Category: Celebrities

When it comes to the world of hip-hop, a lot of rappers end up having the same career length as that of a professional football player. Not all of them get to stick around into their 50s and 60s as they can lose that edge once the money and success come, or just do not really gel with what younger audiences are listening to.

There are plenty of great rappers who have retired before turning 40, with some even doing so before turning 30 years old. Out of the many rappers that have called it a career in their younger years, which ones stand out as the best? Here are our picks for the five best rappers who retired early, leaving their fans wishful for a big return somewhere down the road.

Jay-Z

Shawn Carter, widely known by his stage name Jay-Z, has had an extremely successful career. He became the co-founder of the record label Roc-A-Fella Records and released his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996. 

Some of his greatest hits throughout his illustrious career include Big Pimpin’, Can I Get A…, Hard Knock Life(Ghetto Anthem), and 99 Problems. He announced his retirement following his 2003 album “The Black Album“, after the constant flow of album releases. Though he says making music may still be in his future. 

Logic

Robert Hall, who goes by his stage name Logic, has had a huge impact through his socially conscious and wildly talented rap career. Logic got his start in 2010 after he released his debut mixtape Young, Broke, & Infamous. 

Three years and another music venture later, he signed on with Def Jam Recordings. His following albums Under Pressure, The Incredible True Story, and Everybody gained him worldwide notoriety and topped the charts. After his 2020 album No Pressure, he decided to retire to focus on his personal life and start a family. Logic has since released two albums with Def Jam, before his departure. 

Ma$e

Mason Betha, also known by his stage name Ma$e, began his rap career in 1996 when he befriended Notorious B.I.G’s road manager Cudda Love. After attending a convention and performing in front of Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs he acquired a deal with Bad Boy Records. 

He was featured on songs by Notorious B.I.G and Puff Daddy, like Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems, Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down, and Been Around the World. Ma$e later released his debut album Harlem World, reaching the top of the charts and hitting platinum status. In 1999 Ma$e called it quits and retired from rap to become a minister and pursue his faith. 

Kid Cudi

Scott Mescudi, widely known by his stage name Kid Cudi, started rapping while he was growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, and decided to move to New York City to further his career. Kid Cudi made it big when his songs started to take off on the social media site MySpace, and in 2009 he released his debut album titled “Man on the Moon: The End of Day”.

Some of Cudi’s hit songs included “Day ‘n’ Nite”, “Pursuit of Happiness” and “Erase Me”, though he faded from the mainstream spotlight during the early 2010s. He returned in a big way in 2020 by releasing songs with Travis Scott and Eminem but shortly thereafter announced his retirement at just 38 years old. “I want to be done with it,” he said. “I think, closing the chapter on Kid Cudi…I’ve made a lot of music, man.”

Run DMC

Run DMC is arguably one of the most popular and highly successful rap groups of our time. They got their start when members Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell founded the group and signed with Profile Records in 1983. 

That same year they released their single “It’s Like That” which did well commercially. The group’s fame grew after releasing a few albums in the following years. Things really took off when they released their best-selling and most renowned album “Raising Hell”. Tragically, in 2002 Mizell was murdered at a recording studio and the group announced they would be retiring. 

There are a lot of hobbies to pick from when you’re a celebrity, but not many of them end up picking surfing as a hobby. Some don’t want to be bothered while at the beach, receiving a lot of paparazzi attention, while others might not want to be photographed. However, these five celebrities have shown that it’s worth getting into the water for one of the world’s greatest hobbies:

Matthew McConaughey

Among the biggest stars in Hollywood since the early 1990s, Matthew McConaughey has appeared in a wide range of roles that includes “Dazed and Confused” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” while also winning an Academy Award for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club”.

One of the films that McConaughey has starred in was called “Surfer, Dude”, which was the brainchild of McConaughey himself. When talking about his character, he’s talking about himself. “He’s a guy who loves to surf,” McConaughey said. “The one thing he needs in life is a good wave. A board and a swell. He’s addicted to a very pure thing…so when it is taken away, how do you navigate the drought?”

Chris Hemsworth

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Chris Hemsworth was a surprise pick and a relative unknown when he was selected to play the role of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since then, Hemsworth has been synonymous with the character, while also starring in films including “Red Dawn”, “Men in Black: International” and “Ghostbusters”.

Everyone in the Hemsworth family is all about surfing, and Chris especially is one that can be seen on the open waters with his children. “I started surfing when I was 6,” Hemsworth said. “The ocean gives me such joy. It’s my place of grounding any time I feel out of balance.” Early on in his career, many thought Hemsworth was just a surfer guy from Australia, but he would wind up being a huge star in Hollywood.

Helen Hunt

After spending the 1980s playing smaller roles, Helen Hunt broke through into stardom during the early 1990s when she landed a leading role on the sitcom “Mad About You”. She would use her TV fame to land big screen roles in movies such as “What Women Want”, “Cast Away” and “Twister”, just to name a few.

Hunt has not just picked up surfing as a hobby, but a true passion, to the point where she has starred in two films about surfing. No matter what continent she’s on, Hunt grabs her surfboard to take on the trip, and it dates back to when she was nine months pregnant and staring at the ocean. She took on the lead role in the film “Ride” about a middle-aged woman learning to surf, essentially becoming a documentary.

Liev Schreiber

A darling of the independent scene during the 1990s and early 2000s, Liev Schreiber first started getting mainstream attention thanks to his roles in the “Scream” films, as well as “The Hurricane” and “The Sum of All Fears”. In 2009 he had a breakthrough playing Sabretooth in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and has starred as the title character in “Ray Donovan”.

If you don’t see Schreiber at work, there’s a good chance that you’ll find him out in the water. There have been countless photos of Schrieber surfing over the years, including teaching his sons how to surf off the coast of Malibu. Thankfully, Schrieber was able to survive a surfing accident that he suffered back in 2009. “It was like a washing machine,” he said. “I’ve never experienced a break like it.”

Rob Lowe

Originally a member of the “Brat Pack” during the 1980s, Rob Lowe starred in films including “The Outsiders” and “St. Elmo’s Fire” before transitioning into television roles in the 21st century including “The West Wing” and “Parks and Recreation”.

Lowe has been known for his calm demeanor ever since the 2000s started, and a lot of that stems from his passion for surfing. “I learned to surf when I was 40 and it’s become a huge thing for me,” Lowe said. “If I had learned (as a teenager), I promise you, we would not be here having this conversation (in regards to doing celebrity interviews).” Lowe added that if he could be in the water all day, he would, and that he appreciates nature when on the waves and that life is bigger than him.

When it comes to cities that are known for rap music, it’s hard to top Atlanta, Georgia. Though it wasn’t until the late 1990s that the city was known on a national level, it quickly became one of the go-to’s in the genre. As a result, there have been a lot of legendary rappers from the ATL, but which ones are the best? Here’s our ranking of the top five.

5. Future

Born in Atlanta as Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn, he adopted the name Future early on in his rap career and signed with A1 Recordings in the city during the late 2000s, and started performing with The Dungeon Family. He started writing more heartfelt lyrics and saw his mixtapes start to pick up steam, leading him to a contract with Epic Records thanks to his songs being featured at a local gentleman’s club.

Future was a big hit right from his debut album “Pluto”, which reached the top 10 and was certified platinum. Since then, Future has released more than a half-dozen number one albums including “DS2” and “Evol” and hit songs like “Mask Off” and “Life Is Good”.

4. T.I.

Clifford Harris was raised by his grandparents in Atlanta and started rapping in the ATL while he was still in elementary school. Though his nickname was ‘Tip’ as a child, he shortened it to T.I. and started making waves in the late 1990s when he signed with Arista Records, part of LaFace. His name ultimately came about because his first label didn’t want to market him as Tip or T.I.P.

After his first album “I’m Serious” was met with mild success, his sophomore album “Trap Muzik” put T.I. on the map. Over the years, he has released a long list of hit singles including “Whatever You Like”, “Bring ‘Em Out” and “Live Your Life”, just to name a few.

3. Ludacris

Though he wasn’t born in Atlanta since he was born in Champaign, Illinois, Christopher Bridges moved to Atlanta toward the end of his high school years and stayed in the city throughout college. Throughout the entire time, Bridges began rapping as Chris Lova Lova while working in radio but changed the name to Ludacris when he hooked up with Timbaland and recorded his first album.

After his first two albums found regional success, Luda hit it big in 2001 with the release of “Word of Mouf”. With songs like “Rollout”, “Move B****”, and “Stand Up”, Ludacris became Atlanta rap royalty. Though he started getting away from rap in the 2010s, he’s still regarded as one of the kings.

2. Big Boi

One-half of the legendary Atlanta rap duo Outkast (you knew they had to be on the list), Big Boi made his way to the ATL in high school by way of Savannah, Georgia. It was while at Tri-Cities High School that he started to take his music more seriously, though he was less into hip-hop than he was into art pop. Still, he was able to make up one-half of Outkast in 1992 and take over the rap world.

Big Boi had a ton of hits with Outkast including “The Way You Move” and “Hey Ya”, and went into a solo career shortly after Outkast split. He released his debut solo album “Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty” in 2010 and has released two more since then. His biggest solo hit came in 2017 with the release of “All Night”.

1. Andre 3000

Of course, the other half of Outkast is Andre Benjamin, also known as Andre 3000. Benjamin was born and raised in Atlanta where he attended multiple high schools before landing at the same one as Big Boi. It wasn’t much longer after the two joined forces that they were able to receive their first record deal with LaFace and released their debut album in 1994.

After taking some time away from rap following the split of Outkast, Andre 3000 returned in 2007 and mainly worked on joint creations with other rappers. It wasn’t until 2021 that he released his first single as a lead artist titled “Life of the Party” with Kanye West. In 2018, he released his first EP titled “Look Ma No Hands”.

When you think of states that have produced famous celebrities, you tend to think of places like California or New York. North Carolina isn’t very high on that list, at all, but there has still been some A-list talent to come from the Tar Heel State. Here are five people who called North Carolina their home throughout their childhood before becoming big-time stars.

Ava Gardner

One of the biggest stars during the Golden Age of Hollywood, Ava Gardner appeared in films throughout the 1940s, 50s, and 60s including “The Killers”, “The Barefoot Contessa” and “Seven Days in May”. The beautiful award-winning star took an incredibly winding path to Hollywood, and it all started in Grabtown, North Carolina where she was born on Christmas Eve in 1922.

When she was born, Gardner’s parents were tobacco sharecroppers, though they would end up losing the farm while she was a child. She remained in the state for several years while her parents worked odd jobs until she moved to Virginia briefly, then headed back to North Carolina. It was in Rock Ridge where she finished high school before leaving for New York City and beginning her film career.

Jaime Pressly

Jaime Pressly is one of those rare people in Hollywood that has a southern accent and wasn’t really asked to change it. Instead, she has used it to her advantage thanks to roles in films including “Joe Dirt” and “Not Another Teen Movie” while also starring in memorable TV roles in “My Name is Earl” and “Mom”.

Pressly’s accent comes from her time in North Carolina, as she was born in Kinston on July 30, 1977. Pressly’s mother was a dance instructor while her father sold cars in North Carolina, and she remained there for the first 15 years of her life. She made her way to California with her family where she became a model in high school, starting her career. Over the years, Pressly has made her way back to North Carolina multiple times, remembering the state fondly.

Zach Galifianakis

Though his name might suggest that he’s from Greece, Zach Galifianakis was born and raised in North Carolina. Galifianakis was born on October 1, 1969 in Wilkesboro, North Carolina where his mother operated a community arts center while his father worked in oil. Galifianakis attended Wilkes Central High School and then North Carolina State University where he got into acting and honed his comedy skills.

It was clear that Galifianakis was a bright star in the comedy, and he started landing gigs as a writer, including a brief stint with “Saturday Night Live”. Eventually, he made his way in front of the camera as a star, landing memorable roles in hit films “The Hangover” and “Due Date” while also starring in the television series “Baskets”.

Evan Rachel Wood

Evan Rachel Wood started out her acting career at a very young age, appearing in TV shows as a child including “American Gothic” and “Once and Again”. When she got into adulthood, Wood transitioned into more serious roles and made her way to the big screen, starring in movies including “The Wrestler” and “The Ides of March”, while more recently appearing in “Frozen II” and “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”.

Wood’s parents Sara Lynn Moore and David Wood III are actors, as well, and were based out of Raleigh, North Carolina where Evan Rachel was born on September 7, 1987. Wood got involved in acting with her parents locally at a young age, and when her television career took off, the family moved to California where she became homeschooled and graduated at just 15 years old.

Michael C. Hall

One of the most critically acclaimed shows of the 20th century was “Dexter”, and its success was due in large part to leading man Michael C. Hall. Outside of “Dexter”, Hall has had appearances in “Six Feet Under”, “Game Night” and “Paycheck”, just to name a few. It’s been a solid career for Hall, and he did it after starting in North Carolina.

Hall was born in Raleigh on February 1, 1971 to parents that were not part of the acting scene. He was raised in the city and attended high school and part of college in North Carolina before eventually making his way to New York City to begin acting.

Back in 2011, NBC decided to join the singing talent competition game after the success of shows like “American Idol” and “The X Factor”. The show has a simple enough concept, with four superstar judges/coaches unable to see the contestant’s face. Thus, contestants are chosen solely due to their voice, which was a big change from previous reality competitions.

The coaches then work with the contestants to determine a winner with the hopes that it shoots the singer into the same level of stardom. The top prize at the end is $100,000 in cash and a record deal for the winner. Throughout the years, there have been several notable contestants to either earn the top prize or at least find enough fame thanks to the show. Here are the five most memorable contestants from “The Voice”.

Christina Grimmie

Before Christina Grimmie’a appearance on the sixth season of The Voice in 2014, she pursued her singing ventures on YouTube, recording and uploading covers of popular songs. In time, she found herself opening for Selena Gomez & the Scene, the Jonas Brothers, and performing on the Ellen DeGeneres show performing a cover of “How To Love” by Lil Wayne. Grimmie’s passion, great pop vocals, and stage presence made her stand out. 

The judges all adored her, earning her a four-chair turn on the show. With help from her Mentor, The Voice judge Adam Levine, Grimmie took third place in the competition. She went on to have a successful career that tragically was cut short when she was murdered after one of her shows by a crazed fan in June of 2016. 

Melanie Martinez

Melanie Martinez auditioned for season three of The Voice in 2012. She managed to stand out during her audition due to her acoustic rendition of Britney Spears’s “Toxic” and her quirky sense of style. Three of the four judges turned their chairs for her, including the judge she chose as her coach, Adam Levine. Through the battles, she came out on top. 

Though, come week five, she was voted off the show via viewer votes. During the following years, she worked on writing and recording her own music. Later, she signed with Atlantic Records and went on to have a very successful career thanks to her album “Crybaby”. 

Sawyer Fredericks 

Sawyer Fredericks auditioned for season eight of The Voice in 2015, ultimately winning the entire competition that season. The judges were immediately blown away by his audition, performing his version of the folk song “I’m a Man of Constant Sorrow”. 

The depth of his rich blues voice took them by surprise, especially considering he was only 16 years old. He chose Pharrell Williams as his coach after a four-chair turn, who led him to success. Fredericks’ was signed by Atlantic Records after his big win and has had a successful career following his time on the show. 

Jordan Smith  

Jordan Smith auditioned for season 9 of The Voice in late 2015. He surprised everyone when he began his audition by belting out the popular song “Chandelier” by female singer Sia. His ability to comfortably use his falsetto to hit those high notes was a pleasant surprise for the judges. 

With a four-chair turn from the judges, Smith chose Adam Levine as his coach. With Levine’s coaching and Smith’s passion and natural talent, he ended up winning the competition for that season. 

Cassadee Pope

Cassadee Pope auditioned for season three of The Voice in 2012, eventually becoming the first female winner since the show’s start. She began her singing career as the lead of her band Hey Monday before pursuing a solo singing career in 2012. 

She auditioned with the song “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia, earning her a four-chair turn. Her chosen coach, Blake Shelton, helped her win it all. She’s had a successful career in country music since her time on the show. 

When thinking about television across the world, most people’s minds go straight to Hollywood, but there are plenty of countries worldwide that have been able to establish a strong television presence. This includes Hong Kong, which has produced a lot of memorable shows and characters over the years that fans have come to know and love.

Through networks including RTV and TVB, there have been a lot of television stars in Hong Kong through all genres of entertainment. Let’s take a look at some of the stars that have been produced, picking out the very greatest that Hong Kong has had to offer. While some have had major careers in film, they’re still known as fantastic TV stars.

Charmaine Sheh

Charmaine Sheh is thought to be one of Hong Kong’s greatest television actresses of her time. Sheh has starred in a ton of Chinese television series since her contract with TVB began in 1998. 

She’s known for her role in series such as Return of the Cuckoo, War and Beauty, Maiden’s’ Vow, Can’t Buy Me Love, and most recently The Legend of Xiao Chuo. She has been nominated for countless awards, winning three times for favorite female character at the TVB Anniversary Awards.  

Maggie Shiu

Born in 1965, Maggie Shiu rose to popularity in the mid-1980s when she joined TVB and immediately started landing roles in shows including “Take Care, Your Highness!” and continued to be a big name throughout the rest of the decade and into the 1990s and beyond. Some of her most recognizable work throughout her career in television has included “New Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre”, “Crime Fighters” and “Virtues of Harmony” just to name a few.

Shiu has been nominated for several awards throughout her career, including TVB Anniversary Awards for favorite television character and best actress. Shiu has even received plenty of film work throughout her career, too, starring in movies such as “Eye in the Sky”, “Breaking News” and “Election”, all of which earned her nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress.

Anthony Wong  

Anthony Wong is mostly known for his cinematic roles in films that include “The Untold Story”, “Beast Cops” and “Still Human” (all of which have earned him the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor), though he has spent plenty of time on the small screen. Born as Anthony Perry in Hong Kong in 1961 to a British father and Hong Kong native mother, he adopted the name Anthony Wong prior to his acting career.

Wong made his television debut in 1989 with the production of “War of the Dragon”, and over the next few years had several smaller roles. It wasn’t until the 2000s when his film career had taken off that he started landing more prominent TV roles. Some of his more recent work on the small screen include “Kung Fu Soccer”, “Eight Heroes” and “Lord of Shanghai”, while also earning a win at the Asian Television Awards for Best Actor for “The Republic”.

Roger Kwok

Hong Kong-born Roger Kwok is one of the most successful television actors to come out of Hong Kong. Well known for his work with the TVB station in television series like Square Pegs, The Royal Swordsmen, The Season of Fate, Black Heart White Soul, and most recently Big White Duel ll. 

Thanks to Square Pegs, Kwok quickly rose to stardom after years in the business. His work on Square Pegs, Black Heart White Soul, and Life Made Simple allowed him to become one of three talented actors to have been nominated and won the award for Best Actor three times at the TVB Anniversary Awards. 

Daniel Wu 

Though he was born in the United States (Berkeley, California specifically), Daniel Wu is based almost entirely out of Hong Kong. While in his mid-20s, Wu made his acting debut in the 1998 film “Bishonen” and has gone on to star in more than five dozen films. This includes American productions including “Tomb Raider” and “Geostorm” in recent years.

As for his television career, Wu is best known for starring in the series “Into the Badlands”. Since then, he has starred in shows including “Skylanders Academy”, “Westworld” and “American-Born Chinese”. It has been a fascinating career for Wu, who has been nominated for (and won) several awards for his work in Hong Kong and China, including Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Horse Awards.