Before They Were Famous

Labeling hip-hop mainstay Benzino as a professional agitator would probably be something of an understatement. Over a career that’s spanned decades, the man has held a number of different titles – rapper, hip-hop executive, CEO of The Source, “Love and Hip-Hop” reality television star, father to rapper Coi Leray, and, most infamously, Eminem’s biggest nemesis. Back in the day, these two were engaged in the hip-hop beef to end all hip-hop beef. But today’s Benzino has shifted that animosity towards other targets like 50 Cent and his own daughter. Honestly, that’s just how this guy works – after all, he was once shot by a member of his own family while on the way to his mother’s funeral! Talk about your black sheep. Think you know who shot Benzino back in 2014? Then drop the answer down below. Everyone else, stay tuned to find out that answer and a whole lot more on our latest edition of Where Are They Now!

Willow Smith has had some superstar-sized shoes to fill from the moment she was born and it’s a pressure she’s carried with her for most of her young-life. Growing up in the public eye as the daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow once told Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe that she felt a ton of pressure to live up to her parents’ sizable successes. But after acting in a few projects as a child and then kicking off a singing career when she was just 9, that pressure became too much to handle. These days, Willow is back in the spot-light, having spent a good deal of time determining just who it is she wants to be. In that sense, her newest musical project, 2021’s “Lately I Feel Everything”, is a harbinger of things to come. But do you know what extreme lengths Willow resorted to in order to make Will and Jada understand how she was feeling? If so, drop the answer in the comments down below. Everyone else, stay tuned to find out in our newest episode of Before They Were Famous!

After having spent nearly a full decade in the underground scene, Swedish rapper Bladee is finally ready for his moment in the mainstream. This talented young man is more than just a rapper, he’s also an accomplished painter – and his uniquely fresh sound has finally managed to reach mass appeal thanks in large part to social media and Tik Tok specifically. But did you know that becoming a musician was the last thing on Bladee’s mind as a kid? Think you know what his original dream was? Then leave it in the comments down below. As for everyone else, keep watching our newest episode of Before They Were Famous to find out!

Yung Lean is an international hip-hop legend. A former driving force of the Cloud-rap era, this Swedish rapper created an entire brand based around a series of eccentricities and ethereal sounds best represented by the name of his hip-hop crew, The Sad Boys. But some people are only just discovering his music now thanks to one of his very first singles, “Ginseng Strip 2002”, going viral over on TikTok. And really, this boost in popularity couldn’t have come at a better time because Lean has just dropped his newest mixtape, “Stardust”, with its lead single, “Bliss”. Think you know how old – or should I say, young -- Lean was when he wrote his very first rap song? I’ll give you a hint, they call him what they do for a reason. If you already know the answer, drop it in the comments down below. For those of you who don’t know but want to learn all about the come-up of Yung Lean, keep watching our newest episode of Before They Were Famous!

Every musical artist on the face of this planet is trying to crack the TikTok algorithm, but few have managed to do so with as much ease as rapper Saucy Santana. Not only has this up-and-coming rapper bagged nearly 1 million followers on Instagram where he regularly appears with friends like Yung Miami of City Girls on IG Live, but his work has gained further prominence over on TikTok where singles like “Material Girl” and “Here We Go” have all spawned viral dance challenges. Now, Saucy Santana is helping normalize queer artistry in the world of hip-hop in a way that few artists before him have ever managed. But what was Santana doing prior to becoming one of the world’s most popular rappers? If you already know, then drop his former occupation in the comments down below. Everyone else, stay tuned to our newest episode of Before They Were Famous to find out about the come-up of Saucy Santana!

Actor Drake Bell, aka, Drake Campana, once had a future that seemed blindingly promising. Not only was he a Nickelodeon star making a name for himself on television series like “The Amanda Show” as well as “Drake & Josh”, but afterward he’d continue on with an accomplished career in voice acting as well as kick-off something of an (admittedly questionable) singing career. But then, everything took a left turn. Now, instead of the potentially illustrious Hollywood career he could have had, Drake has been making headlines for some very poor personal decisions. Whether it’s DUIs, financial difficulties, abuse allegations, or even being arrested for crimes perpetrated against children, Drake has left his fan base feeling equal parts nauseated and confused. Think you know who Drake Bell really is? Then drop his actual first name in the comments down below. Everyone else, stay tuned to our newest episode of Where Are They Now to find out!

Do any of you guys remember the early hip-hip duo, Kris Kross? Okay, sure, a whole bunch of you probably weren’t even born yet when their single “Jump” hit the airwaves back in 1992, but when it did, it propelled these thirteen-year-olds with names like Chris “Mack Daddy” Kelly and Chris “Daddy Mac” Smith, into superstar status. With their trademarked extra baggy and backwards fashion sense, these two were helped along the way by none other than Jermaine Dupri who discovered them while visiting a local Atlanta mall. Millions of records and albums sold would follow, but it wasn’t really meant to be. A lengthy hiatus would ultimately turn into something much more permanent when Chris Kelly lost his life overdosing on drugs. Think you know the name of the Kriss Kross video game? Then let us know the answer down below! Otherwise, keep watching our newest episode of Where Are They Now to discover the answer to that question and a whole bunch more.

The tale of Vietnamese-American rapper Kid Trunks and his rise from social outcast to becoming the self-proclaimed “best Asian rapper alive” is one that’s taken some startling twists and turns over the years -- especially in recent weeks. Not only did this underdog story nearly come to an end when Trunks attempted to take his own life only days before the release of his studio album, “Moon”, but since then, he’s seen things go from bad to worse. In the early stages of 2022, Kid Trunks would reveal that he’s been diagnosed with cancer. Not only that, a few weeks later he’d post an image of himself badly injured, insinuating that he had barely survived being shot. But here’s the thing – Kid Trunks is lying about at least one of those things. Do you know which one? If so, drop your responses in the comments down below. Everyone else, stay tuned to find out in our latest edition of Where Are They Now!

In the 1990’s, Cypress Hill would establish themselves as a defining presence in the world of hip-hop thanks in large part to some brash lyrics that made them the first multi-million selling Latino rap group of all time. Whether it was DJ Muggs’ bombastic production, B-Real’s nasal-tinged flows, or Sen Dog’s braggadocios barks, Cypress Hill came together to create something unique and they’ve been breaking barriers ever since dropping their self-titled 1991 debut album. But while their legacy is undoubtedly secure, that doesn’t exactly mean that it was always smooth sailing to be a part of their membership. Ever wonder who walked away first? I’ll give you a hint, it happened so fast that it’s probably not someone you usually associate with the crew. If you already know, fill the rest of us in down below. Everyone else, stay tuned to our latest edition of Where Are They Now!

Out of all the rappers to emerge from the city of Atlanta in the late 2000s, B.o.B, might just happen to be the most unique. After signing his very first major label deal at just 17-years-old, this guy went from living in his mother’s apartment to landing a feature with T.I. in the span of only a few months. From that point forward, he’d become the only male solo artist outside of Drake and Justin Bieber to top the Billboard 200 in the year 2010. But then, things began to fall apart when B.o.B took a sudden left turn and began pushing a number of conspiracy theories across social media. Think you know some of the craziest theories B.o.B was spouting? Then drop the details down below. Everyone else, stay tuned to our newest episode of Where Are They Now to find out the answer to the one question all of this rapper’s old fans are asking: “What About B.o.b.???”