It is a common practice in show business and the music industry to create “stage names” or alternate personas for the sake of entertainment. Artists in these fields pick titles that they think are more interesting than their real names. In the music industry it is especially common amongst rap artists to pick something that sounds more thug or street. The following is a expose on some of the most popular rap artists and what their real names actually are.
50 Cent – Curtis James Jackson III: A rapper hailing from New York, Curtis Jackson started out life on the same paths as most drug dealers, including being shot 9 times. His rise into the world of rap music was helped along by the rapper Eminem who heard his tapes. Since then Curtis has made a career for himself in acting; going by his real name some of the time and has also made a fortune in investments; raking in around $400 million on Vitamin Water.
Akon – Aliaune Thiam: Actually his full name is: Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam. His rap name is merely one of his “middle” names. Akon hit the rap and R & B scene with his debut album featuring the hits “Locked Up” and the ever so catchy use of chipmunk sounding voices on “Lonely.” He has also been a frequent collaborator with pop artist Gwen Stefani.
Busta Rhymes – Trevor Tahiem Smith: Mr. Smith has been a popular force in the rap industry, having busted out with his hit single “Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check.” in 1996. The name Busta Rhymes was given to him by Chuck D of Public Enemy and based off of the name of NFL star George “Buster” Rhymes.
Dr. Dre – Andre Romel Young: Andre grew up in Los Angeles and his rap name is derived from the end part of his first name. Considered one of the forefathers of West Coast Gangsta Rap, Dr. Dre went on to create his own label Aftermath and not only produced his own hit albums, but those of many other rappers such as Eminem.
Eminem – Marshall Bruce Mathers III: Marshall, also known as Slim Shady, was essentially discovered and molded into a success by Dr. Dre. As a white rapper in a predominantly black industry Eminem stood out with his no-holds-barred lyrics and rap delivery. Following in the footsteps of Dr. Dre, Eminem now runs his own section of a record label.
Ice Cube – Oshea Jackson: Mr. Jackson rose in fame along with Dr. Dre as part of the West Coast rap scene. Eventually he struck out on his own finding musical success, but then branched into movies. His roles is such hits as Friday, Boyz In The Hood, Barbershop, and Are We There Yet? Have made him a bankable star all the way around.
Jay-Z – Shawn Corey Carter: Known for his unique lyrical delivery Shawn has become one of the most successful rap artists in a business sense. As CEO of a music label and co-owner of sports teams, Carter became a role model for other artists within the industry on diversifying assets.
Q-Tip – Jonathan Davis: Hitting the mainstream with the rap group A Tribe Called Quest, Jonathan got his stage name from his ability to get sound into people’s ears and the Q stands for Queens, New York.
MC Hammer – Stanley Kirk Burrell: He grabbed fame in the late 80’s and early 90’s while wearing baggy pants that were eventually named after him. After having several hit rap songs such as “Can’t Touch This” and even doing a rap anthem for The Adams Family movie, Stanley apparently lost most of his money. He changed his outlook on the rap industry and became more religious themed going so far as to become a preacher.
DMX – Earl Simmons: Growing up in New York this rapper took his stage name from Oberheim DMX; an early drum machine. Earl grabs his listener’s attention with lyrics about robberies and violence and yet at the same time also makes tracks with heavy religious influence. Earl is known for his trademark dog growling and is also a familiar face to movie goers.
Ice T – Tracy Marrow: Originally a gang member with the Crips, having the special skills to be a jewel thief and a pimp, his stage name was his street name based off of the ex-pimp Iceberg Slim. Tracy has had success as a controversial rapper, rap rocker, in movies, and in television as a cast member of Law and Order SVU.
Queen Latifah – Dana Owens: Often called “Hip-hop’s First Lady” Dana was born in New Jersey and started her professional career as a Burger King worker. However, she soon made a name for herself in the rap industry during the late 80’s and has since gone on to achieve more success in movies.
Puff Daddy – Sean John Combs: Also known as Puff Daddy or P. Diddy, Combs is the head of the New York based Bad Boy records. As far as rap music moguls go Combs is generally at the top of the list also owning a clothing line, a movie production company, and some restaurants.
Snoop Doggy Dogg – Cordazer Calvin Broadus: Another West Coast rapper Cordazer is known for his slow drawl rap style and affection for marijuana. He overcame a publicized murder trail and has continued to be one of raps premier Super Stars.
2Pac – Tupac Amaru Shakur: Tupac was considered not only a gangsta rapper for Death Row records, but also a street poet. Tupac lived the violent lifestyle he rapped about and on September 7th of 1996 he was shot in Los Vegas; later dying from the wounds.
Notorious B.I.G. – Christopher George Latore Wallace: Also known as Biggie Smalls, Christopher was another story of a man coming from selling drugs in the streets to realizing his musical dreams. A hefty man from New York he became involved with some hefty arguments along with his friend Sean “Puffy” Combs. Mr. Wallace was killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles by an unknown gunman.
Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Russell Tyrone Jones: As one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Russell was known most for his crazy antics and wild rap performances. His stage name came from a 1980’s kung-fu movie. In 2004 Russell died from congestive heart failure brought on by a drug overdose.
Eazy E – Eric Lynn Wright: A West Coast producer and rapper who formed N.W.A along with Dr. Dre and Ice Cube he was known to have lived a deviant lifestyle. Musically he feuded with his partners, but the ill blood between them was overshadowed by the ill blood in Eric’s body. He died from complications involving the disease AIDS.
Coolio – Artis Ivey Jr.: Artis is most well known for his soundtrack contribution to the film Dangerous Minds: Gangsta’s Paradise.
Lil Kim – Kimberly Jones: Also known as “The Queen Bee” Kimberly is a familiar face on the New York rap scene. At 4 feet 11 inches tall she made herself noticeable with sexually explicit raps.
Ja Rule – Jeffrey Atkins: This New York rapper made his debut rapping alongside Jay-Z in a song from the movie soundtrack of the action comedy: Rush Hour. Atkins seems to make his living off of pop duets and feuding with other rappers.
Ludacris – Christopher Brian Bridges: A popular rapper who spent most of his time growing up in the Atlanta, Georgia region, Christopher has a very distinctive delivery within his rap songs, often relying on pronunciations and stress on words at the end of lines. He has also gained respect in the acting field, starring in such hits as the academy award winning: Crash.
LL Cool J – James Todd Smith: His stage name means “Ladies Love Cool James” and more than a few ladies and men as well have enjoyed his music and made him a success. A New York native, James escaped his rough childhood by focusing on hip-hop music. He has also had success in Hollywood with such films as Any Given Sunday and S.W.A.T.
Vanilla Ice – Robert Matthew Van Winkle: Love him or hate him Robert became a white rapper success in the early 90’s with a track everyone knows: Ice, Ice, Baby. He went on to make a popular song for the sequel to the Ninja Turtles movie; eventually though he was laughed off of the rap scene. However, Robert knew he was a product and did not let himself become one of those washed up stories in which the music star loses all of his money. After several attempts to reinvent himself Robert ended up making a rap-rock album that gained cult status in popularity and has also made quite a name for himself on television reality shows featuring celebrities.
Xzibit – Alvin Nathaniel Joiner: His success in rap music has only been out done by his success as an MTV icon and the host of the popular show: Pimp My Ride.
Chamillionaire – Hakeem Seriki: Originating from Texas this rapper is best known for his hit “Ridin'” with lyrics about “ridin’ dirty.” His stage name is a mixing of the words Chameleon and millionaire.
Da Brat – Shawntae Harris: A female rapper and protégé of Jermaine Dupree she had succes son the rap charts with her track: Funkdafied.
Eve – Eve Jihan Jeffers: Originally known as Eve of Destruction, she made a friend in rapper DMX and became one of the first female rappers to participate in his Rough Ryders crew. Eventually she released solo albums that put her on the charts along with some pop duets with the likes of Gwen Stefani.
Everlast – Eric Schrody: He made is start in rap as the front man for the Irish white rap group: House of Pain. However, in later years he was successful in a solo project of mixing acoustic guitar rock with his rapping style.
Fabulous – John David Jackson: Hailing from Brooklyn, New York John gained mainstream rap success with the release of his song : Can’t Deny It.
Master P – Percy Miller: The founder of No Limit Records and coming from New Orleans, Percy Miller became very wealthy releasing a long line of rap albums in a short period of time, of his own rapping and many others. He has had success as a film producer, actor, and has aspired to play in the NBA signing contracts a few times, but never making the final cut.
Method Man – Clifford Smith: Another member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Clifford’s stage name comes from a couple of places. Firstly the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, which was also known as Method Man. Also, method is a slang term for marijuana in Staten Island, New York where he was born. He can often be seen starring in films or performing with the rapper Redman.
Chingy – Howard Bailey Jr.: A native of Saint Louis, Missouri, Howard gained hits with several catchy songs including: “Right Thurr” and “Holidae In.
Flavor Flav- William Jonathan Drayton Jr: He is the guy who wears giant clocks as necklaces. A rapper working mainly in the late 80’s and attempting to keep his career alive through the 90’s, William has found new life in reality television programs. His show on VH1, Flavor of Love, not only got him some quality time with many women, but put him back in the pubic spotlight with his giant clocks.
The Game – Jayceon Terrell Taylor: A rapper from the West Coast Jayceon originally signed on with Dr. Dre and the Aftermath label performing along with 50 Cent and others in the group G-Unit. Arguments with 50 Cent lead to Jayceon choosing to move to Geffen Records. The Game also took on acting playing the villain in Waist Deep as well as adding his style to video games. He has also been quoted with statements involving his thoughts that rap is dead and he is retired. His stage name came from his grandmother who always said he was “game for anything.”
Lil Wayne – Dwayne Michael Carter Jr: A grammy nominated rapper he formed the Hot Boys group along with several other notable rappers and is also the President of Cash Money Records and CEO of Young Money Entertainment.
Mack 10 – Dedrick Rolison: A West Coast rapper and one of the founding members of the group Westside Connection along with Ice Cube and WC. Dedrick has been known to some to be an affiliate with gangs such as the Bloods.
Nas – Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones: The rapper who released the album Illmatic which touched the rap community in a way that many still consider it one of if not the greatest rap albums of all time.
Insane Clown Posse: Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J – Joey Ustler and Joe Bruce: This shock rap duo rose to fame, much to the chagrin of many parents with lyrics about violating corpses, sex with animals, and murder. Mr. Ustler and Mr. Bruce have a large fan base that refer to themselves as Juggalos. Both men wear full clown makeup for the greatest portion of their professional days.
Juvenile – Terius Gray: A Southern rapper, Terius gained fame via pop-hook laden songs such as Back That Azz Up.
KRS One – Lawrence Krisna Parker: His stage name was first his street name for when he create graffiti, standing for: Kris Number One. Lawrence is considered to be a historical figure in the rap industry and one of the greatest to hold a microphone. However, he is also known for making less than favorable comments regarding the 9/11 attacks stating that it was a sort of justice for his race that was being oppressed by the type of people that were in those buildings.
Lil Bow Wow – Shad Gregory Moss: As he has grown older Shad has preferred to be called plain: Bow Wow. Starting out as a child rapper he was seen by Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre who gave him his entertainment name.
Nelly – Cornell Haynes Jr.: A Saint Louis, Missouri rapper who gained massive record sales and popularity in a short period of time. He tried out his acting chops in the Adam Sandler remake of The Longest Yard. His stage name seems to be a play on a childhood nickname and derived from his first name.
Redman – Reggie Noble: A member of the Def Squad and also the usual performing pal of Method Man, Reggie does not only stick to rapping but also stars with Method Man in films such as How High?
GZA – Gary Grice: Aka “The Genius” his stage name is based on the sound the word Genius makes when scratched by a DJ. Gary is also one of the founding members of the infamous Wu-Tang Clan.
RZA – Robert Diggs: A rapper and an actor Robert is considered the leader of the rap group The Wu-Tang Clan; being the producer of their albums. He is also in the group The Gravediggers. A cousin to rapper GZA, he has also made solo projects under the name Bobby Digital. RZA is derived from his graffiti tag word Razor.
Sir Mix-a-Lot – Anthony Ray: By far Anthony is known for his classic rap song “Baby Got Back”, with lyrics about liking big butts.
T.I. – Clifford Harris Jr.: Hailing from Atlanta this rapers original stage name was his nickname T.I.P. However, he eventually dropped the P out of respect to fellow artist Q-Tip. Clifford has also made a behind the scenes name for himself as a writer of other rappers songs; such as Bow Wow.
Timbaland – Tim Mosley: A rapper and record producer Tim seems to find his way on any musical single with a great beat, whether it be rap or pop. His stage name is indeed inspired by the popular line of boots.
Too Short – Todd Shaw: A rapper known for his explicit and sexual lyrics Todd also has connections in the pornography industry. He hails from Los Angeles.
Afroman – Joseph Foreman: A rapper who rose to fame with a hit single that graced the soundtrack to Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back: Because I got High. Joseph’s lyrics often revolve around the drug marijuana and his songs often border on being comedic.
B-Real – Louis Freeze: A Latin rapper with the group Cypress Hill, Louis has a distinctive high-pitched delivery and most of the group’s tracks center around drugs. Well known for his contributions on the hit “Insane in the Brain.”
Trina – Katrina Laverne Taylor: The self proclaimed “Baddest Bitch”, this rapper creates a sexy image and sexually laced lyrics.
