It’s no secret that the road to stardom starts in the trenches.  Before Tyler was The Creator, he was driving a Fedex truck.  And before Nikki Minaj was singing about Starships, she was serving up seafood at Red Lobster.   

Here’s what five of the biggest names in rap were doing before they hit the big time…

5) Kid Cudi

Long before he was collaborating with Kanye, Kid Cudi was working at a grocery store… and according to The Cudder, it wasn’t exactly a great time.

‘It was the worst experience, I hated it. I don’t even think they gave me my last check, man!’

4) Diddy

The multi-aliased musician is well known as one of the biggest names in rap. But prior to cleaning up awards for smash-hit albums, Diddy was cleaning toilets in a petrol station and clearing away dishes at a Mexican restaurant.

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3) Kendrick Lamar

He’s stacking up the fat wads of cash now, but prior to his ascension to the heights of rap stardom, Kendrick was still working with money…  in a different way.  Working as a security guard at a bank!

2) Cardi B

It’s a well known fact that Cardi B used to work as an exotic dancer.   But what’s less known is that before that, she was a cashier.  It was actually her ex-boss who suggested she give stripping a shot… at the club across the street from the deli where she worked.

1) Kanye West

The rapper turned style icon seems to have always had an affinity with fashion.  Before he was a billionaire clothing mogul, Yeezy was making ends meet by working at The Gap… an experience he regaled in his debut album, ‘College Dropout’.

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So remember: if you want to sling bling like these icons… there’s no shame in a side hustle slinging out the garbage at your local servo!