13 May 2025

Pseudonyms

Stormzy

It seems like hip-hop artists and rappers prefer to take to the stage with stage names. There's hardly a single one of them who performs or records under his or her birth name. I am not sure why this should be as I freely admit that I am pretty ignorant about these modern genres - both in cultural and musical terms.

These are the rap/hip-hop artists that I had heard of before starting to make this blogpost: Jay-Z, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar (real name!) Drake, Cardi B, Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, Missy Elliot, Dr Dre and England's own Stormzy. However, there are literally hundreds of others from 6arelyhuman through Murda Mook and Tap Dat Ass to Zero 9:36.

For your information, Jay-Z's real name is Shawn Corey Carter , Eminem's birth name is Marshall Bruce Mathers, Snoop Dogg is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. , Vanilla Ice is Robert Matthew Van Winkle and Stormzy is Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr..

Yes, in the overlapping worlds of rap and hip-hop, it's pseudonyms all the way!

Obviously here in The Blogosphere, a lot of people have chosen to adopt pen names. It may surprise you to learn that Yorkshire Pudding is not in fact my birth name. No indeedy - back in October 1953, Mr and Mrs Pudding did not crack out another son and decide to call him Yorkshire to go along with his brothers Sponge, Chocolate and Treacle. That's not how it was at all. 

From the very start, I decided to disguise my true identity because of the fact that I had been a secondary school teacher in this city for thirty years and I did not want to make it easy for past pupils to locate me. Though I taught hundreds of lovely, "normal" children in my time, I also encountered some rather nasty, vindictive youngsters who resented authority and showed early on the kind of unpleasant adults they would become. I did not want any of them spoiling my experience of blogging.

So yeah, I guess that Yorkshire Pudding is my own rap or hip-hop name. But what about the following: John Gray, Jennifer Barlow, Steve Reed, Bob Slatten, Mary Moon, Graham Edwards, Robert Brague and  Meike Riley? Surely these named blogfolk need  pseudonyms and here are my suggestions...

John Gray - scotchegg4U
Jennifer Barlow - marcomama
Steve Reed - OlgaSlaveFL
Bob Slatten - rabblerouserFU
Mary Moon - Mer-maid54
Graham Edwards - cro.malletNZ
Robert Brague - vague41etc.
Meike Riley - dataqueen68

What would you choose as your rapping/ hip-hop name?

50 comments:

  1. Some of those Rappers needed a Hip Hop Name, their Birth Names were quite the mouthful!!! Should I ever get into Rapping I'll have to come up with something clever, but for now, I got nothing. But I do like yours for some of our Favorite Bloggers!!!!! And I have always liked yours... like Figgy Pudding, I always did wonder what a Yorkshire Pudding tasted like tho'... I remember actually arguing with my elderly Parents that there was such a thing as Figgy Pudding and even a Christmas Song about it!

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    1. Oh yes... "Bring us some figgy pudding! Oh bring us some figgy pudding!" And I have got a great idea for your rapping name.... it's, wait for it, Bohemian!

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  2. Oh, I love mine!!!

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  3. Like you, I had some reservations about former students making contact. I still live in the community I taught in and have never had a negative experience. I do like former students and insist that I am called Keith.

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    1. I envy you for that Keith. As far as I know, NO teachers from my old school live in its catchment area but where I live several of my children's old teachers reside here.

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  4. Hahahaha, love those pseudonyms for the blogging buddies!

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  5. Mine would be lil hangry. Suits me to a tee.

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    1. In the Blogosphere nobody knows your real name Pixie*. Maybe you like it that way.
      * - Apart from Mr Keith Kline.

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    2. I don't want my family to find my blog, my sisters really.

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  6. Did any of your nastier students ever get in touch after you (or they) left the school? Have you ever suspected a nasty comment on your blog to be from one of them?

    dataqueen68 is almost as good as Librarian With Secrets, which would need to be shortened in order to be a good name in rap or hiphop. Of course my real-life nickname, Meks, is much older than that; it was created by my sister when she was 7 and I was 6 years old.

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    1. None of the horrors have been in touch. One of my nice "normal" ex-pupils works at our local pharmacy. She always greets me formally when I come in.
      Meks68 sounds like a great rapping name but you will have to drastically change your wardrobe if you plan to make it as a hip-hop rapper.

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  7. Like you this Poppy Patchwork is not my real name, no reason other than it sounded better than just my name.

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    1. Eh? I though it was your real name and that you dressed like a patchwork doll.

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  8. Since I'm not a fan of Rap or HipHop I've never given a single thought to what I might call myself. Being born in Hamburg I could probably be hamburger something.

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  9. If I could rap, perhaps I could be Lady Killer?

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    1. You already tried to steal JayZee's name.

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  10. Well, Addy is my blogger name, formed from the initials of Alcoholic Daze. If u were a rapper, I would call myself AD-BC

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    Replies
    1. Maybe B and C are your real initials. Are you Betty Crocker?

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  11. I called my blog northsider because I live on the north side of a peninsula in Southern Ireland. Tightwads Private Allotment would probably be a better name.

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  12. Not a fan of rap/hip-hop I've also never taken any interest in those artists' choice of names. But I think that whether you're a musician, painter or writer, a pseudonym can sometimes feel helpful when it comes to letting loose creativity. As for my own introduction to the Blogosphere, that started with a penfriend of many years (in Australia) telling me she had started a blog about her scrapbooking hobby that she was into at the time. To be able to comment there I found that I had to create an account of my own. And once I had done that, I got curious to also explore a bit further how it all worked... Just as an experiment. Had someone predicted that I'd still be at it 16 years later, and make long-lasting friendships from it, I doubt I'd have believed them!

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    1. When I began blogging - twenty years ago - it was like an experiment. I had no idea that I would still be at it in 2025. DawnTreader is a good hip hop/rapping name.

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  13. I live in the community where I taught, so I totally understand not wanting your blog to be the center of attention. Usually when I am out and about I run into someone that I know from my teaching days. Just the other afternoon, I went to a running store to buy a new pair of shoes. The person who waited on me looked awfully familiar. When she went into the back room to retrieve shoes for me to try on, I started to do a mental inventory of how I could possibly know her. When she came back out, I asked her if she went to the middle school where I taught. She then told me that I had taught her in grade 7. I also taught her brother, who was a hellion. I wondered why she seemed so nervous when I first went into the store. We had a nice chat and I got updated about her college years and her degree and why she's working in a shoe store!

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    Replies
    1. That was a nice, wholesome encounter. None of my teaching colleagues live in the community where my last school was located.

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  14. The Penguin had the name, for a few years before the blog came along.

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    1. You don't look like a penguin David. You look more like an owl.

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  15. Ah, but I have my rapping name. It is Merluna. Very close to my grandmother name which is Mermer. Owen gave me that one but I already used Merluna in my email. AND when my brother was very little, he called me "Mermer" too. So. I have been associated with the sea since early childhood. And the Moon for forty years.
    One of my favorite legit rapper's names is Megan Thee Stallion. I am not sure why I love this name but I do.

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    1. Isn't Megan Thee Stallion married to Prince Harry... or as many of us in Great Britain call him - The Ginger Whinger.

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  16. Replies
    1. I could have given you a riskier pseudonym but I chose to stay safe as I know what you are like when you are angry.

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    2. OMG John!
      Now you'll forever be ScotchEgg4U. It's the Prince reference that has got me GAGGIING! LOL

      XOXO

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  17. A lot of actors have changed their names also so it isn't just rappers.
    Cary Grant was born Archibald Alec Leach, Helen Mirren was born Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov, John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison and Judy Garland: was born Frances Gumm just to name a few...
    One of my childhood nicknames was Ellie Poo and I probably should not have told you that! :)

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    Replies
    1. Many small children have toileting accidents Ellen so you were not alone.

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    2. That's not why it was a nickname for me. My best friend was Donna Lou and Ellie Poo rhymed with that! :)

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  18. Well, I certainly am Olga's slave, so you're not wrong there. You gotta admit Stormzy is catchier and easier to say than Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr.! (I was going to say it fits better on a record label or CD case but I guess that's not really a consideration anymore.)

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    1. So OlgaSlaveFL it is then unless you want to be Plantman.

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  19. i think i'd be something like ..... M.C. Squared!

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    1. What? Specialising in square music like ABBA?

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  20. A pseudonym has to be memorable, if you want to make your mark in pop/hip hop/rapper/cinema. Originality is everything. I like the ones you've suggested.

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    1. jabblog is already a great rapping name Janice.

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  21. No, too long in the tooth now for a rapper's name - I'm just content to be me!

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    1. How about a gift wrapper name Carol?

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  22. John's, Steve's, and Bob's are my favorites! "Marcoservant " would be more apt for me.

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    1. Mamas often work like servants for their families.

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  23. The idea of me as a rapper or hip-hopper nearly caused me to "have an accident."

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    1. You could play the croquet mallet like a guitar.

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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