Hip Hop seems to have an affinity for Halle Berry. For over three decades, the talented icon has been name-dropped on dozens of tracks. Rappers have used the Academy Award winner as a synonym for beauty and grace since the early '90s when she went from acting in small-time television to starring in films.
The mentions of the actress in rap songs are expansive; they appear in album deep cuts, playful interludes, hit singles and more. OGs and leaders in the genre alike call on Berry's enchantment to help them get their perspectives across.
Her beauty represents the strongest ideals about matrimony, commitment and fidelity. She is also a guide to the girls with big dreams who hope their journeys to success will be worth the obstacles they face along the way.
Berry has gracefully handled her moniker being used in Hip Hop. When someone mentioned her on X, previously known as Twitter, to inquire about how she felt about the persistent name-drops, the living legend said she loved them.
See 13 of the most memorable times that artists mentioned Berry on a Hip Hop track below.
1. The $20 Sack Pyramid by Dr. Dre feat. The D.O.C. and Snoop Dogg
In a parody version of the game show “The $10,000 Pyramid,” Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre drop Berry's name. They accurately describe her as a baddie before labeling the actress as someone they — and by extension, the rest of the hood — lusted after. She was in good company, as En Vogue was also mentioned in the skit.
2. Work It by Missy Elliott
On this well-known track from Missy Elliott’s Under Construction album, Misdemeanor playfully asks a beau, "Don't I look like a Halle Berry poster?” during a meetup. In the “Work It” music video, she also seems to briefly turn into the star.
3. Why by Jadakiss feat. Anthony Hamilton
Two years after Berry was awarded Best Actress at the Oscars for her part in Monster's Ball, Jadakiss questioned the reason for the role's reception. In the 2001 film, the movie star portrayed Leticia Musgrove, a tragic widow facing grave poverty who forms trauma bonds with a prison guard played by Billy Bob Thornton. In “Why,” Jadakiss rapped, “Why Halle have to let a white man pop her to get an Oscar?” He also questioned the critical acclaim of Denzel Washington's role as an unethical cop in Training Day, following up with, “Why Denzel have to be crooked before he took it?"
4. The New Workout Plan by Kanye West
This fun track from The College Dropout sees Kanye West crowing that beer goggles cause him to view average women as possessing Berry’s beauty. "What's scary to me / Henny make girls look like Halle Berry to me," he raps in the fluorescent gym-inspired music video. The Grammy Award-winning artist seems to echo the sentiment on his song "Drunk and Hot Girls."
5. Macs and Dons by The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G. nodded to Berry's signature hairstyle on his unreleased track "Macs and Dons." The Cleveland, OH-born actress’ haircut was part of her meteoric rise. "What kind of girls do you like? Well, that's various / I like long hair, or them Halle Berry cuts," Biggie revealed on the demo of the song.
6. Halle Berry (She's Fine) by Hurricane Chris feat. Superstarr
The rapper behind the smash "A Bay Bay" secured another hit with his ode to the screen siren. The song’s catchy hook compares a girl that everyone wants to call Berry. "Call her Halle Berry, Halle Berry, Halle Berry, Halle Berry," he repeats enthusiastically.
7. F**kin’ Problems by ASAP Rocky feat. Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar
Most lyrics that mention the icon are quick examples of snippy wordplay. However, ASAP Rocky took it to the next level with a call and response. The GOAT-level rapper called out, "Halle Berry, hallelujah / Holla back, I'll do ya," and Harlem day parties and boozy Brooklyn brunches were never the same again.
8. Money Trees by Kendrick Lamar feat. Jay Rock
Kendrick Lamar turned the iconic “F**kin’ Problems” catchphrase into a hook of its own. On the chorus of breezy “Money Trees,” he calls out the saying: “It go Halle Berry or hallelujah.”
9. Beach Is Better by JAY-Z
Hov pokes fun at the stereotype that women take a long time to get ready on "Beach is Better." He relents that beauty takes time while complimenting both Berry and his wife. "Girl, why you never ready? / For as long as you took / You better look like Halle Berry / Or Beyoncé. S**t, then we getting married," he rapps wryly.
10. Round of Applause by Waka Flocka Flame feat. Drake
Like West, Waka Flocka Flame has less of a discerning eye when he's under the influence. The rapper describes a girl morphing into the star beneath the club lights. "Hair long, a** fat, shawty mean / That girl look like Halle Berry when I’m on them beans," he raps on the ubiquitous "Round of Applause."
11. Bath Salts by DMX feat. JAY-Z and Nas
Berry played a convincing feline femme fatale in the 2004 thriller Catwoman. On his 2021 song "Bath Salts," DMX tossed in a callback to the role. After theorizing that he might need a "harem" of women to meet his needs, the "X Gon’ Give It To Ya” hitmaker rapped, "Be my Halle Berry / All you need is a catsuit."
12. R.I.P. by Jeezy feat. 2 Chainz
Before he was Pastor Young, Jeezy hopped on a DJ Mustard beat to create this club banger. “R.I.P.” tells the story of the rapper encountering a clubgoer with an attitude that he’s not into. He plays with the pronunciation of Berry's name to make the rhyme work. "The nerve of this high-a** b**ch / She on the Molly / She said she want me to call her Ms. Berry / She think she Halle," he raps.
13. Halle Berry by $NOT feat. Juicy J
Thirty years after Berry stole the show in 1992’s Boomerang with her timeless pixie cut, $NOT recalled its magic. In the song, he falls for an Instagram model who vaguely reminds him of the actress. “She got the low cut like Halle Berry,” the 300 Entertainment artist raps before dropping a nod to West and Waka Flocka Flame: “If I take another shot, this b**ch gon’ look like Halle Berry.”