Top Hip-Hop Turnarounds Of 2023

This year, fans have seen some shocking shifts in a few of their favorite hip-hop stars. Whether it's recovering from controversy, coming back after incarceration, or even converting to Christianity, the future is looking up for this list of figures. Having pushed through adversity and come out stronger on the other side, they surely deserve a nod for their turnarounds.

Turning one's life around is obviously no easy task, particularly in the spotlight. Changing public perception can often prove to be an even more arduous feat than a personal transformation itself, sometimes meaning a long road to getting credit where it's due. Regardless, these hip-hop stars appear to be doing better than ever these days, despite their past obstacles.

Angela White, formerly known as Blac Chyna, rose to prominence in the Miami strip club scene, later catapulting to stardom as a video vixen. Eventually, she landed as a businesswoman/ reality star, known in part for her high-profile relationships with Tyga and Rob Kardashian. The D.C. native took quite a journey to get to where she is now, at one point becoming nearly synonymous with the surgically enhanced appearance popularized in the 2010s. This year, however, White decided to go back to her roots, reversing some of her cosmetic procedures and transforming her look dramatically.

Nowadays, the mother of two prioritizes keeping her body healthy, focusing on fitness, and celebrating over one year sober. On top of her physical transformation, White has also leaned into her faith since converting to Christianity in 2022. Ultimately, she decided that sex work is no longer for her, and has opted to let her religion guide her life from now on. While there's nothing wrong with sex work or cosmetic procedures, White told Page Six that she feels "the best [she's] felt [her] whole life" since her turnaround. Fans love to see White in her bag her way, reaping the rewards of securing icon status early on.

Gunna got out of prison at the end of last year, following a sweeping indictment that saw the arrest of him, along with 24 other YSL affiliates, Young Thug included. He signed a plea deal on the day of his release, prompting countless fans and peers to speculate that he turned his back on his co-defendants. As Young Thug remains behind bars, the Georgia hip-hop star has been a major target for "snitching" allegations, which he's seemingly denied multiple times in his music.

He dropped his album A Gift & a Curse back in June, hinting at the rumors being false on various tracks. The album has performed well, and managed to earn him back some respect among listeners. It even scored him a nomination at the 2024 Grammys, notably hushing his critics. Not everyone is back on Gunna's team these days, but in a genre where loyalty rules, his turnaround is impressive, to say the least.

This year, B.G. became a free man after spending over a decade behind bars on gun and conspiracy charges. The 43-year-old hasn't wasted any time since his release, reuniting with old friends and collaborators following his lengthy prison stay. He's already dropped projects with Boosie Badazz, Mike WiLL Made-It, and more, and is only looking forward to adding to his discography. He even told 2 Chainz back in September that he's planning on unleashing "seven, eight" albums in the near future, wanting nothing else but to “flood the streets” with new music.

While surely his turnaround hasn't been easy, the New Orleans-born hip-hop artist seems to have a solid support system of people who want him to succeed. At this point, aside from releasing music, B.G. is focused on keeping on the straight and narrow, ensuring that he won't be returning to the lifestyle that landed him in prison. "I’m not letting nobody rob me of my productivity, prosperity, positivity and peace of mind," he told followers in September. "13 years was more [than] enough time for me to change the reckless path I was on."

This year, Chrisean Rock welcomed her first child Chrisean Jr. with her ex Blueface. The new mother has been a frequent target of criticism pertaining to her parenting skills, relationships, and more. While she continues to go back and forth with the "Thotiana" performer online and engage in some other questionable behavior now and then, there's no doubt that there's been a notable turnaround in the Baddies star's lifestyle.

On top of caring for Jr., Chrisean has also called on her faith in recent months, and continually expresses a desire to do better for the sake of her child. Nowadays, the Baltimore hip-hop artist seems to do her best to avoid the pitfalls she's been victim to in the past, moving towards a more stable future for herself and her little one. Chrisean isn't always successful when it comes to dodging controversy, but fans can agree that the addition of her son to her life has been overwhelmingly positive.