In hip-hop, rappers have some of the most creative stage names in music. Some rap aliases have an underlying meaning, while others are a composite of their real government name.

For example, Drake‘s real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, which easily explains the origin of his famous rap name. Fellow rhymer J. Cole‘s rap pseudonym is his first and last name—Jermaine Cole.

Other rappers use completely unique names that are separate from their birth names. For instance, Cardi B‘s real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar; Travis Scott‘s government name is Jacques Bermon Webster II, and finally, Jay-Z‘s proper name is Shawn Corey Carter.

And then there are the rappers who have “Lil” in their pseudonyms. Arguably the most famous “Lil” is Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. Atlanta rapper Lil Baby‘s birth name is Dominique Armani Jones and Lil Yachty‘s name in real life is Miles Parks McCollum.

For other hip-hop heavyweights, their rap nom de plume makes them bigger than life. William Leonard Roberts II is the real name of Miami boss Rick Ross, Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini is the stage name of rap-pop superstar Doja Cat, and Calvin Cordozar Broadus is the surname of hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg.

In short, a convincing rap name can elevate a rapper to new heights in the entertainment business.

With so many hip-hop artists in the rap game, knowing all their real names can be difficult. That’s why XXL has created this handy list of rappers and their real names. Some of these names you may already know, while others might surprise you. Check it out below.

See Rappers’ Real Names