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Sarah Vaughan - This jazz legend spent her childhood in Newark, where she sang in the local choir and became active in the vibrant music scene before finding fame across the river at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York.(Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Dionne Warwick - This daughter of a record promoter and a gospel singer hails from the diverse, middle-class neighborhood of East Orange. She spent her early years touring around the Garden State with her musical family before she went on to become one of the most charted female vocalists in history.(Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Dionne Warwick)

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Queen Latifah - Born Dana Elaine Owens in East Orange and raised in Newark, Queen Latifah quickly became the leading lady of the East Coast hip hop scene of the 1990s. She even recorded the song "Jersey" (which was featured in the film New Jersey Drive) and in June 2011 was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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Whitney Houston - Like her cousin Dionne Warwick, Whitney got her start in Newark's gospel choir scene.  With the guidance of mother Cissy Houston and godmother Aretha Franklin, Houston made her professional debut at the age of 14. The rest is history.(Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

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Christina Milian - Born to Cuban parents in Jersey City, Christina moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career at the age of 13. Milian stumbled into a succesful recording career, but a starring role opposite Nick Cannon in Love Don't Cost a Thing proved this Jersey girl can have the best of both worlds.(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Cirque du Soleil)

Photo By Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Cirque du Soleil

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Redman - This former Def Squad member was born in Newark and first made his mark on EPMD's 1990 album Business as Usual. He went on to record solo albums before embarking on a career-defining partnership with childhood friend Method Man. Meth and Red released two albums and starred in the stoner comedy How High.(Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

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Treach, Vin Rock and DJ Kay Gee (Naughty by Nature) - Hip hop's anthem kings came together in "Illtown," also known as East Orange, NJ, in the 1980s under the name New Style, and were mentored by fellow Jersey native Queen Latifah. After a name change, the trio — now known as Naughty by Nature — achieved both success on the pop charts and credibility on the streets.(Photo: Joe Kohen/Getty Images)

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Ice-T - This pioneer of West Coast rap was actually born in Newark and raised in Summit, New Jersey. At the age of 12, T moved to Southern California and after a tough decade of crime and gang involvement, the MC channeled his energy into the creation of gangsta rap and turned it into a mainstream phenomenon.(Photo: Evan Agostini/PictureGroup)

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Lauryn Hill - One of soul's most gifted and controversial artists, Hill was born to middle class parents in South Orange and met her future Fugees members Pras and Wyclef Jean in high school. After huge success, Hill famously dropped out of the spotlight in the early 2000s, reportedly returning to her hometown to raise her children.(Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images for Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame)

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Faith Evans - Though she was born in Florida, this singer spent her formative years in Newark, where she sang with jazz bands and entered pageants. Evans was signed to Bad Boy Records in 1994 and met her husband the Notorious B.I.G. at a photo shoot for the record label later that year.(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Wyclef Jean - Though Haiti is in his blood, New Jersey is on Wyclef's driver's license. The recording artist-turned-activist moved to the Garden State at the age of nine, and in high school was introduced to Lauryn Hill by his cousin Pras. Wyclef ultimately returned to Jersey to make his nest in the posh Saddle River area of the state.(Photo: Ben Rose/PictureGroup)

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Rah Digga - Before she became the first lady of Flipmode, Rah Digga studied electrical engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology. She quit engineering to pursue a career in music — a gamble that clearly paid off — but still resides in Newark, where she was born.(Photo: Terrence Jennings/Picturegroup)

Photo By Photo: Terrence Jennings/Picturegroup

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Shaquille O'Neal - Though he was welcomed on basketball courts from Orlando to Boston, Shaq will always have Jersey in his heart. The Newark-born baller credits the Boys and Girls Club of America in his hometown for keeping him off the streets and nurturing his dreams of athletic stardom.(Photo: AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

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Tasha Smith - Born in Camden, Smith overcame a very tough early life before she found God — and Tyler Perry. Smith has appeared in several of Perry's films, including Daddy's Little Girls and Why Did I Get Married? and even launched her own acting school.(Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

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Wendy Williams - The self-proclaimed Queen of All Media spent her childhood years on the Jersey shore, where she was born and raised. After a stint at college in Boston, Williams moved to New York where she started her radio career and currently records her hit daytime talk show.(Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images

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Michelle Rodriguez - This actress practiced her tough girl act on the streets of Jersey City, where she spent her high school years. It paid off when she landed her breakthrough role in Girlfight, and Michelle has used her Jersey edge in nearly every role since.(Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

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Malcolm-Jamal Warner - America saw him grow up in a Brooklyn brownstone, but this Cosby Show star spent his early years in Jersey City. Now all grown up, Warner directs for television and stars in BET's Reed Between the Lines.(Photo: John Ricard/BET)

Photo By Photo: John Ricard / BET

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Gloria Gaynor - Though it flourished in New York in the 1970s, disco was actually born in Newark. The "I Will Survive" singer was awarded the only Grammy Award ever for Best Disco Recording in 1980, just as the genre took its last breath.(Photo: Nick Laham/Getty Images)