2/26/2015

Famous Rappers From New York

By Olivia Cross


Lovers of hip hop and rap music will undoubtedly be aware of the rivalry between rappers from the East coast with those from the West, particularly during the 90s. Many of the top rappers from New York made their rise to fame during this time, and though some of them may no longer be alive, they have certainly left their mark. As with a lot of the artists in the hip hop industry, these individuals have had their share of suffering and troubled childhoods, which helped them hone their talent.

Jay Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, is perhaps the world's most successful rap star to date. He is 45 years old but shows no signs of slowing down, either in the music industry or with any of his lucrative businesses and entrepreneurial skills. Married to Beyonce Knowles, who is an icon on her own in the industry, Jay Z often works with his wife to create chart topping music. He also has a song glorifying New York, NY called 'Empire State Of Mind', which is a collaboration with R&B royalty Alicia Keys.

Jay Z has won 19 Grammy Awards over the course of his career. Three of his albums have been featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, on the list of 500 greatest albums of all time. He is also an entrepreneur and business mogul, having created the popular Rocawear clothing line, co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and founded Roc Nation.

Tupac Shakur is legendary in the music industry, particularly when discussing the rivalry between the East coast and West coast in hip hop. A number of publications have named 2pac as one of the greatest artists of all time. His record sales worldwide have landed him a spot as one of the all-time bestselling artists as well.

Considered to be the most influential rapper to date by some, Tupac Shakur was born in Manhattan, in East Harlem, New York, NY in the early seventies. In 1996, the rapper's life ended in a drive by shooting, where he was shot a number of times. Circumstances surrounding his death are still a mystery to this day.

When mentioning Tupac Shakur, it is impossible not to mention another of the most influential artists of hip hop music, Notorious B. I. G. Known to many as Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, Christopher Wallace grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He attended the same high school as fellow rappers Jay Z and Busta Rhymes. He suffered a similar fate to 2pac, killed in a drive by shooting in early 1997.

Li'l Kim is one of the biggest female rappers to come out of New York, NY. Also from Brooklyn, she lived on the streets for most of her life before being recruited by Notorious B. I. G. He was convinced of her talent after she did a freestyle for him. Next to Missy Elliott alone, Li'l Kim has 3 platinum albums.

Biggie's best friend, Sean Combs, is very much a mogul and entrepreneur like his fellow rapper Jay Z. Raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Puffy - or Diddy, as he is more recently called - paid tribute to Notorious B. I. G. On a monster track entitled 'Missing You'. The single featured the voice of Biggie's wife, Faith Evans, as well. Sean Combs has been listed in Forbes Magazine as the richest man in hip hop.




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