SZA and Other Black Celebs Who Grew Up Middle Class

Whereas the notion of “ranging from the underside” is in style in rap music and popular culture on the whole, it could come as a shock to most that lots of our faves didn’t begin there in any respect. Actually, a handful of well-known faces like SZA, Michael Jordan, Will Smith and extra had fairly respectable childhoods.

Even some rappers who’ve garnered critical avenue cred like Offset and Travis Scott don’t have the stereotypical “rags to riches” upbringing. In order that acquired us considering and our wheels spinning to see precisely who grew up very middle-class and never of poor. Whereas a few of these folks’s tales could not come as a shock, others simply may be enlightening.

Hold studying to get all of the perception!

Michael Jordan

NBA legend Michael Jordan additionally grew up in a middle-class house in North Carolina. His father James joined the Air Drive and later labored as a mechanic with the objective of ultimately changing into a supervisor on the Normal Electrical. His mom Deloris went to commerce faculty and later climbed up the company ladder at United Carolina Financial institution.

Vanessa Williams

Former Miss America winner and “Ugly Betty” star Vanessa Williams additionally had a center class upbringing in New York. A classically skilled singer, she reportedly attended Syracuse College’s Faculty of Visible and Performing Arts. Williams’ mom was an completed pianist and served as a professor at Manhattanville Faculty. Williams’ father was a music trainer who earned a bachelor’s diploma in music schooling from Fredonia Faculty and later a grasp’s from Columbia College.

Tupac Shakur

Regardless of experiencing homelessness and rising up in poverty, legendary rapper Tupac Shakur nonetheless skilled considerably of a privileged life-style by attending a performing arts faculty in Baltimore earlier than he moved to California in 1988. Whereas there, he was inspired for his poetic and performing expertise.

Kanye West

Ye can be a rapper who didn’t develop up in abject poverty. Actually, he grew up in a middle-class household in Chicago. His father was reportedly a former Black Panther and a photojournalist for The Atlanta Journal-Structure. His mom Donda was a university professor who served because the chair of the English division at Chicago State College. Ye additionally went on to attend the American Academy of Artwork and later Chicago State College earlier than ultimately dropping out to pursue his music profession. There’s positively nothing rags-to-riches about this.

Jadakiss

Although Jadakiss grew up in Yonkers, New York, he was raised in a reasonably secure two father or mother family together with his father reportedly working as a businessman. He additionally went to non-public faculty and attended faculty for one semester.

Clipse: Pusha T and Malice

Whereas lyrical examination of Clipse rappers Pusha T and Malice may make you assume the 2 of them grew up in poverty, they really grew up in a center class house in Virginia Seashore. Pusha himself confirmed that he didn’t develop up “within the trenches” in an interview in 2022.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Although he championed for the rights of poor folks and the disenfranchised, civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t have any firsthand expertise himself. He reportedly lived in a comparatively middle-class house and his father served because the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and activist. His mom served an educator, musician, activist and graduated from Spelman Faculty and Morris Brown Faculty.

Travis Scott

In an interview with Complicated in 2012, rapper Travis Scott revealed that he had a middle-class upbringing. He additionally shared that his dad and mom had fairly good careers however the time spent together with his grandmother is what gave him an “edge.”

“I used to be born in Houston, Texas. I grew up in Houston, by Missouri Metropolis. It’s like a suburb within the space, it’s middle-class. However I used to stick with my grandma within the hood from ages one to 6.,” he mentioned on the time. “My mother labored for Apple and my dad owned his personal enterprise. I lived in [Houston] most of my life till I used to be like 19, I’m 20 now and I keep in L.A.”

He later added: “Rising up, my grandmother stayed within the hood so I seen random loopy shit. [I saw] mad bums and loopy spazzed out motherfuckers, I noticed folks trying bizarre, hungry, and grimey. I used to be all the time like, ‘I gotta get the fuck out this shit.’ It gave me my edge—[it made me] who I’m proper now.”

Beyonce

Beyonce’s upbringing, whereas not tremendous rich, by no means appeared like poverty. Actually, her mom Tina Knowles labored as a well-liked hairdresser whereas her father Mathew Knowles labored as Xerox salesman earlier than changing into a music government and managed his daughter’s singing profession.

Offset

A Georgia native, rapper Offset additionally grew up in a center class household on the outskirts of Atlanta. At age 11, he was already working as a backup dancer, showing in a well-liked Whitney Houston video in 2002 earlier than ultimately discovering fame as part of the Migos almost 11 years later. In line with Web page Six, he solely curated a “avenue” persona to assist in his profession narrative.

SZA

SZA’s upbringing by no means gave poor. Actually, the “Snooze” singer had a really middle-class, suburban life-style in New Jersey. Per an interview with Flaunt Journal, her dad was an government producer at CNN whereas her mother labored as an government at AT&T.

Will Smith

Although Oscar-winning actor Will Smith didn’t develop up tremendous rich, based on his personal account, he grew up in a fairly respectable, middle-class neighborhood in West Philadelphia. Smith’s father labored at a metal mill earlier than ultimately beginning his personal refrigeration agency and did electrical technician work. His mom labored as faculty board administrator for the state and was a Carnegie Mellon College graduate.

Dave Chappelle

Dave Chappelle by no means skilled the poor life, famously joking that his dad and mom “did simply properly sufficient so I may develop up poor round white folks,” based on the Each day Mail.

“When Nas and them used to speak concerning the initiatives, I used to get jealous. It sounded enjoyable,” he mentioned.

He reportedly lived in a home within the North Woodside Neighborhood of Silver Spring, Maryland–a middle-class space. He additionally had dad and mom who had been reportedly each activists and educators.