DailyRapFacts

Category: FACTS

Hip-Hop facts and Rap facts.

  • Diddy’s first rap name was Puff Daddy

    Diddy’s first rap name was Puff Daddy

    Diddy used to rap as Puff Daddy. Diddy originally went by the moniker Puff Daddy.

    Before he called himself Love, Sean “Diddy” Combs went by the name of Puff Daddy. Truth be told, a lot of folks may not know what to call the millionaire mogul, rapper, producer, video director and executive because he’s changed his name so many times. However, during the early days of Bad Boy, he was Puff Daddy, or simply Puff. On the remix to “One More Chance” Biggie calls out his friend by name.

    Schemin, don’t leave ya girl round me

    True player for real, ask Puff Daddy

    Notorious BIG, “one More Chance” remix

    Furthermore, Diddy is name-dropped again on Biggie’s “Hypnotize” song when the Brooklyn rapper said, “Girls walk to us, wanna do us, screw usWho us? Yeah, Poppa and Puff…” Diddy’s first album No Way Out is credited as Puff Daddy & the Family, which included Mase, Lil Kim, The Lox, and Junoir Mafia.

    Read: Diddy directed the music video for “Player’s Ball” by Outkast

    Read: Diddy used to be a backup dancer

    Read: Diddy was the first rapper to win multiple Grammys in a night

  • D.M.C. was born on May 31

    D.M.C. was born on May 31

    When was D.M.C. born? D.M.C. was born on May 31

    One-half of the duo Run DMC, Darryl Matthews McDaniels aka D.M.C. was born in 1964. He’s from Queens, New York. He grew up in the Hollis neighborhood where he met Joseph “Run” Simmons and Jam Master Jay. The three formed as Run DMC under Russel Simmon’s Def Jam records in 1984.

    D.M.C. was born to a single mother and wound up in foster care until he was adopted by the McDaniels family. He’s struggled with pills and alchohal and has a vocal condition that can cause his larynx to give out. He documented his adoption journey on VH1 and has been open about the experience, working with other adopted musicians like Sarah McLachlan. He is into charity for foster kids as well.

  • The Notorious B.I.G. was born on May 31

    The Notorious B.I.G. was born on May 31

    When was Biggie born? The Notorious B.I.G. was born on May 31

    Arguably the greatest rapper of all time, Christopher Wallace was born in Brooklyn in 1972. His mother immigrated from Jamaica and raised him in a strict household. Biggie started out as a street dude before rap, sticking up people and selling drugs. He was signed to Bad Boy under Puff and his debut Ready to Die was one of the most important rap records ever made.

    A beef with fellow rapper and former friend 2Pac led to a coastal rivalry. Both rappers ended up dead within a year of each other. The Notorious B.I.G.was shot in Los Angeles after a Vibe party at the Peterson Auto Museum on March 9, 1997. He was married to Faith Evens and they had a son named after him. He had other children as well. His second album Life After Death came out less than a year after his death.

  • CeeLo Green was born on May 30

    CeeLo Green was born on May 30

    When was CeeLo born? CeeLo Green was born on May 30.

    Goodie Mobb rapper CeeLo, who is also a gifted singer, was born Thomas DeCarlo Callaway in 1975. An Atlanta native and founding member of the Dungeon Family, CeeLo is an instantly recognizable voice in rap. He’s worked with Common, Timbaland, and others.

    He served as a judge on NBC’s The Voice. His solo work and music with Gnarls Barkley have helped him crossover into popular music. CeeLo has had some controversy about stage performance issues, comments, and social media in the past.

  • Big L was born on May 30

    Big L was born on May 30

    When was Big L born? Big L was born on May 30.

    Harlem Rapper Big L was born Lamont Coleman in 1974. He was a member of DITC with Lord Finesse and Fat Joe. His debut Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous dropped in 1995 on Columbia. His record “Ebonics” put him on the map as one of the ’90s fastest rising rappers until he was tragically shot 9 times in 1999 in his native Harlem.

    His legacy as a freestyle rapper and lyricist in The Source and other rap media has lived on. He performed at the Apollo and was loved in the underground rap scene.  Big L was in the process of signing with Jay-Z and Roc-a-fella just days before he was gunned down. He was a prolific storyteller.

  • LL Cool J’s ‘Going Back to Cali’ went platinum on May 30, 2017

    LL Cool J’s ‘Going Back to Cali’ went platinum on May 30, 2017

    When did L.L. Cool J’s “Going Back to Cali” go platinum? It went platinum on May 30, 2017.

    LL Cool J released “Going Back to Cali” on Jan 20, 1988, and 29 years later the single was certified platinum by the RIAA. The track was from his album Walking with a Panther. The song went gold on May 28, 1991, and was featured on the soundtrack to the movie Less than Zero starring a young Robert Downey Jr.

    Related: LL Cool J checks DJ Akademiks for calling Hip Hop OGs “dusty”

    The song was produced by and co-written by Rick Rubin and was distributed via Def Jam. It features booming 808s and record-scratches over a minimalist drum machine beat. The song was a huge crossover hit for Cool J and was later reimagined as a song by the Notorious B.I.G. from his Life After Death album. Later, in 2021 Cool J was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

  • Remy Ma was born May 30

    Remy Ma was born May 30

    When was Remy Ma born? Remy Ma was born on May 30.

    Bronx rapper Remy Ma was born Reminisce (Smith) Mackie on May 30, 1980. Her early home was in the Castle Hill Projects. She got the attention of Big Pun with her poetry and he became her mentor. Her early work is featured on Pun’s second album “Yeeeah Baby.”

    In 2008, Remy Ma was arrested for shooting Makeda Barnes-Joseph, her friend, although she denies shooting anybody. She was sentenced to 8 years in jail but was released in 2014.

    She is most well known for her work with Fat Joe on the 2004 song “Lean Back” and 2016’s “All the Way Up,” which also features French Montana. She’s married to fellow rapper Papoose and they have a child together as well as raising a blended family. The couple has been on the reality show, Love & Hip Hop since 2015.

  • Jadakiss was born on May 27

    Jadakiss was born on May 27

    When was Jadakiss born? Jadakiss was born on May 27.

    Yonkers, NY rapper Jadakiss was born Jason Terrance Phillips in 1975. He is one-third of the rap group The Lox. He started rapping around age 12 and formed the group with neighborhood friends Styles P and Sheek Louch. Their demo got passed to Diddy (then Puff Daddy) by Mary J. Blige and they were signed to Bad Boy soon after.

    Jadakiss has a solo career as well. He’s had some legal trouble with a gun charge back in the early 2000s. He is a noted ghostwriter and his song “We Gonna Make It” is a classic rap song. His performance as a featured artist led to features with Mariah Carey, DMX, and others. He made waves during the Verzuz battle between the Lox and Dipset with his mixtape cut “New York.”

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