33 Rappers & R&B Singers Whose Real Names Might Surprise You
We've just revealed your favourite Hip-Hop and R&B artist's real names - because it turns out, most of them have been lying to us this whole time.
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1. What is Cardi B's real name?
Cardi B's real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar. She was given the nickname 'Bacardi' by her friends and family (she has a sister called Hennessy) but it was later shortened to Cardi and, ultimately, Cardi B. (Picture: Getty)
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2. What is 50 Cent's real name?
50 Cent's real name is Curtis James Jackson III. As for his stage name, '50 Cent' was inspired by New York robber Kelvin Martin, who went by the same name. (Picture: Getty)
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3. What is The Weeknd's real name?
The Weeknd's real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye. He confessed he "hated" his name growing up, and changed it to 'The Weeknd' after dropping out of school at 17, leaving home one weekend with his friends and never returning. (Picture: Getty)
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4. What is Lil Pump's real name?
Lil Pump's real name is Gazzy Garcia. Raised in Miami, Florida, Garcia was born to a Cuban mother and a Mexican father. (Picture: Getty)
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5. What is Smokepurpp's real name?
Smokepurpp's real name is Omar Pineiro. He moved to Miami, Florida with his family when he was three years old, which is where he met and majorly influenced fellow 'Soundcloud rapper' Lil Pump. (Picture: Getty)
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6. What is Tekashi 6ix9ine's real name?
Tekashi 6ix9ine's real name is Daniel Hernandez. The rainbow-haired rapper explained the meaning behind '69' on Instagram, and it might not be what you think it is. "The true meaning of 69 is just because you’re right doesn’t mean I’m wrong YOU JUST HAVENT SEEN LIFE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE," he wrote. "Turn the 6 upside down it’s 9 but remains the same in a different perspective." (Picture: Getty)
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7. What is Trippie Redd's real name?
Trippie Redd's real name is Michael Lamar White IV. He used to go by the name 'Trippie Hippie', but had to change it because there was already a group with the name. (Picture: Instagram)
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8. What is Juice WRLD's real name?
Juice WRLD's real name is Jarad Higgins. The 'Juice', he says, stems from the Tupac-inspired high-top "Juice" haircut he used to have, and the 'WRLD' represents his ongoing attempt to take over the world. (Picture: Instagram)
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9. What is Ski Mask The Slump God's real name?
Ski Mask The Slump God's real name is Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne. The 'Slump God' part was inspired by Goulbourne's former use of Xanax - he claims not to use it anymore. (Picture: Getty)
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10. What is Machine Gun Kelly's real name?
Machine Gun Kelly's real name is Richard Colson Baker. MGK’s stage name is a nod to his rapid-fire lyrical flow, and is also a reference to George 'Machine Gun Kelly’ Barnes, an infamous American gangster who spent time in Alcatraz. (Picture: PA)
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11. What is Chance the Rapper's real name?
Chance The Rapper's real name is Chancelor Jonathan Bennett. Chance chose to use the word 'Rapper' in his name rather that 'Artist' or 'Musician' because he's proud to be a rapper, despite the connotations it can be perceived to carry. (Picture: Getty)
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12. What is Jay Z's real name?
Jay-Z's real name is Shawn Corey Carter. Growing up, he was known as ‘Jazzy’ around his neighborhood, but his name was eventually shortened and changed after being inspired by his mentor, Jaz-O. (Picture: Getty)
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13. What is Meek Mill's real name?
Meek Mill's real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams. The rapper says that a childhood friend of his used to call him "Meek Millions", so he shortened it and it became what it is today. (Picture: Getty)
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14. What is Rick Ross' real name?
Rick Ross' real name is William Leonard Roberts II. He based his name on former drug kingpin ‘Freeway’ Ricky Ross, who sued him for $10 million claiming he had stolen his identity. Roberts won the case and kept his stage name. (Picture: Getty)
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15. What is DJ Khaled's real name?
DJ Khaled's real name is Khaled Mohamed Khaled. This one's pretty self explanatory! Before he was a chart-topping hitmaker, DJ Khaled spun records all over the globe. (Picture: Getty)
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16. What is Post Malone's real name?
Post Malone's real name is Austin Richard Post. Post chose his stage name in his early teens, and admitted that the 'Malone' part of his name is completely made up. (Picture: Getty)
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17. What is Wiz Khalifa's real name?
Wiz Khalifa's real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz. His rap name was actually his grandfather's idea - a muslim, he called him "Khalifa", an Arabic word meaning "a successor, leader, or shining light." The 'Wiz' part came from the rapper being wise beyond his years. (Picture: Getty)
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18. What is J. Cole's real name?
J. Cole's real name is Jermaine Lamarr Cole. This one's pretty easy - he shortened his name down to his initials to create a catchy moniker. (Picture: Getty)
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19. What is Bruno Mars' real name?
Bruno Mars' real name is Peter Gene Hernandez. ‘Bruno’ was inspired by a wrester named Bruno Sammartino. The singer claims he was a "chunky little baby", so his dad used to call him that. And ‘Mars’? He claims girls always say he’s ‘out of this world’. (Picture: Getty)
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20. What is 2 Chainz's real name?
2 Chainz's real name is Tauheed Epps. He used to go by the name "Tity Boi" , but later changed it to the jewellery-inspired 2 Chainz as he saw it to be more "family friendly." (Picture: Getty)
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21. What is 21 Savage's real name?
21 Savage's real name is Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph. "21, that's my gang, that's my crew," he said previously, while 'Savage' came simply from the fact that he needed an Instagram handle. (Picture: Getty)
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22. What is Ty Dolla $ign's real name?
Ty's real name is Tyrone William Griffin Jr. Ty's money-oriented named came after his friend called him that repeatedly, and because he was "young and rich". (Picture: Getty)
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23. What is Rihanna's real name?
Rihanna's real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. Like many artists, she chose to drop her surname - as well as her first name - to make her mononymous stage name more memorable. (Picture: Getty)
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24. What is Nicki Minaj's real name?
Nicki Minaj's real name is Onika Tanya Maraj. During her early years, she went by the name 'Nicki Maraj' adopting her real surname, but her label manager at the time flipped it to 'Minaj' because she had such a "nasty flow". (Picture: Getty)
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25. What is Eminem's real name?
Eminem's real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III. The name rolls off the tongue like his initials - "M-and-M". (Picture: Getty)
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26. What is French Montana's real name?
French Montana's real name is Karim Kharbouch. 'French' is a nod to the French influence in his Moroccan culture, while 'Montana' is inspired by Al Pacino's character in 'Scarface', Tony Montana. (Picture: Getty)
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27. What is Big Sean's real name?
Big Sean's real name is Sean Michael Leonard Anderson. Despite his grandiose name, the rapper comes in at a pretty average stature of 5ft 8. (Picture: Getty)
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28. What is Drake's real name?
Drake's real name is Aubrey Drake Graham. Similar to a lot of his peers, Drizzy simply handpicked his favourite given name and rolled with it for a more catchy stage moniker. (Picture: Getty)
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29. What is Ice Cube's real name?
Ice Cube's real name is O'Shea Jackson Sr. His stage name came to him, he says, thanks to his older brother, who once threatened to slam him into a freezer and pull him out when he was an ice cube. (Picture: Getty)
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30. What is Lil Wayne's real name?
Weezy's real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. The Cash Money king also goes by the names 'Weezy' and 'Tunchi', among others. (Picture: Getty)
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31. What is J Hus' real name?
J Hus' real name is Momodou Jallow. The 'Hus' is short for 'hustle', and he shortened Jallow to 'J' because he thought it might be too confusing for people. (Picture: Getty)
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32. What is Kendrick Lamar's real name?
Kendrick Lamar's real name is Kendrick Lamar Duckworth. He dropped his surname during his early rap career, but named a song after it on his 2017 album 'DAMN'. (Picture: Getty)
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33. What is John Legend's real name?
John Legend's real name is John Roger Stephens. His real name is, in fact, still his legal name, hence why his children have taken the surname 'Stephens'. His stage name was given to him by poet J. Ivy who said he had an "old-school sound". (Picture: Getty)
