Actress Nia Long selected a lyric from Kanye West's song 'Touch the Sky' as her favorite reference to her in rap music. She highlighted her appearance in the track's video during an interview with BlackTree TV. Long made the comments while promoting her role in the Michael Jackson biopic.
Nia Long has been referenced by numerous rappers over her three-decade career in TV and film, including roles in Boyz n the Hood, Friday and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Artists such as Phife Dawg, FERG, Juicy J, Webbie, Chingy, Lil Wayne and Ghostface Killah have name-dropped her in their lyrics. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, rapped on 'Touch the Sky': “Couldn’t keep it at home, thought I needed a Nia Long.” Long appeared in the song's music video alongside Tracie Ellis Ross. Long shared her preference during a recent BlackTree TV interview, where she promoted her portrayal of Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson's mother, in the biopic Michael. “I’m going to go with Kanye’s because I was in that video,” she said. “That video was iconic. I just think Kanye is such a visionary with his music, his visuals. He’s a very talented artist, so I’mma go with that one.” Long also discussed a potential sequel to Michael, expressing hope that it would explore Jackson's evolving relationship with his mother. She said she wants it to address how he became “more independent in his manhood and how he works through certain challenges; personal and professionally.”
