Scarface is easily one of the greatest films ever made, and it has certainly left a lasting impact on hip-hop over the years through its aesthetics, themes, and memorable quotes that are still referenced today. Tony Montana, the film’s main protagonist, is a broke Cuban immigrant who does everything he can to achieve success, a story that resonated with countless rappers throughout rap’s history.
Steven Bauer, the actor who played Manny, claimed, “Scarface was dead and buried until hip-hop rediscovered it.” He also said that rappers he had never heard of gave him props for how important the film is. Houston rapper Scarface is one of the prime examples, having named himself after the film and frequently referencing Tony Montana while rapping about poverty, drugs, and other criminal acts.
Tons of other rappers in the ’90s and 2000s frequently referenced Scarface, from Nas to 2Pac to Biggie Smalls, with their lyrics often referencing some of the film’s most iconic lines. Biggie Smalls mentioned one of Frank’s iconic rules from Scarface on his song “Ten Crack Commandments,” where he says, “Number four, I know you heard this before: never get high on your own supply.”
Future’s 2011 hit song “Tony Montana” is another huge example, which not only mentioned the film but also became one of the early blueprints for what would later become known as mumble rap. Earlier artists loved what Tony Montana’s character stood for, often quoting him, but a lot of other rappers were simply impressed by the aesthetics, iconic visuals, and attitude of Tony.
Scarface still manages to get mentioned in modern rap as well. Rapper Lil Shine sampled the ending scene in his 2023 song “Jeans Soaked,” and Yeat even had a New York Times ad for his album A Dangerous Lyfe that recreated the Scarface cover. Lil Tecca’s We Love You Tecca 2 also recreates the film’s iconic globe on the album cover.