Writer and singer Lana Del Rey is most known for her hit songs "Video Games," "Summertime Sadness," and "Born to Die," among others. What sets this beauty apart from other artists is her soulful voice and vintage-style music and filmography. She is the perfect combination of modernity and someone from the '50s. She joins different eras in such a relatable and understanding way that other artists haven't been able to master. And that's exactly why Lana is where she is today.

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With millions of singles sold, we're taking a closer look at the real Lana Del Rey. Read along to find out 10 things fans didn't know about this legendary musician.

10 LIZZY GRANT X LANA DEL REY

Lana Del Rey was born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant. Raised in Lake Placid, New York, Lana didn't begin her music career until the early 2000s. Once she realized she had a real talent for being musical, she chose a variety of stage names to accompany her new image.

Starting off as Lizzy Grant, she opted for something unattached to her birth name. Before deciding on Lana Del Rey, she was known as May Jailer and even Sparkle Jump Rope Queen. She finally landed on "Lana" from famed Hollywood icon, Lana Truner, and "Del Rey" from the Ford Del Rey, which reminded her of her time in Miami. Together, her new name Lana Del Rey shaped her music.

9 HER FIRST RECORD DEAL WAS FOR $10,000

With someone as talented and insightful and artistic as Lana Del Rey, one would assume her first record deal would be in the six-figure range. But that wasn't the case for this "Ultraviolence" singer. She signed her first record deal with 5 Points Records for $50,000.

With the money, she moved to a trailer park and focused on making it in the music world. However, there are rumors swirling around out there that she only signed for $10,000, which doesn't seem to match the talent.

8 SHE ATTENDED FORDHAM UNIVERSITY

After listening to Lana's songs and interviews, it doesn't take long to realize she's well-educated and knows what she's talking about. She's a deep thinker who seems to see the world in a different way that most artists can relate to.

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Before making it big, Del Rey graduated from Kent School (a private school), she enrolled in the Bronx's Fordham University. She later received her degree in—not music or theater but—metaphysics. Combining her fascination with God and modern-day living drove her passion for metaphysics.

7 JUST BECAUSE HER SONGS CAN BE SAD DOENS'T MEAN SHE IS

Perhaps sad is the wrong word... Lana's music can be, at times, harrowing. Her lyrics can be so deep and tragic that it makes listeners feel like they're going through the same thing. But that's the beauty of Lana's work.

But just because her lyrics can seem dark doesn't mean she lives in a dark cloud. Lana keeps herself happy and healthy by being by the ocean, going for a long drive, and seeing live shows. She's a romantic at heart and desires a calm environment.

6 HER DAD IS A SELF-MADE MILLIONAIRE

Lana may be rolling in dough these days (she has a net worth of $18 million) but while she was growing up, it was her dad who was rolling in the dough. As the National Post wrote, her father is a "successful domain investor" and that he's an "innovator."

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Due to her father's success and her wealthy upbringing, there are rumors that her father actually bought her way to the top. But as Lana and her producers have said multiple times, that just isn't the case.

5 SHE SIGNED WITH NEXT MODEL MANAGEMENT

Lana seems to have it all. She's an incredibly talented singer, songwriter, videographer (more on this later), and she has the good looks of becoming a model. Back in 2012 when Lana was making it big, she was signed with Next Model Management's talent area.

She's performed at fashion shows, sits front row, and she's been represented by designers like "Moschino and Prabal Gurung."

4 TATTED AND CLASSY

Lana Del Rey's vibe is unlike anyone else's in the music industry. She has said in the past that Amy Winehouse was an inspiration for her and while they may have similarities, Lana is well and above her own person.

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Nevertheless, she does have her fair share of tattoos like the "M" on her hand dedicated to Madeline, her grandmother, and Nabokov Whitman tattooed on her forearm for one of her favorite authors. Seeing as she has tattoos on her fingers, forearms, hands, collarbone, and back, it appears like she has close to ten tattoos.

3 ALCOHOL WAS HER FIRST GREAT LOVE

Lana may sing about drinking too much from time to time, but that's something she no longer does. At the age of 15, Lana had to come face to face with her drinking problem. "I was a big drinker at the time. I would drink every day," she said. She found the concept of drinking "cool" and did it to escape her own troubles.

And in many of her songs, when Lana is talking about losing a great love in her life, she could have been talking about alcohol. As she said, "When I write about the thing that I've lost I feel like I'm writing about alcohol because that was the first love of my life."

2 IT'S NOT JUST SINGING SHE'S GOOD AT

After listening to a few of Lana's songs, it's easy why listeners would want more of the star. Hopping over to her YouTube page, we can see more of her style coming to life in the form of her music videos, which happens to be another passion of Lana's.

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On top of singing, writing, and performing, Lana has been dabbling in movies (she's even created many of her own music videos).

1 AXL ROSE IS AN INSPIRATION

As a woman in the spotlight, it's obvious there's going to be rumors about her and her love life. Back in 2012, Del Rey was spotted with Guns N' Roses musician Axl Rose.

People were wondering if they were dating or hooking up but they kept that relationship on the lowdown until Lana told Rollingstone that he was a big "inspiration" to her. He never gets tired during his performances and gives it his all.

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