Page "Pseudonym" Paragraph 32

In most cases, a hip-hop artist prefers to use a pseudonym that represents some variation of their name, personality, or interests.

Prime examples include Ol ' Dirty Bastard ( who was known under at least six aliases ), Diddy ( formerly known as P. Diddy and Puff Daddy ), Ludacris, Flo Rida ( his name is a tribute to his home state, Florida ), LL Cool J, and Chingy.

Black metal artists also adopt pseudonyms, usually symbolizing dark values, such as Nocturno Culto, Gaahl, Abbath, and Silenoz.

In punk and hardcore punk, singers and band members often replace their real names with " tougher "- sounding stage names, such as Sid Vicious ( real name John Simon Ritchie ) of the late 1970s band Sex Pistols and " Rat " of the early 1980s band The Varukers and the 2000s re-formation of Discharge.

Sid Vicious, however, did not truly take his name to seem tough but rather because he was anything but Vicious ( several sources have indicated that Sid himself hated this nickname ).

Punk rock band The Ramones also had every member take the last name of Ramone.

Rob Crow of the rock band Goblin Cock chose to go by the name " Lord Phallus " during the release of the band's albums.

A similar practice occurred in hardcore with musicians taking the names of their bands, like Kevin Seconds of 7 Seconds and Ray Cappo of Youth of Today who, for a while, billed himself as Ray of Today.

The Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp's pseudonym for their Back to Mine album was Emmanuel Splice.