Born Paul Michael Slayton in Houston in 1981, Paul Wall seemed destined at first to join a different career path than a hip hop and rap star. In fact, when he attended college at the University of Houston, he majored in Mass Communications instead of music. Nonetheless, while he was working for the station KBXX, … Read more
Born to a teenage mother in 1979, Yelawolf spent most of his childhood impoverished. In fact, because of his mother’s addiction to cocaine, he and his mother moved often, sometimes staying in poor neighborhoods and projects. During his time in the projects in Nashville, Yelawolf, born Michael Wayne Atha, first came into contact with hip-hop … Read more
Hip hop performer and rapper Macklemore was born Ben Haggerty in Seattle in 1983. He began listening to hip hop music as a young boy. This early exposure influenced his aspirations to join suit and join his favorite performers in this industry. By the time he was 14 years of age, he was already writing … Read more
Born Marshall Mathers III in 1972, Eminem famously grew up on Detroit’s 8 Mile neighborhood. He endured a difficult childhood that was marked by blue collar poverty, bullying, parental abandonment, and frequent moves. Despite dropping out of high school, Mathers fostered a love for literature and story telling, interests that would contribute greatly to his … Read more
Mac Miller, whose birth name is Malcolm McCormick, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1992. He developed a love for hip hop music early in his life, writing his own songs by the time he turned 14 years of age. By 15, he began seriously honing his hip hop songwriting and performance style, stating that … Read more