homage lining 

Homage Lining is a term that was coined by Michael Hannah, better known as the hip hop artist YOUNG SON on blogs and hip hop message boards around 2007. It was used to describe what most people call "biting" in hip hop lyricism...notably stemming from Jay-Z's "Swagger Jacker" track that was put together by the rapper Cam'ron himself compiling an audio college of song snippets from a plethora of artists that followed with the same lyrics being used in a Jay-Z song. Homage Lining was coined to describe when a rapper is simply paying homage to a previous artist by reciting one of their rap quotes in lyrics. There is a fine line between homage lining and biting. Trying to pass another rapper's lyrics for your own is biting, but if it's from a song that was already out and known, it's considered to be homage lining.

Jadakiss (On "ALL FOR THE LOVE): "I'm a hard guy to get along with, get on a song with, when sh*t be going right, I flip into the wrong sh*t".

Drake (On "RANSOM"): "I'm a hard guy to get along with, get on a song with, when sh*t be going right, well I just flip into the wrong sh*t"

Guy 1: Man, Jay-Z is a biter fam.
Guy 2: Naw man, he was just homage lining. Biggie was his homeboy. That's showing respect.

homage lining by Young Son™ April 17, 2009