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

Jay-Z Said Kanye West’s Antics Were ‘Unnecessary’ for a Surprising Reason

Kanye West has made a number of outbursts over the years. Jay-Z shared why he thought he needed to stop doing that.

by Emma McKee

Published on December 21, 2024

2 min read

Kanye West and Jay-Z stand together. West wears a white shirt and Jay-Z wears a gray suit. They laugh.

Celebrity

Kanye West Once Begged Jay-Z Not to Send His ‘Killers’ After Him

Kanye West and Jay-Z had a close relationship that grew strained. West once publicly addressed Jay-Z during a concert.

by Emma McKee

Kanye West hunched over and looking down while sitting next to Bianca Censori, who is upright. They are both in black.

Celebrity

Kanye West’s Ex-Employees Accuse Bianca Censori of Showing Explicit Content in Lawsuit

A lawsuit states Kanye West provided a hostile work environment to minors at Yeezy -- and it also alleges that Bianca Censori showed the workers explicit content. Here's what's going on.

by Lauren Weiler

Jay-Z Said Kanye West’s Antics Were ‘Unnecessary’ for a Surprising Reason

Kanye West has made a number of outbursts over the years. Jay-Z shared why he thought he needed to stop doing that.

by Emma McKee

Published on December 21, 2024

2 min read

Celebrity

Jay-Z Refused to Read or Release His Completed Autobiography

Jay-Z wrote an autobiography in 2005. The notoriously private celebrity ultimately balked at the thought of publishing the book.

by Emma McKee

Jay-Z holds a lit sparkler and Beyonce blows on it. They both wear white.

Celebrity

Jay-Z’s Friend Had ‘Never’ Seen Him Fall for Someone as Hard as He Did for Beyoncé

Jay-Z and Beyoncé have been married since 2008. Jay-Z's friend could have predicted a happy ending for them when they first met.

by Emma McKee

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

Why 21 Savage Says He and Drake Aren’t on the Same Level

21 Savage and Drake released their collaborative album 'Her Loss' in November 2022. 21 Savage said that he and Drake aren't on the same level.

by Chris Malone

Drake, whose concert attendees were filmed by the NYPD, on stage with a mic

Music

NYPD Filmed Attendees Leaving a Drake Concert and People Are Concerned

In January 2023, hit-making rapper Drake performed two highly-anticipated shows at the historic Apollo Theater in New York City. But concertgoers were met with a surprise upon leaving the show: they were on camera being filmed by NYPD officers as they captured the faces of everyone in attendance. Drake performed at the Apollo Theater in …

by Chris Malone

Tupac Shakur Supported Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes After She Torched Andre Rison’s Home

Andre Rison dated Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes for a decade. Rison says he was engulfed in a love triangle with Left Eye and Tupac Shakur.

by Brenda Alexander

Music

Nipsey Hussle’s Family Heading to Court in Custody Battle for His Teenage Daughter

Nipsey Hussle's daughter was just 10 when the rapper was gunned down. Since her father's death, she's lived with Hussle's family under a legal guardianship.

by Brenda Alexander

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, who shared his thoughts on Jay-Z and Eminem, on the red carpet

Music

50 Cent Says It’s ‘Bulls***’ That Jay-Z Has Had a Bigger Impact on Hip-Hop Than Eminem

50 Cent has been friends with Eminem for years. When it comes to rappers who have had an impact on hip-hop, 50 Cent believes Eminem's influence outsizes Jay-Z's.

by Chris Malone

Music

Why Diddy Isn’t Interested in Selling His Music Catalog Any Time Soon

Diddy entered the music industry as a record executive and later as an artist. With over two decades of music to his name, Diddy doesn't want to sell his catalog of hits.

by Chris Malone

Jay-Z, rapped behind Big Pimpin with Pimp C, wearing a black T-shirt against a green backdrop

Music

Jay-Z’s Hit Song ‘Big Pimpin” Contained a Lyric That Pimp C Thought Was About Masturbation

Jay-Z teamed up with Pimp C of UGK for his hit single 'Big Pimpin'' in the late 1990s. But there was one lyric from the song that gave Pimp C some pause.

by Chris Malone

The Notorious B.I.G., rapper behind 'One More Chance', on stage performing

Music

Inside The Notorious B.I.G.’s Star-Studded ‘One More Chance’ Music Video Shoot

The Notorious B.I.G. released his music video for 'One More Chance' in the mid-1990s, which featured some big-name starts of the day in the video.

by Chris Malone

Yung Miami and Sean "Diddy" Combs, who recently introduced his mom to Yung Miami

Music

What Yung Miami Thinks of Diddy’s Mother

Diddy and Yung Miami have been in a relationship for nearly two years. Yung Miami got to meet Diddy's mom and the rest of his family and shared her thoughts about them.

by Chris Malone

Music

What It Took to Turn Doja Cat Into ‘Doja’s Inferno’ for Paris Fashion Week

Doja Cat broke the internet with her red crystallized look she wore to the Schiaparelli fashion show at Paris Fashion Week in January 2023.

by Chris Malone

Diddy at the Apple Music premiere of 'Can't Stop Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story'

Celebrity

Diddy Once Shared He Didn’t Want Anymore Kids Until Marriage

Although Diddy was already the father of six kids, he didn’t rule out having more in the future if certain circumstances were met.

by Antonio Stallings

Kanye West and North West, who recently met her dad's new wife Bianca Censori, on stage together

Music

Kanye West Introduced Daughter North West to His New Wife Bianca Censori on a Fancy Dinner Date

Kanye West's daughter North West was the first of his children to meet Bianca Censori, the Yeezy architect from Australia he married in January 2023.

by Chris Malone

Jay-Z and Beyoncé, who had their wedding in 2008, on stage together in 2018

Music

What Jay-Z and Beyoncé Have Said About Their Intimate 2008 Wedding

Beyoncé and Jay-Z got married in 2008. After nearly a decade of dating. The music power couple had an intimate ceremony with their closest friends and family.

by Chris Malone

Yung Miami and Sean "Diddy" Combs, who have had a relationship timeline filled with ups and downs, posing for a photo together

Music

Diddy and Yung Miami’s Relationship Timeline, From ‘Caresha Please’ to New Year’s Eve

Diddy and Yung Miami reportedly first started dating in 2021, and the two have celebrated a number of milestones together since going public with their relationship in 2022.

by Chris Malone

Christian 'King' Combs, who spoke out about nepo babies, and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs on stage together

Music

What Diddy’s Son King Combs Has to Say About Being a ‘Nepo Baby’

Diddy's son King Combs is a rapper himself, and following the controversy around nepo babies, the rapper is speaking out with his thoughts on the conversation.

by Chris Malone

Drake, who teased a new album at his 2023 Apollo Theater show, on stage wearing a black leather jacket

Music

Drake Teased Another New Album During His Apollo Theater Show

Drake performed at the Apollo Theater in January 2023, and during the show the 'Her Loss' rapper teased that he could have another album on the way soon.

by Chris Malone

Music

The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z Were ‘Going at It’ While Recording ‘I Love the Dough’

The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z had a relationship dating back to before they were rappers. Once Jay-Z had become a rapper, the two teamed up for the song 'I Love the Dough.'

by Chris Malone

Easy Mo Bee, friend of The Notorious B.I.G., smiling for a photo

Music

Why Easy Mo Bee Was Initially ‘Scared’ of Biggie’s ‘Going Back to Cali’: ‘Is This the Healthy Thing to Do Right Now?’

Easy Mo Bee, who produced The Notorious B.I.G.'s song 'Going Back to Cali', was 'scared' of the song before it was released.

by Chris Malone

The Notorious B.I.G., who was signed to Diddy's label Bad Boy Records and performer of 'My Downfall' wearing a blue plaid shirt rapping into a microphone

Music

Diddy Once Said The Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘My Downfall’ Was Inspired by His Anger

The Notorious B.I.G. recorded 'My Downfall' for his second (and what would be his final) album. Diddy said the D.M.C. collab was birthed out of Biggie's anger.

by Chris Malone

Music

There’s Some Disagreement About if The Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Long Kiss Goodnight’ Is About Tupac

The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur were two legendary rappers who shared a close friendship for years. But their relationship soured in the mid-1990s before Tupac’s death in September 1996. Six months later, The Notorious B.I.G. released “Long Kiss Goodnight,” viewed by some to be directly about his onetime friend. Biggie’s ‘Long Kiss Goodnight’ was …

by Chris Malone