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

[spliz]

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

Ur wrong about Prodigy. He is from the hood. He just not from QB. He’s from Hempstead. But he def from the hood tho. All that other options and rich shyt is a dub. And DMX’s childhood was way worse than to reduce it to an abusive mother. shyt he prolly had all of the issues of the nikkas u listed combined as a kid. He basically was on his own since he was like 8 years old. 2pac grew up horribly as well. From damn near growing up in prison. To the government pulling him out of class looking for his family members. To him not knowing his real pops and thinking he’s dead. To having to move around because his mother couldn’t keep a job cause of her Panther history. Being in some of the worst hoods in america. His moms getting strung out on drugs. Him being homeless for a stretch of time. Etc etc.

 

[spliz]

50 Cent had it rough. Which is prolly why he’s a sociopath now and doesn’t trust anybody. nikka’s moms got murdered. He went to his grandmothers house which was crazy dysfunctional. His own aunt hated him and killed his dog when he was a kid. nikka was on the streets selling drugs at 12 and just been in and out of fukkery since then.
This is a quote from him speaking on his mother’s death.
"Was I affected by my mother's death? Yeah - probably as much as any eight-year-old kid would be. But I've had friends that die all the time. Move forward."

Like I said before. 50 is one of the few rappers whom I would consider a true sociopath.

 

[Crumple]

Ur wrong about Prodigy. He is from the hood. He just not from QB. He’s from Hempstead. But he def from the hood tho. All that other options and rich shyt is a dub. And DMX’s childhood was way worse than to reduce it to an abusive mother. shyt he prolly had all of the issues of the nikkas u listed combined as a kid. 2pac grew up horribly as well. From damn near growing up in prison. To the government pulling him out of class looking for his family members. To him not knowing his real pops and thinking he’s dead. To having to move around because his mother couldn’t keep a job cause of her Panther history. Being in some of the worst hoods in america. His moms getting strung out on drugs. Him being homeless for a stretch of time. Etc etc.

My bad, I wasn't trying to downplay Prodigy's upbringing. I don't know much about Hempstead.

In his book he mentions his Grandmother and how wealthy she was. With Cash, homes and Rolls Royce etc. Even tho his father was into Crime he mentions he visited his Dad who ended up having a dope crib or something.

Prodigy is forever great.

But he saw wealth young. Tupac didn't at all.

Thanks for clarifying more about Pac and DMX.

They really made something out of nothing.

And it comes out in their music.

I'm curious - if someone can recommend me the best book on Tupac let me know.

I remember that Unbelievable book being great on Biggie. But it's crazy Vibe made it when Vibe was in the middle of the beef.

It was detailed tho.

 

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50 Cent had it rough. Which is prolly why he’s a sociopath now and doesn’t trust anybody. nikka’s moms got murdered. He went to his grandmothers house which was crazy dysfunctional. His own aunt hated him and killed his dog when he was a kid. nikka was on the streets selling drugs at 12 and just been in and out of fukkery since then.
This is a quote from him speaking on his mother’s death.
"Was I affected by my mother's death? Yeah - probably as much as any eight-year-old kid would be. But I've had friends that die all the time. Move forward."

Like I said before. 50 is one of the few rappers whom I would consider a true sociopath.

That's wild. Very messed up. He's great, I just wish he'd get back to hip hop.

I get that money is in t.v.

But I miss rapping 50.

 

[spliz]

My bad, I wasn't trying to downplay Prodigy's upbringing. I don't know much about Hempstead.

In his book he mentions his Grandmother and how wealthy she was. With Cash, homes and Rolls Royce etc. Even tho his father was into Crime he mentions he visited his Dad who ended up having a dope crib or something.

Prodigy is forever great.

But he saw wealth young. Tupac didn't at all.

Thanks for clarifying more about Pac and DMX.

They really made something out of nothing.

And it comes out in their music.

I'm curious - if someone can recommend me the best book on Tupac let me know.

I remember that Unbelievable book being great on Biggie. But it's crazy Vibe made it when Vibe was in the middle of the beef.

It was detailed tho.

Yea it’s no problem. Yea Hempstead is the HOOD brotha. Lol. That’s actually where Method Man is from as well. He bounced back n forth between Hempstead and Staten Island. It’s where Roc Marciano from too and I bounced between Brooklyn and Hempstead myself. PAC’s best shyt comes from his early docs like Thug Angel imo(which is my fav 2pac documentary).

 

[Eastside Get The Money]

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.

The funny thing is Pac was from the streets but wasn’t a street dude. BIG was living pretty good but decided to run the streets

 

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Yea it’s no problem. Yea Hempstead is the HOOD brotha. Lol. That’s actually where Method Man is from as well. He bounced back n forth between Hempstead and Staten Island. It’s where Roc Marciano from too and I bounced between Brooklyn and Hempstead myself. PAC’s best shyt comes from his early docs like Thug Angel imo(which is my fav 2pac documentary).

Dope. I'll check that documentary out.
You know alot of people dissed the All Eyez on me movie but I really liked it. Showing his Mom's history, the 70s. The actors who played Pac and his Mom I felt we're on point. And they filmed in Las Vegas too.

Not sure what you thought of it. I knew slot of ppl dissed it before it came out. Forming my own opinion I thought was way more presentable than the first Biggie film.

I will check that documentary for certain. Thank you.

 

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The funny thing is Pac was from the streets but wasn’t a street dude. BIG was living pretty good but decided to run the streets

Crazy. Their dynamic together was insane.
That one video of them rhyming is one of the most intense peices of footage ever!

Was Biggie living well? Bed Stuy I heard was crime heavy then.

I knew his Mom worked hard tho. And his apartment was pretty nice from what I saw.

 

[27FarOutRazor]

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.

Only guns stores I k

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.

Honestly speaking I don't know of any guns stores inside city limits but I moved to Chicago in 2013...honestly I don't know what you saw, but detroit is a smooth city filled with some cool ass people. Some messed up parts but what city don't

 

[Eastside Get The Money]

Crazy. Their dynamic together was insane.
That one video of them rhyming is one of the most intense peices of footage ever!

Was Biggie living well? Bed Stuy I heard was crime heavy then.

I knew his Mom worked hard tho. And his apartment was pretty nice from what I saw.

I mean he wasn’t in bel air or anything like that but his moms owned a brownstone and had him in private school early on.

 

[Crumple]

Only guns stores I k


Honestly speaking I don't know of any guns stores inside city limits but I moved to Chicago in 2013...honestly I don't know what you saw, but detroit is a smooth city filled with some cool ass people. Some messed up parts but what city don't

My bad. T.v probably primed my head on Detroit. Touching down near the airport I did see blocks and blocks of low buildings and neon signs here and there.

It seemed very city like but different from Toronto or New York.

I want to visit and check out the city when I can.

 

[spliz]

Dope. I'll check that documentary out.
You know alot of people dissed the All Eyez on me movie but I really liked it. Showing his Mom's history, the 70s. The actors who played Pac and his Mom I felt we're on point. And they filmed in Las Vegas too.

Not sure what you thought of it. I knew slot of ppl dissed it before it came out. Forming my own opinion I thought was way more presentable than the first Biggie film.

I will check that documentary for certain. Thank you.

I literally hated the All Eyez On Me movie. Any nikka who extensively knows about Pac would hate that movie. shyt. Watch Thug Angel and u would hate that movie. The best view u can get of Pac is through the docs. Thug Angel, Tupac Ressurection, Before I Wake etc etc. That All Eyez On Me shyt was a bullshyt cash grab.

 

[Crumple]

I mean he wasn’t in bel air or anything like that but his moms owned a brownstone and had him in private school early on.

Word. I didn't know that.

 

[Crumple]

I literally hated the All Eyez On Me movie. Any nikka who extensively knows about Pac would hate that movie. shyt. Watch Thug Angel and u would hate that movie. The best view u can get of Pac is through the docs. Thug Angel, Tupac Ressurection, Before I Wake etc etc. That All Eyez On Me shyt was a bullshyt cash grab.

Word. I respect your opinion. Truthfully I didn't know the deeper knowledge on Pac before.

I will check all that you said.

Check this.

I did not like the Notorious film almost at all because of the blatant Lil Kim sex scene.

Why?

Because first off they could save that for any other film.

But I take Biggie as a writer seriously and history wise you can't show that to everyone. That scene was done with such little taste, I wasn't feeling it.

The one scene I like is Big on the street in the Raiders beanie selling drugs. It was well done.

All Eyez on me I liked because of the main actor's passion.

And especially for the scenes of him and his Mom in the apartment in the 70s. The set design there and the cars were spot on 70s. It felt right based on family photos I have from the 70s.

But again based on your words I believe you're putting me on to way higher quality work. Which I will check out.