Lil Wayne’s Best Pop Culture References In "FWA"

Lil Wayne fans are familiar with his associative, stream of consciousness, lean-induced lyrical style, which lends itself to lots of punchlines and pop culture references. It has been well-documented that he records lyrics on his portable microphone and never writes them down.

FWA is no different, as Weezy utilizes his encyclopedia knowledge of sports, politics, films, and TV shows as means to express his thoughts about money, drugs, and women. It is when he uses these sorts of comparisons that he is often at his funniest and most insightful.

If you have been shafted by TIDAL and unable to listen to FWA, check out some of his best bars from the album here.

During his 1992 presidential campaign Bill Clinton famously denied having ever smoked weed. "I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and I didn’t like it, and didn’t inhale, and never tried it again," he said.

Word is Clinton was all about the edibles.

("Glory")

Wayne shouts out Casper the Friendly Ghost and compares himself to deceased rocker Kurt Cobain as he pays homage to Cash Money Weezy: "Rest in peace to the Cash Money Weezy, gone but not forgotten."

("He's Dead")

"Lord knows, I wear new clothes to the mall
Two hoes on my arm, fur boots when it's warm
Church shoes to play ball
We spittin' this shit like bird food to a dog
Urkel to big Carl, y'all don't hear me."

Fans of "Family Matters" know that Urkel was always macking on Laura Winslow, much to the chagrin of her father Carl.

("London Roads")

"We got that white girl like in the '80s, that Marcia Brady,
I dicked Tracy like Warren Beatty, I'm warm as Haiti."

"White girl" aka cocaine is a recurring theme throughout FWA, and here it's manifested as Maureen McCormick, who portrayed Marcia Brady on "The Brady Bunch" and struggled with cocaine and quaalude addiction following the show's cancellation.

Legendary playboy Warren Beatty starred as film noir police detective Dick Tracy in the eponymous 1990 film, around which time he dated co-star Madonna.

Wayne's old movie and TV knowledge appears comprehensive.

("Glory")

"It's 22-5 for the B, and 11-5 for the Solange,
Call a 16 Montana, 8 a Steve Young, and 4 a Brett Favre."

Wayne hits Solange with the low-key diss, claiming that if she was a brick of cocaine she'd only be worth half a Beyonce brick of cocaine.

He then pimps his arsenal of shotguns, referring to each gun's gauge as the jersey number of a famous quarterback. No love for Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, or Joe Namath, all of whom rock the #12.

("White Girl")

"Got the money on my mind, and bodies on my nine,
And I swear everyday I'm on my Ariana grind...ay"

95% of Tunechi's tweets are about skateboarding, and here even manages to fold pop star Ariana Grande into a skating reference while also keeping the whole "white girl" theme going.

("London Roads")

"Wayne Chong chinky eyes like I'm from Vietnam
Got my bitch with chinky eyes like that bitch Nia Long."

Wayne places himself in the stoner pantheon by comparing himself to Tommy Chong of the legendary pot-smoking duo Cheech and Chong. 

He keeps the racial slurs going by comparing his boo Christina Milian to the squinty-eyed Nia Long, who portrayed Lisa Wilkes on "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." They do like a lot alike.

("Thinking About You")

"I pour codeine in a LeBron Sprite
Pop a Percocet, I feel like Iron Mike."

"Yeah I pour codeine in a Jones soda
Pop a Percocet, I feel like Balboa."

According to Weezy, lean and pain killers together make you feel invincible like Mike Tyson or Rocky Balboa. Maybe he should link up with Jones Soda for some endorsements...

("I'm That Nigga")

This line actually comes from Young Money-signee Euro, who shouts out Dominique Dawes, a gymnast who helped the American team take home the gold in the 1996 Olympics. 

("Pull Up")

"Unload the Glock profusely, when sortin' out confusion
Your motor mouth keep vroomin', I'm goin' Tony Stewart."

One of the best drivers in NASCAR history, Tony Stewart struck and killed fellow racer Kevin Ward. Jr in a 2014 race when Ward spun out and proceeded to exit his car and walk out onto the track. Tunechi keeps that pedal to the metal.

("Glory")

Aye, 46 for the 28, 14 for the 18
See them hitters in that black van
Gold chains and a chopper like the A-Team."

Before it became a film in 2010, "The A Team" was a '80s TV show about a squad mercenary soldiers starring the one and only Mr. T.

("White Girl")

Doris Day was a well-known actress and singer in the 40s, '50s, and '60s. Possibly the most impressive reference on the whole album.

("Post Bail Bailin")