20 songs that name-drop other artists

J. Cole has always been pretty vocal about the challenges and pressure he faced when releasing his debut album. However, it didn’t make him feel any better when he heard that one of his rap idols Nas hated his song "Work Out." That caused him to create the song “Let Nas Down,” in which he replays how he looked up to Nas growing up and felt that he disappointed one of his heroes. As he said on the track, “I can't believe I let Nas down / Damn, my heart sunk to my stomach / I can't believe I let Nas down / I got defensive on the phone / Resentment was in my tone.”

In 2011, pop band Maroon 5 teamed up with Christina Aguilera on their hit song “Moves Like Jagger.” On the track, they detail how a person will try to impress a potential partner with their dance moves, comparing them to The Rolling Stones’ frontman Mick Jagger. As they say on the hook, “I don't need to try to control you / Look into my eyes and I'll own you / With them moves like Jagger / I've got them moves like Jagger.”

After circulating music in the mixtape scene, it was in 2011 when Big Sean released his debut studio album Finally Famous. He teamed up with R&B singer Chris Brown on the lead single “My Last” in which the two describe how people should take advantage of life and live to it the fullest. On the track, Sean mentions a popular singer and compares her to his potential partner saying, “See, you look like Beyoncé, so do it like Beyon— (Okay) / Do it, do it like Beyoncé, and put it on Sean.” Basically, they could be a couple like Beyoncé and Jay Z a.k.a Shawn Carter. 

"Downtown" is the lead single from Neil Young’s album Mirror Ball. On the track, Young describes the downtown scene as the place to be for people who want to party and have a good. He mentions in the verse, “ Jimi's playing in the back room / Led Zeppelin on stage / There's a mirror ball twirling / And a note from Page.”

In 2017, Tyler, The Creator released his fifth album Flower Boy, led by the single “911/Mr. Lonely.” In the first verse, he mentions two of the biggest artists in music, "My thirst levels are infinity and beyond / Sippin' on that lemonade, I need a Beyoncé / Can't see straight, these shades are Céline Dion.”

In 2009, pop singer Miley Cyrus released “Party in the U.S.A.” On the track, Cyrus tells the story of a woman with dreams of making it big in Hollywood, but there are times when she starts feeling homesick. She mentions that once she hears songs on the radio by artists like Jay Z and Britney Spears, all of her worries seem to go away. 

In pure Megan Thee Stallion form, her single “HISS” finds the rapper detailing her life in the limelight and how she deals with critics and fame. From the first line on the record, she mentions how people watch her every move as she says, “I feel like Mariah Carey / Got these n****s so obsessed.” Megan is referring to Mariah Carey’s 2009 single “Obsessed” in which the singer details how people will tell lies about her to big themselves up. 

A$AP Rocky has always been the type of artist who’s into fashion, but he also wants to make sure his partner is dressed to the nines as well on his single “Fashion Killa.” On the track, he describes his partner by saying, “Her attitude Rihanna / She get it from her mama / She jiggy like Madonna, but she trippy like Nirvana / 'Cause everything designer.” It also helped that Rihanna played his love interest in the music video. 

Country star Carrie Underwood wants her partner to think twice before he commits adultery on her 2006 single “Before He Cheats.” On the track, Underwood is truly in her head thinking of all kinds of scenarios of her partner stepping out with someone else. She briefly mentions fellow country singer Shania Twain in the second verse, “ Right now, she's probably up singing some / White-trash version of Shania karaoke / Right now, she's probably saying, "I'm drunk" / And he's a thinking that he's gonna get lucky.”

In 2011, Drake released his critically-acclaimed sophomore album Take Care. He teamed up with frequent collaborator Lil Wayne on the single “HYFR” in which the rapper details his encounters with women. In the opening line, he mentions a country star by saying, “All my exes live in Texas like I'm George Strait / Or they go to Georgia State.” 

Jack Harlow has no problem making a bold statement and admitting he has a celebrity crush with his single “Dua Lipa.” Named after the pop singer, Harlow uses the track to describe how he wants to get to know her more outside of their musical relationship. He shoots his shot saying, “Dua Lipa, I'm tryna do more with her than do a feature / I checked the web, they out here chewin' me up, f*** it / Fadeaway, I lift that Luka knee up, bucket.”

“1985” was originally recorded by the band SR-71, before rock band Bowling for Soup released their cover of it shortly after. The track tells the story of a middle-aged woman by the name of Debbie who’s stuck in the past and wonders why dreams didn’t come true for her when she was much younger. The song is riddled with pop culture references such as, “Since Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, way before Nirvana / There was U2 and Blondie, and music still on MTV / Her two kids in high school, they tell her that she's uncool / 'Cause she's still preoccupied with 19, 19, 1985.”

Rock band Lynyrd Sknyrd wrote their 1974 single “Sweet Home Alabama” as a response to Neil Young’s track “Southern Man.” Since the band wasn’t too fond of Young’s song, they made sure to mention him in “Sweet Home Alabama.” As they say on the track, “Well, I heard Mr. Young sing about her (Southern man) / Well, I heard ol' Neil put her down / Well, I hope Neil Young will remember / A Southern man don't need him around, anyhow.”

In 2008, Lil Wayne released his sixth album Tha Carter III which featured his hit single “A Milli.” On the track, he mentions how people compare him to other rappers, “See, they say I'm rappin' like B.I.G., Jay, and 2Pac / André 3000, where is Erykah Badu at? Who that? / Who that said they gon' beat Lil Wayne? / My name ain't Bic, but I keep that flame, man.”

In 2009, pop rock band Train released their fifth album Save Me, San Francisco. Their lead single “Hey, Soul Sister” became the band’s most successful single to date. On the track, the band describes the essence of a woman who caught their eye, “A game show love connection we can't deny / I'm so obsessed / My heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest / I believe in you, like a virgin, you're Madonna.”

Ariana Grande describes just how enamored she is with a partner on her 2016 track “Moonlight.” In the song, she compares her partner to some of Hollywood’s elite as she says, “I kiss his fingertips as I'm wishing he's all mine / He's giving me Elvis with some James Dean in his eyes / Puts his lips on my neck / Makes me wanna give him my body.”

In 2005, pop group the Black Eyed Peas released their fourth album Monkey Business, led by the hit single “Don’t Phunk with My Heart.” On the track, the group gives the perspective of a couple telling each other how they feel. As they sing in the third verse, “Girl, you had me once you kissed me / My love for you is not iffy / I always want you wit’ me / I'll play Bobby, and you play Whitney.” That last line is about former Hollywood couple Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston. 

In 2018, pop singer Charli XCX released her third album Charli, which was led by the Troye Sivan-assisted single “1999.” On the track, the two reminisce about the good ol’ days, wishing they could go back in time to relive them. As they sing in the second verse, “Yeah, I remember back home / Best friends, all night, no phone / No cares, I was dumb and so young / My room singing Michael Jackson.”

Christina Aguilera used inspiration from soul and jazz greats on her fifth album Back to Basics. On her track “Back in the Day,” she mentioned how much she loved hearing ol' school music from some of her favorites. Her musical taste is evident on the hook as she sings, “So break out the Marvin Gaye and Etta James / Your Lady Day, and Coltrane / Turn up your 45s, bring back to life / The sound and vibe of yesterday.”

Fugees member Wyclef Jean produced Destiny’s Child's debut single “No, No, No, Pt. 2.” In addition to his production, he also added a verse in which he compares Destiny’s Child to one of Motown’s famous groups. In the verse he says, “Like Texas, they movin' like No Limit soldiers / They went from a dream to the young Supremes / Sing it, girls.”