwayne Wayne became Dwyane Wade"

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Kanye prophesies his ascension from rap-nerd to hip-hop all star, a transformation that many pegged as completed with Graduation, the same album that improbably bested then-sales-titan 50 Cent's Curtis at the cash registers.

Saturday Night Fever in "The Glory" (2007)

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Reference: "So, yeah, at the Grammys I went ultra Travolta/Yeah, that tuxedo might've been a little guido"

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What's a rare misfire to arguably the most stylish rapper of all time, especially on a night when he added three more gold trophies to the collection?

The Parkers in "The Glory" (2007)

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Reference: "I'm pop, the Barkers/I'm hood, The Parkers"

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It doesn't get more hood than UPN's Moesha spinoff.

New Jack City in "Big Brother" (2007)

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Reference: "And we know, New Jack City, gotta keep my brother/But to be number one I'mma beat my brother"

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Kanye's feels conflicted like Nino Brown, trying to walk a fine line between staying loyal to his "big brother" and going for the top spot, which would put him in direct competition. Seems like they found a way to reconcile their bid for number one.

Reservoir Dogs in "Therapy" (2008)

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Reference: "I'm gonna get a girl with an ass just as soft/Who swear men dogs like reservoir, and I was Mr. Pink"

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As far as Kanye's concerned, a Tarantino reference is always on time no matter how on the nose. And, of course, he of the pink Polo kind would relate to Steve Buscemi's character, who's also the only one to make it out of the crime film alive.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery in "Heartless" (2008)

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Reference: "How could you be so Dr. Evil?"

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Kanye excels at delivering obvious references and jokes in a manner that elicits chuckles instead of eye-rolls, but apparently it was Mr. Hudson that suggested this nod to 'Ye's one-time telethon buddy Mike Myers' iconic yet hapless supervillain.

Robocop in "Robocop" (2008)

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Reference: The song's title

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Kanye's girl in this song is clocking his movements with superhuman precision. Futuristic thirst for the win.

Misery in "Robocop" (2008)

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Reference: "Just lookin' at your history/you like the girl in Misery"

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Earlier into this 808s & Heartbreak track, Kanye says his policing girlfriend has turned his life to Stephen King. Here, he clarifies that she's straight Kathy Bates, which is to say, dangerously obsessive. He sure knows how to pick 'em.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Superbad in "Forever" (2009)

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Reference: "Old money, Benjamin Button/(What?) Nothin'/Got super bad chicks givin' me McLovin"

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McLovin was the only person out of the Superbad crew to actually (kinda, sorta) score during the movie, but more interesting is that Curious Case of Benjamin Button name-drop, where Kanye coyly suggests that his money might be older than you'd think.

A Nightmare on Elm Street in "Live Fast, Die Young" (2010)

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Reference: "Dr. Martin Louis the King, Junior/And I'mma never let the dream turn to Krueger's"

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Martin Louis the King had a dream, and he's not about to let it become a nightmare.

The Silence of the Lambs and American Psycho in "In for the Kill" (2010)

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Reference: "Hannibal Lecter, my A-merican Psycho/A iller version of Ike, yo/The Thriller version of Michael"

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A supernatural-tinged, macabre guest verse for La Roux wouldn't be complete without a nod to pop culture's infamous cannibal and the homicidal (and probably 'Ye swag-approved) yuppie serial killer.

Family Matters in "Dark Fantasy" (2010)

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Reference: "Fresh air, rolling down the window/Too many Urkels on your team, that's why your wins low"

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A double entendre, as you'll remember Winslow is the surname of Steve Urkel's favorite family to fuck with. The sentiment: None of these other crews are fucking with the Grammy Family.

30 Rock in "Gorgeous" (2010)

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Reference: "Got caught with thirty rocks, the cop looked like Alec Baldwin"

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Of course a song about racial and social inequalities features a drug dealer who inevitably gets popped, by a Jack Donaghy look-a-like no less.

South Park in "Gorgeous" (2010)

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Reference: "Choke a South Park writer with a fishstick/And I insist that they get up off of this dick"

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Mr. West had a lot to get off of his chest during his triumphant comeback from Swiftgate, and one of his first targets on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is South Park for the show's infamous "gay fish" caricature, which he cleverly flips here.

Saturday Night Live in "Power" (2010)

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Reference: "Fuck SNL and the whole cast/Tell 'em Yeezy said, 'They can kiss my whole ass'"

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SNL predictably got their Swiftgate digs in, along with every other media outlet, and at the time Ye recorded "Power," he didn't consider it all in good fun. Lorne Michaels and the gang, comfortable in their thick skin, have since invited 'Ye to visit Rockefeller Plaza twice, once for a performance of this song even.

Scarface in "Devil in a New Dress" (2010)

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Reference: "The crib Scarface, could it be more Tony?"

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Actually, from what we've seen of the various West real estate, it could. Tony Montana's taste was gaudy to say the least; Kanye's houses like the old L.A. abode pictured above are usually a bit more tasteful.

Blades of Glory in "Niggas in Paris" (2011)

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Reference: Audio sample from the movie

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Clips from Will Ferrell's ice skating comedy serve as both the intro and interlude for the monstrous and ubiquitous Watch the Throne single, which Jay-Z admits was solely Kanye's idea. Why Blades and not one of Ferrell's more appreciated films? No one knows, but it does indeed get the people going.

Diff'rent Strokes in "Otis" (2011)

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Reference: "I adopted these niggas, Phillip Drummond them"

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It's no accident that 'Ye appropriated hashtag rap to declare rap's current crop of new stars as his sons, right before telling them to "tuck their summer in." Daddy's home.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off in "Gotta Have It"

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Reference: "I'mma need a day off, I think I'll call Ferris up/[Jay-Z] Bueller had a Muller but I switched it for a Mille"

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The lyrical tag-team of "Gotta Have It" kicks off with Kanye tossing up a simple Ferris Bueller reference for Jigga to bring home with another one of his trademark watch brags.

True Romance in "That's My Bitch" (2010)

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Reference: "Twisted love story, True Romance/Mary Magdalene, from a pole dance"

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Twisted love stories have been all the rage in Yeezy's post-808s universe, and here he name-drops Watch the Throne cohort Jay-Z's favorite movie (written by Quentin Tarantino) to hammer home just how unconventional his current love affair is. This comes just one track after he admitted the strip club is the absolute worst place to find love.

Martin in "Illest Motherfucker Alive" (2011)

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Reference: "I got my fur on feelin like Jerome/She got her fur too, we got our his-and-her on"

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Kanye's mink is dragging to the floor much like the buffoonish pimp caricature from Martin.

Beverly Hills Cop in "To The World"

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Reference: "Only nigga in Beverly Hills, where the hell is Axel Foley at?/'Ease up there baby boy,' Ving Rhames told Jody that"

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The scarcity of color in his tax bracket is once again on Kanye's mind, carrying over from themes explored on Watch the Throne to the intro of the G.O.O.D. Music crew compilation Cruel Summer. Given that context, you could assume he's Ving Rhames, imparting wisdom to the likes of Big Sean and CyHi the Prynce, or else others are telling him to ease up on poking the race issue. If it's the latter, looks like that lesson didn't take.

Precious and There's Something About Mary in "Mercy"

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Reference: "Plus, yo my bitch make yo bitch look like Precious/Somethin' bout Mary, she gone off that Molly"

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Truer words have never been spoken. At least last year when this dropped, these days Kim and Precious are of roughly equal weight.

Project Runway in "Cold"

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Reference: "From the projects one day to Project Runway"

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Back in the day, Kanye's crew were middle-class or lower; now, they're getting their Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn on, debuting their very own fashion lines.

In Too Deep in "Don't Like" (2012)

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Reference: "I was in too deep like Mekhi Phife/In that pussy so deep I could've drowned twice"

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Has Kanye ever actually seen In Too Deep or did he just glance at the extra-bald one-sheet while writing this verse? From a certain angle, Mekhi Phifer—star of various hood-classics not titled In Too Deep—could be confused for actual star Omar Epps. They're both of a similar shade, both follically challenged...OK, we'll give him a pass for this one, as long as he remembers to consult IMDB from here on out.

The Waterboy in "New Slaves" (2013)

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Reference: "I'm bout to wild the fuck out/I'm going Bobby Boucher"

Much like Adam Sandler's waterboy-turned-linebacker channels his rage-outs on the football field, 'Ye too is channeling his rage against the machine into this politically charged first offering from Yeezus.

King Kong in "Black Skinhead" (2013)

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Reference: "They see a black man with a white woman/At the top floor they gon come to kill King Kong"

On his ultra racial-sensitive Yeezus state of mind, Kanye's noticed the media gunning for him more than usual since he shacked up and then procreated with Kim Kardashian, coinciding with more stacks in his bank account and an ever-rising star in Hollywood. Here's hoping Yeezus doesn't end up as the metaphorical plummet from the Empire State.

Inglourious Basterds in "Black Skinhead" (2013)

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Reference: "What do you say to a masked man?/This inglourious bastard that's rappin'/We might have to burn this whole suit down/Like the theater that Hitler was trapped in"

The Yeezus screed against corporate America finds Kanye threatening to burn the system down like Brad Pitt and co. did to Hitler in Tarantino's history-revising war film.

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