Willow Smith spent most of her childhood in the public eye due to her celebrity parents, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. At a young age, she began accompanying her parents on the big screen. At only seven, she starred alongside her father in I Am Legend. She’s since gone on to appear in various other films and kicked off her musical career at eight. Now, at age 23, she’s managed to release multiple albums, take part in several high-profile collaborations, and more. According to her, however, she still has to deal with the shame that comes along with being labeled a “nepo baby” on the regular.
During a recent interview with Allure, Willow opened up about worrying that she’s not good enough, and has only come this far due to her parents’ fame. “I’m wrongly internalizing the negativity from the outside,” she explained. “Even if my parents weren’t who they were, I would still be a weirdo and a cr*zy thinker.”
She went on to describe how nowadays, she doesn’t feel as though she has anything to prove, but the fear of being reduced to a nepo baby motivated her to work even harder early on in her career. Willow says that while she acknowledges her privilege, being a Black woman doesn’t allow her any exemptions.
“Being Black in America, even with privilege, which I’m never going to deny that I have, you’re still Black,” she said. “I love being Black… People would look at me and [say], ‘Okay, well, her parents are this and this and that, but she still is like me. She still has brown skin.’ And we all know that that doesn’t exempt you from anything, and that’s a place of connection.” What do you think of Willow Smith’s recent interview with Allure? What about her shutting down “nepo baby” labels? Do you agree with her? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
JPEGMafia and Danny Brown recently dropped a new edition of their collaborative album, Scaring the Hoes. The Scaring the Hoes: DLC Pack features four new tracks, including “NO! (x32).” The bizarrely named track got listeners’ attention for it’s mentions of both Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar.
“B*tch, I ain’t Baby Keem, my cousin ain’t gave me sh*t,” JPEGMafia claims in the song. Known to be the cousin of Kendrick Lamar, Baby Keem arguably could have gotten some assistance from him to jumpstart his career. Despite this, he’s lauded as a great artist in his own right. In May, he worked alongside Kendrick to drop a new track titled “The Hillbillies.” The duo also shared an accompanying music video for the song last month, which stars Tyler, The Creator.
JPEGMafia And Danny Brown Call Baby Keem A Product Of Nepotism
The diss got social media users talking, with many debating who the better artist is between Baby Keem and JPEG. Some users sided with Keem, claiming that he’s got his own talent to pull from and doesn’t need the help of his family. Others found truth in JPEG’s bars. JPEGMafia and Danny Brown are set to kick off their upcoming “Scaring the Hoes” tour later this month. The tour with see the duo take on 19 cities in the U.S., beginning with a stop in Nashville. Their “Scaring the Hoes” tour will feature other notable stops in Portland, Buffalo, Atlanta, and more.
Recently, Danny Brown discussed writer’s block with Logic on an episode of the Danny Brown Show. Danny asked Logic where he gets his “creative energy” from, revealing that output is something that he’s struggled with. “I just can’t f*ckin rap that much, man,” he told Logic. “Maybe I’m getting that age, that’s what it is. But no, I was like that even when I was younger.” He went on to explain that when he’s speaking honestly from his own experiences, the art just flows. “When you writing about your life, there ain’t no writer’s block. If you telling the truth, it ain’t no writer’s block. And that’s what I learned,” he claimed.
Now, Teyana Taylor is joining the discourse with her own perspective. In a chat with Jeremy O. Harris for Interview Magazine she talked about the nepo baby accusations she’s received and the crucial role her hardworking mother played in her life.
Read what she shared below.
“I’ve seen all these tweets like, ‘That’s crazy. I never knew Teyana was a nepo baby,’ and I’m like, ‘Tell me who my celebrity parents are?’ Let’s be clear. My mom was literally a workaholic, she worked her ass off to make sure I had everything that I needed. So by the time we got to my sweet 16, I had just signed my first contract with Star Trak, Pharrell Williams’s label, and me, my mom and Pharrell, and the label, we came together. That was from her hard-earned money and my hard-earned money from getting my record deal. I was just this little Harlem girl and we sat down and watched Sweet 16 and I knew I wanted to set the tone. I’m from New York. I don’t want no car. I want a bike. You feel me?
So I want to commend my mom, she works very hard and she made a lot of things happen for me, and that’s why this role means so much. Even when I first got pregnant with Junie, I remember texting her, like, ‘Yo, I just appreciate you so much.’ I used to laugh when she was like, ‘Oh girl. I was in 72 hours labor,’ all those little things that they say. Then becoming a mom is like, ‘Wow.’ And then becoming Inez is triple wow. So I commend her from the bottom of my heart. And I just wanted to get that off my chest.”
Hailey Bieber rocked a shirt with the phrase, “Nepo Baby,” printed across the front on Friday in Los Angeles. The top is a reference to a piece published on New York Magazine’s Vulture.com that went viral, last month. Along with the crop top, Bieber wore a pair of light-wash jeans and a studded belt.
The article takes a deep dive into nepotism in the entertainment industry. It makes reference to Maude Apatow, Lily-Rose Depp, Maya Hawke, and many more, in addition to Hailey Bieber.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 06: Hailey Bieber is seen on January 06, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Bieber is the daughter of Stephen Baldwin and the niece of Alec Baldwin.
“In 2022, the internet uncovered a vast conspiracy: Hollywood was run on an invisible network of family ties — and everybody was in on it!” Nate Jones wrote in the Vulture piece. “Everyone is someone’s kid, but it was as if everybody were somebody’s kid.”
Numerous celebrities have derided the piece, including Tom Hanks, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.
While Hailey Bieber hasn’t commented directly on it until now, she has spoken about the influence of her parents in the past. Speaking with Grazia in 2016, she explained: “I want to do everything on my own without my name being a factor. I try to keep myself separate from it. Kids that already have a famous background are just following in their families’ footsteps. My dad [Stephen Baldwin] and all of his brothers have done this. This is my family business.”
In addition to being related to both Stephen Baldwin and Alec Baldwin, Hailey is married to Justin Bieber. The two got engaged in July 2018 and were married by the end of that year.
Nepotism has permeated every avenue of business, but the entertainment industry is crawling with successful kids with famous parents. Those wealthy and successful parents often use their finances and resources to support their children’s success in the business. Many of our favorite stars’ relatives helped open doors for them that others don’t receive, but it has long been argued that a parent should help their children, no matter what.
New York Magazine recently featured an article about “Nepo Babies,” pointing out the genetic ties that many emerging or stand-out stars of this generation have to icons. As the article went viral across social media channels, O’Shea Jackson Jr. chimed in with his take.
As the son of Ice Cube—even portraying his father in Straight Outta Compton—Jackson knows what it’s like to be around Hollywood’s elite. However, he detailed his experience and the hard work he says he put into his career.
My dad told me in a perfect world, I would play him in straight outta compton. I was already in college for screenwriting at USC. I accepted the challenge. And auditioned for two years before getting the role. After that it was up to me, he couldn’t hold my hand through my career
“My dad told me in a perfect world, I would play him in straight outta compton. I was already in college for screenwriting at USC.” Jackson added, “I accepted the challenge. And auditioned for two years before getting the role. After that it was up to me, he couldn’t hold my hand through my career.”
“I had to get my ass up and make it work. From the roles I chose. The work ethic I put into them. My professionalism on sets and promo tours. Even leaving HIS agency and goin to find a team of my own. Once the door was opened it was up to me to walk through it and thrive.”
He encouraged those of “2nd, 3rd or any number of generational talent/wealth” to “embrace” that sh*t.”” their nepotism ties.
“I wish everyone in this world to be able to present opportunities for their children to succeed. No matter how big or small. It’s something all parents work for. How many people you know working multiple jobs to put they kids through school. Making opportunities is a parents goal.”
In recent days, “nepo baby” has been a major buzzword (or “buzz term,” more accurately) online. Essentially, it refers to celebrities with famous relatives and implies the opportunities for success that they have received are primarily thanks to the fame of their families. (The “nepo” is short for “nepotism.”) Vulture recently ran a thorough, in-depth feature that cataloged most of the nepo babies in American pop culture, but what about music specifically? There’s a pretty sizable list in that industry, too.
(For the purposes of this list, “nepo baby” is not a judgement term and simply refers to musicians whose parent or parents worked in the entertainment industry or were otherwise noteworthy/affluent.)
Indeed, there are some famous nepo babies in the music world. A few that immediately come to mind are Miley Cyrus (daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus), Jaden and Willow Smith (children of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith), Norah Jones (daughter of Ravi Shankar), Robin Thicke (son of Alan Thicke), and Nancy Sinatra (daughter of Frank Sinatra). There are plenty beyond that, though, including some you may not have realized had at least one famous relative. Let’s take a look:
Coi Leray
Father: Benzino (rapper, producer, co-founder of The Source)
Leray has been one of the promising rappers of the past few years, plain and simple. In 2021, XXL put her on their esteemed “Freshman” list and she dropped her defining single “No More Parties,” which was her first song to place on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and be certified platinum by the RIAA. She also made some noise this year with Trendsetter, her debut album that included features from Nicki Minaj, HER, Lil Durk, and others. She also appeared on a 2022 cover story for Uproxx. NBD.
Clairo
Father: Geoff Cottrill (Chief Marketing Officer at Top Golf, previously of P&G, Coca-Cola, and Starbucks)
Through accusations of being an “industry plant,” Clairo has proven that she really does have the musical goods and that she deserves all the acclaim she’s received. Her two albums, 2019’s Immunityand 2021’s Sling, both earned spots on numerous year-end lists, while the former got her on the Hot 100 chart for the first time and the latter was her first top-20 album in the US.
Gracie Abrams
Father: J.J. Abrams (filmmaker)
In recent years, Abrams has become your favorite artist’s favorite artist. She’s joining Taylor Swift on tour in 2023 and she’s previously supported Olivia Rodrigo and The National. This is thanks in part to the strength of her 2021 project This Is What It Feels Like, which features some Aaron Dessner production and was well-received.
Maya Hawke
Parents: Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke (actors)
Hawke is best known for her breakout role in Stranger Things, but before the show, she was already working on a music career for herself. That’s been going well, too: Her two albums, 2020’s Blush and 2022’s Moss earned some critical praise, which, along with her acting chops, helped establish Hawke as a skilled multi-hyphenate.
King Combs
Father: Diddy/Sean Combs (rapper, businessman)
Combs has been grinding away at a music career for a few years now and it has really paid off. One of his freestyles previously caught 50 Cent’s attention and just this November, his single “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” topped Mediabase’s Urban Radio chart, actually passing his father Diddy’s Bryson Tiller collaboration “Gotta Move On” to claim the title.
King Princess
Relatives: father Oliver H. Straus Jr. (recording engineer) and great-grandfather Isidor Straus (US congressman and co-owner of Macy’s)
Nepo baby or not, King Princess has been one of the more notable breakout music stars of the past few years. Her debut single, 2018’s “1950,” has been certified platinum and she’s generally become a critical favorite. She’s even managed to transcend music by appearing as a guest judge on Is It Cake? earlier this year.
Samia
Parents: Kathy Najimy and Dan Finnerty (actors + Dan Band leader)
Samia built a strong foundation for herself with her 2020 debut album The Baby: It was one of the year’s best-received projects and it set the table for her upcoming second LP, Honey. Coincidentally, by the way, Samia’s video for The Baby lead single “Is There Something In The Movies” actually featured Maya Hawke.
Frankie Cosmos
Parents: Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates (actors)
Cosmos (whose real name is Greta Kline) is an established veteran stemming from the 2010s indie scene, having cemented herself as a mainstay figure through many Bandcamp releases and later a string of proper studio albums. Last year, she continued her string of beloved albums with Inner World Peace.
Buzzy Lee
Parents: Steven Spielberg (director/writer/producer) and Kate Capshaw (actress)
For years now, Lee has been plugging away and really making a name for herself in the music scene with various releases over the past decade. She’s earned herself some big opportunities, too, like working with Nicolas Jaar as Just Friends, collaborating on multiple occasions with Jpegmafia, and opening for Haim on their 2022 tour.
Elijah Hewson
Father: Bono (U2 singer)
While they haven’t broken out in the US quite yet, Inhaler, the band led by Hewson, is a phenomenon overseas: Their debut album, 2021’s It Won’t Always Be Like This, topped the charts in the UK and Ireland. It’s also easy to hear the genealogy in Hewson’s voice and sounding like a young Bono certainly hasn’t hurt, especially with the band’s rock sound that also bears some stylistic similarities to ’80s U2.
