Rappers in Music History

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Events in Music

Event of Interest

1993-10-31 Rapper Tupac Shakur charged with aggravated assault

Event of Interest

1998-03-09 Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment signs then unknown rapper Eminem

Rapper and Songwriter Eminem — Rapper and Songwriter
Eminem

Rapper and Record Producer Dr. Dre — Rapper and Record Producer
Dr. Dre

Event of Interest

1999-12-01 Rapper Jay-Z stabs record executive Lance "Un" Rivera at a night club in New York

Rapper & Record Producer Jay-Z — Rapper & Record Producer
Jay-Z

Event of Interest

2001-01-04 Rapper Vanilla Ice spends night in jail after allegedly ripping out some of his wife's hair during a row

Music Concert

2012-04-15 Hologram of late rapper Tupac features on stage with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre at Coachella music festival

Event of Interest

2013-05-03 The Palmetto Playground in Brooklyn is renamed after Beastie Boys' rapper Adam Yauch

2017-02-22 Jay-Z becomes 1st rapper to be inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Max Martin, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
2017-08-03 Rapper Kidd Creole arrested and charged for stabbing to death a homeless man in New York City
2017-10-07 Rapper Nelly arrested for rape in Auburn, Washington
2017-10-26 National Party of New Zealand found guilty of breaching the copyright of rapper Eminem's publisher and ordered to pay $413,000 for use of the song “Eminem Esque”

Event of Interest

2018-04-16 Kendrick Lamar is the first rapper and non classical or jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for music with his album "Damn"

Singer-songwriter and Rapper Kendrick Lamar — Singer-songwriter and Rapper
Kendrick Lamar

Event of Interest

2018-07-03 Cardi B becomes first female rapper to get two number one US Billboard hits, with "I Like It" with Bad Bunny and J Balvin

2018-07-05 English rapper Stormzy announces partnership with Penguin Books, an imprint called #Merky Books

Event of Interest

2018-09-07 Rappers Cardi B and Nicki Minaj come to physical blows at a New York Fashion event

Rapper & Singer Nicki Minaj — Rapper & Singer
Nicki Minaj

Event of Interest

2018-09-29 Rapper Kanye West announces on Twitter he is changing his name to Ye

2019-01-12 Missy Eliot is the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame
2019-02-03 Rapper 21 Savage arrested by US immigration for overstaying his visa

Grammy Awards 2019

2019-02-10 61st Grammy Awards: Childish Gambino first rapper to win Best Song and Best Record for "This Is America", best album "Golden Hour" Kacey Musgraves

Learn More

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2019-03-31 Rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle fatally shot outside his clothing store in Los Angeles
2019-06-03 Jay-Z named the world's first billionaire rapper by Forbes magazine
2019-08-14 American rapper ASAP Rocky found guilty of assault in Stockholm and given a suspended sentence

Birthdays in Music

Birthdays 1 - 100 of 298

1958-02-16 Ice-T [Tracy Marrow], American rapper and actor (New Jack City, Tank Girl, Crazy Six), born in Newark, New Jersey

Flavor Flav

1959-03-16 Flavor Flav [William Drayton Jr], American rapper and reality TV star (Public Enemy), born in Roosevelt, New York

1959-08-09 Kurtis Blow [Walker], American rapper (Krushgroove - "The Breaks"), born in NYC, New York
1960-08-01 Chuck D [Chuck Ridenhour], US rapper (Public Enemy), born in Queens, New York
1961-05-15 Melle Mel [Melvin Glover], American rapper (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five), born in The Bronx, New York
1961-08-02 Cold 187um [Gregory Fernan Hutchison], American rapper (Above the Law), born in Pomona, California
1962-03-30 M C Hammer [Stanley Kirk Burrell], rapper (Hammer Time), born in Oakland, California
1963-01-26 Jazzie B [Beresford Romeo], English rapper (Soul II Soul - "Feel Free"), born in Hornsey, London, England

Coolio

1963-08-01 Coolio [Artis Leon Ivey Jr.], American rapper (Gangsta's Paradise), born in Monessen Pennsylvania

1963-08-12 Sir Mix A Lot [Anthony Ray], American rapper (Baby Got Back), born in Auburn, Washington
1963-09-07 Eazy-E [Eric Lynn Wright], American rapper, born in Compton, California (d. 1995)
1964-02-29 Jahred Shane, Afro-Brazilian rapper/singer of Hed PE
1964-03-10 Neneh Cherry, Swedish singer-songwriter and rapper (Money Love), born in Stockholm, Sweden
1964-04-05 Christopher "Kid" Reid, American rapper (Kid 'n Play)
1964-11-14 Joseph "Run" Simmons, American rapper and minister (Run-D.M.C. - "Walk This Way"), born in NYC, New York
1965-01-15 Derek B, British rapper (Bullet from a Gun), born in London, United Kingdom (d. 2009)
1965-01-22 "DJ Jazzy" Jeff [Townes], American rapper (Parents Just Don't Understand), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Dr. Dre

1965-02-18 Dr. Dre [Andre Romelle Young], American rapper & record producer (Still D.R.E., The Next Episode), born in Compton, California

1965-04-16 Gerardo [Mejía], Ecuadorian-American rapper, born in Guayaquil
1965-08-20 KRS-One [Lawrence Parker], American rapper, born in Brooklyn, New York
1965-11-22 Sen Dog [Senen Reyes], Cuban-American rapper (Cypress Hill), born in Pinar del Río, Cuba
1966-03-04 Grand Puba, American rapper
1966-04-28 Too Short [Todd Shaw], American rapper, born in South Central Los Angeles, California
1966-08-22 GZA [Gary Grice], American rapper (Wu-Tang Clan), born in Brooklyn, New York
1966-09-27 Jovanotti [Lorenzo Cherubini], Italian singer-songwriter and rapper, born in Rome
1966-11-04 Kool Rock-ski [Damon Wimbley], American rapper (Fat Boys - "Jail House Rap"), born in Brooklyn, New York
1966-12-04 Masta Ace [Duval Clear], American rapper (Born To Roll), born in Brooklyn, New York
1967-01-01 Tim Dog, American rapper
1967-01-18 MC Tab [Sharon Richard], American rapper, born in NYC, New York
1967-04-12 Mellow Man Ace [Ulpiano Reyes], Cuban-American rapper and actor (Only the Strong), born in Pinar del Río, Cuba
1967-04-29 Master P, American rapper
1967-05-10 Young MC [Marvin Young], British American rapper (Bust a Move), born in London, England
1967-05-18 Rob Base [Ginyard], American rapper (Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock - "It Takes Two"), born in Harlem, New York
1967-05-24 Heavy D [Dwight Errington Myers], Jamaican-American rapper, born in Mandeville, Middlesex (d. 2011)

Vanilla Ice

1967-10-31 Vanilla Ice [Robert Van Winkle], American rapper (Ice Ice Baby) and actor (Cool as Ice), born in Miami, Florida

1967-11-15 E-40 [Earl Stevens], American rapper, born in Vallejo, California

LL Cool J

1968-01-14 LL Cool J [James Todd Smith], American rapper (Bigger and Deffer), born in Bay Shore, New York

1968-01-27 Tricky, English rapper
1968-01-28 Rakim [William Michael Griffin, Jr.], American rapper
1968-05-13 PMD [Parrish J. Smith], American rapper (EPMD), from Brentwood, New York
1968-06-10 The D.O.C. [Tracy Curry], American rapper and producer (N.W.A.), born in Dallas, Texas
1968-07-20 Kool G Rap [Nathaniel Thomas Wilson], American rapper, born in Queens, New York
1968-09-10 Big Daddy Kane [Antonio Hardy], American rapper, born in Brooklyn, New York
1968-09-17 Lord Jamar [Lorenzo Dechalus], American rapper (Brand Nubian), born in The Bronx, New York City
1968-09-18 Cappadonna [Darryl Hill], American rapper (Wu-Tang Clan), born in Staten Island, New York
1968-09-21 Trugoy [David Jolicoeur], American rapper and producer (De La Soul), born in Brooklyn, New York

Will Smith

1968-09-25 Will Smith, American rapper ("Parents Just Don't Understand") and actor (Men in Black, Independence Day, Fresh Prince of Bel Air), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Shaggy

1968-10-22 Shaggy [Orville Richard Burrell], Jamaican-American reggae musician and rapper (Boombastic), born in Kingston, Jamaica

1968-11-15 Ol' Dirty Bastard [Russell Jones], American rapper (member of Wu Tang Clan), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2004)
1969-02-15 Birdman [Bryan Williams], US record executive and rapper, born in New Orleans, Louisiana
1969-03-05 MC Solaar, French rapper
1969-06-14 MC Ren [Lorenzo Jerald Patterson], American rapper, born in Compton, California

Ice Cube

1969-06-15 Ice Cube [O'Shea Jackson], American rapper and actor (Boyz in the Hood, Anaconda), born in Los Angeles, California

1969-07-05 RZA [Robert Fitzgerald Diggs], American rapper (Wu-Tang Clan), born in NYC, New York
1969-08-18 Masta Killa [Elgin Turner], American rapper (Wu-Tang Clan), born in Brooklyn, New York
1969-08-19 Nate Dogg [Nathaniel Dwayne Hale], American rapper ("Regulate"), born in Clarksdale, Mississippi (d. 2011)
1969-10-17 Wyclef Jean, Haitian-American rapper and singer-songwriter, born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti
1969-10-19 (Randolph Severn) "Trey" Parker [III], American actor, animator and composer (South Park; The Book of Mormon), born in Conifer, Colorado
1969-10-30 Snow [Darrin O'Brien], Canadian rapper ("Informer"), born in Toronto, Ontario

Puff Daddy

1969-11-04 Puff Daddy [Sean Combs], American rapper and record producer (Come To Me; I'll Be Missing You), born in NYC, New York

Jay-Z

1969-12-04 Jay-Z [Shawn Carter], American rapper and record producer (Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint), born in Brooklyn, New York City

1969-12-24 Kenny "Damn" Kelly, rapper (Riff - "Judy Had A Boyfriend"), born in Paterson, New Jersey
1970-01-12 Raekwon [Corey Woods], American rapper (Wu-Tang Clan), born in Brooklyn, New York
1970-01-18 DJ Quik [David Marvin Blake], American rapper (Quik Is the Name), born in Compton, California

Queen Latifah

1970-03-18 Queen Latifah [Dana Owen], American rapper and actress (Living Single, Chicago), born in Newark, New Jersey

1970-04-10 Q-Tip [Kamaal Fareed, born Jonathan Davis], American rapper, actor, record producer and DJ, born in Harlem, New York
1970-04-17 Redman [Reginald Noble], American rapper, born in Newark, New Jersey
1970-05-10 Craig Mack, American rapper (Flava In Ya Ear), born in Trenton, New Jersey (d. 2018)
1970-05-15 Prince Be [Attrell Cordes], American rapper (PM Dawn), born in Jersey City (d. 2016)
1970-06-02 B-Real [Louis Freese], American rapper (Cypress Hill), born in Los Angeles, California
1970-06-21 Pete Rock, American rapper/producer, born in The Bronx, New York
1970-07-02 Monie Love, English rapper
1970-07-05 Mac Dre [Andre Louis Hicks], American rapper and hip hop pioneer, born in Oakland, California (d. 2004)
1970-07-06 Inspectah Deck [Jason Hunter], American rapper and producer (Wu-Tang Clan, Czarface), born in Brooklyn, New York
1970-08-19 Fat Joe [Cartagena], American rapper ("Wat's Luv?"), born in the Bronx, New York
1970-09-22 Mystikal, American rapper
1970-10-05 South Park Mexican [Carlos Coy], American rapper, born in Houston, Texas
1970-11-09 Scarface [Brad Terrence Jordan], American rapper (Geto Boys), born in Houston, Texas
1970-11-10 Warren G, American rapper (Regulate), born in Long Beach, California
1970-11-20 Phife Dawg [Malik Taylor], American rapper (A Tribe called Quest), born in Queens, New York (d. 2016
1970-12-17 DJ Homicide [Craig Bullock], American musician, rapper, DJ, and record producer (Sugar Ray), born in Pasadena, California
1970-12-18 Cowboy Troy [Troy Lee Coleman III], American country rapper (MuzikMafia, Big & Rich), born in Victoria, Texas
1970-12-18 DMX [Earl Simmons], American rapper and actor [..And Then There Was X], born in Mount Vernon, New York,
1971-01-17 Kid Rock [Robert James Ritchie], American rapper, songwriter, musician and actor (Devil Without a Cause), born in Romeo, Michigan
1971-05-14 Raphael Wiggins, rapper (Lifelines), born in Oakland, California

Tupac Shakur

1971-06-16 Tupac Shakur, American rapper and actor (Juice, Bullet), born in East Harlem, New York (d. 1996)

1971-06-18 Nathan Morris [Alex Vanderpool], rapper (Boyz II Men), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Missy Elliott

1971-07-01 Missy Elliott, American rapper (Supa Dupa Fly, Under Construction), born in Portsmouth, Virginia

1971-07-23 Dalvin DeGrate, American R&B singer and rapper, (Jodeci - "Cry For You"), born in Hampton, Virginia
1971-09-02 Katt [Micah Sierra] Williams, American comedian, actor, rapper, born in Cincinnati, Ohio

Snoop Dogg

1971-10-20 Snoop Dogg [Calvin Broadus], rapper (What's My Name, Gin & Juice), born in Long Beach, California

1972-02-02 Tego Calderón, nominated reggaeton singer/rapper.
1972-02-20 K-OS, Canadian musician/rapper
1972-04-28 Violent J [Joseph Bruce], American rapper (Insane Clown Posse), born in Detroit, Michigan
1972-05-20 Busta Rhymes [Trevor George Smith Jr.], American rapper (The Coming), born in New York City
1972-05-21 The Notorious B.I.G. [Christopher Wallace], American rapper (Life After Death), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1997)
1972-08-12 Del The Funky Homosapien [Teren Delvon Jones], American rapper (Mistadobalina), born in Oakland, California
1972-09-23 Jermaine Dupri, record producer & rapper (Grammy - We Belong Together), born in Asheville, North Carolina
1972-09-26 Shawn Stockman [Slim], American rapper (Boyz II Men), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eminem

1972-10-17 Eminem [Marshall Bruce Mathers III], American rapper and movie star (The Real Slim Shady, Stan and 8 Mile), born in St. Joseph, Missouri

Weddings in Music

Wedding of Interest

1992-04-26 Rapper and record producer Ice Cube (22) weds Kimberly Woodruff

1994-08-04 American rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (22) weds Faith Evans

Wedding of Interest

1995-04-04 Rapper Tupac Shakur marries Keisha Morris (divorced 1996)

Wedding of Interest

1995-08-07 Rapper LL Cool J (27) weds Simone Johnson

Wedding of Interest

1997-03-30 Rapper Vanilla Ice (29) weds Laura Giarritta

Wedding of Interest

1997-06-12 Rapper and actor Snoop Dogg (25) weds high school sweetheart Shante Taylor at The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina Del Rey, California

Wedding of Interest

1997-09-27 Grammy Award-winning singer-rapper Coolio (34) weds Los Angeles DJ Josefa Salinas (37) in Las Vegas

Wedding of Interest

1998-05-31 Beastie Boys rapper Adam Yauch (33) weds daughter of prominent Tibetan activists Dechen Wangdu in New York

Wedding of Interest

1999-06-14 Rapper Eminem marries Kimberly Anne Scott for the 1st time

2001-12-31 Glamour model and actress Coco Austin (33) weds rapper-actor Ice-T (54) in Las Vegas, Nevada

Wedding of Interest

2004-09-18 Pop star Britney Spears (22) weds rapper-dancer Kevin Federline (26) in Studio City, California

2005-01-08 Rapper and actor Nas (32) weds R&B singer Kelis (25) at Morningside Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia
2006-01-14 Rapper Eminem marries Kimberly Anne Scott for the 2nd time

Wedding of Interest

2008-04-04 Singer-songwriter and actress Beyonce Knowles (30) weds rapper Jay-Z (43) at a 13,500-square foot penthouse apartment in New York

Singer Beyoncé Knowles — Singer
Beyoncé Knowles

Wedding of Interest

2008-04-30 Singer-songwriter Mariah Carey (41) weds actor and rapper Nick Cannon (31) at Bahamian estate on the island of Windermere

Singer Mariah Carey — Singer
Mariah Carey

Actor & Rapper Nick Cannon — Actor & Rapper
Nick Cannon

2008-07-12 Black Eyed Peas rapper Taboo (32) weds fashion publicist Jaymie Dizon (29) at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Pasadena, California

Wedding of Interest

2010-05-22 Singer-songwriter and guitarist Alanis Morissette (38) weds rapper Mario Treadway (32) in Los Angeles

Singer-Songwriter Alanis Morissette — Singer-Songwriter
Alanis Morissette

Wedding of Interest

2010-07-31 R&B singer-songwriter Alicia Keys (31) weds Grammy Award-winning rapper Swizz Beatz (33) at a private home on the French island of Corsica

2013-07-08 Model Amber Rose (29) weds rapper Wiz Khalifa (25) in Pennsylvania
2013-08-10 Rapper Kevin Federline (35) weds Victoria Price at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

Wedding of Interest

2014-05-24 Rapper and record producer Kanye West (36) weds model Kim Kardashian (33) at Fort di Belvedere in Florence, Italy

TV Personality & Model Kim Kardashian — TV Personality & Model
Kim Kardashian

2014-06-14 Grammy Award-winning rapper Eve (35) weds entrepreneur Maximillion Cooper at Cala Jondal Beach in Ibiza, Spain

Divorces in Music

2004-06-08 "TLC" singer Tionne Watkins (34) divorces rapper Mack 10 (32) due to adultery after nearly 4 years of marriage

Divorce of Interest

2007-07-30 Pop star Britney Spears (25) divorces rapper-dancer Kevin Federline (29) due to irreconcilable differences after over two years of marriage

2016-06-07 Model Amber Rose and rapper Wiz Khalifa divorce after 2 years of marriage

Deaths in Music

1990-07-15 Troy Dixon, rapper (Trouble T-Roy of Heavy D), dies at 22 of a fall
1993-12-18 Charizma, American rapper (b. 1973)
1995-03-26 Eazy-E [Eric Lynn Wright], American rapper (N.W.A.), dies from AIDS-related illness at 30
1996-07-31 Seagram Miller, American rapper (b. 1970)

Tupac Shakur

1996-09-13 Tupac Shakur, American rapper and actor (Juice, Bullet), dies of internal bleeding after a drive by shooting at 25

XXXTentacion

2018-06-18 XXXTentacion [Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy], American rapper and singer-songwriter, is shot during a robbery at 20

2018-09-07 Mac Miller [Malcolm McCormick], American rapper and music producer (Best Day Ever), dies of a drug overdose at 26
2019-03-31 Nipsey Hussle [Ermias Asghedom], American rapper and activist, shot and killed at 33
2019-12-08 Juice Wrld [Jarad Higgins], American rapper and singer-songwriter (All Girls Are the Same, Lucid Dreams), dies of a seizure at Chicago airport at 21
2020-02-19 Pop Smoke [Bashar Barakah Jackson], American rapper and singer-songwriter (Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon), shot and killed in a home invasion at 20
2020-10-31 MF Doom [Daniel Dumile], American rapper and hip hop artist, dies at 49 [1]