Hip Hop Musicians' Real Names
Hip Hop, since its inception, has
given us more creative names than any other musical genre.
Here are the "real names" behind some of the stage names.
| Ahmir Khalib Thompson | ?uestlove |
| Tauheed Epps | 2 Chainz |
| Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph | 21 Savage |
| Tupac Shakur | 2Pac |
| Curtis Jackson | 50 Cent |
| Premro Smith | 8Ball |
| Darold D. Brown Ferguson, Jr. | A$AP Ferg |
| Rakim Mayers | A$AP Rocky |
| Ian Bavitz | Aesop Rock |
| Kevin Donovan | Afrika Bambaataa |
| Jared K. Bridgeman | Akrobatik |
| Andre Lauren Benjamin | Andre 3000 |
| Anthony Davis | Ant |
| Anthony Cruz | AZ |
| Dwight Grant | Beanie Siegel |
| Antonio M Hardy | Big Daddy Kane |
| Christopher Lee Rios | Big Pun(isher) |
| Sean Michael Leonard Anderson | Big Sean |
| Marcel Hall | Biz Markie |
| Peter Gene Hernandez | Bruno Mars |
| Richard Terfry | Buck 65 |
| Trevor Smith, Jr. | Busta Rhymes |
| Ishmael Butler | Butterfly |
| Corey Penn | C.L. Smooth |
| Cameron Giles | Cam'ron |
| Germaine Williams | Canibus |
| Belcalis Almanzar | Cardi B. |
| Barry Reese | Cassidy |
| Thomas DeCarlo Calloway | Cee-Lo |
| Hakeem Seriki | Chamillionaire |
| Chancelor Jonathan Bennett | Chance the Rapper |
| Donald McKinley Glover Jr. | Childish Gambino |
| Rozonda Thomas | Chilli |
| Carlton Douglas Ridenhour | Chuck D |
| Corey Miller | C-Murder |
| Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn, Jr. | Common |
| Artis Leon Ivey, Jr. | Coolio |
| Cory McKay | Cormega |
| Lucas Macfadden | Cut Chemist |
| Darryl Matthews McDaniels | D.M.C. |
| Chris Smith | Daddy Mack |
| Dan Nakamura | Dan the Automator |
| Delmar Drew Arnaud | Daz Dillinger |
| Duane Johnson, Jr. | Defari |
| Teren Delvon Jones | Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Deltron 3030 |
| Jeffrey Townes | DJ Jazzy Jeff |
| Khaled Mohamed Khaled | DJ Khaled |
| Earl Simmons | DMX |
| Craig Irving | Doodlebug |
| Douglas E Davis | Doug E. Fresh |
| Andre Romel Young | Dr. Dre |
| Aubrey Drake Graham | Drake |
| Eric Lynn Wright | Eazy-E |
| Edan Portnoy | Edan |
| Jaime Meline | EL-P |
| Marshall Bruce Mathers III | Eminem |
| Eric Barrier | Erik B. |
| Eve Jihan Jeffers | Eve |
| Erik Schrody | Everlast |
| Fred Braithwaite | Fab Five Freddy |
| John Jackson | Fabolous |
| Joseph Antonio Cartagena | Fat Joe |
| Stacy Ann Ferguson | Fergie |
| Willie Maxwell II | Fetty Wap |
| William Drayton | Flavor Flav |
| Inga Marchand | Foxy Brown |
| James Campbell | Freddie Foxxx |
| Fredro Scruggs | Fredro Starr |
| Karim Kharbouch | French Montana |
| Chris Wong Won | Fresh Kid Ice |
| Aston George Taylor Jr. | Funkmaster Flex |
| Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn | Future |
| Dennis Coles | Ghostface Killa |
| Maxwell Dixon | Grand Puba |
| Joseph Saddler | Grandmaster Flash |
| Melvin Glover | Grandmaster Melle Mel |
| Radric Delantic Davis | Gucci Mane |
| Keith Elam | Guru |
| Gary Grice | GZA, The Genius |
| Kejuan Muchita | Havoc |
| Dwight Myers | Heavy D. |
| Darren Robinson | Human Beat Box |
| O'Shea Jackson | Ice Cube |
| Tracy Marrow | Ice T |
| Amethyst Amelia Kelly | Iggy Azalea |
| Jason Hunter | Inspecta Deck |
| Lin Que Ayoung | Isis |
| James Yancey | J Dilla |
| Jermaine Lamarr Cole | J. Cole |
| Jeff Atkins | Ja Rule |
| Jason Phillips | Jadakiss |
| Jason Mizell | Jam Master Jay |
| Shawn Corey Carter | Jay Z |
| Jay Wayne Jenkins | Jeezy |
| Kendrick Jeru Davis | Jeru the Damaja |
| Joseph Guillermo Jones II | Jim Jones |
| Jerrell Jones | J-Kwon |
| LaRon Louis James | Juelz Santana |
| Kendrick Lamar Duckworth | Kendrick Lamar |
| Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi | Kid Cudi |
| Eric San | Kid Koala |
| Adam Keefe Horovitz | King Ad-Rock |
| Dieuson Octave | Kodak Black |
| Nathaniel Wilson | Kool G Rap |
| Keith Thornton | Kool Keith, Dr. Octagon |
| Mohandas DeWese | Kool Moe Dee |
| Andre Weston | Krazy Drayze |
| Lawrence Krisna "Kris" Parker | KRS-One |
| Kurtis Walker | Kurtis Blow |
| Ricardo Emmanuel Brown | Kurupt |
| Kurt Matlin | KutMasta Kurt |
| Mary Ann Vieira | Ladybug Mecca |
| Lisa Lopes | Left Eye |
| Dominique Jones | Lil Baby |
| Wesley Eric Weston | Lil' Flip |
| Jonathan Smith | Lil' Jon |
| Kimberly Denise Jones | Lil' Kim |
| Percy Romeo Miller, Jr. | Lil' Romeo |
| Darryl Kevin Richardson | Lil' Scrappy |
| Symere Woods | Lil' Uzi Vert |
| Miles Parks McCollum | Lil' Yachty |
| James Todd Smith | LL Cool J |
| Christopher Lloyd | Lloyd Banks |
| Sir Robert Bryson Hall II | Logic |
| Luther Campbell | Luke Skyywalker |
| Chris Kelly | Mack daddy |
| Otis Jackson, Jr. | Madlib |
| Melvin Barcliff | Magoo |
| Marlon Williams | Marley Marl |
| Duval Clear | Masta Ace |
| Elgin Turner | Masta Killa |
| Percy Robert Miller | Master P |
| Stanley Kirk Burrell | MC Hammer |
| Lana Michele Moorer | MC Lyte |
| Lorenzo Patterson | MC Ren |
| Michael Berrin | MC Serch |
| Adam Yauch | MCA |
| Robert Rihmeek Williams | Meek Mill |
| Malik Thuston Cox | Memphis Bleek |
| Clifford Smith | Method Man |
| Leland Tyler Wayne | Metro Boomin/Young Metro |
| Daniel Dumile | MF Doom |
| Michael Louis Diamond | Mike D. |
| Michael Schwartz | MixMaster Mike |
| Dante Smith | Mos Def |
| Jeffrey Haynes | Mr. Lif |
| Nick Carter | Murs |
| Michael Tyler | Mystikal |
| Nasir Jones | Nas |
| Nathaniel Dawayne Hale | Nate Dogg |
| Jermaine Baxter | Nature |
| Hanif Muhammad | Neef |
| Cornell Haynes, Jr. | Nelly |
| Onika Tanya Maraj | Nicki Minaj |
| Victor Santiago | Noreaga |
| Christopher G. Wallace | Notorious B.I.G. |
| Omar Credle | O.C. |
| Kiari Kendrell Cephus | Offset |
| Russell Tyrone Jones | Ol' Dirty Bastard aka Big Baby Jesus aka Dirt McGirt etc. |
| Oscar Jackson Jr. | Paris |
| Vincent Mason, Jr. | Pasemaster Dase |
| Paul Slayton | Paul Wall |
| Sandy Denton | Pepa |
| Peter Phillips | Pete Rock |
| Jordan Terrell Carter | Playboi Carti |
| Algernod Lanier Washington | Plies |
| Austin Richard Post | Post Malone |
| Mark Morales | Prince Markie Dee |
| Paul Huston | Prince Paul |
| Concetta Kirshner | Princess Superstar |
| Albert Johnson | Prodigy |
| Richard Griffin | Professor Griff |
| Lumumba Carson | Professor X |
| Sean John Combs | Puff Daddy, Puffy |
| Richard Quitevis | Q-Bert |
| Jonathan Davis | Q-Tip |
| Quavious Keyate Marshall | Quavo |
| Dana Elaine Owens | Queen Latifah |
| Corey Woods | Raekwon |
| William Griffin Jr. | Rakim |
| Reggie Noble | Redman |
| Dimitri Leslie Roger | Rich the Kid |
| Richard Lawson | Richie Rich |
| William Leonard Roberts II | Rick Ross |
| Robert Aguilar | Rob Swift |
| Ryan Daniel Montgomery | Royce da 5'9" |
| Joseph Simmons | Run |
| Robert Diggs | RZA |
| Derek Murphy | Sadat X |
| Paul Francis | Sage Francis |
| Cheryl James | Salt |
| Jesse B. Weaver, Jr. | Scholly D. |
| Sean Paul Francis Henriques | Sean Paul |
| Gregory E. Jacobs | Shock G/Humpty Hump |
| Vyshonne Miller | Silkk the Shocker |
| Anthony L Ray | Sir Mix-a-Lot |
| Willie Hines | Skoob |
| Richard Walters | Slick Rick |
| Stayve Jerome Thomas | Slim Thug |
| Sean Daley | Slug |
| Cordozar Calvin Broadus | Snoop Dogg |
| Darrin O'Brien | Snow |
| DeAndre Cortez Way | Soulja Boy |
| Naeem Juwan | Spank Rock |
| DeeDee Roper | Spinderella |
| Real Name | Stage Name |
| Patrick Baril | Statik Selektah |
| Kirk Jones | Sticky Fingaz |
| Marion Knight, Jr. | Suge Knight |
| Kasseem Dean | Swizz Beats |
| Solána Imani Rowe | SZA |
| Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. | T.I. |
| Jaime Luis Gomez | Taboo |
| Tionne Watkins | T-Boz |
| Alan Maman | The Alchemist |
| Trey Curry | The D.O.C. |
| Jayceon Terrell Taylor | The Game |
| Abel Makkonen Tesfaye | The Weeknd |
| Timothy Mosley | Timbaland |
| Anthony Terrell Smith | Tone Loc |
| Marvin Bernard | Tony Yayo |
| Todd Anthony Shaw | Too Short |
| Faheem Rashad Najm | T-Pain |
| Jacques Webster | Travi$ Scott |
| Maurice Young | Trick Daddy |
| Lamont Jody Hawkins | U-God |
| Robert Matthew van Winkle | Vanilla Ice |
| William Adams | will.i.am |
| Cameron Jibril Thomaz | Wiz Khalifa |
| Alvin Nathaniel Joiner | Xzibit |
| Antoine Carraby | Yella |
| Mario Mims | Yo Gotti |
| David Darnell Brown | Young Buck |
| Chris Ries | Young Chris |
| Marvin Young | Young MC |
| Jeffery Lamar Williams | Young Thug |