Why Rappers Love The Movie ‘Scarface’

There’s no way we can talk about the relationship between “Scarface” and hip-hop without talking about the namesake rapper —Scarface. As a solo act and as a member of the Geto Boys, Brad Jordan borrowed the name of the main protagonist of the classic 1983 movie. He felt he related to the character as he often rapped about the tales of poverty, drugs, and other criminal acts.

Kool G Rap was the first New York MC to reference “Scarface” in a song. On this 1992 track, the Queens rapper quotes the “A pig that don’t fly straight” line from the movie.

Nas put his love for the film on the front street with the release of his debut album, Illmatic, in 1994. This 90s hit not only stole the name of the track from the movie but he can also be seen in a similar bathtub as the one Tony Montana bathed in during the film.

On this track which features fellow Queens rapper Nas, Kool G quotes the “think big” scene from the film. Outside of the lazy acting at the beginning of the video, I love this reference.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is littered with references to the movie. But his most obvious one is on “Incarcerated Scarfaces.”

The Chef did it again on “Criminology” where they sampled the scene where Montana explicitly says, “I told you not to fuck with me!”

Hov has referenced the movie on so many tracks that it’s hard to keep count. But the first time he did it was on this 1996 track from his debut album, Reasonable Doubt. The skit at the beginning of this track is an ode to the movie. Roc-A-Fella Records affiliate Pain In Da Ass does the voiceover work and comically does his rendition of a scene from the movie.

Biggie directly references “Scarface” on this classic track where he raps, “Number Four/ I know you heard this before/Never get high on your own supply,” which is a quote from this classic scene. Apparently, Elvira didn’t listen to her own advice.

I love The Lox. They have always been underrated, and so have their references to “Scarface.” This 1998 track is a play on the “Money, Power, Women” scene from the film.

Big Pun is another underrated MC. Yes, he has his hits, but he is legitimately just as skilled as any other rapper from the 90s, (including Biggie). On this track, he uses the audio from the gory chainsaw bathroom scene.

“Scarface” influence was so massive that Def Jam Records released a documentary in 2003 where rappers speak about their love of the film. Raekwon referred to the movie as the “bible.” Fat Joe said Tony Montana is a “Ghetto superstar.”

It’s so interesting that some of hip-hop’s best references to the movie come from New York MCs, even though most of the film takes place in Miami. Rick Ross opts to sample Paul Engemann’s “Scarface (Push It to the Limit),” which was the hit track from the movie’s soundtrack.

The Boondocks are so engrained in hip-hop culture that I have to include it on this list. In what I consider to be the best episode from the show, Riley Freeman becomes a successful chocolate “fundraiser.” While his brother, Huey, doubts him, Riley claims that since he’s watched all the gangster movies, he won’t fail. Later in the episode, Riley’s operation gets so big that he moves into the “Scarface suite,” which mirrors the mansion from the movie.

Similar to Ross, Lil Wayne sampled a song from the movie’s soundtrack, using Amy Holland’s “She’s on Fire.”

One of Future’s first mainstream hits was his 2012 track, “Tony Montana,” which was included on his debut album, Pluto.