Rap music relies on words to a degree that other genres often don't. This gives it an advantage in terms of precision and topical exploration. This post shares some rap songs that either mention philosophers by name or allude to philosophical ideas.
Help – "Consciousness"
This track is taken from the 2012 album A Viper in the Mind, which is written from the perspective of a schizophrenic philosopher on his deathbed. "Consciousness" is impressive in its breadth, calling attention to the Buddhist teaching of the non-self, the nature of time, and a skeptical epistemology.
Eyedea & Abilities – "Color My World Mine"
"He once saw a painting that told his whole life story / And I realize that I'm not real / God just imagined me."
This reminds me of what I read about Jonathan Edwards in John W. Cooper's book Panentheism: the Other God of the Philosophers, the gist of it being that, on Edwards' view, God’s sovereignty is so strong that creation in its various forms are ideas in God's mind.
"Color My World Mine" confuses me in its conception of God. Apart from the panentheism already alluded to, there also seem to be themes of polytheism and pantheism.
Man of War – "Warman"
Man of War mentions Plato and Socrates at 1:58.
Sintax the Terrific – "Isaac"
Sintax mentions Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling at 1:24.
Mars ILL – "Breathe Slow"
Manchild mentions Aristotle at 0:52.
Mars ILL – "Tales from Cloud 7"
Manchild mentions Socrates at 0:46.
BK & Associates – "Frisky"
Sivion mentions ancient philosophy at 0:43.
Homeboy Sandman – "The Carpenter"
Homeboy Sandman mentions Dostoevsky and Tolstoy at 1:23.
the blackSoil project – "it ain't the shadow"
The lyric "It ain't the shadow, it's the substance that I'm after" could be a reference to Plato's cave.