This Is How 30+ Rap & Hip-Hop Icons Have Transformed Since Their Debut Hits

Back in 1996, Lil’ Kim released her debut album Hard Core. Not only did fans love it but the album quickly went double platinum with many hits to follow. Since then, she’s continued to make music. Her latest album, 9, came out in 2019. She has worked on a few reality shows and competition projects.

Dr. Dre has become a titan in the industry since his debut. It all started when The Chronic was released in 1992 — an album that caught the attention of many. By 1993, he was one of the best-selling artists in the United States.

His albums have all done amazingly well, including 2001, which not only went platinum but managed to do it six times. He also started the company Beats by Dre and helped produce Straight Outta Compton with fellow artist Ice Cube.

In 1994, Coolio released It Takes a Thief to high praise. Only a year later, he’d release Gangsta’s Paradise, an album that would quickly become well-known.

Coolio has continued to release music over the course of his career and even released the album Nobody’s Foolio in 2019. The artist has also broken into television and film, portraying roles in Dracula 3000 and Gravity Falls. He even hosted his own show called Cookin’ With Coolio.

Snoop Dogg rose to fame in the early ’90s and has kept fans attention since. His early career really skyrocketed with the release of the album Doggystyle in 1993. Now, the star can be found throughout Hollywood both in and out of music.

As for his music career, he released his 18th album in 2021 titled From tha Streets 2 tha Suites. On top of that, he’s started some unexpected projects as well such as the show Martha & Snoop‘s Potluck Dinner Party, which he co-hosted with Martha Stewart.

In the 1980s, Public Enemy cemented themselves in music history. The group became known for their lyrics that influenced the genre for a long time to come. The group continues to perform.

As for the individual members, they’ve had their own endeavors too. For instance, Flavor Flav has branched out into reality television over the years and even left the group while Chuck D released solo albums including a 2018 title named Celebration of Ignorance.

LL Cool J’s first album was Radio in 1985 and a lot has changed since then. However, the musician remains in the public eye. In 2016, LL Cool J received his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

By the next year, the musician announced that, despite an aforementioned announcement of retirement, he had signed back on with Def Jam with the promise of new music in the future.

Almost everyone knows the song that shot Sir Mix-a-Lot to a moment of superstardom. After all, who hasn’t heard his 1992 hit, “Baby Got Back”?

Since then, the rapper continued to release music — with his latest full album released in 2003 — before he shifted gears to produce other artists. He’s also seen some other work as well including an appearance on Bojack Horseman and as a host on a radio show. He’s continued to perform over the years as well.

In 1999, T.I. signed with LaFace and, two years later, this would yield his debut album, I’m Serious. He quickly became known for his distinctive style. In more recent years, the rapper is no stranger to controversy or legal troubles.

He continues to create music and even released an album, The L.I.B.R.A., in 2020. It was well-received and even made it to number nine on the U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. He’s also starred in a few reality shows and has taken on some acting roles.

If you don’t recognize the name André 3000, you’d definitely recognize him for his work as one half of OutKast — with Big Boi filling the other half. Since the release of OutKast’s Southernplayaslisticdillacmuzik, André 3000 has come to be known as an incredibly influential figure in the genre.

He’s also branched out into an acting career including a role in a 2018 sci-fi named High Life with Robert Pattinson. He has continued to work both as a musician, often alongside other artists.

Da Brat had a stellar debut with her first album Funkdafied. In fact, it sold a million copies, making her the first solo female rapper with a platinum-selling album. After legal troubles in 2007, Da Brat’s career did hit a bit of a snag.

However, she came back with a YouTube series titled Brat Chronicles: In Transition and jumped back into a number of reality television projects. As for studio albums, she released The Return in 2018 but it didn’t see quite the same success as earlier albums.

Ludacris’ early success came after he formed his own label in the 1990s. One of his early hits that really took off was the 1999 song, “What’s Your Fantasy”. Since then, Ludacris has tried on a number of hats.

This has included everything from new albums to acting work. Recently, the musician celebrated the 2021 release of Karma’s World, a children’s show that the musician produced. The main character is an homage to his own daughter named Karma.

Ice-T got his start in the limelight after releasing his debut album, Rhyme Pays, in 1987. It was followed by Power, his first platinum album. Today, the musician can be seen everywhere.

Along with Body Count, he released the album Carnivore in 2020 — all whilst maintaining a very busy acting career. You might see him on a TV show like Law & Order, in a movie, and even in video games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Borderlands 3.

In the ’80s, Ice Cube first gained fame as a member of C.I.A. After that, he’d join up with Dr. Dre and Eazy E to form N.W.A. Since his time with N.W.A., Ice Cube is another rapper that transitioned to the screen.

In 1991, he starred in Boyz n the Hood, which helped to launch his career as an actor and producer. He hasn’t abandoned his music career either and joined Snoop Dogg, Too Short, and E-40 to form Mt. Westmore.

There are few names as recognizable as Rihanna’s. The musician and now-entrepreneur have come a long way since her early hits like the album Good Girl Gone Bad. Since then, Rihanna has continued to release records, often blending styles into a recognizable style.

On top of that, her brands Fenty and Fenty Beauty have been wildly successful. The singer has also used her beauty brand to create a diverse set of shades to suit a wide variety of skin tones.

Kendrick Lamar was already impressive among hip-hop artists before he released Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. The 2012 album went triple platinum and pushed Lamar to superstardom. As for now, Lamar hasn’t slowed down.

He’s even done some soundtrack work, including on the wildly successful Marvel film Black Panther. The rapper hasn’t gone unnoticed either and critics often laud him as one of the best in the industry in quite some time. Plenty of newer artists have cited him as an influence.

Throughout the ’90s and early 2000s, Shaggy was a name that was hard to miss. If nothing else, you probably recognized songs like “It Wasn’t Me” fairly quickly.

Since then, he’s continued to release albums, including Christmas in the Islands and a 20th-anniversary re-release of Hot Shot in 2020. He recently told Daily Star that he was invited to join Rihanna on her new album as well but the artist turned the chance down.

With hits like “U.N.I.T.Y.” and “Ladies First,” it didn’t take long for the world to notice Queen Latifah. She’s often praised for her feminist approach to hip-hop. Over the years, she’s become known for her music and acting career.

As for music, she released her last album, Persona, in 2009. She’s built up quite the filmography as well including shows like Star, Empire, and, of course, The Queen Latifah Show. She’s also graced the big screen with her presence in a number of films.

Missy Elliott kicked off her solo career with the album Supa Dupa Fly. Not only was it noticed, but it became the highest-charting debut album that any female rapper had at the time.

She’s continued on her path in music history when she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame as the first female rapper to get in. Record sales have worked in her favor, too, with more than 30 million records sold over the course of her career.

When Nelly released Country Grammar in 2000, it was met with success. It even reached as high as number three when it made its way to the Billboard 200 list.

Since then, Nelly has been busy. He’s won Grammy awards in both 2003 and 2004 before branching out to include acting in his repertoire. In addition to that, he started two clothing lines of his own named Apple Bottoms and Vokal. Yet, the musician is no stranger to controversy either.

Lil Wayne started his career early — he was only 12 when he signed on with Cash Money Records under Birdman. Since then, we’ve seen the artist create a high output of music over the years.

In 2011, the artist said that he would retire by 35, citing that he wanted to be around for his kids more. It was in 2016 that he finally tweeted about his retirement. However, he still continued to work and create music including a 2021 album titled I Am Not a Human Being.

The 1998 release of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill caught the attention of almost everyone. In the end, the album ended up going platinum not once but eight times. No follow-up album followed, though, and Hill started to draw away from the spotlight.

Still, that doesn’t mean she didn’t meet her fair share of controversies including accusations of her unprofessional behavior — like the tendency to leave out collaborators in song credits. She also became known for showing up late to her performances, leaving audiences waiting.

Diddy started out as an intern at Uptown Records but managed to make his way to the other side of production soon. In 1997, he debuted on the scene as Puff Daddy with the single, “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down”. He has stayed busy, too.

Not only has he continued to make music but he also stepped out into fashion, business — and even acting and hosting television. He continues to make music on top of it all, even announcing that he’d release a new album, Off the Grid Vol. 1, in 2021.

Nicki Minaj didn’t have to release her first album to draw attention. She managed to create mixtapes until she made her way onto Lil Wayne’s record label in 2009.

Previously, Minaj had announced her retirement from music but continued to create music including a single titled “Yikes.” Even more recently, in 2021, she reissued her 2009 mixtape titled Beam Me Up Scotty. She’s announced some TV projects too such as a cameo host appearance on The Real Housewives of Potomac.

Ja Rule released his first album in 1999, starting things off with the successful Venni Vetti Vecci. He especially enjoyed the success of the single “Holla Holla”. His latest album came out quite a while ago with 2012’s Pain is Love 2.

In 2021, he’s focused on different ventures such as his launch of Flipkick. In worse news, he was the co-founder of the now-infamous Fyre Festival, a music festival that ended in disaster and landed Ja Rule and Billy McFarland in a $100 million lawsuit.

Jay-Z is another artist who started his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records before making his own debut. That came a year before the 1996 release of Reasonable Doubt. Today, Jay-Z isn’t as active as a musician but he’s still in the public eye.

This is helped along by the fame of his wife and occasional duet-partner, Beyoncé. He spends more time as a businessman these days. Forbes even named him the first billionaire rapper for his efforts.

Eve had a strong start when she released the album Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady in 1999. It shot straight to the top of the Billboard 200, cementing her fame.

Since then, she released a slew of other successful albums as well as took on a number of other ventures. This included a clothing line that lasted for six years as well as work as an actress. She’s branched into reality television as well.

Busta Rhymes made his debut with his 1996 album The Coming. The album went platinum and Busta Rhymes was set up for a successful career. He didn’t let the opportunity go to waste either and continues to release music.

Most recently, he released a 2020 album titled Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God. In addition, the artist has appeared both in movies like Halloween: Resurrection and shows like Fresh Off the Boat and The Masked Singer.

With Illmatic, Nas skyrocketed to fame in 1994. He’d turn out three more albums before the turn of the century and he’s widely regarded as an artist with a lasting legacy. His output has stayed high in recent years as well.

In 2018, he released the album Nasir and in 2020 and 2021, respectively, he followed it up with the albums King’s Disease and King’s Disease II. The artist has also shown up in a number of documentaries and even the mockumentary, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping in 2016.

Chris Smith started his career as one-half of the popular group Kriss Kross alongside Chris Kelly. Then, the group was well-known for their recent hit, “Jump”.

Sadly, Chris Kelly passed away in 2013, ending Kriss Kross for good shortly after their performance at the So So Def’s 20th Anniversary Concert. As for Chris Smith, he’s started his own business named Urbane Muse. Here, he sells his art, including clothing designs.

At this point, there are few people who haven’t heard the hit that made her famous in 2003, “Milkshake”. She released a few more albums but what happened after that?

Kelis is actually still making music. But, she has also kept herself busy in the world of culinary arts. She even graduated from Le Cordon Bleu and has a hot sauce line, a series called Saucy and Sweet, and she’s written a cookbook called My Life on a Plate.

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has become one of the super-famous since he started to gain traction as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the 2000s. He released his own album in 2004.

Since then, Ye has garnered a lot of media attention, and only some of which has been focused on his new music. He’s also gained the attention of joining the Kardashian family for a period of time as Kim Kardashian’s husband. Yet, in 2021, Kardashian filed for divorce after Ye publicly made accusations against his then-wife and her family on Twitter.

Mike Jones was fairly recognizable from his debut album titled Who Is Mike Jones? The single “Still Tippin” really solidified his fame. Jones actually took a hiatus around 2010 for a year. His latest release was in 2015 with the mixtape Money Train.

A month later, he said he was working on a sequel mixtape to Money Train called Money Train: Reloaded. He’s also discussed another studio album that’s yet to be released titled Where Is Mike Jones?

When she released Lyte as a Rock in 1988, MC Lyte made history. She became the first solo female rapper to debut her own full-length album. Now, you’re likely to see MC Lyte for her work as a voiceover and actor.

She’s also started speaking publicly and even wrote a book called Unstoppable: Igniting the Power Within to Achieve Your Greatest Potential. However, she still found time to release new albums, including Legend in 2015.

Method Man came up in fame as a member of Wu-Tang. However, he made a solo debut in 1994 as well with the album Tical. That didn’t mean that Method Man severed himself from Wu-Tang, though, and he even added a few more groups to his portfolio including Method Man & Redman.

He’s branched into acting too including roles in Teenage Bounty Hunters and Concrete Cowboy, both in 2020. His love for comic books has led him to team up with Marvel, too!

In 1996, Eminem released the album Infinite, introducing his music to the world. Shortly after, he found himself signing on Dr. Dre’s label, leading to The Slim Shady LP. The rapper hasn’t slowed down much over the years either.

He continues to release music and has even tried out his acting chops, including his 2002 role in 8 Mile. Despite frequent controversies, including legal troubles and criticism of his offensive lyrical content, Eminem is still as popular as he was when he entered the scene. He even released an album titled Music to Be Murdered By in 2020.

Mase was one of the first musicians under Bad Boy Records founded by Diddy himself. In 1997, he also debuted the album Harlem World and got to see it go quadruple platinum. In 1999, the actor retired, saying that he had a “calling from G-d” and couldn’t continue his career.

Five years later, he returned as an ordained minister and started making music again. His melodic style has had quite the influence, too, with big stars like Kanye West citing Mase as their favorites.

In the 1980s, Will Smith made his debut as half of the group known as Dj Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Of course, we can guess which moniker belonged to Smith.

After that, the artist was in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and his acting career took off from there. That’s what Smith is mostly doing these days. However, he has started to slip back into music in recent years including a 2017 single with Jazzy Jeff called “Get Lit.”

Slick Rick cut his teeth in the music industry with Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew. Quickly, he became associated with a distinct fashion sense and storytelling musical style.

Slick Rick is still making music, too, with a single named “Snakes of the World Today” released as recently as 2018. He was featured on a Westside Gunn album in 2020. Back in 2008, he was even honored on the show VH1 Hip Hop Honors.

Of course, we can’t talk about Slick Rick without also mentioning Doug E. Fresh. So, where’s the other part of the Get Fresh Crew? By now, Doug E. Fresh has earned another moniker: “Human Beat Box.”

On top of that, “La Di Da Di” has since become among the most sampled tracks ever. On September 24th, 2021, he released a new album named This One’s for Chuck Brown: Doug E. Fresh Salutes the Godfather of Go-Go.

Drake started his path to music fame in 2009. He found his footing with his third mixtape, especially with the hit single, “Best I Ever Had”. As a result, Drake held the longest reign on the Hot 100, staying on the charts for eight years without break.

The artist continued to break industry records as well, including his 2018 album Scorpion, which broke the Spotify record for most streams in a single day. All in all, he’s been nominated for 42 Grammys and he’s taken home four of them.

It’d be an understatement to say that DJ Kool Herc has had a strong influence in the world of hip-hop. Some have even referred to him as the Father of Hip-Hop.

As for music, in 2019 DJ Kool Herc released his very first vinyl record titled Last of the Classic Beats. Other than that, he’s collaborated with artists like The Chemical Brothers, Terminator X, and Substantial. He’s also done a lot in working to preserve hip-hop in the Smithsonian Institution museums.

In 2003, 50 Cent was on a fast track to fame after he debuted his first album, Get Rich or Die Trying. The artist even starred in a film by the same name only two years later. In 2014, 50 Cent released Animal Ambition and even appeared in Escape Plan: The Extractors in 2019.

On television, 2020 audiences saw him as Cassius in For Life. He’s branded a couple of video games under his name too! Unfortunately, in recent years he’s wracked up a number of legal issues for himself as well.