7 Rapper's Jobs Before the Fame: Method Man, Nicki Minaj & More

Rapper’s jobs before the fame can be surprising, fitting, or even random. Many artists had humble beginnings in the workforce. They needed money to pay for studio time, equipment, and other resources to start their music careers. Or, if music was not their end goal at the time, they just needed money to survive in the world.

Many rappers had retail jobs and had to interact with multiple people daily. For more eccentric artists, one wonders if their personalities brought in more customers. Either way, successful rappers are often walking testimonies for sticking to your goals in life. They overlap when advising this, but the results are right before our eyes. We’ve gathered seven rappers who had humble beginnings in the workforce and are now household names.

This rapper’s job before fame is interestingly fitting because their home state is well known. Method Man is a member of the Wu-Tang Clan and, therefore, a part of rap royalty. Fellow New York rapper Dave East portrays him in Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga, and Method Man has several acting roles of his own under his belt. But, before all of this, he had truly humble and fitting beginnings.

Method Man once had a job working at the Statue of Liberty. However, he never went to the top because he did not have enough time to while on break. This reasoning is practical but still ironic. When people work at landmarks, they are there to work - not enjoy it as a tourist. Meth spoke on it and more while on The Late Late Show with James Corden as Gabrielle Union reacted to all of his stories.

This is a rapper's job before fame that is surprising just as it is fitting. It’s always interesting to see artists that had jobs in the music world become a part of it differently. Ab-Soul used to work at his grandfather’s record shop, Magic Disc Music. He briefly discussed this job in an interview in 2012 with Billboard and mentioned it in his song “Tree of Life” from his 2014 album, These Days.

However, he truly went in depth with expanding his experience there in an interview with NOISEY in 2013. Soul has always been an artist that was willing to share his origins. He often shares stories of the past through his music, too, which many listeners enjoy because it humanizes him and makes him more than just another rapper.

Kid Cudi has always been a go-to artist for streetwear and its surrounding culture. His once having a job at the Bape NYC Store is not surprising, and it is very fitting. In an interview on Hot Ones, Cudi spoke about how at the time, getting that job meant more to him than getting a record deal.

This job came full circle for Cudi in three different ways. For one, he performed there as an artist in 2010. Then he did a joint cover story with NIGO, Bape’s founder, for Complex in 2019. Lastly, he did an official collaboration with the brand in 2021. This journey shows you truly never know how much of an impact your first job can have.

This is one of the most surprising jobs a rapper had before fame. Tyler, The Creator has always been a unique artist. His personality naturally commands attention, and his on-stage energy is unmatched - and unbridled. The over-the-top days of Odd Future are over, but they are a vital part of his past. His job at Starbucks is also a key part of his past. Listeners can imagine how distracting it must have been to have Tyler on their shift. He prides himself on making music the way he wants when he wants. It’s quite interesting to think of him in a setting where there is a chain of command. He even told a story about getting fired while on Jimmy Kimmel Live! - and (jokingly) declared he still hated his manager for firing him.

Nicki Minaj has not tried to keep her origins a secret. Many people know she used to work at Red Lobster. She spoke of specifically working at one in New York. Nicki Minaj’s personality and speaking voice are well known at this point. It’s interesting to think about her in a setting where she had to speak with people daily as a waitress. Nicki said she was not the best at that job specifically and being there unhappy helped steer her into her rap career. In a literal trip down memory lane, Nicki and Jimmy Fallon went to a Red Lobster as customers, and then they served real customers as waiters.

People across social media have called Rick Ross “Officer Ricky” for his entire career. This is done jokingly with a splash of insult too. Rick Ross’ exuberant lifestyle can be seen across various videos these days, but he, like most people, started with a regular job. Rick Ross used to be a Correctional Officer. Given the subject matter of Rozay’s raps about his past, this revelation had people simultaneously laughing and questioning.

When a picture of Ross in uniform began circulating in 20xx, he denied it was him. Of course, he later admitted it was after documentation records proved it. He discussed his time at this job in detail on the Full Send Podcast. He denied it initially shows he was trying to hide his past, unlike our other entries. 

This rapper’s job before fame may be the down-to-earth journey - at its core - on this list. Diddy went from being an intern for Andre Harrell to becoming the mogul we know today. For many, this is an inspiring story. Despite his literal name changes, Diddy has made himself a household name across the decades. For some, he’ll always be Biggie’s manager; to others, he’ll always be the founder of Bad Boy Records.

His managerial skills have been criticized, but he has been making business moves (which have also been attacked) for years. He’s reached the point where he can advise a new generation of artists because he has seen the music industry change in real-time. Many people have praised Diddy’s work ethic over the years and the results speak for themselves.

What are some rapper jobs that surprised you? Let us know in the comments section.

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