Leyh almost used the song 'Take It Back' from Wu-Tang Clan's recently released album '8 Diagrams' as an homage to Wu-Tang emcee Method Man, who appears in this scene as Cheese. But, with just a few days before Leyh's deadline, the label couldn't clear the track's samples and negotiate splits between its writers, producers and publisher. Instead, Leyh managed to work in the reference obliquely with a cue from Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah. "It's just a small nod in the direction of making a little homage. But if it was too heavy-handed or recognizable, then it would detract from the drama," he says, pointing out the exact reason why you'll never hear Method Man rap in a 'Wire' episode. "It would be cognitively dissonant. Realistically, most viewers probably wouldn't notice it, but that's sort of the lowest-common-denominator consideration. If the guy speaking in a scene was also singing in the music, it would just be wrong. It would be a violation of all the rules."