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By Malcolm Trapp
/06.14.2024
Hip Hop has long celebrated the rags-to-riches stories of its biggest stars, but recently, fatherhood has taken center stage. The once-prevailing themes of bravado and toughness, which, to some extent, still exist, are now being supplemented by reflections on parenting, including a changed view of women and the responsibilities that come with being a dad.
Embracing family life, artists such as Kanye West not only rap about fatherhood but also bring their children into their professional lives. On one end of the spectrum, rappers like YoungBoy Never Broke Again have more kids than one can count on both hands, whereas the likes of Drake, Chance the Rapper, and more have kept their families relatively small. Regardless, they’re showing that vulnerability and strength are not mutually exclusive but are interconnected facets of a modern man’s identity.
In celebration of Father’s Day, Rap-Up put together a list of 18 rap dads who juggled chart-topping careers and the nuances of being a parent. Check them out below.
1. Kanye West
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Kanye West’s journey into fatherhood is well-documented, especially considering his four children — North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm — are with Kim Kardashian. Whether musically or in interviews, the Grammy winner has often shared how being a dad shifted his focus from personal ambitions to nurturing and guiding his children. Not only has Ye dedicated songs to his kids, but the artist also helped his eldest daughter debut on the Hot 100 chart with “TALKING.”
“N**gas is pimps, n**gas is players/ ‘Til n**gas have daughters, now they precautious/ Father, forgive me, I’m scared of the karma/ ‘Cause now I see women as somethin’ to nurture,” West rapped on “Violent Crimes.”
2. Lil Baby
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Lil Baby welcomed his first son, Jason Armani, with Ayesha Howard in 2015 and his second, Loyal, with Jayda Cheaves in 2019. When it comes to anything outside of music, the “Emotionally Scarred” hitmaker maintains a relatively private life. However, during an interview with “Big Facts,” he spoke about instilling a strong work ethic in his children: “Off rip, once you get like 13 [or] 14, you got to get a job. It’s not about money; you just need to learn something.”
3. G Herbo
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G Herbo shares Yosohn with everyone’s favorite Instagram baddie, Ari Fletcher, and two more kids with Fabolous’ stepdaughter, Taina Williams: Essex and Emmy.Herbo is another dad who’s enlisted his children musically. On “Cold World,” Yosohn helped contribute to the interlude, albeit not by rapping. “Yeah, I like this song regardless,” he said, adding, “Yeah, I love daddy.”
4. Lil Durk
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Being a dad to six children, Lil Durk often reflects on the weight of fatherhood in both his life and music.“My goal is to better my relationship with them, not s**t else or blame everybody around me. I’m a great father. I’ma step it up, and lock in, and become the voice,” Durk wrote on a transparent Instagram Story in 2022. The photo above showcases the Chicago star spending time with his youngest, Willow, who — like the comments state — is his twin.
5. Kodak Black
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In February, Kodak Black helped deliver his son with girlfriend Maranda Johnson. “It was very special to help deliver a new soul into the world. I know he’s going to be a special person,” he shared at the time. It marked the pair’s second child together, arriving only two years after the birth of Queen Yuri. In total, the Florida native has four kids, including another boy and girl.
6. Offset
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You simply can’t lose at life when Cardi B is the mother of your children. Offset and the “Bodak Yellow” rapper share a daughter and son, Kulture Kiari and Wave Set Cephus, respectively. Prior to the pair tying the knot, the former Migos artist had three kids from previous relationships as well: Jordan, Kody and Kalea.
In “Father of 4,” released before the birth of Wave, Offset spoke on the challenges of becoming a dad early on in life: “I was 17 years old when I had you/ Tryna find my soul when I had you/ I was oh so broke when I had you/ Locked up down the road when I had you/ Jordan, sorry I wasn’t there for all your birthdays.”
7. Playboi Carti
dear o – by me pic.twitter.com/bqrzwQZbRR
— phoenix (@joy_divizn) December 21, 2023
In 2020, Playboi Carti and then-girlfriend Iggy Azalea quietly brought into the world their son, Onyx. Carti gave fans an intimate look into his life as a father through a short documentary titled Dear O.
The Atlanta rapper also revealed that he had a daughter, Yves, in “H00DBYAIR.” Over the Cardo-produced beat, he spat, “I was 24 when I had lil’ Onyx/ Then I had a daughter, I got a daughter too/ 27 when I had Yves/ Now I can finally sleep.”
8. Drake
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If not for Pusha T’s “The Story of Adidon,” the world may not have learned about Drake’s son. Despite the scandal surrounding Adonis’ birth, Drake has proven to be an amazing father.
Adonisdrew the cover art of the Toronto native’s eighth studio album, For All The Dogs. He also made a cameo in the visual companion for “8am in Charlotte” and debuted “My Man” on his sixth birthday. Drake and his mini-me seem to be inseparable and fans love every moment the rap heavyweight shares on social media.
9. Chief Keef
Having dished out hits like “Earned It” and “I Don’t Like,” Chief Keef came a long way from his early career. Along the way, he’s planted quite a few seeds. The rapper has nine kids, including Kayden, Kimora, Kamiah, Kirsten, Krüe, Khalil, Khalo, Zinc and Sno. Chief Keef spoke on having a plethora of children with different women,joining Sexyy Red for “Bow Bow Bow (F My Baby Mama),” where he joked, “I don’t shoot clubs up no more, ran out of ammo.”
10. Lil Wayne
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Lil Wayne has been in the game so long that not only have fans seen his music evolution, but they’ve also watched his kids grow up. The New Orleans rap legend has four children: Reginae, Dwayne, Kameron and Neal Carter. It’s not uncommon to catch Wayne courtside at an NBA game with them or enjoying the holidays together.
The musician’s youngest, Neal, whom he parents with R&B singer Nivea, is already following in the footsteps of his father. At 14, the young boy debuted a Carti-esque track titled “Neva Stop!” as Lil Novi.
11. Moneybagg Yo
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Moneybagg Yo has a whopping eight kids: DeMario, O’Marrion, Spring, and Demya, to name a few. Chyna Santana, the mother of three of his children, tragically passed away in 2022. The Memphis rapper spoke out about the challenges of single fatherhood, particularly the newfound respect he gained for single mothers. “Women are the real definition of queens. We can’t do this s**t without y’all, but sometimes we [are] forced to,” he wrote on Twitter.
12. NBA YoungBoy
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When it comes to rappers with the most kids, YoungBoy Never Broke Again is certainly up there on the list. He has 11 children with 10 different mothers. YB notably shares Kacey with influencer Jania Bania and Kentrell Jr. with Iyanna “Yaya” Mayweather, the daughter of Floyd Mayweather.
On “4 Sons of a King,” the musician spat, “This for lil’ Kayden, my first born/ You made a n**ga strong, you the one/ This for lil’ Taylin, my second baby, my wildest son/ Before it’s done, I promise we’ll have a bond.”
13. NLE Choppa
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NLE Choppa has come a long way from his “Camelot” and “Shotta Flow” days. The Memphis artist’s maturation musically matches that of his personal life. In 2023, he and his partner, Marissa Da’Nae, announced the arrival of their son, ChoZen Wone Da’Shun Potts. According to the musician, “His name is special, spiritual and unique.”
It marked Choppa’s second child. He also shares a daughter with influencer Mariah, both of whom are referenced in “Letter to My Daughter”: “Seeing you growing up from afar tends to scare me/ Even though s**t got rough, I’m still praying for your mama.”
14. Mozzy
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“I do it for Dooterz, she know that she straight, n**ga/ I do it for Zayda, she know that she straight,” Mozzy declared on “Do It For Dooterz.” The Sacramento artist has two daughters, both of whom he loves dearly.
Although the Beyond Bulletproof creator hasn’t shared much about his kids, he revealed they helped him overcome substance abuse in an interview with DJ Hed’s “Home Grown Radio.” Regarding his lean addiction, Mozzy stated, “Just looking at my children and be like, ‘I gotta be here. I gotta be here for the long haul.’ That was the inspiration for me to put it down.”
15. Future
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Future has a well-documented dating history that spans everything from models to fellow musicians. That being said, the “Where Ya At” hitmaker has seven kids: Jakobi, Londyn, Prince, Future Zahir, Hendrix, Paris and Kash. Arguably the most popular among his kids’ mothers, the Atlanta rapper welcomed a child with ex-fiancé Ciara in May 2014. Having a dad with such an iconic catalog comes with its perks, too, like being able to attend the Grammy Awards, which he took Londyn to in 2023.
16. 21 Savage
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Considering he dropped a joint project with Drake, hit the road, released an album of his own and then proceeded to tour again, it can be difficult to separate 21 Savage from the music and his unparalleled work ethic. However, the musician’s three kids — Kamari, Ashaad and Rhian — are equally as important. He has two sons, both of whom appeared in the trailer for american dream, and a daughter.
The London-born rapper also has some hot takes about fatherhood. During a sit-down on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast, Savage argued that having money doesn’t necessarily make you a good dad. “You work to receive, to gain all the success and all the good s**t, but it’s like… I feel like the best parents, in my opinion, is parents that don’t got it all,” he stated. “I feel like broke parents are better than rich parents.”
17. DDG
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DDG and longtime girlfriend Halle Bailey welcomed their first child together, Halo, in late 2023. Amid speculation, the couple chose to keep the pregnancy private to avoid the “negative vibes” from social media regarding their relationship. They announced the big news the following year, with Bailey sharing a photo of the baby boy’s arm and the Michigan rapper referencing him in “Darryl Freestyle.”
“I wouldn’t have chosen no other person in the world to have a child with,” DDG said. “I seen him come out. I watched the whole thing. I was honestly scared ’cause I was like, ‘Man, I don’t really want to see this.’” Much like other celebrities, the “Straight Outta Pontiac” creator has decided to keep his son’s face a secret for the time being.
18. Chance the Rapper
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As Chance the Rapper stated on “All We Got,” “Man, my daughter couldn’t have a better mother/ If she ever find another, he better love her.” The musician introduced Kensli Bennett to the universe with now-ex-wife Kirsten Corley in 2015. They had Marli, another girl, in 2019.
