Rolling around in my girl’s whip the other day, I heard “Excuse Me Miss” on the radio. Since I’ve never been one to jock Jay-Z, especially not his singles, I was impressed when I heard Hov spit the following line.

“Smiley faces after all of her phrases
Either she the one or I’m caught in “The Matrix”
But fuck it, let the Fish-burne
Red or green pill, you live and you learn, c’mon!”

Not only did the line stir up the thought that it might be the best rap reference to The Matrix ever, but it also reiterated an old post I wrote and never posted about over saturated lines in Hip-Hop. When it comes to themes, concepts and vision in rap music, we all know there’s too much “swagger” and not enough creativity. But, when the punchlines have gotten more played out than Kristie Allie’s Wii Fit pad, we have a problem.

Case in point, below are ten MCs spinning their own take on the same Matrix punchlines, for better or worse. The movie is obviously a classic and, in turn, has spawned many a song, mixtape cover and Neo name drop, but come on. This has gotten out of hand. Rappers, read this and remember it next time you need something to rhyme with “placement” or “Lasik.”

Please.

“I’m Neo in The Matrix, knees dug deep into the pavement
DMV so we used to the waiting” — Wale from “Nike Boots”

“The thin line between love and hatred
I’m the black pill in The Matrix, the saturated life
They say life is what you make it” — Common from “They Say”

“Save Your ammo, don’t waste it
Got him dodging bullets like Neo in The Matrix” — Young Jeezy from Fabolous’ “Do The Damn Thang”

“I’m high as fuck I’m in The Matrix movin slow
Yea I’m da flyest who told you da Oreco?” — Big Kuntry from T.I.’s “Yeah”

“Mo’ guns than The Matrix
Neo, reload, get ya face twist” — Rick Ross from “I’m A G”

“Dodger hatted-up I’m fly as a shot when it hovers
A mix between Morpheus in The Matrix and Rocket in Colors” — Crooked I, from Scarface’s “Gangsta Rap”

“I ain’t got to tell homeboy, he knows that
This is Matrix Reloaded and Neo’s back” — Joe Budden from “U Ain’t Gotta Go Home”

“Watch what you watchin’ Fox keeps feeding us toxins
Stop sleeping Start thinking Outside of the box and
Unplug from The Matrix doctrine
But watch what you say Fox 5 is watchin” — Nas from the chorus to “Sly Fox”

“They all alike, can’t understand, maybe it’s safest
to play the role and be another glitch in The Matrix” — Jean Grae from “No Doubt”

“The hustling Harry Potter, shake in the brick
Ice in the bracelet, give The Matrix a glitch” — Jadakiss from “One More Step”

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’d be willing to bet that every rapper, yes ev-er-y one, has referenced the M-word somehow or someway, at least twice. Guaranteed. If you guys can help me come up with around forty more, maybe these underwhelming rappers will reevaluate their bars when they get a glitch in the brains and try and rework the ‘More guns than Neo in the Matrix’ line again.