Stars & Bars Volume 1: Gemini Season
As Gemini Season comes to a close, let’s pause to explore some of the many rappers who were born under this sign.
“Your horoscope is a Gemini, 2 sides / So you better cop everything two times”
—Kendrick Lamar
This past Wednesday (June 17th) K-Dot turned 39, June 16th was Tupac’s 55th, Ice Cube turned 57 on the 15th, and on the 14th, Freddie Gibbs and Gunna celebrated another year around the sun. It’s no coincidence all these GOATed emcees are ♊️Gemini 🔆Suns. Gemini placements are known to inspire quick thinking, clever word play, and inventive language. In short: lyrical greatness.
Gemini is the 3rd sign in the Zodiac year, occurring in between Taurus and Cancer (click HERE to see a breakdown of all 12 astrological signs). According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Gemini “is renowned for its adaptability, curiosity, and thirst for knowledge.” Geminis are the storytellers of the Zodiac.
People born between May 21st and June 21st were born when the sun is aligned with the constellation Gemini. Depending on their birth date, time, and birthplace, anyone can have Gemini placements in other parts of their natal chart.
As Gemini Season comes to a close, let’s pause to explore some of the many rappers who were born under this sign.
Who are the Gemini rappers?
In the table below, you’ll find 44 notable Gemini emcees:
^ I’ve also included each rapper’s Mercury placement, because Mercury rules Gemini *AND* Mercury is the planet that informs communication and everyday expression in everyone’s birth chart.
What does Mercury influence?
Gemini is ruled by the planet Mercury, the 3rd house ruler of communication, persuasion, and verbal dexterity. Known for their mental acuity, they grasp concepts fast and can think on their feet.
There are an unusual amount of rappers who have both Gemini Sun *and* Gemini Mercury—essentially stacking them with bars on bars.
According to post-colonial astrologer Alice Sparkly Kat, Gemini is “the quick witted and always edgy place where Mercury feels most at home … Good teachers love Mercury in Gemini because they ask all of the good questions and bad teachers hate Mercury in Gemini for the same reason.”
In his 2008 track “The Gemini,” Kendrick implores the listener to: “Just call me K-Dot the Gemini / you don’t know if I might smile or might cry,” alluding to his natal sign’s mercurial nature.
Gemini has big trickster energy.
The stuff of myths and legends, Geminis are adaptable, resourceful, and lucky. In a piece titled “Gemini, the Buzzing Winged Trickster,” animist storyteller Gizem Gizegen notes:
“Gemini is the messenger, the magician, the pollinator, the trickster, the mischief-maker, the journalist, the reporter, the salesperson, the thief, the comedian, the jester, the orator, the scribe, the psychopomp, the eternal-child, peter pan, tinkerbell…”
The twins are experienced court jesters, expert at working a room to get their message across. They can deflect, deceive, beguile, and move in stealth (like when Raven steals light to give to the world). They can outsmart their opponents (like when Anansi and Brer Rabbit use wit to outfox the brawnier animals). And they can figure out what’s needed to strike a compromise (like when the twins’ namesakes, Castor and Pollux, got Zeus to allow them to share immortality).
Gemini Charisma
Geminis make good rappers because they’re strong lyricists and creative storytellers. They’re curious, witty, charismatic, and can think on their feet.
As the first mutable sign on the Zodiac wheel, this air sign is known for being able to fit in with any crowd, manage stress without letting others know they’re pressed, and come up with clever retorts on the fly. This quick wit makes Gemini a formidable battle rapper.
With his Sun and Mercury in Gemini, MC Jin is considered one of the greatest to ever do it. Click the video below to watch a clip that demonstrates his agility and word play.
Gemini can sell you the beach house in Idaho, and you will have enjoyed yourself the whole time. They have a level of magnetism that rivals that of their cosmic cousins Libra - an “it-factor,” if you will.
Knowledge Reigns Supreme
Gemini may not be well-versed in every single area, but they do know at least a little bit about almost any topic. Their currency is knowledge, so they collect little pieces of information wherever they go. And they’re naturally observant, so they pick up on a lot!
In her book Astrology for Real Relationships, Jessica Lanyadoo points out that while the “Twin Stars have a reputation for being duplicitous … they can usually see all angles of a thing, and whatever truth they’re looking at in the moment can seem like the most important one.”
In a collection of essays titled Gemini: An Extended Autobiographical Statement of My First Twenty-Five Years of Being a Black Poet, Nikki Giovanni states:
“Facts are only tools to gain control over yourself and other people.”
Geminis understand this. They take in info rapidly and adapt readily. A Gemini will change their opinions and beliefs to reflect up-to-date facts. Don’t expect an announcement though - Gemini will expertly spin it so the focus is on the new idea, not the fact they were wrong as recently as 1 minute ago. That was in the past - now we on an ultralight beam. Keep up!
Gemini gets restless easily. They’re extremely curious and need room to explore. The world is their classroom.
If you have a Gemini in your life, just know they may need (in no particular order):
novelty, variety, WiFi
intellectual stimulation
storytelling, archives, freedom of speech
the WiFi password
wordplay, a good book, banter
opt-out clauses
to know “who all gonna be there”
The Twin Sign & Duality
According to Cafe Astrology, “Geminis are said to have a dual nature, as symbolized by twins. This duality also represents exchange and interaction.”
Did you know fellow Geminis 2Pac and Left Eye Lopes had a few notable interactions? Click the video below to hear her tell it:
Pac and Left Eye were apparently mirrors for one another, to an uncanny extent. This makes sense because Gemini “provides the ability to know and understand reality,” astrologer Jessica Davidson explains - “if Aries stands for the subject and Taurus stands for the object, then Gemini is the relationship between these two…the knower and the known giving rise to a third: knowledge itself.”
Knowledge is conveyed through the written and spoken word. The twins know you can’t have a conversation without at least 2 people. So it’s no surprise many of our fav Gemini rappers are part of a duo.
Prodigy + Havoc
Havoc is a Gemini Sun and Mercury. While Prodigy is a Scorpio Sun with a Gemini Moon.
Issa Gold + AKTHESAVIOR
AK is both a Gemini Sun and Mercury. Together with Issa Gold, the Flatbush, Brooklyn rappers form The Underachievers. The duo is know for their cerebral lyrics and psychedelic mysticism.
Big Boi + André 3000
One of the most notable astro rap duos has to be that of Gemini André 3000 and Big Boi, his Aquarian co-pilot. Together, they form the iconic Aquemini.
With a reputation for changing their minds, it’s common knowledge that Geminis can have 2 sides. Astrologer Chani Nichols notes, “Gemini people can appear to be everywhere and nowhere at once.” Loved ones lament that Gemini is flaking out or switching up.
The twins can get a bad rap for having a “Jekyll and Hyde” aspect to their personality, too. It’s not uncommon to hear people say that they can’t predict which “side” of a Gemini will show up.
Having 2 Sides ≠ Being Bipolar
Pop astrology and psychology often equates being a Gemini with the experience of being bipolar - to the point either term can be lazily used as synonyms for “erratic behavior.” 2 Gemini rappers often pathologized in this way are Kanye West and Azealia Banks. Both have confirmed their respective BP diagnoses.
Regardless of inflammatory speech or problematic ideologies espoused by West and Banks, BP is a real disorder and the stigma facing people who have BP is real. According to psychologist Kevin Cokley, Ph.D.:
“There is no doubt that his bipolar disorder has greatly contributed to [Kanye’s] past and current difficulties. However, there is something much deeper going on that Eurocentric paradigms of mental health cannot explain.
For years, Black psychologists grounded in Afrocentric psychology have argued that mental health and wellness for Black people should be considered within the context of their culture [and] should be culturally and racially self-affirming.”
This is something Chicken Grease editor Walela Nehanda explores in their recent essay maniq: notes on blk mania. Nehanda, who coined the term maniq, explains:
“blk* surreal mania is a different experience for Black people, that doesn’t adhere to the typical presentations of “mania” in Western pathology. To be maniq is to be so full of sound, in another plane, it enters the mystical which is a contradictory backdrop to the current conditions we are required to endure.”
Gemini rapper Remy Ma can’t seem to shake the bipolar label - both from her haters, and even some of her own fans.
While Remy has clarified she does not have bipolar disorder, she shared that she suffers from PTSD in a 2017 Fader interview, stating:
“I really went through a traumatic experience. Almost a decade of my life was consumed by the prison system…I don’t think I’m going to forget any of the things I went through…when you’re in there seven years you get to hear so many different stories, and it’s disgusting the way this country operates off the prison system. We have the most people incarcerated out of every country in the entire world.”
Also heavily impacted by the prison system, Tupac Shakur is another Gemini who famously embodied many archetypes and contradictions.
There’s 2Pac: the rapper, “thug,” and outlaw and then there’s Tupac Shakur: the acclaimed actor, poet, and revolutionary.
Click the still below to watch Tupac talk about his 2 different sides:
Exploring Gemini Placements in the Birth Chart
Tupac’s chart reveals a Gemini stellium (when you have 4 or more placements in one sign).
If you look at Tupac’s natal chart, you can see that his Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Midheaven are all in Gemini.
Having a Gemini Midheaven is like being destined to be a professor, rapper or lawyer; your life purpose is literally to communicate. LL Cool J, Heavy D, Royce da 5’9, and Isaiah Rashad all have this placement, too.
At 29°45, Pac’s Taurus Saturn is so close to Gemini that it’s conjunct. Any placement on 29° of a sign is considered an anaretic degree, meaning you are on the very last lesson from this sign before moving onto the next. Having an anaretic placement somewhere means that part of your chart may feel incredibly supercharged with meaning. Because Saturn rules limitations, delays, and karmic cycles, people with Saturn at this critical degree, like Tupac, are often known as “old souls.”
Emily, co-host of the astrology podcast Two Mutables in a Pod, explains that 29° Saturn “is often referred to as the degree of fate,” and may center on “finales, endings, decisions, and culminations.” She also notes that a person with this Saturn placement may find they need to make a critical decision before they can let go of old karmic cycles.
Sometimes Gemini energy is expressed through other celestial placements in your chart. For example, rappers Slick Rick, KRS-One, Prodigy, Murs, Future, DJ Quik, and 50 Cent all have Gemini moons. 50 has that illustrious Gem Mercury placement, too, as does Lil’ Kim.
Your favorite rappers’ rappers are also just as likely to have prominent Virgo, Aquarius, or Libra placements. Virgo is also a mutable sign (meaning they can readily adapt) and is also ruled by the communication planet of Mercury. With their sharp tongue, analytic mind, and resourceful storytelling at the drop of a dime, Virgos def have enviable rap skills.
Aquarius and Libra are Gemini’s sister air signs. And like Gemini, Librans and Aquarians are master linguists and deep thinkers.
Aquarian Megan Thee Stallion has a prominent Gemini Lilith placement, in her 1st house. 2Pac also had Lilith in his 1st house.
Black Moon Lilith represents rebellion, repressed energy, and the dark feminine. According to the astrology of Dawn Bodrogi, “There is a quality that comes off people with this placement—a charged, electric, slightly dangerous quality that others feel before they can name it. Sometimes this produces fascination. Sometimes it produces the instinct to control or suppress.”
More Gemini Traits
According to Rosec Jewels, Gemini’s weaknesses are: being prone to indecisiveness, inconsistency, nervous energy, and gossip.
But they’re also hilarious. And stylish.
Watch this clip for Jada’s take on the best Gemini rappers:
Gemini is also an expert escape artist. If they know the function might be boring, expect a non-committal RSVP (and an even vaguer ETA). They’ll probably show up fashionably late.
Geminis are here for a good time, not a long time. If they absolutely have to, they’ll make an appearance, but they’re approaching the event like they’re conducting an anthropological study. They’ll gather gossip data. They’ll make pilgrimages to the bathroom. And they’ll wander outside to smoke.
Do you have a friend who’s perfected the “Irish goodbye?” Chances are, that friend may have prominent Gem placements.
The Twins are also known to be evasive when facing a conflict - in fact, they will likely do whatever they can to ignore the problem, go around it, or even use humor as a strategy. When all else fails to solve the issue, they’ll turn to negotiating, using their silver tongues to charm the opposition. Geminis don’t have enemies; just potential allies. They can use their quick wit to win almost any argument.
But that doesn’t mean they won’t fight!
Gemini Evolution
Gemini will never stay in a situation that’s no longer serving. They won’t remain stagnant and cannot stand being bored. Just consider how many Gemini rappers have repeatedly evolved their image or sound.
Gemini artists like Kendrick, 2Pac, Ye, and André 3000 are known to reinvent themselves, going through several iterations of rap personas, name changes, fashion and iconography, and even political ideology. They’ve also shifted their approach to creating, recording, and performing.
Krayzie Bone’s “Flow Motion” verse is the perfect example of how innovative Gemini can be.
While trying to keep his mind occupied in prison, Krayzie started analyzing the flow of the legendary Big Daddy Kane. Kane would periodically flip the flow to a faster, more intense cadence, before returning to his typically laid back, smooth style. Krayzie wondered what it would be like if someone rapped like that for an entire verse.
Realizing it would be “the coldest shit ever,” he got inspired to write it himself. He had to borrow a pen and literally write it on toilet paper, but he got it down. That was the verse he spit for Eazy-E, and the group’s signature flow was what ultimately got Bone Thugs signed to Ruthless.
Being fluid and flexible are Gemini superpowers. It means they don’t stay stuck. Like fellow spring sign Aries, they can adapt to new realities quickly, and, like fellow air sign Aquarius, they can innovate and push the culture forward.
From the Archive: Gemini Ancestors and Elders
To keep with Chicken Grease’s theme of honoring the music that came before, lets pay our respects to some hip hop ancestors. Whether they rapped ahead of their time, made songs that are frequently sampled, or had a hand in producing the music directly, each of these pioneers have influenced the culture.
Sending gratitude and endless flowers to these legendary twins (some of whom are still with us today!):
Patti LaBelle (born on 5/24) has a Gemini stellium; her Sun, Moon, Saturn, and Uranus are all in Gemini.
Miles Davis (5/26) has a Gemini Sun
Gladys Knight (5/28) has a Gemini Sun, Saturn, and Uranus
Sylvia Robinson (5/29) is a Gemini Sun and Mercury
Josephine Baker has a Gemini stellium consisting of her Sun, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto and Curtis Mayfield has a Gemini stellium of Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Lilith. Both of these legends were born on June 3rd
Prince has Gemini Sun and Mercury, Gwendolyn Brooks has Gemini Sun and Venus, and Nikki Giovanni has Gemini Sun, Saturn, and Uranus. All 3 share a June 7th born day
Lionel Richie (6/20) has Gemini Sun, Mercury, and Mars
There’s a direct through-line between Miles Davis’ on-stage antics, to Prince’s unrivaled performance prowess, to the braggadocios showmanship we see in today’s emcees commanding a crowd. In the 1920’s, Josephine Baker was known for her sharp wit, transgressive dances, provocative outfits, open bisexuality, and for her ability to use men’s overconfidence against them. Sound like any 2020’s rappers we know today?
Gwendolyn Brooks penned proto-rap classics like “We Real Cool,” a poem with its own breakbeat. With its effortlessly smooth rhythm, nonchalant attitude, and repetitive, stripped-down language delivered staccato style, you could trace a direct line from Brooks’ 1950’s poem to almost any Migos track.
Sylvia Robinson was a singer, recording artist, and co-founder of pioneering hip hop label Sugar Hill Records. She was famously going broke when she got the idea to assemble the necessary ingredients for a hip hop record. Or, as she tells it:
“All of a sudden, a voice said to me, if you put a concept like that on wax you’ll be out of all that trouble you’re in”
Sylvia produced 2 of the earliest recorded hip hop songs: “Rappers Delight” and “The Message.” Innovative and forward-thinking, she was the first person to release a commercially successful hip hop record.
Geminis are bridges: they relate two seemingly different concepts or styles. The Gemini elders listed above have each served as connectors—between Rap and The Blues, between free-styling and Jazz, between catchy hooks and Gospel’s call and response. The breaks from a DJ set mirror the get down in a funk or soul song. And the role of hip hop as counter-culture echos the early days of rock and roll, another Black American-originated music form. All these seemingly different genres are constantly being remixed into something new. And Geminis were at the forefront of so many of those sonic revolutions.
Final Thoughts
Geminis are the embodiment of dialectics. They express themselves through blending opposing ideas, in ways no one has quite put into words. They are comfortable straddling that line between dark and light, push and pull, yin and yang, mortal and immortal, wicked and good.
One thing’s for sure: Gemini won’t allow themselves to be pigeonholed as just one thing.
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