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Halle Berry has always had an odd gravitational pull in hip hop; say her name in a verse and you sharpen the room.

Rappers have called on her as shorthand for beauty, status, desire and cultural commentary for almost three decades. When it comes to MCs reaching for the reference that everyone in the world will understand immediately, Halle is right up at the top of the list.

Her impact goes more than admiration. Artists have referenced her name to make jokes, create debates and give cutting one-liners that often live longer than the songs themselves. Whether it’s praising her elegance or taking apart the politics surrounding her work, rappers know that any invocation of Halle Berry always hits home.

What gloms you onto these references is the combination of glamour and symbolism. She represents Hollywood success, Black beauty and the kind of instant recognisability only a few actresses ever have. In the case of hip hop, that makes her into a cultural cypher. Mention Halle and your bar gets a built-in reaction.

Across eras, across styles, rappers have left lines about Halle that became part and parcel with the larger conversation. Here are the five most iconic shout-outs, the ones that travelled far beyond the studio and took on a life of their own.

Five most iconic rap lyrics about Halle Berry:

5. Jadakiss – ‘Why’ (2004)

Legendary MC Jadakiss went right for the jugular by asking, “Why Halle have to let a white man pop her to get an Oscar?” He tapped into the controversy that surrounded Monster’s Ball, with the way Hollywood rewards certain performances. It was a line that immobilised listeners the first time it was played.

The lyric became the lightning rod of the song. It forced a national conversation about race, sexuality and the uncomfortable hoops Black actresses are pushed through for recognition, and few name drops in rap have that kind of cultural weight.

4. Missy Elliott – ‘Work It’ (2002)

Missy’s brilliant throwaway line “Don’t I look like a Halle Berry poster?” is cheeky, confident and immediately quotable. It is classic Missy, turning a compliment into swag without breaking stride.

The music video doubled the moment by turning Missy into Halle for a split second, a funny and self-aware reference to Berry’s power as an image. In hip hop of the early 2000s, it was the gold standard to be compared to Halle Berry. Missy knew it, and she played it to a tee.

3. The Notorious BIG – ‘Macs and Dons’ (1997 demo)

Biggie’s unreleased demo includes the smooth bar, “I like long hair, or them Halle Berry cuts”. It is a simple line, but it says all about peak Halle in the Boomerang era, when her pixie cut was the most copied cut in Black America.

The lyric works because it is both a reference to a style as well as a sign of the times. When Biggie wears Halle’s haircut as shorthand, it demonstrates how much she influenced the cultural aesthetic of the ’90s.

2. Kanye West – ‘The New Workout Plan’ (2004)

Kanye’s comic rhythm kicks in with, “Henny make girls look like Halle Berry to me”. It is a sly confession of beer goggles, made with his early-career smirk and self-awareness.

The line became one of those classic Ye quotables. It works because it combines honesty and humour, but it also works because it reinforces a simple truth: in rap, Halle Berry is the equivalent of beauty. Everyone gets the joke because everyone is aware of the reference.

1. A$AP Rocky – ‘Fkin’ Problems’ (2012)

Rocky set the club off with the call and response opener, “Halle Berry, hallelujah, holla back, I’ll do ya”. It is bold, cheeky and made to be shouted at full volume.

Crowds loved it so much that “Halle Berry, hallelujah” became the unofficial chant of the song. Kendrick Lamar later flipped it on ‘Money Trees’, proof of how fast the line travelled. There is one of the most recognisable Halle name drops in modern rap.