13 Rappers With Caribbean Roots

Hip-hop's connection with the Caribbean goes all the way back to its roots. The genre's pioneers like DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash have island roots, which heavily influenced the music at the time and still impact the culture today. Caribbean-inspired hip-hop music has again made its way to the top of the charts with Drake's "Controlla" and Tyga's "1 of 1," just to name a few.

Little do people know, hip-hop's ties with the Caribbean culture go even deeper. More than a few of your favorite rappers have island roots and most don't even realize it. A$AP Ferg has Trinidadian roots. Doug E. Fresh was born in Barbados. Tyga is half Jamaican. There's also the more known Caribbean rappers like Nicki Minaj, who was born in Trinidad. Wyclef Jean was born in Haiti. The Notorious B.I.G. was also half Jamaican.

In the gallery above, XXL compiles a list of rappers with Caribbean roots. Be sure to check back as this list is likely to keep growing.