Origins Of Your Favorite Band Names

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Before they were “Missing You,” they were Forte.  The group first met in high school, and decided to blend vocal melodies.  However, as they got older, exchanged some members of the band for others, they met Sean Combs and did an audition for him in front of the Atlanta club 112.

After a second audition, they were signed to the Bad Boy roster and took on the name of the club where they had their first audition.

Left Eye

In middle school, when I asked a friend why Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopez took on that particular moniker, she told me that in an interview her answer was:  “Because I is right.”  Then, she looked at me with shock when I still didn’t get it.

Anywhoo…

When TLC was first formed and they took the first initials of the founding members’ names (Tionne, Lisa, and Crystal).  But, after Crystal left and Rozonda took on the nickname “Chilli,” Lisa took a compliment a man gave her who pointed out that her left eye was more shapely than the right.  Therefore, taking the name “Left Eye” to start off her musical legacy.

Wu-Tang Clan

Heralded as one of the best rap groups of all time, the Wu-Tang Clan made major waves in the rap and hip hop industry by being original and by having enviable lyrical content.

When RZA and ODB first started compiling the group, they took the name from the Kung Fu film Shaolin and Wu Tang.

They even included sections of the English dub version of the film in their debut album “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)”

Black Eyed Peas

Sometimes a name can be two-fold and that was the case for the Black Eyed Peas.

When Will. I. Am first came up with the name that would rule over music charts he wanted a name that represented nourishment, and he took a cue from one of his favorite bands The Red Hot Chili Peppers and came up with the Black-Eyed Peas.

A$AP Mob

If you notice, all of the members have A$AP before their rap names, and there’s a reason why.  A$AP is actually an acronym of the principles that the group was founded on:  Always Strive And Prosper.

Dru Hill

The fellas of Dru Hill hailed from Baltimore, and when looking for a name for their group, Island Records suggested that they changed their name to reflect their former stomping grounds.  The group chose popular West side of Baltimore park Druid Hill Park, and spelled the name for the group the way it’s typically pronounced with the Baltimore accent.

Nokio

Speaking of Dru Hill, did you realize that Nokio was actually an acronym?  It stands for:  Nasty On Key In Octave.

Earth Wind & Fire

There’s a reason why Maurice White chose those particular elements.  While doing research on his astrological sign, Sagittarius, he discovered that it was a fire sign.  Through that, he discovered the other complimentary seasonal elements were wind and fire.  Thus:  Earth Wind & Fire.

KRS-One

Also known as “The Teacha,” KRS-One has built a reputation of being observant to those around him.   So when, government named Lawrence Parker, first became aware of the Hare Krishna religion, people started teasing him by calling him “Krishna.” Not be blasphemous, he dropped the I-H-N-A, and added the “One” when he started tagging in the graffiti scene.

The Fugees

Regardless of whether you were “Ready or Not,” The Fugees took the music world by storm in the 90s with their lyrics and melodies.  But their social awareness wasn’t limited to musical forms.  According to a 1996 Rolling Stone interview, they chose their group’s name based on the derogatory term “refugees” that people tend to unfairly put on Haitian-Americans to make people more aware of it.