List Of Rappers Who Were Born Rich

Listening to hip-hop music, it’s easy to believe that just about every rapper shares the same come-up story. They grew up in the ‘hood, at some point resorted to selling drugs, launched a career rapping about said drug life and voila! Made it big.

And while that may have been the case for a number of artists like Biggie, Nas, Jay Z and 50 Cent, the reality is, when it comes to being an MC, struggle isn’t always in the equation.

For folks like Diggy Simmons, Ice Cube and Ricky Hil, wealth and luxury were in no short supply growing up. As rich kids, hip-hop was a form of expression, or in some cases, a way to follow in daddy’s footsteps. But does being the product of money better your chances at a rap career or hinder it?

Check out our list of 10 Rappers Who Were Born Rich and decide for yourself.

Ice-Cube

Ice Cube launched his career in the ’80s, rapping about the mean streets of Compton, a far cry from the lavish lifestyle his son O’Shea Jr., grew up in. With Cube’s net worth of nearly $100M, the closest O’Shea Jr., ever saw of his father’s ‘hood growing up was through watching his movies. The wealthy upbringing, however, hasn’t kept him from following his dad down a similar career path.

O’Shea Jr., who goes by the name OMG (Oh My Goodness), made his official rap debut on his father’s album, ‘I Am the West’, following it up with his first mixtape, ‘Jackin’ For Beats.’ While he may look and even sound very much like his dad, OMG seems to have what it takes to be known for more than just Ice Cube’s son.

Lil Romeo

Master P amassed quite the fortune over his career, leaving his son, Romeo Miller, a good cushion to fall back on. The rapper-turned-savvy businessman not only passed down his wealth to his children, but his business acumen as well.

Romeo got his start in the rap game at the tender age of 5 after he presented his dad with a rap he wrote. From there, he evolved into the heartthrob, Lil’ Romeo, making little girls swoon with songs like ‘My Baby‘ and ‘2 Way.’ Sure, the bubble gum rap was nothing spectacular, but the pay-off definitely was, with Romeo snagging several platinum and gold albums. The childhood rapper temporarily gave up the mic in turn for a chance to play ball at USC. As of late, Romeo can be found playing minor roles in films like ‘Jumping the Broom,’ starring in commercials for ICDC college and attempting to revive his rap career.

The Alchemist

Before becoming a rapper and a producer for some of the biggest names in the game, the Alchemist was just another well-off kid growing up in Beverly Hills attending high school with future celebs like Angelina Jolie. Born Alan Daniel Maman, ALC lived a comfortable life as the son of a dentist. He eventually ditched the 90210 set for friends who shared his love for hip-hop, most notably Scott Caan, son of actor James Caan. The two teamed up to form the rap group Whooliganz and signed with Tommy Boy Records. When the album got shelved, Scott went on to acting and ALC went on to become one of hip-hop’s most respected and sought-after producers doing beats for the likes of Mobb Deep, Nas and Action Bronson, to name a few.

Diggy Simmons

If you think having a rich and successful father like Rev. Run or media mogul uncle like Russell Simmons might seem like all you need to become a hip-hop star — just ask JoJo Simmons how his rap career is going. You can imagine how much it stung when his younger brother Diggy took his own shot at rapping at just 13 years old, and blew us all away. After five years, four mixtapes, a studio album and a spot on XXL’s annual Freshmen list, Diggy proved money isn’t the only thing he’s inherited from his famous father.

JoJo Simmons

There’s probably not a rapper in the world that would want to trade careers with JoJo Simmons, but the same can’t be said about his bank account. The son of hip-hop great Rev. Run has his advantages —  living in a mansion, avoiding jail time and lots of money – but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a successful rap career. JoJo’s attempts at dropping bars has sparked more feuds than fame, and while he’s no doubt proud of little brother Diggy, on some level it has got to hurt.

Chet Haze

When your dad is Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks, there’s no doubt you’ve got deep pockets and big footsteps to follow. For Chet Hanks aka Chet Haze, growing up with such a rich and famous father definitely has its perks — like allowing you to personally finance your not-so-impressive hip-hop career.

Chet has yet to make it big in the music industry, but has managed to get the attention of the media… in a not-so-good way. The frat-boy rapper is an endless source of foolery for Gawker, who has described his work as, “some janky Justin Timberlake-grabs-the-mic-at-the-8th-grade-school-dance type s—.” Despite it all, Papa Hanks seems to be proud of his son, and continues to encourage him to be all that he can be.

 

Gabe Day

As far as sons-of-Oscar-winning-actors-who-rap go, Gabe Day takes the cake. Life for the 18-year-old was pretty rough growing up, considering his father Daniel Day-Lewis’ status as one of Hollywood’s best actors and a net worth of close to $50M. The affluent lifestyle, fancy schools and transition from Europe to the States inspired Gabe Day (who hates to be called Gabe-Day Lewis) to express his hardships through rap.

“From Europe to the East Coast / It wasn’t easy to adapt,” he raps on ‘Green Auras.’ “I was on a bad path / I did too many drugs / Felt like coping on my own when all I needed was a hug.” The Sarah Lawrence College undergrad cites Nas and J.Cole as his inspirations. Our advice? Stay in school, kid.

Jermaine Dupri

For Jermaine Durpri, the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. The So So Def founder was introduced to the music industry at a young age, thanks to his father Michael Mauldin, former president of Colombia Records. At the age of 12, Jermaine landed a gig as a dancer for the group Whodini. He eventually gave up dancing and set his sights on producing music and discovering artists. While he’s known for being a producer and executive more than he is for being a rapper, Dupri had no problem launching the careers of hip-hop artists Kris Kross, which led him to write their mega-hit ‘Jump.’ In 1998, the dancer turned producer released an album of his own titled, ‘Life in 1472′, featuring his popular hit with Jay-Z, ‘Money Ain’t a Thang.’ Over the years, Jermaine has been responsible for producing tracks for artists like TLC, Janet Jackson, Usher, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys to name a few.