The use of alter egos in rap can be traced back to the 1980s — and, over the decades since, has helped rappers tap into new flows and fresh creative ideas. An alter ego serves as a way for an artist to change up their style without sacrificing the core of who they are. The best alter egos have emerged as their own identities, often causing fans to study and relate to them — sometimes even more than the artist who created them.
In the case of rappers like MF DOOM, the alter ego became the main event, taking over the rapper and embodying a full-blown personality of its own. DOOM served as the “supervillain” secret identity of rapper Daniel Dumile but became the centerpiece of his artistry as cult-like fans flocked to his music. For rappers like $uicideboy$, alter egos can sometimes spiral out of hand. Within the $uicideboy$ universe, there are Yung Plague, 7th Ward Dragon, Lil Oozing, Princess Mononoke the Frozen Shogun, Northside Shorty, Charles Lee Ray, and many, many more characters. Most of these identities were born via fan lore on Reddit rather than by the $uicideboy$ themselves.
“There was a pattern to it, but at some point, we sort of lost control of it,” the Boyz admitted to Billboard back in 2022.
Over the years, alter egos have dropped entire albums of their own and have even been symbolically “killed off.” But which alter egos have been truly unbelievable? Here’s a list of rap’s wildest alter egos and how they molded the rappers who built them in their image.
-
Kool Keith and Dr. Octagon
Kool Keith has always had a penchant for the bizarre, and nothing in his catalog is more outlandish than his sadistic Dr. Octagon alter ego. Fully introduced on the 1996 LP Dr. Octagonecologyst, the time-traveling extraterrestrial surgeon and gynecologist captivated fans with his disturbing surrealism on the mic, grotesque appearance and genre-bending energy.
Keith previously admitted he tried to kill off the evil OBGYN but failed, partly due to a falling out with his former label, CHM Records. Dr. Octagon resurfaced on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ 2013 song “Buried Alive,” and returned in full with 2018’s Moosebumps.
-
Tyler, The Creator and Wolf Haley
Tyler, The Creator assumes a new alter ego with each album rollout, but none are as diabolical as Wolf Haley. Serving as Tyler’s portal for all things unruly, Wolf Haley came to life when bad energies infiltrated the rapper’s state of mind. As shown in songs like “Yonkers,” Wolf Haley is a cussing, fire-breathing anarchist determined to burn everything down — and kill B.o.B. and Bruno Mars at all costs. While Wolf Haley was a heavy presence on Tyler’s first few records, the rapper appeared to retire the persona after 2013’s Wolf.
-
T.I. and T.I.P.
T.I. literally went to war against his alter ego, T.I.P., on his 2007 album T.I. vs. T.I.P.. On the project, T.I. appeared as the sophisticated, level-headed CEO fans know and love. Meanwhile, T.I.P. would occasionally emerge to push back against this identity, dueling with T.I. in the hopes of getting him to embrace the more rambunctious, dope-boy energy of his past self.
T.I.P. was penned to life by the Atlanta rapper as a way of coming to terms with the hardships of his upbringing, with the hope that he could process the turbulence he experienced on the road to superstardom.
“Between my last album and this album all the things I had gone through personally they kind of made me second guess if I really wanted to be in this game like that,” T.I. told XXL of the album. “Whether I wanted to remain a famous person in this rap game or stay true to what is me personally.”
-
Nicki Minaj and Roman Zolanski
Another rapper with a plethora of alter egos under her belt is Nicki Minaj, but none are as memorable as Roman Zolanski. The “Super Bass” rapper’s menacing alter ego came to life on 2010’s “Roman’s Revenge” (alongside Eminem’s Slim Shady), boasting an erratic rapping style that switched between a baby-voiced Barbie doll and a murderous, nihilistic demon.
Nicki leaned even further into Roman’s energy on Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up in 2012, but fans noticed Roman continued to be absent as Nicki later rolled out The Pinkprint in 2014. Nicki later confirmed to her Barbz that she “got tired” of Roman, so he “died.” He hasn’t re-emerged since, but Nicki did say Roman was out and about in Gag City during her Pink Friday 2 roll out, adding he left after she threw some shots at Megan Thee Stallion.
-
2Pac and Makavelli
One of rap’s more mysterious alter egos, it’s rumored that Tupac Shakur crafted his Makaveli persona while in prison after studying the works of Italian historian Niccolò Machiavelli. The alter ego was allegedly inspired by Machiavelli’s ideas about faking one’s own death to deceive enemies — a concept that conspiracy theorists have since connected to 2Pac’s untimely passing.
These conspiracies were further fueled by the posthumous release of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, which was released under the Makaveli moniker six months after 2Pac’s murder in 1996. As a result, speculation persists to this day that 2Pac may have staged his own demise.
-
Eminem and Slim Shady
Eminem’s Slim Shady is easily one of the most impactful alter egos in all of hip-hop. Em first introduced his diabolical persona on 1999’s “My Name Is,” trading in his previous rapping style for maniacal, fast-paced bars focused on torture, rape, mental instability, and more unsettling themes. The lore goes like this: Slim Shady appeared after “murdering” Eminem on “My Name Is” and taking over his life. From that point on, Slim would pursue fame and fortune by any means necessary.
On other songs like “The Real Slim Shady,” the twisted character rapped about pleasuring himself inside an insane asylum while simultaneously taking aim at public figures such as Hillary Clinton, Christina Aguilera and Will Smith, and unleashing vitriol against Eminem’s ex-wife, Kim Scott. In the chilling “Kim,” Slim even goes so far as to murder her.
These controversial and unabashedly dark details helped make Slim Shady a beloved and infamous character in Eminem’s universe. “My Name Is” went on to be certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA, and Slim Shady continued to reappear throughout Eminem’s discography over the years. On the Detroit rapper’s latest album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), Eminem finally bids farewell to his criminal alter ego in a climactic showdown of sorts (with the ending left open to interpretation).
While it’s sad to see Slim go, it will likely be hard for Eminem to fully shake off Slim Shady’s shackles. 1999’s The Slim Shady LP sold over nine million copies worldwide, skyrocketing Eminem’s career into the stratosphere. Even if Slim is “dead,” Eminem likely can’t help but feel grateful for the legacy left behind by his chaotic and disturbing alter ego.
-
Shock G and Humpty Hump
As one of the first alter egos in recorded rap history, Shock G’s iconic Humpty Hump persona was created as a way to channel the rapper’s darker themes into his music. The character adopts a simpleton personality, complete with Groucho Marx glasses and a congested-sounding voice. While the alter ego was almost satirical, Shock G fully committed to the bit with 1990’s “The Humpty Dance.” The song reached the Hot 100’s top 10 and has since been sampled and referenced by dozens of artists over the years — including pop stars like the Spice Girls on “If U Can’t Dance.”