Whereas the notion of “ranging from the underside” is common in rap music and popular culture usually, it could come as a shock to most that a number of our faves didn’t begin there in any respect. Actually, a handful of well-known faces like SZA, Michael Jordan, Will Smith and extra had fairly first rate childhoods.
Even some rappers who’ve garnered severe road cred like Offset and Travis Scott don’t have the stereotypical “rags to riches” upbringing. In order that bought us considering and our wheels spinning to see precisely who grew up very middle-class and never of poor. Whereas a few of these individuals’s tales could not come as a shock, others simply may be enlightening.
Maintain studying to get all of the perception!
Michael Jordan
NBA legend Michael Jordan additionally grew up in a middle-class residence in North Carolina. His father James joined the Air Power and later labored as a mechanic with the objective of ultimately changing into a supervisor on the Common Electrical. His mom Deloris went to commerce college and later climbed up the company ladder at United Carolina Financial institution.
Vanessa Williams
Former Miss America winner and “Ugly Betty” star Vanessa Williams additionally had a center class upbringing in New York. A classically educated singer, she reportedly attended Syracuse College’s School of Visible and Performing Arts. Williams’ mom was an achieved pianist and served as a professor at Manhattanville School. Williams’ father was a music instructor who earned a bachelor’s diploma in music training from Fredonia School and later a grasp’s from Columbia College.
Tupac Shakur
Regardless of experiencing homelessness and rising up in poverty, legendary rapper Tupac Shakur nonetheless skilled considerably of a privileged way of life by attending a performing arts college in Baltimore earlier than he moved to California in 1988. Whereas there, he was inspired for his poetic and appearing expertise.
Kanye West
Ye can be a rapper who didn’t develop up in abject poverty. Actually, he grew up in a middle-class household in Chicago. His father was reportedly a former Black Panther and a photojournalist for The Atlanta Journal-Structure. His mom Donda was a university professor who served because the chair of the English division at Chicago State College. Ye additionally went on to attend the American Academy of Artwork and later Chicago State College earlier than ultimately dropping out to pursue his music profession. There’s positively nothing rags-to-riches about this.
Jadakiss
Although Jadakiss grew up in Yonkers, New York, he was raised in a reasonably steady two mother or father family along with his father reportedly working as a businessman. He additionally went to personal college and attended faculty for one semester.
Clipse: Pusha T and Malice
Whereas lyrical examination of Clipse rappers Pusha T and Malice may make you assume the 2 of them grew up in poverty, they really grew up in a center class residence in Virginia Seaside. Pusha himself confirmed that he didn’t develop up “within the trenches” in an interview in 2022.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Although he championed for the rights of poor individuals and the disenfranchised, civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t have any firsthand expertise himself. He reportedly lived in a comparatively middle-class residence and his father served because the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and activist. His mom served an educator, musician, activist and graduated from Spelman School and Morris Brown School.
Travis Scott
In an interview with Advanced in 2012, rapper Travis Scott revealed that he had a middle-class upbringing. He additionally shared that his mother and father had fairly good careers however the time spent along with his grandmother is what gave him an “edge.”
“I used to be born in Houston, Texas. I grew up in Houston, by Missouri Metropolis. It’s like a suburb within the space, it’s middle-class. However I used to stick with my grandma within the hood from ages one to 6.,” he mentioned on the time. “My mother labored for Apple and my dad owned his personal enterprise. I lived in [Houston] most of my life till I used to be like 19, I’m 20 now and I keep in L.A.”
He later added: “Rising up, my grandmother stayed within the hood so I seen random loopy shit. [I saw] mad bums and loopy spazzed out motherfuckers, I noticed individuals wanting bizarre, hungry, and grimey. I used to be all the time like, ‘I gotta get the fuck out this shit.’ It gave me my edge—[it made me] who I’m proper now.”
Beyonce
Beyonce’s upbringing, whereas not tremendous rich, by no means appeared like poverty. Actually, her mom Tina Knowles labored as a well-liked hairdresser whereas her father Mathew Knowles labored as Xerox salesman earlier than changing into a music govt and managed his daughter’s singing profession.
Offset
A Georgia native, rapper Offset additionally grew up in a center class household on the outskirts of Atlanta. At age 11, he was already working as a backup dancer, showing in a well-liked Whitney Houston video in 2002 earlier than ultimately discovering fame as part of the Migos almost 11 years later. In response to Web page Six, he solely curated a “road” persona to help in his profession narrative.
SZA
SZA’s upbringing by no means gave poor. Actually, the “Snooze” singer had a really middle-class, suburban way of life in New Jersey. Per an interview with Flaunt Journal, her dad was an govt producer at CNN whereas her mother labored as an govt at AT&T.
Will Smith
Although Oscar-winning actor Will Smith didn’t develop up tremendous rich, in keeping with his personal account, he grew up in a fairly first rate, middle-class neighborhood in West Philadelphia. Smith’s father labored at a metal mill earlier than ultimately beginning his personal refrigeration agency and did electrical technician work. His mom labored as college board administrator for the state and was a Carnegie Mellon College graduate.
Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle by no means skilled the poor life, famously joking that his mother and father “did simply effectively sufficient so I might develop up poor round white individuals,” in keeping with the Every day Mail.
“When Nas and them used to speak concerning the initiatives, I used to get jealous. It sounded enjoyable,” he mentioned.
He reportedly lived in a home within the North Woodside Neighborhood of Silver Spring, Maryland–a middle-class space. He additionally had mother and father who had been reportedly each activists and educators.
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