Family is everything, and blood inherently creates an inseparable bond between relatives. In that regard, Hip-hop artists are no different than the rest of us, and many waves of cousins, brothers, sisters, and parents have shared success in the rap game. Yet sometimes it’s difficult to discern who’s actually related, and who’s simply 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.
Nepotism has propelled families into entire eras of success in every imaginable profession. From politicians to painters, ministers to bankers, the family hook-up is a tradition as old as blood itself. Hip-hop is not immune to this tradition. Rev Run got his first shot at success because of the efforts of his brother, Russell Simmons. Step-brothers Dr. Dre and Warren G simultaneously crafted West Coast classics. Willow and Jaden Smith are the result of exceptionally talented parents. Even Migos share a family bond: Quavo is Takeoff’s uncle, and Offset and Quavo are cousins.
Tracing hip-hop lineage throughout the last forty years was an ambitious task. Each generation spawned another branch, and the roots of true relations were mired by speculation and mythology. Once proper lineage was traced, however, one thing became evident. Each era deserved its own segment, in order to maintain a sense of context; chronicling the relationship between Pete Rock and Heavy D seemed light-years away from the relationship between Playboi Carti and UNO. Because of the disparity in generations, our hip-hop family tree has been split into four segments: The Old School, The Golden Age, The Millennium, and The New School.
Some relatives remained successful throughout several eras, but the time period in which they first reached commercial success is where they will be classified.As you’ll soon discover, each era has reigning families, such as the Miller Family in the nineties, that helped usher in a new sound. Conversely, there are also family members that only enjoyed moderate success under the vast commercial shadow of their relative.
The first era we will explore is The Old School. The actual Old School, not that throwback Ja Rule record that your local DJ calls an “Old School Jam.” We’re thinking B-Boys, ghetto blasters, and block parties. A time where the commercial potential of hip-hop was only recognized by a few brilliant individuals. The basic formulas of rap were pioneered during this time, although unrefined; the verse/chorus/verse structure was untamed, with rappers running well over the sixteen-bar paradigm of modern rap.
The complications of intellectual properties, merchandising, publishing, and mechanical rights forced DJs into a supporting role in the early nineties, but in the Old School, the DJ reigned supreme. Like the Wild-West, honor and dignity superseded rules and regulations; the skills of a DJ and his MC were more important than owning businesses and yacht parties. Although hip-hop started in the early seventies, it wasn’t until late in the decade that commercial success was first ascertained. Still, here are some of the families that were present from the jump, flourishing alongside the genre of hip-hop.
Stay tuned for part two.
Dr. Dre & Warren G
Relation: Step-Brothers
Whether you believe in faith or coincidence, it’s hard to deny the existence of fate. Dr. Dre’s mother married Warren G’s father, which placed two of the most important figures in West Coast hip-hop in the same family. Warren’s success is rooted in the early nineties, which falls under the Golden Age era, but Dre was already well established in the 80’s. Dre’s success paved the way for his talented step-brother, and Warren G would return the favor by introducing Snoop’s music to Dre. History in the making.
Pete Rock & Heavy D
Relation: Cousins
Heavy D rose to fame in the late eighties alongside his crew, The Boyz, which consisted of G-Whiz, Eddie F, and Trouble T. Roy. Raised in Mt. Vernon, New York, but born in Jamaica, not only was Heavy D was one the most successful rappers in the Old School era, but his success was the catalyst for the rise of legendary hip-hop group Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Pete Rock is Heavy’s first cousin, and Eddie F managed Rock and Smooth while guiding their careers through The Golden Era. One of the best hip-hop songs of all time, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y)" was dedicated to Heavy D and The Boyz member T. Roy, who fell two stories and landed on his head after losing his balance on an exit ramp. Heavy D passed away in 2011 due to a blockage in his lung arteries.
Ice Cube, Del The Funky Homosapien & Kam
Relation: Cousins
Ice Cube is another famous rapper whose success spawned across several eras, starting his legacy as a formative member of NWA, and writing most of their early hits. After becoming a lead figure in hip-hop during the eighties, Cube employed his cousin Del to write “Gangsta’s Fairytale” for his solo debut AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. Then, when Cube broke into Hollywood, he hooked his other cousin Kam up with a placement on the soundtrack for Boyz ‘n the Hood.
However, it didn't all end well. Kam and Cube would embark on acrimonious journey for decades afterward, and Del left Cube’s label after expressing displeasure with the handling of his debut album. Del would enjoy success years later with the rap collective Hieroglyphics, while Kam has struggled to remain relevant.
Grand Puba & CL Smooth
Relation: Cousins
Grand Puba first entered the hip-hop world in the late eighties as a member of the rap group Masters of Ceremony. However, the Masters couldn’t stick together, and Puba went on to become the leader of Brand Nubian. CL Smooth and Puba gained success around the same time, and Puba helped write some of CL’s lyrics on his debut album Mecca & The Soul Brother with Pete Rock - he even featured on “Skinz” alongside his cousin.
Audio Two
Relation: Siblings
Brothers Milk Dee and Gizmo combine to form Audio Two, a pioneering rap group from Brooklyn. The brothers became rap icons after the success of their B-side record “Top Billin’” in 1987. The opening drums on the record are easily recognizable, and several lyrics from the classic have been used by countless rappers including Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Luniz. Pioneer female goddess MC Lyte considers herself a sister to Milk and Giz, although they are not related by blood. Lyte remixed “Top Billin’” with Milk years later.
Russell Simmons, Rev Run, & Danny Simmons
Relation: Brothers
Joseph and Russell Simmons are hip-hop royalty. Russell co-founded Def Jam with Rick Rubin during their college years. Their friendship was absolutely essential to the creation of commercialized hip-hop music. After acknowledging the success of his brother (who was managing Kurtis Blow), Joseph begged Russell to allow himself and his friend Darryl McDaniels to record a record together. The two also recruited Jason Mizell, and the three combined to form the most important rap group of all time, RUN DMC. Danny, the less famous Simmons brother, is a talented painter and helped Russell launch Def Poetry Jam.
Kenny Parker & KRS One
Relation: Brothers
KRS One is your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper. The Boogie Down Production co-creator discover that Knowledge Rules Supreme Over Nearly Everyone, and adopted that gem of realization as his rap name. KRS and the late DJ Scott La Rock effectively won the Bridge Wars, a battle between the neighborhoods of The Bronx and Queens, which is widely considered as the first real hip-hop beef. Kenny Parker, KRS’ little brother, provided production for Boogie Down Productions and also served as the crews DJ. On the album Edutainment, KRS gives his little brother the ultimate shout out, by naming a song after his brother.
