Which rappers had difficult childhoods/upbringings and achieved success through Hip Hop?

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Which rappers had difficult childhoods/upbringings and achieved success through Hip Hop?

Add on.

Over time reading rapper's biographies I've learned many rappers I thought grew up in harsh environments/cities ended up fabricating their pasts. Many led you to believe they were born and raised in a certain city when in fact they were transplants, many had healthy parent marriages but came out as bullies and fronting gangsta rappers, many you thought were poor but had families with big money and lots of love and support.

Let's give it up for the rappers who truly made something out of nothing:

1. Jay Z - grew up poor, single Mom.

2. Eminem - grew up poor, single Mom

3. Cage - grew up with a single Mom and abusive step fathers

4. Dmx - grew up with an abusive Mom

5. Thirston Howell the third - grew up with an addict Mom, himself a reformed criminal to very well rounded rap artist

6. Krs One - was in a homeless shelter as a teen

7. Young Jeezy - "My childhood was empty"

8. Ghostface - play All that I got is you

9. Ra the Rugged man - play lessons

Please add on. Those are the only ones I can name backed up with facts and these are the rap artists I respect most.

 

[CrimsonTider]

Pooh Sheisty

 

[Heretic]

90% of them or so they say.

 

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Pooh Sheisty

Why?

All I can find is he took summer school to finish high school. Which I do respect actually.

 

[27FarOutRazor]

All of them

 

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90% of them or so they say.

That's the thing.

I can name over 18 that had great support but won't out if respect.

That's why I made this post. I too grew up thinking 90% had it tough. But the facts Don't back that up at all.

I want facts. I could only list 7.

To be fair I know alot keep their childhoods private which is smart.

We can add Ghostface to the list. Also Ra the Rugged Man.

 

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All of them

That's what I thought, but don't believe it anymore.

Can you name a rapper other than the list I made backed up with facts?

Big Daddy Kane's parents both drove their own Caddilacs. He chose to be a stick up kid till his friend pulled him aside questions what he was doing.

Prodigy's grandmother was a millionaire.
He chose Queensbridge when he had other options. His real struggle came from his illness. That being said. He chose a great artist's life. Anyone correct me if I'm wrong - but he had options.

Juice World - I heard was middle class but chose hard drugs.

Also in general - there are people who live in the hood with big money and move out - but front like their criminals when they're idiots.

And those who live in the hood with real struggles, domestic violence, mental illness etc

 

[Insensitive]

This guy:





Apparently went through sexual and physical assault as a child.

 

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This guy:





Apparently went through sexual and physical assault as a child.

Damn that's messed up. Good for him for pushing through.

Bizzy Bone as well - beaten, tortured, sexually assaulted.

It's scary shyt. But the rappers that went through really hard times alot of them shaped strong characters for themselves.

It inspired others and is authentic.

 

[Ziggiy]

Nas- Grew up poor in one of the roughest projects during the crack epidemic. 8th grade dropout. Watched both his brother & best friend get shot and his friend died from his injuries.

50 Cent- Mother died when he was 8. Never knew his father. Sold crack since the age of 11. Shot 9 times.

J.Cole- grew up with a drug addicted single mother

 

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Nas- Grew up poor in one of the roughest projects during the crack epidemic. 8th grade dropout. Watched both his brother & best friend get shot and his friend died from his injuries.

50 Cent- Mother died when he was 8. Never knew his father. Sold crack since the age of 11. Shot 9 times.

J.Cole- grew up with a drug addicted single mother

Thanks. Never knew that about J Cole.

50 luckily was raised by his grandmother who seemed to have a solid child raising philosophy.

I don't get why he became such a bully. He is great. But so much of his win/lose attitude got him derailed.

He should drop a new focused Hip Hop album.

 

[Eastside Get The Money]

No one mentioned Pac yet

Damn near born in prison, no father and his only father figures were in jail for life,mom couldn’t get a real job cause of panther ties, became crack addicted, moms moved him around the country from project to project.

I always say if aliens came down and wanted to know what poor black life in the ghetto is like just play 2pacolypse Now

 

[27FarOutRazor]

That's what I thought, but don't believe it anymore.

Can you name a rapper other than the list I made backed up with facts?

Big Daddy Kane's parents both drove their own Caddilacs. He chose to be a stick up kid till his friend pulled him aside questions what he was doing.

Prodigy's grandmother was a millionaire.
He chose Queensbridge when he had other options. His real struggle came from his illness. That being said. He chose a great artist's life. Anyone correct me if I'm wrong - but he had options.

Juice World - I heard was middle class but chose hard drugs.

Also in general - there are people who live in the hood with big money and move out - but front like their criminals when they're idiots.

And those who live in the hood with real struggles, domestic violence, mental illness etc

Oh, I was just giving a bullshyt answer lol...i believe most detroit rappers because I'm from there

 

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Oh, I was just giving a bullshyt answer lol...i believe most detroit rappers because I'm from there

Nah, all good homie.

Yeah Detroit I heard it tough to make it out of.

I stopped by/flew over Detroit for the first time in 2021.

At like 5am. The arrival view is way different than both New York and Toronto.

I saw this vast array of small gray buildings, with neon lights here and there. Gun shops, strip clubs, liquor stores.

Was I just looking at it like that or is there truth to that?

It looked like the Robocop movies to me.

 

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No one mentioned Pac yet

Damn near born in prison, no father and his only father figures were in jail for life,mom couldn’t get a real job cause of panther ties, became crack addicted, moms moved him around the country from project to project.

I always say if aliens came down and wanted to know what poor black life in the ghetto is like just play 2pacolypse Now

Damn. Ya Pac made it through all of that.
Never to diss Biggie but I felt Big was grimier. Pac was more angelic.

Biggie learned from Pac. Biggie's Mom was an immigrant and a hard worker. Biggie kinda wanted the quick fix out.

He did it the right way with rap not drugs.

To this day analyzing the biggie/Pac dynamic is a trip.

I read Biggie said Pac must have gone paranoid after getting shot the first time.

To me that was a snub and uncessary. Like Biggie was clean and good and Pac got shot. That wasn't it man.

There were back and forths.

Whatever r.i.p to both. I felt Pac was more grounded. Biggie too, but it went haywire.