Hip Hop

1. Christopher Reid

Christopher Reid was born on April 5, 1964 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for House Party (1990), House Party 3 (1994) and Spec Ops: The Line (2012). He has been married to Kimberly Turner since June 19, 2004.

2. Ice Cube

Soundtrack | Friday

Ice Cube was born in South Central Los Angeles, to Doris (Benjamin), a custodian and hospital clerk, and Hosea Jackson, a UCLA groundskeeper. He first came to public notice as a singer and songwriter with the controversial and influential band N.W.A. His compositions with that group included many ...

3. Tip 'T.I.' Harris

Actor | Ant-Man

T.I. was born Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. on September 25, 1980, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Violeta Morgan and Clifford "Buddy" Harris, Sr. He is also known as T.I.P. and "Rubberband Man". T.I. is from the streets of Westside Bankhead Zone 1 in Atlanta. His original stage name, T.I.P., it stems from ...

4. Biz Markie

Actor | Men in Black II

Biz Markie was an African-American rapper, disk jockey and actor. He was known for his hit 1989 song "Just a Friend". He played a beatboxing alien in Men in Black II (2002) alongside Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. He was originally going to voice The Grizz in Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (2013) but...

5. Spinderella

Soundtrack | Clueless

Born on August 3, 1970, Deidre 'Spinderella' Roper spent her childhood in New York City. At age 16, she met Sandra 'Pepa' Denton and Cheryl 'Salt' James. Deidre became a DJ for them in Salt-N-Pepa. At age 20, after 4 years of rapping, she made her movie debut, along with Cheryl and Sandra, in Stay ...

6. MC Lyte

Actress | Girls Trip

A philanthropist who has presented almost $900,000 in scholarships over the past seven years, an actress on Power, Queen of the South, SWAT, and more, MC LYTE is ONLY female solo hip hop artist to receive the BET I Am Hip Hop ICON Award. First female to perform hip hop in the White House and first ...

7. Fat Joe

Actor | Happy Feet

Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper and actor from the Bronx, New York. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a solo career and set up his own label, Terror...

8. David Banner

Actor | Black Snake Moan

Lavell William Crump (born April 11, 1974), better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Banner's music career first began as a member of the rap duo, Crooked Lettaz. He became a solo artist in 2000, releasing his first title "Them Firewater Boyz, ...

9. Kobe Bryant

Producer | Dear Basketball

Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Bryant won five NBA championships, ...

10. Nipsey Hussle

Soundtrack | Project Power

Airmiess Joseph Asghedom (August 15, 1985 - March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle (often stylized as Nipsey Hu$$Le), was an American rapper. Emerging from the West Coast hip hop scene in the mid-2000s, Hussle independently released his first mix-tape, Slauson Boy Volume 1, to ...

11. Will.i.am

Actor | X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Will.i.am was born on March 15, 1975 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), Rio (2011) and Rio 2 (2014).

12. Elliot Wilson

The Last Day of August

Elliot Wilson is known for The Last Day of August (2012), Def by Temptation (1990) and The (White) Rapper Show (2007).

13. 50 Cent

Soundtrack | Get Rich or Die Tryin'

50 Cent (Curtis James Jackson) is an American rapper, actor, producer, and entrepreneur.

He began a musical career and in 2000 he produced Power of the Dollar for Columbia Records, but days before the planned release he was shot and the album was never released. In 2002, after Jackson released the ...

14. Method Man

Actor | How High

Award-winning actor, producer, musician, and entrepreneur Cliff "Method Man" Smith, has been forging an extraordinary and unparalleled path across all mediums since he first entered the scene 30 years ago.

Smith currently stars as 'Attorney Davis MacLean' opposite Mary J. Blige in the worldwide hit ...

15. Shaquille O'Neal

Actor | Steel

Shaquille O'Neal is a retired professional American basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA on TNT. He is considered one of the greatest players in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. He was one of the tallest and heaviest players ever. O'Neal ...

16. T-Pain

Soundtrack | The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

Faheem Najm was born in Tallahassee, Florida to parents Shasheem Najm and Aliyah Najm. At the age of ten, Faheem reworked his bedroom into a studio and began composing music. Faheem graduated James S. Rickard's High School. He was part of the Tallahassee rap group Nappy Headz. In 2002, he founded ...

17. Snoop Dogg

Actor | Training Day

Snoop Dogg is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, media personality, entrepreneur, and actor.

His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre and featured on Dre's solo debut, "Deep Cover", and then on Dre's solo debut album, The Chronic. He has since sold over 23 ...

18. Pepa

Soundtrack | Deadpool

Sandra Denton "Pepa" was born in Kingston, Jamaica on November 7, 1964. Her family moved to Queens, New York, when she was a child. In 1985, while studying nursing at Queens Borough College, she met Cheryl 'Salt' James. They began rapping together. In 1986, they formed Salt-N-Pepa. Sandra made her ...

19. Tone Loc

Actor | Heat

Tone Loc was born on March 3, 1966 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Heat (1995), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and Titan A.E. (2000).

20. Kurupt

Actor | Hollywood Homicide

Kurupt was born Ricardo Brown in Philadelphia, Pa. He moved to Long Beach, California, where he met and befriended such rappers as Snoop Dogg and Daz Dillinger. He worked as a rapper on "Death Row Records" (Label run by Suge Knight), releasing one album with Daz Dillinger titled "Tha Dogg Pound" (...

21. Warren G

Soundtrack | Bad Boys

Warren G was born on November 10, 1970 in Long Beach, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Bad Boys (1995), Big Momma's House (2000) and Above the Rim (1994). He is married to Tennille Griffin. They have four children.

22. Da Brat

Soundtrack | Wasabi

Da Brat was born on April 14, 1974 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Wasabi (2001), Bad Boys (1995) and Big Momma's House (2000). She has been married to Jesseca Dupart since 2022.

23. Darryl McDaniels

Soundtrack | Die Hard

Darryl Matthews McDaniels was born on May 31, 1964, in Queens, New York. His birth parents are unknown. At the age of 3 months, Byford and Banna McDaniels adopted him. He attended Catholic schools in New York City and after graduation, he attended St. John's University in Queens, New York. During ...

24. Redman

Soundtrack | How High

Reginald Noble better known by his stage name Redman, is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame in the early 1990s as an artist on the Def Jam label. He is well known for his collaborations with his close friend Method Man, as one-half of the rap duo Method Man & Redman...

25. Bubba Sparxxx

Soundtrack | xXx: State of the Union

Bubba Sparxxx was born on March 6, 1977 in LaGrange, Georgia, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for xXx: State of the Union (2005), Blade II (2002) and Ride Along (2014).

26. Too $hort

Soundtrack | Black Panther

Todd Anthony Shaw better known by the stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper and record producer. He became famous in the West Coast hip hop scene in the late 1980s, with lyrics often based on pimping and promiscuity, but also drug culture and street survival; ...

27. Mary J. Blige

Soundtrack | Mudbound

Mary J. Blige was born on January 11, 1971 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. She is a music artist and actress, known for Mudbound (2017), Rock of Ages (2012) and The Help (2011). She was previously married to Kendu Isaacs.

28. Vida Guerra

Actress | CHIPS

Vida Guerra was born on March 19, 1974 in Havana, Cuba. She is an actress, known for CHIPS (2017), Mercy for Angels (2015) and Scarface: The World Is Yours (2006).

29. Chingy

Soundtrack | Scary Movie 4

Chingy was born on March 9, 1980 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Scary Movie 4 (2006), xXx: State of the Union (2005) and Fantastic Four (2005).

30. Bazaar Royale

Soundtrack | Cradle 2 the Grave

Bazaar Royale is known for Cradle 2 the Grave (2003), Third Watch (1999) and Half & Half (2002).

31. Chubb Rock

Soundtrack | Boyz n the Hood

Chubb Rock is known for Boyz n the Hood (1991), The Roommate (2011) and Girls Trip (2017).

32. Howie Tee

Soundtrack | The Devil's Own

Howie Tee is known for The Devil's Own (1997), Son of Rambow (2007) and Mojave Moon (1996).

33. LL Cool J

Actor | Deep Blue Sea

L.L. Cool J was born James Todd Smith in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, the son of Ondrea Griffith and James Louis Smith, Jr.

Todd, as he was called, did not have a very happy childhood. At the age of four, he saw his mother and grandfather shot by his own father. After they recovered from their ...

34. Ludacris

Actor | Crash

Ludacris was born Christopher Brian Bridges in Champaign, Illinois, where he was raised, the son of Roberta Shields and Wayne Brian Bridges. At nine years old, he started rapping. He attended Emerson Middle School and, eventually, Oak Park and River Forest High School for his freshman year. ...

35. Common

Actor | John Wick: Chapter 2

First known as a rapper who became one of the more prominent voices in hip-hop's new millennium renaissance, Common later transitioned into acting. He was born in Chicago, and is the son of educator Dr. Mahalia Ann Hines and Lonnie Lynn, an ABA basketball player turned youth counselor.

On October 6,...

36. Chance the Rapper

Soundtrack | Waves

Chance the Rapper was born on April 16, 1993 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Waves (2019), Slice (2018) and Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021). He has been married to Kirsten Corley since March 9, 2019. They have two children.

37. DMX

Soundtrack | Exit Wounds

Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 - April 9, 2021), known by his stage name DMX ("Dark Man X"), was an American rapper and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot in 1998, to both critical acclaim and commercial success, selling 251,000 copies...

38. Tupac Shakur

Actor | Juice

Born in New York City, Tupac grew up primarily in Harlem. In 1984, his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he became good friends with Jada Pinkett Smith. His family moved again in 1988 to Oakland, California. His first breakthrough in music came in 1991 as a member of the group Digital ...

39. Eve

Actress | Barbershop

Eve was born on November 10, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Barbershop (2002), xXx (2002) and Whip It (2009). She has been married to Maximillion Cooper since June 14, 2014. They have one child.

40. Fabolous

Soundtrack | Blade II

John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. He first gained recognition while still a senior in high school, when he performed live on American music executive DJ Clue's radio show, then on Hot 97. Jackson subsequently signed to DJ ...

41. Big Pun

Soundtrack | That Awkward Moment

Big Pun was born on November 9, 1971 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for That Awkward Moment (2014), Vacation (2015) and Life of the Party (2018). He was married to Liza Rios. He died on February 7, 2000 in White Plains, New York, USA.

42. Chuck D

Soundtrack | Star Trek Beyond

Both as a solo artist and as the leader of the ground-breaking hip-hop group Public Enemy (which was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013), Chuck D helped pave the way for political, social and culturally conscious hip-hop. Public Enemy's albums remain among the most critically ...

43. B-Real

Soundtrack | Blast from the Past

B-Real was born on June 2, 1970 in Hollywood, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Blast from the Past (1999), Training Day (2001) and Bulworth (1998).

44. Russell Simmons

Producer | The Nutty Professor

Russell Simmons was born on October 4, 1957 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for The Nutty Professor (1996), Dude, Where's My Car? (2000) and It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010). He was previously married to Kimora Lee Simmons.

45. Lupe Fiasco

Soundtrack | Taken

Lupe Fiasco was born on February 16, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Taken (2008), Suicide Squad (2016) and Prom Night (2008).

46. DJ Khaled

Actor | Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

DJ Khaled was born on November 26, 1975 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), Bad Boys for Life (2020) and Charlie's Angels (2019).

47. Young Dolph

Soundtrack | Keanu

Young Dolph was born on July 27, 1985 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a music artist and actor, known for Keanu (2016), Step Sisters (2018) and On My Block (2018). He died on November 17, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

48. Nelly

Soundtrack | The Longest Yard

Nelly went to Spain with his father, Air Force Man Cornall Haynes Sr., until he was 3 years old, then moved to St. Louis. Nelly's folks struggled financially and split up when he was 7. As the youngest child in the neighborhood he grew up getting into trouble with the big kids. As a result he ended...

49. King Von

Soundtrack | F9

King Von was born on August 9, 1994 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a music artist and actor, known for F9: The Fast Saga (2021), PnB Rock Feat. King Von: Rose Gold (2021) and King Von: Robberies (2023). He died on November 6, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

50. Black Rob

Soundtrack | Training Day

Black Rob was born on June 8, 1968 in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for Training Day (2001), Snatched (2017) and Money Talks (1997). He died on April 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

51. Heavy D

Actor | The Cider House Rules

Dwight Arrington Myers (May 24, 1967 - November 8, 2011), known professionally as Heavy D, was a Jamaican-born American rapper, record producer, and actor. Myers was the leader of Heavy D & the Boyz, a group which included dancers/hype men G-Whiz (Glen Parrish), "Trouble" T. Roy (Troy Dixon), and ...

52. Post Malone

Actor | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Austin Richard Post, known professionally as Post Malone, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer.

Post was born in Syracuse, New York, the son of Nicole Frazier Lake, from Walton, NY, and Rich Post. His father had been a disc jockey in his youth and introduced Post to many ...

53. Krept & Konan

Soundtrack | Creed

Krept & Konan is known for Creed (2015), Krept & Konan: Ban Drill (2019) and Brotherhood (2016).

54. Gangsta Boo

Soundtrack | Zola

Gangsta Boo was born on August 7, 1979 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. She was an actress and composer, known for Zola (2020), Gangsta Boo: Meet The Devil (2015) and Latto Feat. GloRilla & Gangsta Boo: FTCU (2022). She died on January 1, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.