50 Dark Skinned Celebrities Who Are Truly Beloved By Everyone

Racial segregation has significantly lessened over the past few years, and attitudes toward those with skin tones “other than white” have also improved. This is not a natural process, but one that has occurred as a result of many people’s tireless efforts, particularly because many superstars with dark complexion have had their abilities recognized by the public. The list of famous people with dark complexion below includes those who have had significant social effects.

Key Takeaways

• Dark skin celebrities come from all over the world and have made a big impact in many different areas, like movies, music, sports, and politics.
• Many dark skin celebrities use their fame to help make the world a better place by fighting for fairness and equality for everyone.
• Dark skin celebrities sometimes face challenges in their careers because of the color of their skin, but they work hard to overcome these obstacles and achieve success.
• Despite the challenges they face, many dark skin celebrities are loved by people of all backgrounds because of their talent and hard work.
• Some of the most popular dark skin celebrities are actors like Lupita Nyong’o and Mahershala Ali, musicians like Beyoncé and Lizzo, and athletes like LeBron James and Serena Williams.
• These celebrities not only do great work in their jobs, but they also inspire people all over the world to follow their dreams and be themselves.
• Many dark skin celebrities also use their fame to help others by giving money and time to good causes.
• By celebrating dark skin celebrities, we can help show that everyone is beautiful in their own way, no matter what color their skin is.
• Even though things are getting better, there is still work to be done to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and equally.
• By looking up to dark skin celebrities, we can learn to be proud of who we are and help make the world a more beautiful and fair place for everyone.

1. Whitney Houston

Name	Whitney Elizabeth Houston
Date of birth	August 9, 1963
Nationality	American
Occupation	Singer, Actress

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey, U.S. on August 9, 1963. She is an American singer and actress. She was one of the best-selling musical performers of the 1980s and ’90s, with over 200 million recordings sold worldwide.Whitney Houston, the daughter of Emily (“Cissy”) Houston and the cousin of singer Dionne Warwick, started singing in church as a young kid. Her family’s vocal group, Sweet Inspirations, supported Aretha Franklin. 

She posed for fashion publications while still a high school student and sang backing vocals for Lou Rawls and Chaka Khan. When she was 19 years old, she signed with Arista Records, whose CEO, Clive Davis, prepared the gospel-based vocalist for success in the crossover pop genre. 

2. Pelé

Name	Edson Arantes do Nascimento
Date of birth	October 23, 1940
Nationality	Brazilian
Occupation	Professional footballer

Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born in Três Corações, Brazil on October 23, 1940. He is a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. He is considered as one of the all-time great players and is referred to as “the finest” by FIFA. He was among the most prosperous and well-known sports superstars of the 20th century. 

Pelé was chosen as the World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century award in 2000. Including friendly matches, he scored 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which is recognized as a Guinness World Record.

3. Michael Jackson

Name	Michael Joseph Jackson
Date of birth	August 29, 1958
Nationality	American
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist

Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, U.S on August 29, 1958. He is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. 

He is acknowledged as one of the most influential cultural leaders of the 20th century and is known as the “King of Pop.” His contributions to dance, fashion, music, and his publicized personal life over the course of a four-decade career elevated him to a universally recognized figure in popular culture. Jackson had an impact on musicians in a variety of musical genres. Through his stage and film appearances, he popularized difficult dance techniques like the robot and the moonwalk, to which he also gave their names. He has received the most awards in music history.

4. Oprah Winfrey

Name	Oprah Winfrey
Date of birth	January 29, 1954
Nationality	American
Occupation	Talk show host, Television Producer, Actress, Author, Philanthropist

Oprah Winfrey was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, U.S on January 29, 1954. She is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is most known for The Oprah Winfrey Program, a Chicago-based talk show that ran from 1986 to 2011 and was nationally syndicated for 25 years.

Throughout her career, Winfrey has received numerous honors, including 18 Daytime Emmy Awards, the Chairman’s Award for Lifetime Achievement, two Primetime Emmy Awards, the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, a Tony Award, a Peabody Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy Awards, and two more Academy Award nominations. In 2021, Winfrey was chosen to join the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

5. Michelle Obama 

Name	Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama
Date of birth	January 17, 1964
Nationality	American
Occupation	Attorney and author

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama was born in Chicago, Illinois, U.S on January 17th, 1964. She is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017.She is the third First Lady with a graduate degree and the third First Lady with legal expertise. 

She has established herself as a role model for women not just in America but all across the world as an educated, smart, and independent lady. She is a bright young lady who graduated from Harvard Law School after performing well in school. She was a successful lawyer when she met and wed Barack Obama, another lawyer, and she immediately juggled being a professional with being a wife and mother. 

6. Will Smith

Name	Willard Carroll Smith II
Date of birth	September 25, 1968
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor, producer and rapper

Willard Carroll Smith II  was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S on September 25, 1968. He is an American actor, producer and rapper. On the NBC series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith made his acting debut as a fictionalized version of himself.

Smith became more well-known as a leading actor in movies including the action movie Bad Boys, its sequels Bad Boys II and Bad Boys for Life, and the science fiction comedy Men in Black, Men in Black II, and Men in Black 3. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performances as Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness and Muhammad Ali in Ali. He is one of Hollywood’s most bankable actors with global box office receipts of more than $9.3 billion from his flicks.

7. Beyoncé

Name	Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter
Date of birth	September 4, 1981
Nationality	American
Occupation	Singer, Songwriter, Dancer

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter was born in Houston, Texas, U.S on September 4, 1981. She is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer.

Beyoncé is renowned for her avant-garde artistic vision and singing skills. She has acquired the moniker “Queen Bey” thanks to her fame and status as a cultural icon. With over 200 million albums sold globally, she is one of the best-selling recording artists ever. Her achievement during the 2000s was acknowledged with the Top Certified Artist of the Decade award from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Top Female Artist of the Decade title from Billboard. She is the first solo artist to have all seven of their studio albums enter the Billboard 200 at number one.

8. Rhianna

Name	Robyn Rihanna Fenty
Date of birth	February 20, 1988
Nationality	Barbadian
Occupation	Singer, Actress, Businesswoman

Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born in Saint Michael, Barbados on February 20, 1988. She is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman.

In response to Rihanna’s audition, American record producer Evan Rogers invited her to the country to make demo tapes. She quickly garnered popularity after joining Def Jam in 2005 when her first two studio albums, Music of the Sun and A Girl Like Me, were released. Both of these albums were influenced by Caribbean music and landed in the top 10 of the US Billboard 200 list.

Dance-pop elements were added into Rihanna’s third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, which solidified her position as a sex icon in the music business. Rihanna became a household name thanks to the number-one hit “Umbrella,” which also brought her her first Grammy Award.

9. Tyra Banks 

Name	Tyra Lynne Banks
Date of Birth	December 4, 1973
Nationality	American
Occupation	Television personality, model, producer, writer, actress, businesswoman

Tyra Lynne Banks was born in Inglewood, California, U.S on December 4, 1973. She is an American television personality, model, producer, writer, and actor. 

Banks made her cinematic debut in the drama Higher Learning after beginning her acting career on television in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Banks played supporting roles in the television programs Gossip Girl and Glee as well as the horror thriller Halloween: Resurrection and the romance sports drama Love & Basketball.

10. Morgan Freeman

Name	Morgan Freeman
Date of birth	June 1, 1937
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor, director, and narrator.

Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S on June 1, 1937. He is an American actor, director, and narrator. He is well-known for both his varied appearances in many different cinema genres and his recognizable deep voice. He has won several honors throughout a career spanning more than five decades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe Award. 

Freeman was selected to be a Kennedy Center Honoree at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in 2008. He was honored for his service to the film business with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2011.

11. Naomi Campbell

Name	Naomi Elaine Campbell
Date of birth	May 22, 1970
Nationality	English
Occupation	Model, Actress, Singer, Businesswoman

Naomi Elaine Campbell was born in London, England on May 22, 1970. She is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. When she started her career at age 15, she quickly became one of the most recognizable and in-demand models of the previous forty years. The fashion industry and the worldwide press designated six models from her generation as supermodels, including Campbell.

Campbell has pursued various endeavors in addition to her modeling career, including an R&B studio album and many acting roles in movies and television, including the modeling-competition reality show The Face and its worldwide spinoffs. Campbell also participates in charitable work for a variety of issues.

12. Halle Berry

Name	Halle Maria Berry
Date of birth	August 14, 1966
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress

Halle Maria Berry was born in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S on August 14, 1966. She is an American actress. 

She started out as a model and competed in various beauty pageants, placing first runner-up in the Miss USA competition and sixth in the Miss World competition in 1986. 

Alongside Eddie Murphy, she had her first major film role in the romantic comedy Boomerang. From there, she went on to appear in The Flintstones, Bulworth, and the television movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, for which she was nominated for both a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe.

13. Snoop Dogg

Name	Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.
Date of birth	October 20, 1971
Nationality	American
Occupation	Rapper

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. was born in Long Beach, California, U.S. on October 20, 1971. He is an American rapper. He first gained notoriety in 1992 when he appeared on Dr. Dre’s first solo single, “Deep Cover,” and then on his first solo album, The Chronic. Since then, Broadus has sold over 23 million records domestically and 35 million albums globally. 

Among his honors are an American Music Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and 17 Grammy Award nominations. Broadus has “an ultra-smooth, laidback delivery” and “flavor-filled melodic rhyming” according to Kool Moe Dee, who puts him No. 33 in his book There’s a God on the Mic.

14. Kylian Mbappé

Name	Kylian Mbappé Lottin
Date of birth	December 20, 1998
Nationality	French
Occupation	Professional footballer

Kylian Mbappé Lottin was born on December 20, 1998. He is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward. He is regarded as one of the top players in the world and is known for his quickness, dribbling skills, and finishing. 

With Monaco, where he won the Ligue 1 championship, Mbappé started his professional club career in 2015. Mbappé became the second-most expensive player and most expensive adolescent player in 2017 when, at the age of 18, he agreed to a €180 million permanent transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.

15. Michael Jordan

Name	Michael Bakari Jordan
Date of birth	February 17, 1963
Nationality	American
Occupation	Basketball player, Businessman

Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, U.S on February 17, 1963. He is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. “By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time,” reads his biography on the NBA website. 

He competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for fifteen seasons, earning six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan serves as the chairman and primary owner of 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series as well as the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. In the 1980s and 1990s, he played a key role in the NBA’s globalization and rose to fame as a global cultural hero.

16. Muhammad Ali

Name	Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr
Date of birth	January 17, 1942
Nationality	American
Occupation	Professional boxer and activist

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S on January 17, 1942. He is an American professional boxer and activist. He is known as “The Greatest” and is usually cited as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He is recognized as one of the most important sports figures of the 20th century. He received the Sportsman of the Century name from Sports Illustrated and Sports Personality of the Century name by the BBC in 1999, respectively.

At the age of twelve, he started amateur boxing training. At the 1960 Summer Olympics, he won the gold medal in the light heavyweight class at the age of 18, and later that year, he went a professional. He converted to Islam after 1961.

17. Kobe Bryant

Name	Kobe Bean Bryant
Date of birth	August 23, 1978
Nationality	American
Occupation	Professional basketball player

Kobe Bean Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 23, 1978. He is an American professional basketball player. He played shooting guard in the National Basketball Association with the Los Angeles Lakers for the entirety of his 20-year career (NBA). Bryant, who is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and scorers of all time, has won five NBA championships, been an 18-time All-Star, a member of the All-NBA Team 15 times, a member of the All-Defensive Team 12 times, was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2008, and has also won the NBA Finals MVP twice. 

Bryant also twice led the NBA in scoring and is fourth all-time in both regular season and postseason scoring for the league. In 2020, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame posthumously and in 2021, he was chosen for the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

18. Jada Pinkett Smith

Name	Jada Koren Pinkett Smith
Date of birth	September 18, 1971
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress, Talk Show Host

Jada Koren Pinkett Smith was born in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S on September 18, 1971. She is an American actress and talk show host. She co-hosts the Facebook Watch conversation show Red Table Talk, for which she has won a Daytime Emmy. Girls Hold Up This World, a children’s book she wrote and published, debuted at number two on The New York Times Best Sellers list. 

She has a production firm with her husband Will Smith, and she has produced work in movies, documentaries, and television shows. As a producer for the Broadway production of Fela! in 2010, she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical.

19. Keke Palmer

Name	Lauren Keyana Palmer
Date of birth	August 26, 1993
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor, director, and narrator.

Lauren Keyana Palmer was born in Harvey, Illinois, U.S on August 26, 1993. She is an American actress, singer and television personality. She has won several honors, including a Primetime Emmy Award, five NAACP Image Awards, and nominations for a Daytime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. 

She is well known for performing starring and character parts in comedic and dramatic shows. She was included among the most powerful persons in the world in 2019 by Time magazine.

20. Kerry Washington

Name	Kerry Marisa Washington
Date of birth	January 31, 1977
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress

Kerry Marisa Washington was born in New York City, U.S on January 31, 1977. She is an American actress. She is most recognized for her role as Scandal’s Olivia Pope, a crisis manager. In the 2016 television movie Confirmation, Washington played Anita Hill. 2019’s live reprise of Good Times earned her an Emmy Award nomination for best variety special for her leading performance. Washington appeared in the short-lived Hulu series Little Fires Everywhere as well. Washington is well-known for her roles in the movies Save the Last Dance, Ray, The Last King of Scotland and Django Unchained.

21. Idris Elba

Name	Idrissa Akuna Elba
Date of birth	September 6, 1972
Nationality	English
Occupation	Actor

Idrissa Akuna Elba was born in London, England on September 6, 1972. He is an English actor. He is well-known for his performances as Nelson Mandela in the historical movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Stringer Bell in the HBO series The Wire, and DCI John Luther in the BBC One series Luther. 

He graduated from the National Youth Theatre in London. He was nominated four times each for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for Luther, winning the latter.

22. The Weeknd

Name	Abel Makkonen Tesfaye
Date of birth	February 16, 1990
Nationality	Canadian
Occupation	Singer and songwriter

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on February 16, 1990.  He is a Canadian singer and songwriter. His music explores escapism, romanticism, and melancholy and is frequently influenced by personal experiences. He is known for his musical variety and gloomy poetry. 

Four Grammy Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 17 Juno Awards, six American Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award are just a few of the many honors he has garnered. He is the first artist to concurrently debut in the top three on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and “Blinding Lights” is regarded as the best Hot 100 single in Billboard history.

23. Alicia Keys

Name	Michael Bakari Jordan
Date of birth	January 25, 1981
Nationality	American
Occupation	Singer, Songwriter, Pianist.

Alicia Augello Cook was born in New York City on January 25, 1981. She is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist. Keys began writing songs when she was 12 years old, and Columbia Records signed her when she was 15. After disagreements with the company, she signed with Arista Records and then released her debut album, Songs in A Minor with J Records in 2001. 

Over 12 million copies of the album were sold worldwide as a result of its financial and critical success. Keys received five Grammy Awards in 2002 for the song, which gave birth to the number-one hit “Fallin'” on the Billboard Hot 100. The Diary of Alicia Keys, her second album, was similarly a critical and financial success, selling eight million copies worldwide and yielding the singles “You Don’t Know My Name,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” and “Diary.” She won four more Grammys for the album.

24. Michael B. Jordan

Name	Michael Bakari Jordan
Date of birth	February 9, 1987
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor

Michael Bakari Jordan was born in Santa Ana, California, U.S on February 9, 1987. He is an American actor. He is well-known for his appearances as the shooting victim Oscar Grant in the drama Fruitvale Station, the boxer Donnie Creed in Creed and Erik Killmonger in the Ryan Coogler, written and directed films Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 

Jordan returned to the Creed role in Creed II and played Killmonger in What If…? He is expected to feature in Creed III and make his directorial debut. AFC Bournemouth of the English Premier League is a team he co-owns.

25. Dapper Dan

Name	Daniel Day
Date of birth	August 8, 1944
Nationality	African American
Occupation	Fashion designer, Haberdasher

Daniel Day was born in New York City on August 8, 1944. He is an African American fashion designer and haberdasher. With clientele like Eric B. & Rakim, Salt-N-Pepa, LL Cool J, and Jay-Z over the years, his iconic business, Dapper Dan’s Boutique, existed from 1982 until 1992 and is best known for introducing high fashion to the hip hop community. 

He started a clothing line with Gucci in 2017, then in 2018 he created Dapper Dan’s of Harlem, a second store and atelier. The list of Time’s 100 Most Influential People for 2020 includes Dan.

26. Brandy Norwood

Name	Brandy Rayana Norwood
Date of birth	February 11, 1979
Nationality	American
Occupation	Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, Actress, Model

Brandy Rayana Norwood was born in McComb, Mississippi, U.S on February 11, 1979. She is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. She is known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre, voice-layering, and intricate riffs, which has earned her the title of “the Vocal Bible”. 

As of August 2020, she has sold over 40 million records worldwide, with approximately 8.62 million albums sold in the United States. Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award and an American Music Award.

27. Chris Rock

Name	Christopher Julius Rock
Date of birth	February 7, 1965
Nationality	American
Occupation	Stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker

Christopher Julius Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina, U.S on February 7, 1965. He is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Known for working in comic film, television and stage, he has received multiple accolades, including three Grammy Awards for best comedy album and four Primetime Emmy Awards also a Golden Globe Award nomination. 

On Comedy Central’s list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time, he came in at number five. In addition, he came in at number five on Rolling Stone’s list of the 50 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians Ever.

28. Bob Marley

Name	Robert Nesta Marley
Date of birth	February 6, 1945
Nationality	Jamaican
Occupation	singer, musician, and songwriter

Robert Nesta Marley was born in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Colony of Jamaica on February 6, 1945. He is a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. His musical career was distinguished by the fusion of reggae, ska, and rocksteady as well as his unique voice and compositional style. 

He is regarded as one of the pioneers of reggae. Marley’s contributions to music elevated Jamaican music’s profile internationally and cemented his place in modern popular culture. Marley developed a reputation as a Rastafari icon throughout the course of his career and incorporated spirituality into his songs. In addition, he is revered as a universal icon of Jamaican music, culture, and identity. He also stirred controversy with his open advocacy of democratic social changes.

29. Chanel Iman

Name	Robyn Lawley
Date of birth	December 1, 1990
Nationality	American
Occupation	Model, Actress

Chanel Iman Robinson was born on December 1, 1990 and is an American model best known for her work as a Victoria’s Secret Angel. Vogue Paris declared her as one of the top 30 models of the 2000s. Chanel has also appeared on the cover of publications such as Vogue Italia and Vogue Mexico. Chanel is a size 4/6 and is considered one of the most successful plus-size models in the industry.

Chanel has modeled for Victoria’s Secret and was chosen to appear on “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue” 2013, where she became one of the brand’s first plus-size models. In 2014, she reprised her role as a VS Angel for a second year. 

30. Denzel Washington

Name	Denzel Hayes Washington Jr.
Date of birth	December 28, 1954
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor, Director and Producer

Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. was born in Mount Vernon, New York on December 28th, 1954. He is an American actor and filmmaker. Washington began his acting career in theater, taking part in off-Broadway performances, including William Shakespeare’s Coriolanus in 1979. His role in the hospital drama St. Elsewhere helped him become well-known at first. 

He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in the Broadway revival of the August Wilson play Fences in 2010. Washington later directed, produced, and starred in the film adaptation in 2016, which was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Washington.

31. Gayle King 

Name	Gayle King
Date of birth	December 28, 1954
Nationality	American
Occupation	Television personality, Author, Broadcast journalist

Gayle King was born in Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S on December 28, 1954. She is an American television personality, author, and broadcast journalist. She worked for CBS News, co-hosting its flagship morning show, CBS Mornings, and before that, it’s CBS This Morning predecessor. She is also the editor-in-chief of O, The Oprah Magazine. King was reported in “100 Most Influential People of 2019”.  

32. John Legend 

Name	John Roger Stephens
Date of birth	December 28, 1978
Nationality	American
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer

John Roger Stephens was born in Springfield, Ohio, U.S on December 28th, 1978. He is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. Working behind the scenes, he contributed piano to Lauryn Hill’s “Everything Is Everything” and made uncredited guest appearances on Jay-“Encore” Z’s and Alicia Keys’s “You Don’t Know My Name” to start his musical career. 

His debut album, Get Lifted, reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. He then signed to Kanye West’s GOOD Music. At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, Legend received nine nominations, including those for the singles “So High” with Lauryn Hill and “Ordinary People,” the latter of which won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

33. LeBron James

Name	LeBron Raymone James Sr.
Date of birth	December 30, 1984
Nationality	American
Occupation	Professional basketball player

LeBron Raymone James Sr. was in Akron, Ohio, U.S on December 30th, 1984. He is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is known as “King James” and is frequently contrasted with Michael Jordan in discussions of the greatest basketball players ever. top of the line. James has won two Olympic gold medals, three All-Star MVP Awards, four NBA Finals MVP Awards, four NBA MVP Awards, and four NBA Championships.

In 2012, James, Carter and Paul Wachter invested less than $1 million in the Pasadena-based Blaze Pizza fast-food chain; Their investment grew to $25 million in 2017. James later became a spokesperson for the company and began appearing in commercials after his contract with McDonald’s ended.

34. LL Cool J

Name	James Todd Smith
Date of birth	January 14, 1968
Nationality	American
Occupation	Rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor

James Todd Smith was born in Bay Shore, Islip, New York, U.S on January 14th, 1968. He is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Along with fellow new school hip-hop artists Beastie Boys and Run-DMC, he was one of the first rappers to experience commercial success. Smith started rapping at the age of 10, influenced by the hip-hop group The Treacherous Three. LL Cool J, a two-time Grammy Award winner, is best known for his R&B hits like “Doin’ It,” “I Need Love,” “Around the Way Girl,” and “Hey Lover,” as well as hip hop songs like “Going Back to Cali,” “I’m Bad,” “The Boomin’ System,” “Rock the Bells,” and “Mama Said Knock You Out.” He was listed among the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” by VH1 in 2010. 

35. Gabby Douglas

Name	Gabrielle Christina Victoria Douglas
Date of birth	December 31, 1995
Nationality	American
Occupation	Artistic gymnast

Gabrielle Christina Victoria Douglas was born in Newport News, Virginia on December 31^st, 1995. She is an American artistic gymnast. She won the world all-around silver medal in 2015 and the Olympic all-around gold medal in 2012. She was a part of the gold-winning Olympic teams in 2012 and 2016, dubbed by the media the “Fierce Five” and the “Final Five,” respectively. She also competed on the American teams that won gold at the World Championships in 2011 and 2015.

Because of her achievements as a public figure, Douglas’ life story was adapted for the 2014 Lifetime biopic film The Gabby Douglas Story, and her own reality television series, Douglas Family Gold, was also purchased. Douglas has also written a book about her life and the perseverance and determination it takes to win an Olympic gold medal.

36. Ice Cube

Name	O’Shea Jackson Sr.
Date of birth	June 15, 1969
Nationality	American
Occupation	Rapper, Actor, Filmmaker

O’Shea Jackson Sr. was born in Los Angeles, California on June 15, 1969. He is an American rapper, actor, and filmmaker. His political rap solo albums AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, Death Certificate, and The Predator were well-received both critically and commercially. His lyrics on N.W.A’s 1988 album Straight Outta Compton helped gangsta rap gain widespread popularity. 

Since the early 1990s, he has also maintained a successful film career. As a member of N.W.A, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

37. Iman Abdulmajid

Name	Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid
Date of birth	July 25, 1955
Nationality	Somali
Occupation	Supermodel, Actress, Entrepreneur

Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid was born in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Trust Territory of Somaliland on July 25, 1955. She is a Somali supermodel, actress, and entrepreneur. She is known for her charity efforts in addition to being a model for designers Yves Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Gianni Versace, and Thierry Mugler. From 1992 until his passing in 2016, she was wed to rock star David Bowie. 

Iman has served as CARE’s first-ever Global Advocate since September 2019. In this capacity, she collaborates with CARE to further its purpose to build a society in which all people live with dignity and security. She presently works closely with the Children’s Defense Fund and is a spokesman for the Keep a Child Alive initiative.

38. Shaquille O’Neal

Name	Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal
Date of birth	March 6, 1972
Nationality	American
Occupation	Basketball player

Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal was born in Newark, New Jersey, U.S on March 6, 1972. He is an American former professional basketball player. O’Neal is among the best centers and basketball players of all time. His height is 7 feet 1 inches (2.16 meters), his weight is 325 pounds (147 kilograms), and he has won four NBA championships. He is a center. He represented six different teams throughout his 19-year NBA career. 

O’Neal is a former basketball player who has also put out four rap albums, the first of which, Shaq Diesel, was certified platinum. O’Neal also performs as a DJ and uses the stage name DIESEL to create electronic music.

39. Sean Combs

Name	Sean Love Combs
Date of birth	November 4, 1969
Nationality	American
Occupation	Rapper, Actor, Record Producer, Record Executive.

Sean Love Combs was born in New York City on November 4, 1969. He is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Before starting his own record company, Bad Boy Records, in 1993, he worked as a talent director at Uptown Records. The Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher are just a few of the talents that Combs has nurtured and developed.

Combs is the producer of MTV’s Making the Band and has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards. Forbes pegged his net worth at $1 billion in the year 2022. He started his own apparel company, Sean John, in 1998. He earned the 2004 Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Menswear Designer of the Year award after being nominated in 2000.

40. Kevin Hart

Name	Kelvin Hart
Date of birth	July 6, 1979
Nationality	American
Occupation	Comedian, Actor

Kevin Hart was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S on July 6, 1979. He is an actor and well-known as a stand-up comedian. Kelvin Hart had a difficult childhood because of his father’s cocaine addiction. His mother cares for the household by her single-handedly, which is the reason he always portrays her as a loving yet intimidating woman on the comedian stage. In the film actor and comedian career, Kelvin Hart had many awards like the “BET Award”, “MTV Movie Award”, “Billboard Touring Award”, “People Choice Award”,…

41. Tina Turner 

Name	Tina Turner
Date of Birth	November 26, 1939
Nationality	Swiss-American
Occupation	Singer, Dancer, Actress

Tina Turner was born in Brownsville, Tennessee, U.S on November 26, 1939. She is a retired Swiss-American singer and actress. 

Often referred to as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Prior to joining the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, she initially achieved prominence as a solo artist. Turner debuted professionally in 1957 with Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm.

She appeared on the television show “Boxtop” in 1958 as a vocalist by the name of Little Ann. The No. 1 duet “A Fool in Love and Precious” marked her solo debut as Tina Turner in 1960. As “one of history’s most respected live performances,” Ike and Tina Turner gained notoriety. They broke up in 1976 after enjoying success with songs including “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine,” “River Deep – Mountain High,” “Proud Mary,” and “Nutbush City Limits.”

42. Samuel L. Jackson 

Name	Samuel Leroy Jackson
Date of Birth	December 21, 1948
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor, producer

Samuel Leroy Jackson was born in Washington, D.C., U.S on December 21, 1948. He is an American actor and producer.

At The Public Theatre in 1980, Jackson made his professional acting debut in Mother Courage and Her Children, which launched his theatrical career. He performed Off-Broadway in A Soldier’s Story from 1981 to 1983 as Private Louis Henderson. In 1987 at the Yale Repertory Theatre, he also played Boy Willie in August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson for the first time.

He keeps both his Gabonese and American citizenship. Being one of the most well-known actors of his generation, he is the second-highest-grossing actor of all time thanks to his films, which have earned more than $27 billion globally. 

43. Uzo Aduba

Name	Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba
Date of birth	February 10, 1981
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress

Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba was born in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S on February 10, 1981. She is an American actress. She became well-known for her role as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black, for which she won three awards: two SAG Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series in 2014 and 2015; an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series; and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She is one of just two performers to get honors for the same part in both drama and comedy categories.

44. K’naan 

Name	Keinan Abdi Warsame
Date of birth	February 1, 1978
Nationality	Somali-Canadian
Occupation	Musician

Keinan Abdi Warsame was born in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia on February 1, 1978. He is a Somali-Canadian musician. 

He gained notoriety when Coca-Cola selected his song “Wavin’ Flag” as its advertising anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In addition to hip hop, K’naan’s music incorporates aspects of global music and Somali music. Additionally, he participates in several charitable endeavors.

He gained notoriety when Coca-Cola selected his song “Wavin’ Flag” as its advertising anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In addition to hip hop, K’naan’s music incorporates aspects of global music and Somali music. Additionally, he participates in several charitable endeavors.

45. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Name	Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor
Date of birth	April 16, 1947
Nationality	American
Occupation	Professional basketball player

Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. was born in Harlem, New York City, U.S on April 16, 1947. He is an American former professional basketball player. He participated in 20 NBA seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Abdul-Jabbar won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) a record six times in his career as a center. He was also a record 19-time All-Star, a member of the All-NBA Team 15 times, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. As a player, he was a part of six NBA championship teams, and as an assistant coach, he was a part of two more. He was twice selected as the NBA Finals MVP. He was selected on three NBA anniversary teams (35th, 50th, and 75th). He is recognized as one of the best players of all time and was dubbed the greatest basketball player of all time by Pat Riley, Isiah Thomas, and Julius Erving.

46. Jordin Sparks 

Name	Jordin Sparks-Thomas
Date of birth	December 22, 1989
Nationality	American
Occupation	Singer, Actress

Jordin Sparks-Thomas was born in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S on December 22nd, 1989. She is an American singer and actress. She gained notoriety in 2007 when, at the age of 17, she became the youngest winner of American Idol’s sixth season. Later that year, she released her self-titled first studio album, which went platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold more than two million copies globally. 

The singles “Tattoo” and “No Air” from the album reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100; the latter, which includes Chris Brown, is presently the third best-selling single by an American Idol finalist and has sold over three million digital downloads in the country. Sparks received his first Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for the song.

47. Kelly Rowland

Name	Kelendria Trene Rowland
Date of birth	February 11, 1981
Nationality	American
Occupation	Singer, Actress, Television personality

Kelendria Trene Rowland was born in Atlanta, Georgia on February 11, 1981. She is an American singer, actress, and television personality. As a member of Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, she gained notoriety in the late 1990s. 

Rowland’s debut solo studio album, Simply Deep, was released after the group’s three-year break and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. It has now sold over 3 million copies worldwide. It included the number-one single “Dilemma” (with Nelly) on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as the UK top-five successes “Stole” and “Can’t Nobody.” With leading parts in the popular movies Freddy vs. Jason and The Seat Filler, Rowland has dabbled in acting.

48. Megan Thee Stallion

Name	Megan Jovon Ruth Pete
Date of birth	February 15, 1995
Nationality	American
Occupation	Rapper

Megan Jovon Ruth Pete was born in San Antonio, Texas on February 15, 1995. She is an American rapper. She originally came to public recognition when Instagram and other social media sites saw a spike in demand for videos of her freestyling. In 2018, Megan Thee Stallion joined 300 Entertainment, where she released the extended play Suga and mixtape Fever, both of which debuted in the top 10 on the Billboard 200. 

She received positive reviews for her debut studio album Good News, which made multiple year-end best album lists. With the remix of her song “Savage” (with Beyoncé) and her appearance on Cardi B’s track “WAP,” she achieved her first and second number-one songs on the US Billboard Hot 100; the latter was also her first number-one on the Billboard Global 200 chart.

49. Mary J. Blige

Name	Mary Jane Blige
Date of birth	January 11, 1971
Nationality	American
Occupation	Singer, Songwriter, Actress

Mary Jane Blige was born in The Bronx, New York City on January 11th, 1971. She is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. When founder Andre Harrell decided to sign her to Uptown Records in 1988, her career officially got underway. Blige then began background vocal work for other artists on the label such as Father MC and Jeff Redd. 

Often referred to as the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” and “Queen of R&B”, Blige has received nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Awards, twelve NAACP Image Awards, and twelve Billboard Music Awards. 

50. Halima Aden

Name	Halima Aden
Date of birth	September 19, 1997
Nationality	Somali and American
Occupation	Model

Halima Aden was born on September 19, 1997. She is a Somali-American fashion model. She is the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant, a semi-finalist. Following her participation in the pageant, Halima received national attention and was signed to IMG Models. She was also the first model to wear a hijab and burkini in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

In November 2016, Halima joined the cast of NBC’s reality competition show America’s Got Talent, the 13th season of the show, where contestants perform in a series of one- or two-minute challenges, with a panel of judges determining which contestant will advance to the final round. Halima symbolizes feminism and liberation. She represents strength and confidence for Muslim women all around the world. In August 2017, Halima walked in New York Fashion Week.

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