DailyRapFacts

Category: RAPPERS FIRST MONIKERS

First moniker and names rappers had before being established

  • Jeezy’s first rap name was Lil J

    Jeezy’s first rap name was Lil J

    Jeezy originally went by the moniker Lil J, then later, Young Jeezy.

    Before Jay Wayne Jenkins was famously known as Jeezy, he originally went by the moniker Lil J, eventually, Young Jeezy then settled on Jeezy.

    In 2001 Jeezy released his independent debut album, T.U.I.: Thuggin’ Under the Influence album under the rap name “Lil‘ J.” Thuggin’ Under the Influence was released via Corporate Thugz Entertainment (aka CTE), an independent record label which was founded by Jeezy & his former manager Demetrius “Kinky B” Ellerbee. 

    By 2003 he had become known as Young Jeezy. On July 26, 2005, he released his major label debut album Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 which became a hit and charted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 Charts.

    Jeezy is also known as The Snowman.

  • Kid Ink’s first rap name was Rockstar

    Kid Ink’s first rap name was Rockstar

    Kid Ink originally went by the moniker Rockstar.

    Before Los Angeles born and raise, producer and rapper, Brian Todd Collins was famously known as Kid Ink, he originally went by the moniker Rockstar.

    Kid Ink started out as a producer landing his first production credit on Nipsey Hussle’s single Bullets Ain’t Got No Name in 2008. At the age of 22, Kid Ink began rapping full-time under the moniker Rockstar and DJ Ill Will signed Rockstar to his independent label, called Tha Alumni.

    On February 1, 2010, Kid Ink released his first official mixtape, titled World Tour and gained popularity. In 2011 Rockstar changed his name to Kid Ink. He released his sophomore album in June of 2011 called Daydreamer.

    Read: Kid Ink passed on the beat for Kanye West’s “Mercy”

  • Trippie Redd’s first rap name was Trippie Hippie

    Trippie Redd’s first rap name was Trippie Hippie

    Trippie Redd originally went by the moniker Trippie Hippie.

    Before Ohio, born and raised rapper, Michael Lamar White II was famously known as Trippie Redd, he originally went by the moniker Trippie Hippie.

    Related content: Trippie Redd teases ‘A Love Letter to You 5’ project

    Trippie Redd started his musical career in middle school, his late brother who was known as Dirty Redd was also an artist and he had a younger brother who goes by the name Hippie Red. During an interview on Big Boy’s Neighborhood, Trippie Redd revealed Trippie Hippie was his first rap name “But it was a group named Trippie Hippie, so I changed my sh*t to Trippie Redd.” He says.

    Trippie Redd is also known as 1400 and Big 14.

  • Juice WRLD’s first rap name was JuiceTheKidd

    Juice WRLD’s first rap name was JuiceTheKidd

    Juice WRLD originally went by the moniker JuiceTheKidd.

    Before Chicago, Illinois, born and raised rapper, Jarad Anthony Higgins was famously known as Juice WRLD, he originally went by the moniker JuiceTheKidd.

    Related content: Young Dolph and Juice WRLD were cousins

    Juice WRLD grew up playing piano, drums, and guitar in Chicago and he began his musical career as a freshman at Homewood-Flossmoor High School. Juice released his first song titled “Forever” on SoundCloud in 2015 under the name JuicetheKidd. He eventually switched his moniker to Juice WRLD before releasing his hits ‘All Girls Are the Same’ and ‘Lucid Dreams’.

    Both names are references to Tupac’s 1992 movie, “Juice.”

  • Birdman’s first rap name was B-32

    Birdman’s first rap name was B-32

    Birdman originally went by the moniker B-32 (aka Baby with the 32 Golds).

    Before Bryan Christopher Williams was famously known as Birdman, Baby, Stunna, or the No. 1 Stunna. He originally went by the moniker B-32.

    Birdman began his rap career under the moniker B-32 (aka Baby with the 32 Golds), in 1993 he released an album titled ‘I Need A Bag of Dope’.

    Birdman's first rap name was B-32

    He would later go on to use the moniker “Baby” stating “I was born without a name so my momma just called me baby as a kid,” Birdman told Nick Cannon on Power 106’s Nick Cannon in the Mornings.

    Eventually, Birdman went by just the moniker Birdman and released his debut album ‘Birdman‘ on November 26, 2002.

    Purchase our 100 Hip-Hop Facts (1973-2000) Book

  • Q-Tip’s first rap name was J Nice

    Q-Tip’s first rap name was J Nice

    Q-Tip originally went by the moniker J Nice, then later, MC Love Child.

    Before Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (born Jonathan William Davis), was famously known as Q-Tip, he originally went by the moniker J Nice, eventually, MC Love Child then settling on Q-Tip.

    Q-Tip revealed he went by the moniker J Nice during an interview with Redbull Music. He would then be called MC Love Child in 1985, he and Ali Muhammad formed an MC and DJ duo before settling on Q-Tip because of the Jungle Brothers.

    Purchase our 100 Hip-Hop Facts (1973-2000) Book

  • Twista’s first rap name was Tung Twista

    Twista’s first rap name was Tung Twista

    Twista originally went by the moniker Tung Twista.

    Before Carl Terrell Mitchell was famously known as Twista, he originally went by the moniker Tung Twista.

    Twista released his debut album titled Runnin’ Off at da Mouth in the summer of 1992, under his former moniker Tung Twista, his second album Resurrection was also under the Tung Twista moniker.

    By the released of his third album Adrenaline Rush in 1997, Twista had dropped the “Tung” from his stage name. Adrenaline Rush became his his first charting album, as it peaked at No. 77.

    Purchase our 100 Hip-Hop Facts (1973-2000) Book

  • Macklemore’s first rap name was Professor Macklemore

    Macklemore’s first rap name was Professor Macklemore

    Macklemore originally went by the moniker Professor Macklemore.

    Before Grammy-Award Winning Artist, Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, was known as just Macklemore, he originally went by the moniker Professor Macklemore.

    Macklemore started his career in 2002 under the moniker Professor Macklemore, where he recorded and independently released a mixtape EP titled Open Your Eyes. He would later drop “Professor” from his name and release his debut full-length album, titled “The Language of My World” releasing in 2005.

    Macklemore would go on to form the Hip-Hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, with Ryan Lewis and become known for the hits “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us” ft. Ray Dalton

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