Obie Trice

Obie Trice III (born November 14 1977) is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He began rapping at the age of 11, and had a number of underground hits such as "Respect", "My Club", "Dope Jobs Homeless", and "The Well Known Asshole" before he signed to Shady Records in 2000. Obie Trice credits himself for having no "rap name", but instead using his birth name/given name for performing, as also mentioned in one of his songs, "Rap Name". Obie Trice was raised on Detroit's West Side, in the Schoolcraft Avenue neighborhood. by his mother, along with three brothers. He was given a karaoke machine by his mother when he was eleven and he used it to rhyme over instrumental from artists such as N.W.A. By the age of fourteen, he was attending rap battle spots around Detroit, notably including the Hip Hop Shop, on which Obie commented , Obie Trice went by the name of Obie 1 during this time, but when he first met Proof, who was about to introduce him at the Hip Hop Shop, Proof asked him, ... full article at wikipedia