Rappers are some of the coolest cats in the music industry. So
cool, in fact, that they not only wear bling and more bling, they also
create monikers that make them sound like some of the toughest, most
badass characters around.
I mean, would you take a guy with the name
Algernod seriously as he strutted around stage spilling ill verses? We
thought not. And yes, there is a famous rapper whose real name is
Algernod, and you’ll find out who that is in a second.
Here are 17 of the most famous rappers you
thought you knew and the names they were actually born with.
Asap Rocky is one of the hottest rappers on the scene right now, but
did you know his real name is actually Rakim Mayers? Born in Harlem,
Rakim released his debut mixedtape “Live. Love. ASAP” back in 2011 and
it instantly gained critical acclaim. This success led to him signing
with Polo Grounds Music, RCA Records, and Sony Music Entertainment.
Oddly enough his parents were huge rap fans and named him after one of
their favorite rappers, Rakim. But, after joining the hip hop collective
ASAP Mob, Rakim stole the Asap and shortened Rakim to Rocky.
Plies
Sure you know him as Plies (and we’ll get to the rather odd reason
for that name in a second) but this rapper’s real name is actually
Algernod Lanier Washington. Say what? Born and raised in Florida,
Algernod, uh, we mean, Plies, was a solid football player but realized
his dream was to become a rapper. After founding Big Gates Records,
Plies made a big splash into the music industry. When asked why he chose
the name Plies, he apparently claimed because that’s a tool that puts
squeezes on things. Um, did he mean pliers?
French Montana
What do you get when you take the French influence of Morocco (where
French Montana was born) and mix it with his fascination with Tony
Montana? Why you get French Montana, of course. The hip hop artist’s
real name is Karim Kharbouch, but that just doesn’t have the same ring.
Gucci Mane
Although Gucci is notorious for wearing entire Gucci ensembles, it’s
not his love of the designer apparel that gave him his name, it was
actually his grandmother who nicknamed his father Gucci. “She didn’t
know nothing about them clothes,” Gucci once said in an interview. I
guess we’ll never know, then, how his grandma came to that name, but who
cares, it sounds great. And Gucci’s real name you ask, Radric Davis,
guess his Mom found it more suitable.
Future
Future’s future didn’t look so bright at one point in his career.
Between 2010 and 2011 he released a series of mixedtapes that were met
with lukewarm reception. But the rapper, whose real name is Nayvadius
Demun Wilburn (say that ten times fast), stuck it out, eventually signed
a major deal with Epic Records, and released his hit album Pluto in
2012.
Waka Flocka Flame
If you ask us, this rap name sounds like a mixed drink you’d likely
get on a cruise ship or in one of those “for couples only” island
getaway resorts. “Waka,” born as Juaquin Malphurs, chose his stage name
because he has a great love of Fozzie Bear from the Muppets (aw, a
rapper with a soft, chewy center). The “Flocka Flame” part of his name
was actually bestowed upon him by Gucci Mane, whom he’s known since he
was 19.
Iggy Azalea
Iggy’s real name is Amethyst
Amelia Kelly,
which, to us, seems like a pretty decent rapper name. But nope, not
good enough for Iggy, and so she decided to name herself after her pet
dog Iggy (another rapper with a heart of gold) and Azalea street, which
was the street she grew up on in Mullumbimby, New South Wales,
Australia.
Lupe Fiasco
True story: we once knew a bird with the name Fiasco, and he did talk
(AKA rap) a lot, so maybe all creatures with the name were born for
this kind of creative outlet. Although Lupe Fiasco was actually born
with the name… wait for it… Wasalu Muhammed Jaco, Lupe was smart enough
to know people would butcher that name once he got famous, so he
shortened his first name to “Lu” and added the “pe” for Lupe after a
high school friend. Who knew rappers were so sentimental? He chose
Fiasco after the song “Firm Fiasco.”
2 Chainz
Ah, the ol’ “z” instead of an “s” trick. Has someone introduced 2
Chainz to Liza (That’s Liza with a “Z”) Minnelli? The rapper’s real name
is Tauheed Epps but, because of his love of jewelry, he chose 2 Chainz
as his stage name. It has also been reported that the name has been
linked to the fact that he got a second chance at rap and fame. His
first chance came under the name Tity Boi.
Kreayshawn
If you’re not into rap (and if you’re not why on earth would you be
reading this list) you may read her name and not see that it is the word
CREATION cleverly misspelled. Kreayshawn, whose real name is Natassia
Gail Zolot, came up with her stage name as a teenager when she learned
very quickly that if she didn’t create every day, she would die. Not
literally, but we know what she means and are happy that she is
constantly creating mad rhymes these days.
Foxy Brown
Well even
we can tell you that if you are desiring to become
a famous rap artist but you have the word ‘Fung’ anywhere in your name,
you had better get rid of it pronto (which, if you ask us, is a great
rap name as well). Foxy Brown’s real name is Inga DeCarlo Fung
Marchland. Inga knew she needed a rap name that popped and remembered
all of those old Pam Grier movies her mom played for her growing up, and
so Foxy Brown the rap artist was born.
Wale
Wale, whose parents are from southwestern Nigeria and came to the
United States via Austria in 1979, he grew up in and around Washington,
D.C.. The rapper’s real name is Olubowale Victor Aluntimehim, which, is
obviously a mouthful. Rumor has it that Wale chose his name because it
means “well-liked” in German, and if that’s the case, it’s certainly
fitting.
Jay-Z
Half of one of the world’s biggest power couples (in case you’ve been
living under a rock his wife is none other than Beyonce), Jay-Z was
born as Shawn Corey Carter. Shawn? And with an ‘aw’ spelling at that.
Obviously Shawn was not going to become, quite possibly, the most
prolific and influential rapper of our time, with a
middle-class-suburban name like that. As a youngster he was known as
“Jazzy” and changed that to Jay-Z as a nod to his mentor rapper and
producer Jaz-O.
50 Cent
Born Curtis Jackson III (well, excuse us very much), 50 Cent has made
a name for himself not only in the music industry but on the big screen
as well. But his life was not always a success story. Back in the day
50 was dealing drugs and getting into trouble. Oh, he was also shot
several times. Lucky for us all he survived, decided to turn his life
around, and become a rap legend.
Wiz Khalifa’s
Wiz knew from a very early age that he was destined for great things,
specifically to be a successful rapper whose records top the charts.
Born Cameron Jibril Thomaz, Wiz was inspired by his uncle’s name, which
means “knowledge” in Arabic, and started calling himself Wisdom. His
uncle added the Khalifa to the end, Khalifa meaning “successor” in
Arabic. At 15, he shortened Wisdom to Wiz, and the rest, they say, is
history.
M.I.A
Born Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam, M.I.A’s stage name has a couple of
different meanings. It pertains to the traditional abbreviation of
Missing In Action, which sadly has to do with the tragic disappearance
of her cousin when she was growing up. Action is also the suburb of
London where she was living when he disappeared.
Macklemore
Ben Haggerty, better known as Macklemore, was given a homework
assignment in junior high to create and draw a superhero. He came up
with a character named Professor Macklemore. Throughout his young life,
he would dress up in crazy outfits (think plaid golf pants and crazy
furs) he’d put together from the local thrift store, and have a night
out on the town as Professor Macklemore. When it came time to choose a
stage name, he simply dropped the Professor and Macklemore the rap star
was born.
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