35 Mind Blowing Hip-Hop Facts
If you think you know everything you need to know about hip-hop, then think again.
-
1. Drake wrote in his high-school yearbook that he wanted to be a "breakdancer/singer".
The Canadian rapper also revealed that his favourite expression was "bling bling"...
-
2. Post Malone's smash hit 'rockstar' was originally a completely different song.
T-Pain revealed that Post Malone's 'rockstar' originally featured himself and Joey Badass, before the latter added that he actually ghostwrote the song!
-
3. P Diddy used to be a back-up dancer for Big Daddy Kane and Heavy D.
That's right, P Diddy was a backing dance when Heavy D and The Boyz performed 'You Can't See What I Can See' on In Living Color in 1992. The performance also features a then unknown Tupac.
-
4. Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes went to school together and once battled with each other in their cafeteria.
Jay and Busta both attended George Westinghouse high school in Brooklyn (DMX and Notorious B.I.G are also famous alumni) and there's a famous tale of them battling together in their school cafeteria.
-
5. Kanye West shares the same birthday as Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World Wide Web.
As someone with such an interest in business and technology, Yeezy is no doubt thrilled to share the same birthday as the man who invited the world wide web.
-
-
6. Lil' Wayne originally went by the name Shrimp Daddy.
Yep, Lil' Wayne was once called Shrimp Daddy, with inspiration for the pseudonym coming from former Cash Money artist Pimp Daddy.
-
7. Eminem thought of his alter-ego Slim Shady while sitting on the toilet.
Yep, Eminem was on the toilet when he thought of the nickname Slim Shady. The rapper has admitted in interviews that he often finds inspiration when in the bathroom and that the name Slim Shady referred the fact he was skinny at the time.
-
8. Eazy-E Signed The Black Eyed Peas
Eazy-E's Ruthless Records signed Will.i.am and apl.de.ap to the label in 1992 after they caught the attention of Eazy-E manager Jerry Heller's nephew.
-
9. Cee Lo Green sang backing vocals on TLC’s 'Waterfalls'.
Next time you listen to 1995's 'Waterfalls', look out for the backing vocals from Cee Lo Green.
-
10. Kendrick Lamar was on the set of the video shoot for Dr Dre and Tupac's 'California Love'.
Perhaps Lamar got his taste for hip-hop and interest of Tupac after the video for the rapper's Dr Dre collaboration 'California Love' was shot near his house.
-
-
11. Alyson Stoner, the girl that danced in Missy Elliott's music videos is now 21-years-old.
Remember the incredible dancer that starred in Missy Elliott's 'Work It' music video, as well as Eminem's 'Just Lose It?' She's now 21! Which must make you feel old, right? Since appearing in the videos Alyson has also starred in 'Cheaper By The Dozen,' 'Camp Rock' and 'Step Up.'
-
12. Nas co-wrote Will Smith's hit single 'Gettin' Jiggy Wit It' and they won a Grammy.
Unbelievably, Nas has never won a Grammy for his own work, but he has got one for co-writing Will Smith's 'Gettin' Jiggy Wit It', which was released in 1998.
-
13. Eminem only sold 1000 copies of his 1996 debut album, 'Infinite'.
Unlike his more infamous albums, 'Infinite' received mixed reviews from critics when it was released in 1996, meaning the album only sold around 1000 copies. But if you can find one now, you're in for around a windfall of around $130-$200.
-
14. Nas' intro into 'NY State Of Mind' was a mistake.
The intro 'NY State of Mind' where the rapper spits "I don't know how to start this s**t" was actually a mistake, and Nas went on to rap the opening verse in one take.
-
15. Pharrell Williams first musical memory involves dancing to Kenny Rogers at a theme park.
Amazingly, Pharrell has revealed that his first musical memory came when he wandered off from his parents at a theme park when he was a child. They eventually found him dancing where Kenny Rogers was playing. Picture: Idols/Photoshot
-
-
16. TLC recorded the theme song for Nickelodeon TV show All That.
You might remember the mid-90s TV show, but you probably don't know that it was TLC who recorded the theme for All That. Picture: Getty
-
17. Eminem has only ever read one book in full: LL Cool J's I Make My Own Rules.
If the rapper himself is to be believed, then the only book he's ever read is the LL Cool J autobiography. As you can see from the cover, it was a national bestseller.
-
18. Jay-Z's '99 Problems' samples an Ice T song released a decade earlier.
Jay Z's '99 Problems' might be one of the world's biggest hip-hop tracks, but the 2004 track is actually a big lyric sample from Ice T's 1993 song of the same name, which featured on his album 'Home Invasion'. Both tracks feature the iconic: "If you're having girl problems I feel bad for you son, I've got 99 problems but a b***h ain't one."
-
19. Pharrell Williams wrote Teddy Riley's rap in Wreckx-N-Effect's 'Rump Shaker'.
A very young Pharrell wrote a verse on the 1992 single and, alongside future Neptune Chad Hugo, the pair are understood to have done other production dutieson various Riley projects.
-
20. Lil Wayne shot himself.
Growing up in New Orleans, Lil' Wayne managed to shoot himself in his bedroom when he was a teen. Fortunately, a police officer was able to save his life.
-
-
21. Dr. Dre's 'Nuthin' But a G Thang' samples a Leon Haywood song.
The straight up funk of 'Nuthin' But A G Thang', form Dre's 1992 album 'The Chronic', is actually a sample of the Leon Haywood record 'I Want To Do Something Freaky To You'. Don't believe us? Go check it out.
-
22. Nas started writing and recording 'Illmatic' when he was 17.
'Illmatic' arguably remains Nas' shining rap moment and, unbelievably, the rapper was only 17 when he started recording it. It was eventually released when he was 21.
-
23. Andre 3000 and Erykah Badu had a child, Seven, in 1997.
Badu was in a relationship with rapper André 3000 of OutKast in the 1990s and the pair had a child, Seven, who was born in 1997. Andre's song 'A Life In The Day of Benjamin Andre' is about his relationship with the singer. Picture: Globe
-
24. Kelis' 'Millionaire' and Gwen Stefani's 'Long Way To Go' were scrapped from an Andre 3000 album.
Both tracks were originally intended to feature on the Outkast rapper's album 'The Love Below', but eventually featured only on the collaborators' own solo projects.
-
25. Drake was a member of the cast on the TV show Degrassi: The Next Generation.
It wasn't hip-hop where Drake first made his name, it was on the TV show Degrassi: The Next Generation where he played the role of Jimmy Brooks. Picture: Degrassi: The Next Generation
-
-
26. Nas dropped out of school in the 8th grade.
Nas dropped out of school at the age in the 8th grade, shortly after his parents divorced, and educated himself.
-
27. In 2009, Coolio did a stage dive and nobody caught him.
It's every performers worst nightmare: the stage dive that goes wrong! That's what happened to Coolio during a gig in Stoke-On-Trent in 2009 when he attempted to stage dive and the audience parted, leaving him to go crashing to the floor.
-
28. Tupac was heavily influenced by Shakespeare.
The rapper admitted in interviews that Shakespeare was a big influence on his work and the track 'Something Wicked' from his debut album '2pacalypse Now' is a direct quote from Shakespeare's Macbeth.
-
29. 2 Chainz and Drake's 'No Lie' is a result of their appearance on Lil' Wayne's 'I Am Music' tour.
Fresh from touring together on Lil' Wayne's infamous 'I Am Music' tour, Drake and 2 Chaiz hit the studio and made the monstrous collaboration 'No Lie'.
-
30. Notorious B.I.G. wanted to open a soul food restaurant called Big Poppa's.
It's widely reported that before his death Notorious B.I.G. was planning to open his own soul food restaurant, which he wanted to call Big Poppa's.
-
31. Kanye West produced five out of 13 songs on Jay Z's 'The Blueprint'.
Before switching to being a rapper, Kanye's influence was being felt in studios across America thanks to his production skills and there is no finer example than his work on Jay Z's seminal album.
-
32. Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg and Warren G were originally in a local rap group together named 213.
Formed in 1992, 213 was the name of the Long Beach, California group containing Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Nate Dogg. Their name came from Los Angeles' original telephone area code.
-
33. Rick Ross used to work as a correctional officer in the early 1990s.
In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2012, Rick Ross admitted that he had been a corrections officer in the 1990s at the South Florida Reception Center.
-
34. Lil' Wayne's debut album is almost curse free because that's what his mother wanted.
Unlike his more recent releases, Lil' Wayne's debut album 'Tha Block Is Hot' is almost curse free. Why? Because that's what his mother wanted.
-
35. Jay Z wrote his seminal album 'The Blueprint' in two days.
Yes, that's right - Jay wrote his seminal album in two days. TWO DAYS!
