Top 10 Rap Dads – It Runs in the Family

From Xzibit (“Foundation”) and Game (“Like Father Like Son”) to Slick Rick (“It’s a Boy”) and Ed O.G. (“Be a Father”), hip-hop artists have always embraced fatherhood on wax. However, a select few have gone so far as to push their seeds into the limelight to follow in their platinum footsteps. With today being Father’s Day, XXL put together the top 10 rap dads that have had the best success at passing on their creative genes on to their kids. Sometimes, talent just runs in the family.

ICE CUBE
He’s played a proud father in two Hollywood films (2005’s Are We There Yet? and its 2007 sequel, Are We Done Yet? ), but rap godfather Ice Cube and his real-life patriarchal ways are set to bless hip-hop with new talent, two-times over. On the mic, his son OMG has big shoes to fill, since his pops is one of the game’s all-time great MCs. And then there’s Doughboy, his producer-son responsible for tracks on Cube’s upcoming album, I Am the West. Father O’Shea must be confident in the latter, especially; after all, Doughboy is the name of Cube’s character from 1991’s Academy Award-nominated film Boyz N Da Hood. That’s what we consider carrying on tradition.

GHOSTFACE
Ghost said it himself on Raekwon’s 1995 single “Glaciers of Ice;” “That’s how we keep Wu-Tang, money, all up in the family.” Through his eldest son, appropriately named Sun God, Tony Starks has a more than capable successor to his reign as a king of intricate rhymes. Just check how Sun stands out amidst his dad, Meth and Inspectah Deck on “Gunshowers” (off this year’s Wu-Massacre), or how his pass-the-mic chemistry with Poppa Ghost comes off as fluid on “Street Opera” (from Ghost’s More Fish, 2006). We’re still patiently waiting for a proper Sun God debut, but, for now, XXL salutes the Wally Champ for his lyrically dense seed.

REV. RUN
Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons must look at family portraits with immense pride. His daughters Vanessa and Angela have proven themselves to be successful entrepreneurs (Pastry Shoes), and eldest son Jo Jo released an album, Lights Out, in 2008 with his rap group, Team Blackout. But Run’s latest offspring-turned-star, 15-year-old Diggy, is the child who has the hip-hop world both excited and stunned. With each new freestyle, the young Atlantic Records-signed lyricist sounds better; he’s a neophyte MC with a polished flow and a handle on wordplay way beyond his years. When your father is one of rap’s most pivotal pioneers, it’d be easy to sound perfunctory. However, thanks to the examples set by daddy, Diggy is one of music’s most promising rookies.

WILL SMITH
During his Fresh Prince days, Will Smith was known for rocking loud ’90s clothing brands like Guess and Cross Colours. In 2010, a “Father of the Year” tee sounds more appropriate. Not only is the rapper/actor’s son Jaden Smith starring in one of this summer’s top grossing flicks (The Karate Kid), the 12-year old wunderkind has also took to music, rapping on Justin Bieber’s “Never Say Never.” Okay, maybe it’s not a banger, but it sure sounds like money. Like father, like son, indeed.

PETER GUNZ
Though he and partner Lord Tariq gave New York one of it’s greatest rap anthems in the form of 1998’s “Deja Vu (Uptown Baby),” when it’s all said and done Peter Gunz’s greatest hip-hop contribution may come in the form of his son, Cory. After releasing three volumes in his Apprentice mixtape series and dropping dizzying freestyles like his 2008 “A Milli” verse, Cory’s lyrical skills undoubtedly surpassed those of his dad. Now, the young Gunz’s record deal with Young Money/Cash Money is proof that Peter raised one blazing son of a gun.

KID FROST
On his 1990 single “La Raza,” Latino rapper Kid Frost represented for his ’hood. Now, 20 years later, his baby boy Scoop DeVille is putting it down for la familia. In 2005 young Scoop got his start producing on daddy’s Welcome to Frost Angeles CD, but has since delivered high-powered singles for Snoop Dogg (2008’s “Life of da Party” and last year’s “I Wanna Rock”) and Fat Joe (“Slow Down”). Papi must be proud.

EAZY-E
One of West Coast rap’s originators, Eazy-E paved the way for future generations as part of the seminal group N.W.A. He was taken from the world too early, at the age of 31 in 1995, but his legacy remains—both in the form of his music and his son, Lil Eazy-E. Although the younger E was only 10 when his pops passed, the legend was still able to pass on his mic skills to his son, who has released multiple mixtapes and worked with heavyweights ranging from Game to Timbaland. “Express Yourself,” young’n.

MASTER P
During the 1990’s, Master P established himself not only as a successful artist, but also as en executive with an eye for talent. Some of that talent appeared right under his nose—and from his DNA—like, his son, Romeo. In the last decade, Percy Miller, Jr. has dropped six solo albums under the tutelage of his dad and launched an acting career. Plus, he picked up some of his dad’s athletic genes (Master P signed with NBA teams twice), which helped Romeo earn a full scholarship to USC to play ball. We think it was a good call to drop the “Lil’” from his name, ’cause thanks in part to dad, dude has definitely become a man.

E-40
E-40 isn’t just one of the originators of Bay Area hip-hip and slang, he’s the originator of one of the region’s dopest up-and-coming producers. Well, “father” is probably more accurate than “originator” when it comes to his relationship with 22-year-old Droop-E, but you get what we mean. The second-generation Cali-native has proven to be brilliant on the boards, having made his debut at the age of 15 and in the time since then has tailored cuts for his dad, Mistah F.A.B., Too $hort, Nelly and more. A talented tandem, father and son are both sure to make you Snap Yo Fingers.

LIL WAYNE
These days, Drake is probably who people think of when talking about artists Lil’ Wayne has mentored musically. But you’d be remiss to overlook Weezy’s daughter, Reginae. Wayne’s eldest offspring is a member of the group OMG Girlz, who are steadily gaining steam and just dropped “Haterz,” featuring the New Boyz. If Reginae wants to figure out how to have longevity in the industry, she needs to look no further than her daddy, who will surely continue to help guide her. With the right focus and teaching, she’s got No Ceilings.

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