Family is everything. The odds are uncontrollable, and blood binds a family together, creating an inseparable bond. Hip-hop artists are no different than the rest of us when it comes to family, and entire waves of cousins, brothers, sisters, and parents have shared success in the rap game. Sometimes it’s difficult to discern who’s related for real, and who’s just a close friend or mentor that has earned the title of “cousin” or “uncle.” For the purpose of this family tree, blood or marriage are the only determining factors of relation.
In the first piece of the hip-hop family tree segment, we explored the families that gained stardom during the Old School Era. While many hip-hop purists believe the Old School to be the most important era in hip-hop, I disagree. Think of it like a pyramid. The base must be sturdy, secure, and strong enough to support both growth and the weight above it. Run DMC, NWA, KRS One - legends such as those are the base of hip-hop. The body of the pyramid would be twice as hard to craft though. It’s more than double the size, which means the materials and workload combined are quadrupled. Can you imagine how strenuous a task it would have been to create something that could reach the same commercial and critical success of Raising Hell? Or how impossible it may have seemed to top an album like Straight Outta Compton? During the Golden Era, those feats were accomplished.
The Golden Era of hip-hop was akin to the Renaissance. The spread of ideas and the creation of art was at its finest. The genre grew to become more eclectic as the culture spread. In the late 70’s and 80’s, most rap music was derived from either rock-n-roll samples or disco instrumentals. As hip-hop grew as a culture, so did the sound. The music that permeated ethnic neighbourhoods such as Jazz, Blues, Gospel, and Soul, began to influence artists in their work. Producers such as J. Dilla, DJ Premier, RZA, Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri, Swizz Beats, Mannie Fresh, and Q-Tip, composed some of the best hip-hop records ever during their time. While rap music began its metamorphosis into the commercial machine it is today, families that were once entrenched in poverty began to ascend the stairway of economic prosperity.
The Miller family, headed by Master P, gave the world a vivid glimpse into the lifestyles that defined the New Orleans streets. Three cousins, RZA, GZA, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, helped create one of the best hip-hop groups of all time. That's just the tip of the iceberg though. During rap’s Renaissance, these are the relatives that launched successful careers.
Master P, Silkk The Shocker & C-Murder
Relation: Brothers
Percy Miller, aka Master P made everyone say “Uhh” in the mid 90’s, and created an obsession with New Orleans culture. P originally opened a record shop in California called No Limit Records, which later grew into the legendary record label we all know today. His brothers C-Murder and Silkk The Shocker reached a plateau of commercial success during the Golden Era as well. C-Murder is currently facing life in prison, while Silkk is still working behind the scenes with his brother P.
Master P & Lil Romeo
Relation: Father and Son
His name wasn’t the only thing Master P passed onto his son Percy Romeo Miller Jr. Romeo also inherited his father’s ability to rap, act, and play basketball. He starred in his own successful television series, released multiple chart placing albums, and played basketball for the USC Trojans.
Snoop Dogg & Daz Dillinger
Relation: Cousins
Daz is best known for being one-half of Tha Dogg Pound, alongside Kurupt. The group appeared on both Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, and Snoop’s Doggystyle before releasing their own studio album. Snoop and Daz became immersed in conflict during the downfall of Death Row and the creation of Aftermath, but have since squashed their beef.
Snoop Dogg & Nate Dogg
Relation: Cousins
RIP Nate Dogg! To this day, I smoke weed every day in honor of the soulful west coast crooner. Snoop and Nate shared more than just the “Dogg” surname, they were real life cousins as well. Snoop, Nate, and Warren G combined to form the supergroup 213, and the trio would help Dr. Dre write and produce his debut solo album The Chronic.
Q-Tip & Consequence
Relation: Cousins
Consequence and Q-Tip are two family members that have been embroiled in beef for years. On several occasions Cons has disowned his cousin, stating that Q-Tip was telling secrets and angling Kanye behind his back. The cousins have buried their beef, but an uneasy tension still remains when discussing the ex-G.O.O.D. music signees.
Juicy J & Project Pat
Relation: Brothers
Project Pat is Juicy J’s older brother, but it was the little brother that opened doors for the family. Juicy and DJ Paul were busy establishing Three 6 Mafia throughout the 90’s while Pat was dealing with legal issues. When Three 6 finally infiltrated the game, lil’ bro helped big bro release a solo album, which would give Pat the spark he needed to become a successful rapper.
GZA, RZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard
Relation: Cousins
GZA, RZA, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard were three cousins who enjoyed martial arts movies and hip-hop music. They would start their venture into rap as a group called Force of the Imperial Master, which would later evolve into the Wu-Tang Clan after additional members were added.
Redman & Tame One
Relation: Cousins
New Jersey rap god Redman co-signed his cousin Tame One as the next influential east coast rapper. The cousins have collaborated on records together, but Tame is most known for his work as a member of the group Artifacts.
Snoop Dogg/ Brandy & Ray J
Relation: Cousin/ Brother and Sister
Everyone knows that Ray J and Brandy are brother and sister, but did you know that Snoop is their first cousin? When Snoop discovered he was related to the singing siblings, he opted to keep it a secret at first. The Doggfather seems to be related to everyone on this list.
Da Brat & LisaRaye
Relation: Sisters
Da Brat and LisaRaye have different mothers but share the same father, David Ray McCoy. McCoy was a successful businessman in Chicago, but he was murdered in 1988 by his girlfriend and her brother. Despite the whirlwind of emotions surrounding his murder, the two sisters have remained best friends for decades.
Layzie Bone & Flesh-N-Bone/ Wish Bone
Relation: Brothers/ Cousin
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s members all consider themselves brothers, but Layzie Bone and Flesh-N-Bone are real-life blood brothers while Wish Bone is their cousin. After Bizzy Bone left the crew, he and Layzie Bone created the group Bone Brothers, which falsely led many to believe that they were related.
Monica & Ludacris
Relation: Cousins
Not all family starts off that way. Monica’s mother’s second husband is Ludacris’ uncle. A little confusing right? None the less, the DTP co-founder and the 90’s R&B starlet are related through marriage.
K-Ci & JoJo/ Fantasia
Relation: Brothers/ Cousins
Even in R&B, it seems like talent runs in the family. Brothers K-Ci & JoJo dominated the Golden Era with classic soul records. Although they didn’t do much to put their cousin on, Fantasia climbed the ladder of success solo dolo American Idol style. The cousins have performed together, but have yet to release an official duet.
Peter Gunz & Cory Gunz
Relation: Father and Son
“But if it wasn’t for the Bronx, this rap shit probably never would be going on/ So tell me where you from?” Peter Gunz may have been a one-hit wonder, but that one hit is a Golden Era classic. Without his success in the mid-90’s, Peter would not have been able to ensure the success of his son, Cory, who is signed to Young Money.
E-40 & Droop-E
Relation: Father and Son
Although E-40 began his rap career in the late 80’s, it wasn’t until the mid-90’s that he decided to embark on a solo career outside of his crew, The Click. A pioneer of the Bay area sound, E-40 is the product of a talented gene pool. He has two cousins, B-Legit and Turf Talk, a sister, Suga-T, and two brothers, D-Shot and Mugzi, that are all rappers as well. His son Droop-E has also inherited the family’s microphone skills.