Hip Hop’s Elite: From Rags To Success -Vol. 1

Hip-hop is a multifaceted and complex model, an expressed worldview espoused by a global collective. Although when many refer to hip hop, they refer to it in terms of musicality, there is much more depth. Hip hop is a culture, and even more apt, it is a voice of a people embroiled in the struggle but not defeated by that which seeks to confine and define them. The Kennedy Center words it best, “it [Hip hop] has transcended to become a means for seeing, celebrating, experiencing, understanding, confronting, and commenting on life and the world.”

The Universality of Hip hop

The struggle is not owned by one group of people. Yet, there are so many who remain voiceless, ignored, and overlooked. Music has been a means to carry the message, awaken, and revolutionize. What makes it so impactful is that some of its most prominent messengers have lived the struggle. Their survival, success, and ability to package that lyrically are essentially hip hop’s heart. What they represent is hope. Despite where they came from or the struggles they continue to face, anything is possible.

The Message

Proponents of the culture and what it truly stands for have an obligation to highlight the message that we’re here, we matter, we are overcomers, and we are not going anywhere. As Kennedy Center notes,

“Hip hop was a growing movement of hopeful poets, visual artists, and urban philosophers who added their visions and voices by whatever means available. They spread the word about what was happening in their neighborhoods, which much of mainstream, middle-class America was doing its best to ignore or run down.”

Its legacy lies in the hand of its current ambassadors.

Ambassadors of Hip Hop

Elite Hip Hop MC’s.  Image Source: University of Louisville Department of Communications

A movement, civilization, or culture only ceases when the remaining members refuse to pass on knowledge. Yes, struggles exist. The odds sometimes seem insurmountable, and often it’s no fault of our own as some hardships are inherited, but it doesn’t mean that it’s definitive. As a people, we possess an irrefutable strength and an ability to overcome. One only needs to look at others in the community, like DMX, Mary J. Blige, 50ent, and Nicki Minaj, who have constructed staircases from the crumbling bricks of impossibility.

Hip Hop: A Shared Commonality

What do these artists all have in common? Not only are they hip-hop artists who have obtained worldwide acclaim and success, but they also share a childhood of struggle and damnable odds. DMX rose from his childhood horrors and struggle with abuse to become one of the signature voices in hip hop. Mary J. Blige, who has often expounded on her tumultuous childhood, has risen to the status of queendom in R&B and hip hop. 50 Cent beat the odds stacked against him to not only become a successful rap artist but to build a universe in the television industry. And Nicki Minaj overcame her childhood tragedies to become one of the most recognized commercial female rap artists in history. While it wasn’t expected of any of them, they did it. As a result, they are the embodiment of hip hop, earning their spotlight.

DMX: Defined Voice of Hip Hop

DMX: Image Source: Getty Images/Matthew Eisman

DMX more than solidified his presence in the annals of hip-hop history. He was unmistakably one of the most recognized figures in hip-hop, known for his raw individuality. He stood out. However, he had to overcome a great deal to achieve what he accomplished. He didn’t one day wake up a success. He often relayed through various interviews when he was alive that his path to success was nothing short of hell. But he braved the fires and consistently battled his demons to make it.

Life Ain’t Easy

DMX was born Earl Simmons in 1970. At an early age, his mother moved him and his sister to the projects in Yonkers, New York. According to hip-hop scriptures, DMX spent much of his youth in and out of juvenile facilities and group homes. At 14 years of age, DMX had his first experience with drugs which would become an addiction he would grapple with his entire life. Horrifyingly, someone X trusted introduced him to the demon that would follow him. Without his knowledge, a mentor gave DMX a crack-laced joint. X said this in an interview with Billboard before his passing.

“I later found out that he laced the blunt with crack… Why would you do that to a child? He was like 30 and he knew I looked up to him.”

Although a sad and tragic event shaped most of X’s life, it didn’t define who he would become. DMX went on to rise above his past. 1998 when DMX signed with Def Jam, it changed his life. His first two albums were enormous successes. According to Forbes,

“In 1998 his first album went quintuple platinum. Later that year, his second album went quadruple platinum.”

He was on his way up. And nothing stopped him from securing the success he worked for, and history will forever tell his story.

X was one of the first hip-hop artists to have five number one albums in a row, demonstrating what could be possible, how one could turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. As Beatroute so eloquently phrased,

” He rapped with intense energy about his tough life experiences and thus , gave a voice to his community.”

And such an impact is indelible.

Mary J Blige: The Queen of R&B

Mary J. Blige cover release for single, “Know.”

Mary J. Blige has come a long way, scaling the ranks to wear the crown as the Queen of hip-hop and R&B. Through heartache and pain, she has proven herself to be a phenom with an unmatchable drive. Experiences that would have stopped many in their tracks served as fuel along Blige’s journey.

Drama and Pain

Mary was born in the Bronx in 1971 to Cora and Thomas Blige. Her childhood was less than idyllic. Her mother was a nurse, but her father was an alcoholic musician who often exercised his demons on his family. According to Biography, Cora moved her family to the Schlobohm projects as a means of escape. Even there, Mary couldn’t escape the horror. In Blige’s words,

“I never saw a woman there who wasn’t abused. It was a dangerous place. No one wanted anyone else to get ahead.”

Unfortunately, the darkness didn’t cease with her childhood experiences. She would drop out of school in her teens, and addictions would follow. According to Mary J. “I ended up becoming my environment. I had no self-respect. I hated myself. I thought I was ugly. Alcohol, sex, drugs—I’d do whatever to feel a little better.”

Mary’s Ascent

Thankfully that was not the end of her story. In 1992 Mary’s life changed after being signed by Andre Harrell. However, despite her successes, her struggles continued. But music became her outlet, and it was through her message that others were moved. As Black Music Scholar puts it,

“Mary was that girl then and now. Her music told us way more than any picture. She was the voice of all the sisters. as she progressed through life, so did they. And what connected them was her voice.”

Now, after 16 albums, multiple awards, and stints in film and television, Mary is still showing the way, demonstrating life is a work in process. She understands the struggle because she’s been there. She’s successful because she’s still pushing. When covering the press circuit about her release “Good Morning Gorgeous,” this is what Mary had to say to The Source,

“[Good morning Gorgeous] was something I had to do, and something I had to say when I was in my darkest moments in that life, to build myself up to this person that I can see and accept. My nose, eyes, cheeks, an acceptance of all the things that I used to hate.”

After all these years, she wakes up every day striving to be better than yesterday, forever proving her life is hip-hop, a testament to survival and overcoming.

50 Cent: Multimedia Mogul

Illustration by Texas Monthly; 50 Cent: Presley Ann/Getty

50Cent is easily one of the most talked about hip-hop artists. Many love him, and some love to dislike him, but regardless his industry-wide success is undeniable. Not only has Fifty proven himself to be a successful hip-hop artist but a successful entrepreneur. In 2014 he was named as one of the wealthiest figures in Hip-hop. According to Fame Focus, Fifty had a net worth estimated at $140 million at the time. Nevertheless, his success didn’t come overnight. The enterprising mogul overcame unbelievable odds to get where he is today.

School of Hard knocks: Class is in Session

Fifty, also known as Curtis Jackson, was born in Jamaica Queens in 1976. Jackson’s mother was a drug dealer and lost her life in a fire when Jackson was only eight. His grandparents then raised him. That did little to keep him out of trouble; according to a 2003 article in Today, he was dealing by 12 years of age. Jackson saw his first arrest at 19. However, not even his troubled beginnings could hold him down.

Like the ever-present message of struggle in hip-hop, Jackson faced the fire, his troubles, and his demons. And he rose to the embodiment of an overcomer. Amazingly, he has used his success to give back. In 2021 the mogul shared the success of his program focused on nourishing the entrepreneurial spirit in the youth. According to AllHipHop, his program boasted an 88% success rate. At the time, Jackson is noted as saying,

“66 of my 75 kids have a job now @gunitybusinesslab. Houston I’m so proud of this program 3 ward, 5 ward let’s get it.”

That is undoubtedly worth spotlighting.

Nicki Minaj: Superstar Ascension

Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” cover art.

Nicki Minaj has carved out a name for herself in the industry as one of the most well-known and successful female commercial artists. According to Failure Before Success, Minaj is one of the wealthiest female rap artists to date. Regardless, Minaj’s success wasn’t easy.

Minaj was born in 1982 as Onika Tanya Maraj. Nicki was one of four children. She spent her early childhood with her grandmother but eventually moved with her mother at five. According to Failure before Success, Nicki’s father, who was a financial executive, also had a violent streak and reportedly struggled with alcohol and drug abuse. One particularly horrifying life-altering memory is of her father. As also noted in Failure Before Success,

“One day, he set the house on fire while her mom was inside.”

Minaj wanted better for her mom and herself. So, she worked to make that happen. Rejections and setbacks lined her path, and she felt the weightiness of the struggle on her shoulders. Nicki had this to say regarding that period,

“At a point, I was, like what would happen if I didn’t wake up.”

But despite what she felt then, she didn’t give up.

Earning Her Throne

In 2010 her life took a turn. “Pink Friday” would be a precursor to what was to follow. Finally, the world got to see everything Minaj was made of; her undeniable talent, which her resolve could only match. And according to Yahoo Sports, In 2016, she received some fruits of her labor. Nicki, once a little girl whose life was defined by struggle, was now on the cover of Time Magazine for one of the top 100 Most Influential People in the world. And now, a decade after her initial success and four studio albums, Minaj is working on the release her fifth continuing to prove that success is a marathon.

We actually discussed him EP’ing this new album. That was b4 Seeing Green even came out. https://t.co/iOGQ6Rxosh

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) March 6, 2022

If she can rise above her circumstances, so can anyone else.

Hip Hop: A People with A Message

Without a doubt, the hard-hitting lyricism, earth-shaking, melodic, transitive rhythms, and creative beats of hip hop move the body. But it is the soul and life-blood experiences of the artists that move the soul and give hip-hop its heart. That spirit continues to drive and expand hip hop beyond what others see as a form of creative expression. Hip hop is culture, a lifestyle, a voice, and above all, it is the soulful embodiment of a people. As summed up by the Kennedy Center, “Hip Hop believes that people can take control of their lives through self-knowledge. Most importantly, it permits a shared experience against an uncertain world.”

Written By: Renae Richardson