Here’s a Monday morning quiz: How many albums do you own by William Bailey, Christopher Bridges, Aliuane Badara Thiam, and John Anthony Gillis? If you think the answer is “none” then think again, because Gigwise has exposed the real names of a selection of musicians, and has also taken a look at the reasons behind their chosen nom de plumes.

So if you want to know why plain old Arnold Dorsey became Engelbert Humperdinck (yes, he actually chose that name) or how Ja Rule’s religious upbringing influenced his name choice, then click here for a full explanation. I wonder if Ice T would have made it big if he’d stuck with Tracy Marrow? “Cop Killer” by Tracy Marrow just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

PS The four names listed in the first paragraph respectively belong to W. Axl Rose, Ludacris, Akon,and Jack White.