Hip-Hop & Teena Marie: A History Of Namedrops

In the wake of Teena Marie's untimely death, droves of music fans, celebrities and artists have voiced their love for the late soul singer and the great discography she's left us. But in the hip-hop world, the outpouring of praise for Rick James' legendary sidekick is nothing new. With "Fire & Desire" bumpin' in the background, VIBE scoured liner notes for rappers who've been giving big-ups to Lady T in rhyme form. —John Kennedy

"My self esteem is even higher when I'm walkin wit chu/You give me fire and desire like Teena Marie and Rick James do" –Da Brat, "In Love Wit Chu"

"I got tickets, let's roll to the Knicks game/You Teena Marie, and baby, I'm Rick James" —Redman, "Mrs. International"

"I pump some Rick James with that Teena Marie/My nina lean on me like, swoop—it's crap this can't be my book of rhymes" —Nas, "Book Of Rhymes"

"I'm feelin like Mariah Carey, all these butterflies/Voices singin to me sound like Teena Marie" —The Game, "Like Father, Like Son"

"There it is/The block is Teena Marie, yeah I'm on my 'Square Biz'" —Redman, "Freestyle, Freestyle"

"Easy ...like Teena Marie I play it slick/Like Rick James/I'm the fire in your desire's flames" —Rakim, "Keep The Beat" 

"And y'all already word know what it is/On some Teena Marie shit, nucca, I'm talkin 'Square Biz'" —Ghostface Killah, "Handcuffin' Them Hoes"

"The record world was in for a smash/Sugarhill, Kurtis Blow, to Grandmaster Flash/Blondie, Stevie Wonder, Teena Marie/They even made a rapper out of me"—Jalil (of Whodini), "Magic's Wand"

"And your girl said she ain't ready for me/I'm in love so mommy got me singin' Teena Marie" —Consequence, "So Soulful"