To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the film’s release, we compiled a list of 25 of the most memorable lyrical references to The Lion King throughout hip-hop history. Cole dubbing himself “Young Simba” and juxtaposing his rise up the rap ranks to the protagonist’s own tale of redemption to Jay-Z comparing himself to Rafiki, The Lion King‘s legacy within the culture is iron-clad and has transcended generations. In the aftermath of its blockbuster release, The Lion King was embraced by members of the hip-hop community, with artists paying homage to the film and its characters through song and producers pilfering its score for samples.
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![whole vibe lyrics young go whole vibe lyrics young go](https://images.genius.com/eab98a906d3427072839129bb70b57c8.1000x1000x1.jpg)
It gained a considerable amount of critical acclaim for its score, comprised of original songs written by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, with a score by Hans Zimmer. Released on June 24, 1994, The Lion King was a massive success, grossing $766 million worldwide and finishing its theatrical run as the highest-grossing release of 1994 and the second-highest-grossing film of all time. Simba, who is made to believe that he’s responsible for his father’s death, flees the Pride Lands and goes into a self-imposed exile, but is compelled to return to dethrone Scar and take his rightful place as king.
![whole vibe lyrics young go whole vibe lyrics young go](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/P-dW3Ji5BhA/maxresdefault.jpg)
In an act of betrayal, Simba’s father is tragically murdered by the cub’s paternal uncle, Scar. A coming-of-age story, The Lion King is centered around Simba, a young lion set to inherit the throne as King of Pride Lands from his father, Mufasa.