When musicians land big fame, there typically comes a moment of reinvention in which the "rock star" identity is born. This new persona often requires a new name, a way to differentiate between the private and public versions of themselves. Musical monikers take different forms, from the simple, last-name changes aimed at boosting celebrity appeal—like Steven Tyler—to the glamorized version of a childhood nickname—like Jay-Z. Musicians' nicknames and aliases tend to take on an identity all their own over time, often becoming as full of personality as the artists they represent.
In entertainment, where the line between fiction and reality is often blurry, names are a crucial part of a celebrity's image. Stage names are often chosen to make an actor or musician's name easier to pronounce or remember, or simply to make it sounds more attractive. Here are famous celebrities who have changed their names.
View famous people who died in 2000 such as Tito Puente, Pierre Trudeau, and Jacob Lawrence.
Meet famous people like Arthur Ashe, Whitney Houston, and Mr. Rogers, who died in the month of February.
Since its emergence in the 1980s, rap and hip-hop music has grown from an underexposed form of expression into a way for people of all backgrounds to shed light on their lives through rhythm and poetry. Pioneering rappers, such as Jay-Z, Queen Latifah and the Beastie Boys, helped spark the fire for rap to grow into the hot genre that it is today. Browse through a collection of famous rappers who influenced the hip-hop scene.