Rappers Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Rappers
Kanye West (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
Rappers
Rappers are some of the most prominent artists on the top 40 charts. Rap/ hip-hop is a musical style and genre featuring rhythmic and sometimes rhyming speech that is rapped over a musical backing. Rap originated in African American communities in New York City and started to become part of the mainstream music scene in the 1970s. Rap Trivia:
- "Rap" is said to stand for "rhythm and poetry."
- Jay-Z has the most Grammy Awards for any rapper, with 23 wins and 80 nominations over his career.
- Kendrick Lamar won Pulitzer Prize in Music for 2018 for his 2017 album Damn, the first time the award has gone to an artist outside the classical or jazz genres.
Genre Origin: New York City, 1970s Popular subgenres: Trap rap, gangsta rap, Boom-bap, Soundcloud rap, and Lo-fi hip-hop Notable Rappers: Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Eminem, Ghostface Killah, Lauryn Hill, Nas, Nicki Minaj, and Drake.
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Kanye West

Celebrity

Kanye West Likely ‘Grafting His Sexual Power’ by Choosing the Car Bianca Censori Drove, Psychologist Said

A psychologist weighed in on Kanye West's car gift to Bianca Censori in March 2024. Here's what they said about how West was 'grafting sexual power' with the gift.

by Lauren Weiler

Published on November 23, 2024

3 min read

Kanye West and Bianca Censori are seen leaving their hotel on Feb. 28, 2024, in Paris, France. West is wearing all black with a black hood over his face. Censori is wearing a black floor-length coat.

Celebrity

Kanye West Wants to Renew Vows With Bianca Censori in ‘Barely-There Outfits,’ Source Says

Kanye West and Bianca Censori allegedly won't have a normal vow renewal. Here's what a source said about West hoping to renew his vows while barely wearing anything.

by Lauren Weiler

Kanye West is in the passenger seat of a car looking at his phone next to Bianca Censori, who is in the driver's seat. She has both hands on the wheel.

Celebrity

Kanye West Looked ‘Ignored’ and ‘Excluded’ on Dinner Date With Bianca Censori, Body Language Expert Says

Kanye West and Bianca Censori didn't give a good impression during their Tokyo dinner date. Here's what a body language expert noticed about their meal.

by Lauren Weiler

Jay-Z Lost a Competition for Aaliyah’s Romantic Attention

Aaliyah had two men competing for her attention. Jay-Z, who was interested in her, reportedly wasn't thrilled about this.

by Emma McKee

Published on October 14, 2024

3 min read

Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Beyoncé, and Jay-Z posing together in 2004

Celebrity

Jay-Z and Beyoncé Are ‘Sending a Message’ on Diddy Case, Attorney Says

Jay-Z and Beyoncé's lawyer recently spoke out after Piers Morgan posted an interview containing false claims regarding the couple and Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Here's what the lawyer said about the couple 'sending a message.'

by Lauren Weiler

Beyonce and Jay-Z posing next to each other at the premiere of 'Lion King'.

Celebrity

Beyoncé Once Confronted an Actor Who Was Flirting With Jay-Z

Beyoncé has shown a couple of times how protective she was of Jay-Z and their marriage, as she’s been willing to confront anyone who might pose a threat to them.

by Antonio Stallings

Tupac Shared Why He Thought Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Bad Boy Records Was in ‘Hell’

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' record label feuded with Death Row, which represented Tupac. Tupac shared his thoughts on Bad Boy.

by Emma McKee

Published on October 21, 2024

2 min read

Sean 'Diddy' Combs wears a black denim jacket and sunglasses. He holds a microphone.

Music

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Didn’t Think Tupac or Suge Knight Would Have Ever Hurt Him

Sean "Diddy" Combs knew there were rumors about his safety being at risk. Here's why he didn't take them seriously.

by Emma McKee

Sean 'Diddy Combs' wears a white shirt and poses in front of a blue background.

Celebrity

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Said His Feud With Suge Knight and Tupac Hurt Him ‘Spiritually’

Sean 'Diddy' Combs feuded with Death Row Records for years. He shared why he wasn't happy to be in the rivalry.

by Emma McKee

LL Cool J’s Conflict With Jay-Z Led to Hiatus From Music

LL Cool J breaks down why he was unhappy with Jay-Z during the Def Jam era.

by Kourtnee Jackson

Music

Diddy Was Once Engaged For 4 Hours

Diddy has been a force in the music industry for three decades. The rapper and record executive has also been in several public relationships over the years. At one point, he was engaged to someone for just four hours

by Chris Malone

Music

The Notorious B.I.G. Was a Straight-A Student in School

To his friends in his neighborhood, Biggie Smalls a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G. was a kid who sold crack and loved to rap. But he was also an accomplished student and had straight As in school

by Chris Malone

Music

How Many Kids Did The Notorious B.I.G. Have?

The Notorious B.I.G. a.k.a. Biggie Smalls was beloved by many as an iconic rapper and a legend of hip-hop. But the Brooklyn-bred MC was also a father. How many children did he have?

by Chris Malone

Music

Tupac Shakur Auditioned For an Iconic Movie Role That Went to Tom Hanks

Tupac Shakur is regarded by many to be the greatest rapper of all time. But on top of being a rapper, Tupac was also an actor in the 1990s. He auditioned for one iconic role that eventually went to Tom Hanks

by Chris Malone

Music

Is Tupac Shakur Related to Assata Shakur?

Tupac Shakur is beloved by many and regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Assata Shakur was known for her activism in the '70s for Black rights. Are the two icons related?

by Chris Malone

Music

Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes Competed Against Each Other in a Rap Battle in High School

Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes are two of hip-hop's biggest names to come out of Brooklyn. The two rappers have their own distinct styles, and each both to fame in different ways. But in high school, they both wanted to be rappers, and even battled each other

by Chris Malone

Music

How Many Albums Did The Notorious B.I.G. Have?

The Notorious B.I.G. was known in his life for his hit singles and braggadocious lyrics. But despite all his contributions to hip-hop, he only had a small number of albums to his name

by Chris Malone

Music

Eminem Said ‘Marshall Mathers Became Eminem’ When He Heard This Rap Song

Eminem gave a speech at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame where he praised this classic song. Here is how the public responded to the song.

by Matthew Trzcinski

Music

The Notorious B.I.G. Wanted Tupac Shakur to Be His Manager

Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur have one of the most complicated relationships in hip-hop history. The two were once close friends from different coasts, and Biggie at one point even wanted Tupac to be his manager. But their relationship quickly soured in the mid-1990s before they could work together

by Chris Malone

Music

Jay-Z Went to High School With The Notorious B.I.G. and Another Iconic Rapper

Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. are two rappers who have always shown pride in where they come from in Brooklyn. The two rappers had very similar lives, and even went to high school together. While in school, they were classmates with another future star rapper

by Chris Malone

Music

Masked Wolf Explained the Lyrics of ‘Astronaut in the Ocean’ in a YouTube Comment

Masked Wolf explained some of the unique lyrics of "Astronaut in the Ocean" on YouTube. Here's how the public reacted to the song.

by Matthew Trzcinski

Music

Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. Had Nearly Identical Lives Before Becoming Rappers

Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. are two icons in the world of hip-hop, especially in their home city of New York. The two had very similar lives before they achieved fame as rappers

by Chris Malone

Music

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Personality In Real Life Was Very Different From His Music

The Notorious B.I.G. a.k.a. Biggie Smalls helped popularize gangsta rap on the East Coast and always rapped with a braggadocious energy. But his personality in his music was much different than in real life

by Chris Malone

Music

What Does The Notorious B.I.G. Stand For?

In the 1990s, Biggie Smalls a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G. was one of the hottest rappers in the game, and his legacy has long outlived his death. He officially changed his name to The Notorious B.I.G. after his career breakout. What does B.I.G. stand for?

by Chris Malone

Music

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Favorite Rapper Was a Hip-Hop Legend

The Notorious B.I.G. a.k.a. Biggie Smalls remains one of the most lauded rappers of all time. The Brooklyn-bred MC was instrumental in the East Coast hip-hop vs. West Coast hip-hop feud before his death in 1997. The rapper himself looked up to a legend who came before him

by Chris Malone

Music

How Tall Was The Notorious B.I.G.?

The Notorious B.I.G. was an iconic rapper who was first introduced to the world as Biggie Smalls in the early 1990s. Both of his rap names came from his size

by Chris Malone

Music

Was Faith Evans Pregnant When The Notorious B.I.G. Died?

In the 1990s, The Notorious B.I.G. was one of the biggest rappers in the world. In the mid-'90s up until his death in 1997, he was married to singer Faith Evans. Was Evans pregnant with Biggie's child when he died?

by Chris Malone

Music

The Notorious B.I.G. Didn’t Want His Mom to Listen to His Music

Voletta Wallace raised her son Christopher as a single mother. He went on to become The Notorious B.I.G., a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, with countless explicit songs to his name. Because of his music's subject matter, he never wanted his mom to hear it

by Chris Malone

Music

Who Is Biggy Smallz? The Rapper Behind The Notorious B.I.G.’s Name Change

For years, The Notorious B.I.G. was known by the name Biggie Smalls. He eventually had to change it because of another rapper who had the same name, spelled differently

by Chris Malone