According to the latest recent figures, Kanye West is the world's highest-paid hip-hop musician, earning an estimated $150 million in the year leading up to June 2019. Touring: $0. Even though other genres of music had a head start, rap is a powerful force. Redmans rugged yet humorous rhymes and infectious personality make him one of hip-hops most beloved MCs. San Franciscos Bay Area has always been a key birthplace for unique hip-hop talent, from MC Hammer and Tupac Shakur to Too $hort. Music in 2010 and kicking off the label relationship with a guest feature on Runaway from Kanye Wests My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy that same year. This year's top 5 highest-paid musicians on a worldwide scale encompass a variety of genres that may stun you. Last years rank: Streaming: $7.3M Despite laying low (for Ed Sheeran), he remained a staple of web radio, ranking at No. Over a decade into his prolific career, Future Hendrix is more commercially relevant than ever: the ATL trap legend became the only artist to appear on the Hot 100 every week throughout 2022. Despite his legal problems, YoungBoy Never Broke Again managed to collect bank thanks to streaming. Publishing: $2.4K The embattled rapper finished at No. Touring: $0. For the first time in the history of Money Makers, concert revenue did not determine the No. Eminem surprise-released two albums in 2020, Music To Be Murdered By and a deluxe version, Music To Be Murdered By Side B. 1 Hot 100 hit, Rockstar, made him a streaming star, with combined streams of almost 3.9 billion over 710 million of them video streams which put him at No. In 2022, he relaunched the Rock the Bells Festival in Queens, which included performances from Rick Ross, The Diplomats, Ice Cube and more. Publishing: $1.5M Even with those shiny accomplishments, its Nasir Jones longevity and adaptability that make him a one-of-a-kind specimen. Before Melle Mels game-changing run with Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, rap was still constrained by its yes, yes yall! park jam origins. Iggy . Last years rank: 1. At 19 years old, Billie Eilish is indestructible. It's painful and heartbreaking to hear Killer Mike rap, "You so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me/ Until my voice goes from a . 1 on the Hot 100, helping DaBaby rank ninth in combined streams audio, video and programmed with almost 4.8 billion and eighth in streaming royalties with $7.1 million. He is a co-owner of Lids, a sports retailer company worth millions of dollars. Last years rank: No. Billboard estimated each artists songwriters share of the recorded music included in these calculations, and publishing royalties were calculated as co-publishing deals, giving the writer 75% of those royalties. Billboard and Vibe are counting down the best MCs ever in honor of hip-hop's 50th anniversary. Run the Jewels, "Walking in the Snow". Although heritage country and rock acts remain far behind hip-hop and pop when it comes to streaming plays, their numbers are beginning to swell, and AC/DC is an example: The band amassed almost 1.5 billion overall plays. Kid Rock, Detroit rapper Esham and Record Time's Mike Himes at the fighting for a name on the scrappy Detroit hip-hop scene of the '90s, . As a result, Metallica placed at No. Last years rank: Before Ice Cube, born OShea Jackson, became a Hollywood heavyweight and basketball league owner, he wrote brilliant and incisive verses for his N.W.A groupmates (Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Arabian Prince, DJ Yella and MC Ren) and himself on Straight Outta Compton, the groups classic 1988 debut. Artists with most songs in the Billboard Top 100 in the U.S. 2012-2021 . He has definitely earned his place as one of the world's highest-paid rappers, with annual earnings of $21 million in 2020. Her melodic rapping on Doo Wop (That Thing) led to the song becoming the first by a female rapper to top the Hot 100. After a disappointing debut effort with 2001s Im Serious, T.I. Diddy or Puff Daddy: Sean Combs, once the world's richest rapper, has an incredible net worth of $820 million, according to Forbes. Sales: $2.1M But, also like Strait, Sheltons box-office appeal earned him his berth on Money Makers. Sales: $446.8K & Rakim, producing classic albums like 1987s Paid in Full and 1988s Follow the Leader with eternal singles like Eric B. The Stones, who were 2019's top Money Maker with $65 million in take-home pay 92% of it from touring placed in the bottom 25% of this ranking without playing a single show in 2020 and . However, Andre Youngslegacy as a lead rapper on three separate era-defining albums 1988s Straight Outta Compton with N.W.A. Maybe there are other rappers who could claim to match Jay at his peak. Posty finished at No. Sales: $152K Streaming: $5.5M To this day, the album remains an undisputed classic, and he continued evolving and staying relevant, scoring No. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy. Unfortunately, the same demons that bore his provocative art led to his unfortunate demise: he died of a cocaine-induced heart attack in 2021. 9 spot in that category. Sales: $3.7M Posty . 1 on Top Gospel Albums. Ed Sheeren. The combined royalties from those streams add up to just shy of $10 million, which makes him the fourth top-earner in that category. As is well known, GOAT and similar best-of lists always draw their share of criticism and praise from industry pundits and the public alike. curtailing chances for any artists to tour in 2020. Ed Sheeran - $200 Million. Billboard has released its highest-paid musicians of 2020. Last years rank: Here are the richest rappers in the UK. Streaming: $2.97M He showcased his genuine connection to fans by rapping over a YouTube producers J. 7 in both overall streams (4.8 billion) and streaming royalties ($7.3 million). The Stones, who were 2019s top Money Maker with $65 million in take-home pay 92% of it from touring placed in the bottom 25% of this ranking without playing a single show in 2020 and releasing just two new tracks, Living in a Ghost Town and Scarlet, a Goats Head Soup-era recording with Jimmy Page on guitar. highest paid rappers 2020 billboard. Last years rank: No. These are the . The late Juice WRLD displaced Drake as the top on-demand audio streaming artist in 2020, but Drizzy remains the No. Publishing: $2.6M 1 on the Billboard 200 and finished 2020 as the No. 2022s Its Almost Dry earned the rapper his firstNo. Ross demanded attention through his deep gruff-and-grunting ad-libs, colorful street tales and inside looks at Miamis lavish lifestyle, plus his incredible ear for production more appetizing than a lemon-pepper Wingstop order. 9 with $11.9 million. Like other hip-hop artists, he lags in sales royalties, taking home $161,000. Thats a distinguished and also contentious honor when it comes to ranking who or what is the ultimate best, whether youre talking films, TV shows, restaurants or any other subject. 11. Last years rank: No. Sales: $1.5M Despite the COVID-19 pandemic curtailing chances for any artists to tour in 2020, several big-name rappers still made money through streaming and other means last year.. 24, $7.4M), Rod Wave (No. They also placed No .7 in publishing royalties ($2.4 million) because the original members wrote all of their songs. Like George Straits, Sheltons more than 1.6 billion combined streams were strong for a country artist, but his 749,000 track sales were also healthy and just shy of the top 10 for the format. In a year with little touring, hip-hop/R&B acts dominated streaming sales and accounted for nearly a third of the 40 artists on the list, including four in the top 10Drake, Post Malone, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and Lil Baby. Last years rank: 1 spot on the list and because of the pandemic had little influence over the ranking in general. Publishing: $1.53M Last years rank: Hip-hop artists remain music's top money makers. The South got something to say, Andr 3000 said in rebuttal to the New York crowd booing OutKast for their best new rap group win at the 1995 Source Awards. Name a subject covered by your favorite rapper, and Scarface probably addressed it first. Floridas not-so-sunny hip-hop crooner saw his second album, Pray 4 Love, debut at No. Out of 40 artists, Taylor Swift returned to the number-one spot on the 2020 list, earning $23.8 . Last years rank: Recorded-music royalties from sales, streaming and publishing collectively grew 56% from $197 million in 2019 to $308 million. Billboard has released its highest-paid musicians of 2020. Reviving gangsta rap in the process, Get Rich also nabbed a stunning nine-times platinum RIAA certification. Touring: $0. 14. Works like BDPs By All Means Necessary and the KRS-formed Stop the Violence Movements star-studded 1989 single Self-Destruction are some of the most powerful moments that hip-hop has ever witnessed. 30, $6.3M). Publishing: $1.17M Publishing: $967K Streaming: $3.9M Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. 25 (7.37 million), Kanye West at No. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 2023 Billboard Media, LLC. Radio likes Combs as well: He racked up the third-most programmed web radio plays (804.4 million) and finished seventh in terrestrial radio airplay with almost 1.5 million spins. Streaming: $823.4K Rap Quiz. In addition, deceased artists are excluded from the rankings. Grande was 2019s No. But through only two studio albums that still resonate nearly 30 years later, Wallace proved that a charismatic big man could mix lyrical street rhymes with heart and humor and permeate the mainstream with style. The LOX frontman fostered his hip-hop breakout with a co-sign from The Notorious B.I.G., then stomped his way to prominence with his Timberlands and hard-nosed raps. Looking at revenue streams, touring income, based on Billboard Boxscore data, fell tenfold, from $779 million in 2019 to $79 million and accounted for just 20% of artists collective 2020 take-home pay. Paul McCartney ($535 million) No Beatles, no problem: McCartney continued an epic solo run, selling out stadiums and even getting his first No. Publishing: $2M Touring accounted for the $9.6 million more he made then, but the hip-hop artists April 2020 virtual Fortnite concert, Astronomical, which drew 12.3 million concurrent players, boosted his streams by as much as 160% from the day the show was announced (April 20), thanks, in part, to the post-show release of a new single with Kid Cudi, The Scotts. The day after the event, digital downloads of his catalog blew up 1,488% from 2,000 to 34,000. Chuck held everyones feet to the fire: crack dealers in the Black community (Night of the Living Baseheads); purveyors of systemic racism (Fight the Power); a ravenous press (Welcome to the Terror) and greedy corporations (Shut Em Down). 2 after placing No. Eve - $10 Million. 1 Hot 100 hits, sold 25 million albums and account for raps most recent album of the year win at the Grammys. 1 alongside Twista and Jamie Foxx on Slow Jamz. Then came a torrent of beloved albums (Graduation, 808s & Heartbreak and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy). Touring: $4.2M. All the numbers are down this year because COVID limited touring. source: instagram. Earnings of the world's highest earning rappers and hip-hop artists 2019 . Following Taylor Swift, who ranks No. regained his swagger with his 2003 breakthrough album Trap Muzik. Last years rank: His pair of classic 1998 albums, Its Dark and Hell Is Hot and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, along with the 1999 follow-up And Then There Was X, topped the charts through grim, unforgiving street tales, processing the pains of a traumatic childhood and seeking spirituality for solace. 8 in that category with 612 million streams, which contributed to a total of almost 2.7 billion combined streams, the equivalent of $3.74 million in streaming royalties. see charts legends 2 8 in that category. Five No. Doubling as one of gangsta raps foundational platforms, the album featured the controversial anthems Fuck Tha Police and Gangsta Gangsta, and was certified triple-platinum despite minimal radio or MTV promotion. Touring: $0. A report from Billboard has revealed the highest-paid musicians and artists of 2020, and many of Hip-Hop's favorites are topping the list.. Amid a year with very little touring due to the pandemic, some of the biggest names in the music industry still managed to come out on top of Billboard's 2020 Money Makers list bringing in millions and millions of dollars. In 1991, Large Professor tossed him an alley-oop on Main Sources posse cut Live at the Barbeque, and Escobar delivered a rim-rocker of a performance. The highest-paid hip-hop artists of 2021 have been revealed and JAY-Z and Kanye West once again top the list. Touring:$0. In the late 2010s, West (legally known as Ye) became one of the most divisive artists in the world due to his political views and goading (occasionally outright antagonistic) social comments. Lil Kims raunchy, vicious rhymes turned hip-hop upside down. The Top 10 Richest Female Rappers of 2023. Income: $110 million. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. So it took a lot of deliberation and deep discussion to reason our way to what we believe is a well-thought-out, authentic list that reflects hip-hops foundational pioneers, evolutionary trailblazers and contemporary mainstays. Streaming: $3.3M Touring: $8.8M. Last year . In early 2023, Billboard/Vibe is ranking the Top 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time as part of our salute to this years golden anniversary of hip-hop. By now, his vivid storytelling (Black Girl Lost & I Gave You Power) and precocious diction (Nas Is Like & Made You Look) are goated, and his resiliency has proven to be Hall of Fame-level especially when he scored a TKO against Jay-Z and added a new verb to the hip-hop lexicon with his scathing comeback diss Ether in 2001. Known for his versatility, Ed Sheeren's cross-genre success has brought him to the top. In 1987, MC Lyte bumrushed her way into hip-hops boys club with a throat-grabbing voice and dynamic lyricism that seemed well beyond her 16 years. In addition to topping the overall ranking, Swifts ownership position also vaulted her to No. Touring: $0. Streaming: $939.5K Eagles $16.3 million5. Not surprisingly, they ranked much higher on the Global Money Makers list. His lyrical intensity and fearless aggression are battle-tested, as he sparred with the likes of 50 Cent and Beanie Sigel in the 2000s before single-handedly dismantling Dipset in a 2021 Verzuz battle. Now the 17-time Grammy winner (Mr. Morale was just newly crowned as best rap album) and Emmy winner for last years Super Bowl halftime show is focusing his entrepreneurial sights on pgLang, his film, TV and music collective that has already scored success with next-gen rapper Baby Keem. 17, $9.1M), Future (No. But with his peerless technical skills, larger-than-life personality and turn-of-the-century run of classic albums, Slim Shady has rightfully earned his spot in the upper echelon of GOAT rappers lists. 1 on the Billboard 200. From battle rhyming (Shut the Eff Up-Hoe) to heartfelt storytelling (Poor Georgie), Lyte roared into the 90s racking up three gold singles most notably the Puffy Combs-produced Cold Rock a Party (1996), featuring an then-up-and-coming Missy Elliott. Gallery: The Highest-Paid Entertainers Of 2022. His performance made him the sixth-place finisher in the streaming royalties category, with a $7.6 million payday a big difference from the $89,300 he made in sales royalties, the sixth-lowest total on this list. They did even better internationally and topped the 2020 Global Money Makers ranking. The Dominican American bachata group, fronted by Romeo Santos, played 15 pre-pandemic U.S. shows in 2020 its first tour since breaking up in 2011. The world of hip hop still found a way to get to the bag in a pandemic-plagued 2020.. While his ascension from producer to artist has been remarkable, Wests quest as a fashion and business mogul, especially with his Yeezy empire, makes him one of the genres most impactful pioneers. Touring: $0. The Queen of Pop grossed $49.8 million in ticket sales from 23 shows on her Courage world tour before the COVID-19 curtain came down. His prolific output resulted in almost 3.7 billion U.S. audio streams, the 10th-largest in the category, and 4.7 billion combined streams, which netted him $6.8 million in royalties and secured him the No. You Got Me, the Erykah Badi-featuring crossover duet from the Roots platinum-selling album Things Fall Apart, remains a shining moment thanks to his rich baritone and riveting storytelling. and his solo-headlined studio albums The Chronic and 2001 cant be denied. He is that rare artist who still sells downloads, and ranked at No. Publishing: $435K Andr emerged as the star of the group for his singular flair; sadly, the duo went their separate ways with fans still yearning for a solo album from him. Down to earth and humble, Cole possesses a passion that pulsates throughout his raps and beats. In 2020, Elliott ranked No. Jay Z the best rapper . NBA YoungBoy is the third highest paid rapper in 2020 behind Drake and Post Malone who was the highest earner. 2 Money Maker thanks to a world tour, but without any live dates in 2020, her rank was achieved by strong streaming numbers largely due to her fourth-quarter release, positions. Those wins contributed to his Money Makers debut as a solo act. Capital Punishment also topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and peaked at No. Theres Mind Playing Tricks on Me, his 1991 classic hit as a member of Houstons Geto Boys, or Im Dead, from his debut album that same year, Mr. Scarface Is Back. Other key performance drivers for the beerbongs & bentleys artist include his No. In a year with little touring, hip-hop/R&B acts dominated streaming sales and accounted for nearly a third of the 40 artists on the list. Publishing: $1.6M YoungBoy earned $10 million via streams, along with $1.7 million in publishing. Sales: $1.84M With a ravenous rhyme style and the powerful recurring useof dogs as a lyrical motif, DMX had the most commanding presence rap has ever seen. Sales: $89.3K Song Quiz. His 2002 mixtape Guess Whos Back? The Staten Island lyricist draws from a Technicolor palette of inimitable slang, colorful character profiles, luxurious wares and slippery flows to craft vibrant, imaginative stories. Streaming: $8.1M Earning 10 Grammy nods for Miseducation, Hill won five, including best new artist and album of the year. Ed Sheeran is among the highest-paid rappers globally, with an estimated net worth of $200 million. Even when dueling alongside rap greats like Jay-Z (Swagger Like Us), Eminem (Touchdown) and Kanye West (Welcome to the World), T.I. Most of his income has come from tours, with the Divide Tour . Publishing: $2.9K georgia forensic audit pulitzer; pelonis box fan manual. Streaming: $5.1M Sales: $348K Albums like AmeriKKKas Most Wanted and Death Certificate still stand as some of raps most provocative works and when he wasnt sharpening his pro-Black commentary against the systemic racism crippling the community, he was equally adept at balancing tongue-in-cheek insights with feel-good storytelling, as on his timeless 1993 hit It Was a Good Day.. 95.216.46.57 24 ($7.4 million), Rod Wave at No. The Weeknd made $10.4 million USD while Travis Scott reportedly raked in $5.82 million USD. The albums smash single, The Box, spent 11 consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100, and Ricchs feature on DaBabys No. All and all, rappers still made money in 2020 despite the impact of the pandemic on the music industry. Rock Quiz. 26 10. 2 in sales and streaming royalties, respectively. 2 Billboard 200 concept album, III. 38 It would be the first of twelve chart-topping albums for Wayne, including his iconic Tha Carter series, boasting a plethora of platinum plaques in the process. Jay-Z came in second with 81 million, Drake came in third with 75 million, and Diddy came in third with 70 million. After serving a two-year prison sentence in 2016 for firearm possession by a convicted felon, a rejuvenated Guwopsubsequently went on a mainstream run like he was a new artist. Touring: $5M. (1989) were eloquent hood testimonies. By Devin. Impeach the president, pulling out my RAY-GUN/ Zap the next one, I could be your shogun, he exploded over the Bomb Squads revolutionary, deconstructed production.