Luke Cage is outside the building he remarked being named after a hero, Crispus Attucks. Crispus Attucks, who was one of the victims slain in the Boston Massacre, was of African descent and widely considered the first American casualty of the American Revolutionary War.
The performer in Cottonmouth's club near the end of the episode is Faith Evans, who is the widow of Christopher Wallace A.K.A. The Notorious B.I.G. There is a portrait of the Notorious B.I.G. hanging in Cottonmouth's office, which is directly referenced in the first episode.
Django Unchained (2012) and Quentin Tarantino are mentioned. Tarantino was in talks of making a Luke Cage movie in the '90s, but decided that if he ever makes a comic book movie, it will be about an original character.
The DJ in Cottonmouth's club is D-Nice, famous east coast DJ and rapper from the 80s and 90s. After Cage delivers Pop's message, D-Nice begins playing a stylized version of his hit "They call me D-Nice."
Pops calls Luke "Power Man" while they are sitting on the curb outside of the barber shop. "Power Man" was Luke Cage's hero identity in Marvel Comics when he first started.