Michael Santiago “Killer Mike” Render is a rapper, actor, and activist who was born on April 20, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia. His unnamed father was a policeman, and his mother, Denise Render were a florist. Render was raised by his grandparents; he lived in the … Read MoreMichael Santiago “Killer Mike” Render (1975- )
Jeffrey Townes is an actor, comedian, record producer, and is more commonly known as “DJ Jazzy Jeff.” Townes was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 22, 1965. He began working in music by the age of 10. Townes attended local schools and graduated from John … Read MoreJeffrey Allen (DJ Jazzy Jeff) Townes (1965- )
William McCoy, also known “Willie Bo,” was a Bay Area rap artist shot and killed by Vallejo, California police on February 9, 2019 while sleeping in his vehicle. McCoy was seated in his car at a Taco Bell drive-through when an employee called 911 because … Read MoreWilliam McCoy (1999-2019)
Nissim Baruch Black, formerly known as D. Black, is an African American Jewish rapper who now lives in Israel. Nissim, whose real name is Damian Jamohl Black, was born on December 9, 1986 to James “Captain” Church Croone and Mia Black in Seattle, Washington. Nissim’s … Read MoreNissim Black (1986- )
Luther Roderick Campbell, also known as Uncle Luke or Luke Skyywalker, is an African American rapper, promoter, actor, and record executive. Campbell was born on December 22, 1960, in Miami, Florida. His father has Jamaican ancestry and worked as a custodian, and his mother had … Read MoreLuther Campbell (1960- )
Ice-T, pioneering West Coast rapper, singer and actor, was born Tracy Marrow in Newark, New Jersey to Solomon and Alice Marrow on February 16, 1958. The Marrows were a working-class African American family who lived in the predominantly white town of Summit, New Jersey, where … Read MoreTracy Lauren “Ice-T” Marrow (1958- )
Shawn Corey Carter, who uses the stage name of Jay-Z, has become one of the most successful hip-hop artists and entrepreneurs. By 2011 Jay-Z’s net worth was near $450 million, making him one of the wealthiest and most successful businessmen in the entertainment industry. Carter … Read MoreShawn Corey “Jay-Z’ Carter (1969- )
Hip-Hop music star Christopher Wallace, better known as Biggie Smalls or The Notorious B.I.G., was part of an East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry that included Tupac Shakur and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. A year after Shakur was murdered, Notorious B.I.G. was preparing to release his … Read MoreChristopher G. “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace (1972-1997)
