what’s in a name for these celebs it’s
all about personal branding welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top ten
ridiculous celebrity name changes before
we begin we publish new videos every day
so be sure to subscribe for more great
content for this list we’re focusing on
pop culture figures that decided to
reinvent themselves with revised
personal monikers number 10 Yasiin Bey
mos def born dontay Terrell Smith this
Brooklyn native emerged in the 90s East
Coast hip-hop scene with a street-smart
moniker mos def but 13 years after
releasing his iconic collaboration with
tulip Kweli declaratively entitled Mos
Def and Talib Kweli our black star he
officially retired his rap name and
openly adopted the name Yasiin Bey the
emcee had reportedly been using Yasin
for years with family but made it public
because he’d apparently gone as far as
he could with mos def
oh yeah scene may better represent his
Muslim faith longtime fans will most
definitely always refer to him as mos
def the thing that I’m most focused on
is that people take their time to listen
to what I have to say number nine big
baby Jesus ol Dirty Bastard
as a member of the iconic hip-hop group
wu-tang clan this rapper shed his birth
name Russell Jones for a more
descriptive stage name but then ODB went
solo in 1995 and his popular moniker
needed an upgrade now at least that
seems to have been the logic the gritty
emcee unveiled his new name big baby
Jesus to vibe magazines late-night talk
show in 1998 further explaining to MTV
that he’d quote always been Jesus
sadly big baby Jesus passed away six
years later at age 35 and remains better
known by his original wu-tang nickname a
moniker not quite as ridiculous as big
baby Jesus then again he’d also gone by
dirt McGirt so you know whichever you
prefer
[Music]
number eight snoop lion Snoop Dogg snoop
Dogg is a bonafide pop culture icon he’s
been in the game so long in fact he
seemingly outgrew the moniker Snoop Dogg
in 2012 the man born Cortazar Calvin
Brodus jr. experienced a Jamaican
epiphany and embraced a new way of
thinking as well as a more committed
Rastafarian lifestyle a priest
reportedly gave snoop his lion nickname
which he quickly incorporated into his
personal brand I felt like I’ve always
been rushed to fly right I just didn’t
have my third eye open but it’s wide
open right now
in 2013 the rechristened snoop lion
dropped the appropriately titled album
reincarnated along with a documentary of
the same name these days however the
name seems more like an alter ego than
anything else as Snoop Doggy Dogg
remains Snoop Dogg see my game is
outrageous I got took ribbon exchanging
love faces but it what no meat for the
the worst of all cuz I want her to have
an address number seven angle Burt
Humperdinck
Arnold George Gerry Dorsey so I sing you
to sleep
[Music]
in pop culture some monikers are brand
specific and accessible in the mid 60’s
however an English musician defied the
norm by looking to a German composer for
inspiration
that’s how Arnold George Dorsey also
known as Gerry Dorsey became Engelbert
Humperdinck no I I do I check in under
all mojo
thats my name my real name I don’t have
ahnold’s muscles but I have other things
the name isn’t quite sexy per se but it
jump-started the singer’s career as he
reached number one on the UK charts in
1967 stealing the spot from a little
group known as The Beatles mr.
Humperdink remains a relevant name
decades later so he must have done
something right
number six Cat Stevens and use of Islam
Steven Dmitri Giorgio that’s so much you
have to know find a girl settle down
this singer-songwriter also pulled an
angle Burt Humperdinck in the mid-60s
and straight from his birth name Steven
Dmitri Giorgio in favor of something
with a little more pizzazz
that’s when Cat Stevens emerged on the
London music scene with his new name
offering greater commercial appeal
especially for a man with such talent of
course cat later converted to Islam in
1977 changing his name to Yusuf Islam
early the next year and moving on from
the industry as a whole for many decades
for a while I was I was trying to get as
far away from from my past as possible
in fact it wasn’t until 2006 that he
began releasing material under this new
name but many still view him as Cat
Stevens the man with the rich evocative
voice and the easy to remember stage
name
[Music]
number five Vin Diesel mark Sinclair
it’s how it keeps it off the grid these
days Vin Diesel feels like a perfect
name for one of cinema’s great action
stars it suits the brawny nature of the
man born mark Sinclair in the 80s though
he was just a teenage nightclub bouncer
that needed a cool name and so he
combined his stepfathers last name
Vincent with a nickname earned for his
energy believe it or not it would still
be some time before he started earning
consistent Hollywood gigs despite an
uncredited cameo in the 1990 Robert
DeNiro film awakenings eight years later
however the Vin Diesel brand took off
with Saving Private Ryan proving the
talent can rise above a ridiculous
nickname you’re good but not that good
number four Chad Ochocinco Chad Johnson
and so which is why I keep trying to
explain how my transition really wasn’t
that difficult because I wasn’t living
crazy when I was making it technically
when Chad Johnson changed his name to a
Spanish translation of the number on his
jersey it should have been oh gentle
Cinco
but apparently Oh Joe Cinco or 85 was
close enough for him
incorrect though the translation may
have been Johnson committed legally
changing his name in 2008 the next year
he announced another intended name
change this time to the Japanese
translation hochy go but ultimately
never followed through though the name
change made him somewhat of a pop
culture icon he decided to revert back
to his original name when he made the
move to the Miami Dolphins in 2012
retiring the silly moniker in the
process number three P Diddy diddy Puff
Daddy
also known as Sean Combs in 1993 a young
entrepreneur named Sean Combs
established bad boy entertainment and
signed a young lyricist known as the
notorious b.i.g
oh four years later the East career was
tragically cut short in Los Angeles
while Puff Daddy became a popular figure
within pop culture
by 2001 however puffy changed his name
again going with the more stylistic
p-diddy
[Music]
as the man with many names has explained
the changes are more about a personal
vibe than anything else
in fact Puff Daddy sometimes prefers
Diddy when he’s feeling a certain type
of way so I wake up if I wake up and I’m
feeling like Puff Daddy that’s what I am
what are you feeling like today right
now I mean most of the time I feel like
I’m number two love symbol Prince I had
searched deep within my heart and spirit
and I wanted to make a change and move
to a new plateau in my life this late
icon stunned audiences with his
remarkable talent and performance
bravado that’s what made Prince so
special as he could talk the talk and
walk the walk in 1993 however the man
born Prince Rogers Nelson made a bizarre
statement by changing his name to a
symbol a literal symbol while the name
change seemed pretentious it was
actually a business move to irritate
Warner Brothers as Prince had come into
conflict with his label so when the
artist formerly known as Prince
fulfilled his contractual obligations he
went back to his original stage name for
the rest of his career
leaving the moniker drama behind
[Music]
before we unveil our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions number
1 Metta World Peace Ron Artest early in
his NBA career this star made headlines
for his immaculate defense Ron Artest
also made the news for his role in
2004’s malice at the palace a fierce
fight in which he actually brawled with
fans
[Applause]
but as Ron got older and managed to
sustain a successful basketball career
he became more at peace with himself and
apparently the world around him that’s
what prompted a legal name change to
Metta World Peace in 2011 a move the
athlete hoped would inspire others
strange as the decision may have seemed
Metta World Peace has managed to stay
out of trouble and continues to embrace
his ambitious yet undeniably ridiculous
name change do you agree with our picks
check out these other great clips from
WatchMojo and subscribe for new videos
every day
[Music]
all about personal branding welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top ten
ridiculous celebrity name changes before
we begin we publish new videos every day
so be sure to subscribe for more great
content for this list we’re focusing on
pop culture figures that decided to
reinvent themselves with revised
personal monikers number 10 Yasiin Bey
mos def born dontay Terrell Smith this
Brooklyn native emerged in the 90s East
Coast hip-hop scene with a street-smart
moniker mos def but 13 years after
releasing his iconic collaboration with
tulip Kweli declaratively entitled Mos
Def and Talib Kweli our black star he
officially retired his rap name and
openly adopted the name Yasiin Bey the
emcee had reportedly been using Yasin
for years with family but made it public
because he’d apparently gone as far as
he could with mos def
oh yeah scene may better represent his
Muslim faith longtime fans will most
definitely always refer to him as mos
def the thing that I’m most focused on
is that people take their time to listen
to what I have to say number nine big
baby Jesus ol Dirty Bastard
as a member of the iconic hip-hop group
wu-tang clan this rapper shed his birth
name Russell Jones for a more
descriptive stage name but then ODB went
solo in 1995 and his popular moniker
needed an upgrade now at least that
seems to have been the logic the gritty
emcee unveiled his new name big baby
Jesus to vibe magazines late-night talk
show in 1998 further explaining to MTV
that he’d quote always been Jesus
sadly big baby Jesus passed away six
years later at age 35 and remains better
known by his original wu-tang nickname a
moniker not quite as ridiculous as big
baby Jesus then again he’d also gone by
dirt McGirt so you know whichever you
prefer
[Music]
number eight snoop lion Snoop Dogg snoop
Dogg is a bonafide pop culture icon he’s
been in the game so long in fact he
seemingly outgrew the moniker Snoop Dogg
in 2012 the man born Cortazar Calvin
Brodus jr. experienced a Jamaican
epiphany and embraced a new way of
thinking as well as a more committed
Rastafarian lifestyle a priest
reportedly gave snoop his lion nickname
which he quickly incorporated into his
personal brand I felt like I’ve always
been rushed to fly right I just didn’t
have my third eye open but it’s wide
open right now
in 2013 the rechristened snoop lion
dropped the appropriately titled album
reincarnated along with a documentary of
the same name these days however the
name seems more like an alter ego than
anything else as Snoop Doggy Dogg
remains Snoop Dogg see my game is
outrageous I got took ribbon exchanging
love faces but it what no meat for the
the worst of all cuz I want her to have
an address number seven angle Burt
Humperdinck
Arnold George Gerry Dorsey so I sing you
to sleep
[Music]
in pop culture some monikers are brand
specific and accessible in the mid 60’s
however an English musician defied the
norm by looking to a German composer for
inspiration
that’s how Arnold George Dorsey also
known as Gerry Dorsey became Engelbert
Humperdinck no I I do I check in under
all mojo
thats my name my real name I don’t have
ahnold’s muscles but I have other things
the name isn’t quite sexy per se but it
jump-started the singer’s career as he
reached number one on the UK charts in
1967 stealing the spot from a little
group known as The Beatles mr.
Humperdink remains a relevant name
decades later so he must have done
something right
number six Cat Stevens and use of Islam
Steven Dmitri Giorgio that’s so much you
have to know find a girl settle down
this singer-songwriter also pulled an
angle Burt Humperdinck in the mid-60s
and straight from his birth name Steven
Dmitri Giorgio in favor of something
with a little more pizzazz
that’s when Cat Stevens emerged on the
London music scene with his new name
offering greater commercial appeal
especially for a man with such talent of
course cat later converted to Islam in
1977 changing his name to Yusuf Islam
early the next year and moving on from
the industry as a whole for many decades
for a while I was I was trying to get as
far away from from my past as possible
in fact it wasn’t until 2006 that he
began releasing material under this new
name but many still view him as Cat
Stevens the man with the rich evocative
voice and the easy to remember stage
name
[Music]
number five Vin Diesel mark Sinclair
it’s how it keeps it off the grid these
days Vin Diesel feels like a perfect
name for one of cinema’s great action
stars it suits the brawny nature of the
man born mark Sinclair in the 80s though
he was just a teenage nightclub bouncer
that needed a cool name and so he
combined his stepfathers last name
Vincent with a nickname earned for his
energy believe it or not it would still
be some time before he started earning
consistent Hollywood gigs despite an
uncredited cameo in the 1990 Robert
DeNiro film awakenings eight years later
however the Vin Diesel brand took off
with Saving Private Ryan proving the
talent can rise above a ridiculous
nickname you’re good but not that good
number four Chad Ochocinco Chad Johnson
and so which is why I keep trying to
explain how my transition really wasn’t
that difficult because I wasn’t living
crazy when I was making it technically
when Chad Johnson changed his name to a
Spanish translation of the number on his
jersey it should have been oh gentle
Cinco
but apparently Oh Joe Cinco or 85 was
close enough for him
incorrect though the translation may
have been Johnson committed legally
changing his name in 2008 the next year
he announced another intended name
change this time to the Japanese
translation hochy go but ultimately
never followed through though the name
change made him somewhat of a pop
culture icon he decided to revert back
to his original name when he made the
move to the Miami Dolphins in 2012
retiring the silly moniker in the
process number three P Diddy diddy Puff
Daddy
also known as Sean Combs in 1993 a young
entrepreneur named Sean Combs
established bad boy entertainment and
signed a young lyricist known as the
notorious b.i.g
oh four years later the East career was
tragically cut short in Los Angeles
while Puff Daddy became a popular figure
within pop culture
by 2001 however puffy changed his name
again going with the more stylistic
p-diddy
[Music]
as the man with many names has explained
the changes are more about a personal
vibe than anything else
in fact Puff Daddy sometimes prefers
Diddy when he’s feeling a certain type
of way so I wake up if I wake up and I’m
feeling like Puff Daddy that’s what I am
what are you feeling like today right
now I mean most of the time I feel like
I’m number two love symbol Prince I had
searched deep within my heart and spirit
and I wanted to make a change and move
to a new plateau in my life this late
icon stunned audiences with his
remarkable talent and performance
bravado that’s what made Prince so
special as he could talk the talk and
walk the walk in 1993 however the man
born Prince Rogers Nelson made a bizarre
statement by changing his name to a
symbol a literal symbol while the name
change seemed pretentious it was
actually a business move to irritate
Warner Brothers as Prince had come into
conflict with his label so when the
artist formerly known as Prince
fulfilled his contractual obligations he
went back to his original stage name for
the rest of his career
leaving the moniker drama behind
[Music]
before we unveil our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions number
1 Metta World Peace Ron Artest early in
his NBA career this star made headlines
for his immaculate defense Ron Artest
also made the news for his role in
2004’s malice at the palace a fierce
fight in which he actually brawled with
fans
[Applause]
but as Ron got older and managed to
sustain a successful basketball career
he became more at peace with himself and
apparently the world around him that’s
what prompted a legal name change to
Metta World Peace in 2011 a move the
athlete hoped would inspire others
strange as the decision may have seemed
Metta World Peace has managed to stay
out of trouble and continues to embrace
his ambitious yet undeniably ridiculous
name change do you agree with our picks
check out these other great clips from
WatchMojo and subscribe for new videos
every day
[Music]
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