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

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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).

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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 didn't know that.

 

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.