In addition to topping the overall ranking, Swifts ownership position also vaulted her to No. Publishing: $373K 1s: In da Club and 21 Questions with Nate Dogg. Recorded-music royalties from sales, streaming and publishing collectively grew 56% from $197 million in 2019 to $308 million. In addition, that mix also encompasses 50 years of cultural milestones for a genre initially dismissed as a passing fad and now recognized as the industrys market-share leader. So for example, as estimable as his career is, British rapper Slick Rick isnt on this list. 26 The list includes Drake, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, JAY-Z, and more. Alongside Phife, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White, ATCQ also part of the Native Tongues collective (Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Monie Love) claimed No. Plutos epic mixtape three-peat of Monster, Beast Mode, and 56 Nights followed by thecritically acclaimed DS2 and his What a Time to Be Alive joint project with Drake all within the calendar year of 2015 could be the best use of 365 days that rap has ever seen. Lucky for us, Jay found his early in life, and has since become your favorite rappers favorite rapper. Alongside mentor Dr. Dre, the lanky Long Beach rapper introduced his ultra-cool demeanor and laid-back flow as the guest on the formers 1992 debut solo single Deep Cover. The Chronic, Dres multi-Platinum-certified G-Funk classic (influenced by Parliament-Funkadelics psychedelic sound) arrived later that same year, led by one of the pairs signature anthems, Nuthin But a G Thang. The project was the springboard that rocketed Snoop and G-Funk to the top of the Billboard 200 with his 1993 Death Row Records solo debut, Doggystyle. Last years rank: No. Streaming: $1.33M Meanwhile, his enduring combination of lyrical prowess, classic albums and envelope-pushing evolution continue to support the widely held consensus that hes the best rapper of his generation. San Franciscos Bay Area has always been a key birthplace for unique hip-hop talent, from MC Hammer and Tupac Shakur to Too $hort. Last years rank: 1 album since 1982. The candid presentation of Southern California in his songs has won him many awards, as well as hearts. NBA YoungBoy is the third highest paid rapper in 2020 behind Drake and Post Malone who was the highest earner. Ludas witty rhymes and slick pop culture references felt as gargantuan as the famously oversized arms he rocked in 2004s Get Back video. Iggy . However, Andre Youngslegacy as a lead rapper on three separate era-defining albums 1988s Straight Outta Compton with N.W.A. Last years rank: Your IP: When Black Thought joins forces with supreme lyricists such as Eminem (Yah Yah), Royce da 59 (Rap on Steroids), Big Pun (Super Lyrical) or Joey Bada$$ and Russ (Because), the combination elevates the craft and technique of rap to another level. We also opted not to include thesignificant contributionsof reggaetn and dancehall MCs on this list,just to keep our pool of nominees a little more focused. Lonnie Rashid Lynn was seemingly carrying the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the entire Chicago rhyme community on his back with 1992sCan I Borrow a Dollar? 5 on Billboards 100 Greatest Music Video Artists of All Time. Lil Uzi Vert. Streaming: $3.3M One fan learned the hard way when she tried to capture the moment. Taylor Swift $23.8 million2. Touring: $4.2M. 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. Run reinvented himself as a reality star in the 2005 MTV series Runs House. His streaming figures accounted for $9.1 million, thanks to his chart-topping album My Turn, for which 12 songs simultaneously charted on the Billboard Hot 100. , as there seem to be some shenanigans involved with their accounting. The rockers also racked up 1.3 billion in combined streams that translated to $3.9 million in royalties. On this years list, six hip-hop artists who didnt make the cut for the 2019 list ranked in the top 20. Despite putting up strong streaming numbers in 2019, Lil Baby did not make the cut last year because touring royalties played such an outsize role (as they usually do) in determining the top 40. Publishing: $1.6M And if you ask him, its also a testament to the power of hip-hop. Name a subject covered by your favorite rapper, and Scarface probably addressed it first. Sales: $348K Publishing: $166.3K Basic Statistic Highest-paid women in . His robust output yielded a record 20th top 10 entry on the Top Rap Albums chart in 2019, claiming the title belt from Tech N9ne. 17, $9.1M), Future (No. 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. Grande was 2019s No. Here are the richest rappers in the UK. Once a tag-along member in Digital Underground, Pacs larger-than-life demeanor became too big to shelter. countdown to spring training 2022; Hola mundo! 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. (As in past rankings, DJs are included on Money Makers because they rarely report their live earnings, which constitute most of their income. Last years rank: Eight out of the top 10 artists according to the Nielsen Music mid-year report, are rappers. Like many hip-hop artists, his sales royalties were minimal. As the legendary rap duo UGK, Bun B and the late Pimp C kept the spotlight on Texas while taking the baton from the Scarface-led triad Geto Boys. He is a co-owner of Lids, a sports retailer company worth millions of dollars. Fueled by 744 million web radio plays they were the No. 9 As a result, Billboard estimates that the pop phenomenon took home 46% of her sales and streaming royalties (after deducting a 4 percentage-point producers cut) compared with the 33% that superstar artists typically earn when they dont own their masters. 4 in physical album sales after moving 517,000 copies of their recordings. In 2015, she earned $154 million and was named Forbes' highest-earning . 5. 1 albums (the most amongst solo acts), and over 140 million records sold. Publishing: $2.4M Sales: $215K 1s on Billboards Hot Rap Songs chart No Time, Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix) and Crush on You making her the first female rapper to do so. Sales: $1.1M Latifahs subsequent jump into Hollywood proved to be just as impressive, earning accolades for her television work (Living Single) and an Oscar nod (the 2002 musicalChicago), and making her oneof the first MCs with the star power to prove how deeply a rapper could become embedded in American pop culture, even outside of the world of hip-hop. His streaming numbers are exceptionally strong given his genre: When the deluxe version of his 2019 album, What You See Is What You Get, was released in October 2020, it generated 102.26 million in a single week, breaking Combs own record for the largest streaming week for a country album, set when the original release came out. List of East Coast hip-hop artists (rappers and rap group) The Notorious B. 1 on the Billboard 200. Revenue from featured artist appearances is credited to the main artists but other recording collaborations usually denoted as a duet with, + or & or X are generally split evenly by the artists. 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, . Those wins contributed to his Money Makers debut as a solo act. He earned $2 million in publishing and $712,500 in sales. Billboard, on the other hand, is all about the statistics. Halseys 2020 album, Manic, debuted at No. Touring: $0. Weve revealed 10 more rappers each week since, with the final top 10 now unveiled below. Collection download grand theft auto v m 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. 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. Sales: $185K Touring: $4.3M. To this day, the album remains an undisputed classic, and he continued evolving and staying relevant, scoring No. Lyrics Quiz. 11 junio, 2020. Hailing from South Jamaica, Queens by way of Trinidad and Tobago, Nicki Minaj earned her crown as the modern-day Queen of Rap with her fierce, braggadocious spirit. Last years rank: No. The majority of Sheeren's earnings this year were from touring. 1 mover of digital albums (1.06 million), digital tracks (1.09 million) and on-demand audio streams (4.3 billion) for 2020. Touring: $0. Post Malone $23.2 million3. Publishing: $1.17M Last year brought Lamars final TDE album and latest addition to his conscious rap repertoire, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Drizzy Drake Rogers forecasted his superstar climb when he was Wheelchair Jimmy on the popular 00s teenage show Degrassi: The Next Generation. Dre e ha ottenuto il primo successo due anni pi tardi con il singolo My Name Is. after his scene-stealing verse on their 1991 hit Same Song. Pacs duality as a solo artist was remarkable: One minute, he was endearing, scripting empathetic classics like Dear Mama and Keep Your Head Up; the other, he was explosive, lacing up his war boots, ready to ride on his enemies (Hit Em Up and Hail Mary). The single spent seven nonconsecutive weeks at No. 7 finish in on-demand audio streams (almost 4.2 billion) and No. Touring: $129K. Sales: $126K Streaming: $5.1M Publishing: $1.4M Is President, Paid in Full and Microphone Fiend. Rakims influence is felt in all corners of hip-hop: A$AP Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, is named after him, DMX and Eminem are self-proclaimed fans, and rappers as big as 50 Cent (via The Games Hate It or Love It) and Lil Wayne (on Lloyds Girls Around the World) have paid in-song homage to his distinctive flow. Last year . Eminem surprise-released two albums in 2020, Music To Be Murdered By and a deluxe version, Music To Be Murdered By Side B. Streaming: $3.7M 3 (although its deluxe status means that it wont be counted as a separate entry on Billboards charts.) Cole is one of the highest-paid rappers in the world. Shawn Carter leads the rap pack with a career-best total of $470 million. Snoop Dogg. His award-winning 2002 biographical film 8 Mile even depicted the Detroit-bred MCs real-life struggle to be accepted as a white rapper in hip-hop, a genre created and dominated by Black people. Her 2009 mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty established her as a lyrical powerhouse, shortly before she emerged as the First Lady of Young Money, solidifying the labels ineffable trinity of chart-conquering rap beasts with Lil Wayne and Drake. Top earning rappers. 11 ($10.4M), while Eminem holds down the No. And he did all of it as one of the Souths first real rap stars, showcasing lyrical complexity and emotional depth in a region that was once wholly dismissed while also making classic cuts with legends from both coasts, like Jay-Z, Nas and 2Pac. The Brooklyn teens opening salvo was I Cram to Understand U (Sam), a song that spoke about the perils of falling in love with a crack addict. Last years rank: The first became his 10th consecutive Billboard 200 No. Starting in the early 00s with production on hits for Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel and Talib Kweli, Kanye West moved in front of the mic in 2003 with his solo debut, Through the Wire, then scored his first Hot 100 No. And rap artists have similarly dominated the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 2020 as well. Sales: $4.3M In 2020, Forbes ranked Kohli 66th in their list of the top 100 highest-paid athletes in the world for that year, with estimated earnings of $26 million. Despite the lack of new music, Ye still generated 2.6 billion in combined streams, which yielded a $3.9 million payday. Sales: $4M On-demand streaming royalties were calculated using blended audio and video rates of $0.0053 and $0.0038 per stream, respectively. He also remains a streaming giant with $8.1 million in overall royalties, plus an additional $2 million from publishing. This was nothing new for New Jerseys own Dana Owens: With her essential 1989 debut album All Hail the Queen, she not only delivered the classic Monie Love-featured Black feminist anthem Ladies First, she also got the party started (Come Into My House) and took out wack MCs (Wrath of My Madness). Signing to Death Row upon his 1995 prison release formed hip-hops strongest triumvirate, with him, Dr. Dre, and a burgeoning Snoop Dogg leading the way. Billboard's findings are different from last year's Forbes' Highest-Paid Celebrities, which placed . Last years rank: He took home over $3.9 million from 12 shows that grossed $11.5 million in ticket sales, ranking at No. Billboard and Vibe are counting down the best MCs ever in honor of hip-hop's 50th anniversary. 1 and No. 2 in sales and streaming royalties, respectively. Forbes Magazine. Even after his death, Pacs legacy pushed forward with seven posthumous albums (including three Billboard 200-toppers), induction into the Rock Hall of Fame, and even a spot in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry (for Dear Mama) and despite his short life and career, Pacs legacy continues to resonate today as much as any rapper CL. and Snoop Dogg to Eminem, Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar. Redmans rugged yet humorous rhymes and infectious personality make him one of hip-hops most beloved MCs. 5 and 6 in those categories, respectively. The set was powered by the majestic Intl Players Anthem featuring OutKast. 2023 Billboard Media, LLC. Further showcasing his versatility, the rapper detoured into reggae as Snoop Lion on 2013s Reincarnated, before reclaiming his Snoop Dogg persona for 2018s Bible of Love, which debuted at No. 5 The Best Rappers with Lil in Their Names, Ranked. Through vivid street tales and bombastic production, Tip became one of traps forefathers, alongside fellow heralded ATL stars such as Jeezy and Gucci Mane. Last years rank: Some McDonalds locations refuse to promote the celebrity meal. The Compton native has become one of musics most influential artists thanks to his vivid, thought-provoking and sometimes controversial lyrics, fearless genre experimentation, and agile-yet-masterful flow. Who you calling a bch? Sales: $635K But like King James, he relished the pressure, releasing his seismic debut album Illmatic in 1994 a quintessential hip-hop opus that transcended the genre and became the Holy Bible for every budding lyricist. AC/DC, which owns its catalog and receives a higher royalty rate because of that, released its 17th studio album, Power Up, in 2020, and it contributed to physical sales of 427,000 records from its catalog ranking the Australian headbangers seventh in that category and sixth in sales royalties. Last years rank: 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. When his metal band Body Counts incendiary Cop Killer (1992) nearly derailed his career, Ice also helpedopen a new lane for hip-hop: acting (New Jack City, Law & Order: SVU). Most of his income has come from tours, with the Divide Tour . The group notched three No. Lil Baby rounds out the top 10 with $11.7 million. Hip-hop artists remain music's top money makers. Streaming: $1.3M Touring: $0. Despite breaking several Billboard records in 2019, when the group also made its albums available to digital platforms, fans seem to be adapting slowly to streaming: Tool logged just 604 million combined streams for the year. Out of 40 artists, Taylor Swift returned to the number-one spot on the 2020 list, earning $23.8 . highest paid rappers 2020 billboard. World Tour (only two of which were reported to Boxscore), she still made a bundle in streaming and publishing income. The world of hip hop still found a way to get to the bag in a pandemic-plagued 2020.. Styles 2019 album, Fine Line, peaked at No. Coles story is well-known: Hov signed him to Roc Nation as its first artist in 2009 after he garnered attention with Lights Please and dropped some blistering guest verses (Wales Beautiful Bliss, Kanye Wests Looking for Trouble). Ed Sheeran - $200 Million. 10 in streaming royalties. The pandemic interrupted Joels quasi-monthly residency at Madison Square Garden, cutting the $23.2 million he took home from those shows in 2019 to $2.5 million in 2020. Last years rank: 11. Drake $14.2 million7. Jadakiss signature laugh and ah-hasqueal have signaled for decades that a lyrical masterclass was on the way. 9 in the category for acts on this list and 465,000 physical album sales and 948,000 track sales, placing her at Nos. Streaming: $10.6M Publishing: $1.9M 19,008 votes. He had a point, and OutKast certainly played a key role in that. Earning 10 Grammy nods for Miseducation, Hill won five, including best new artist and album of the year. Touring: $3.9M. The Top 10 Richest Female Rappers of 2023. He set a new benchmark for erasing musical boundaries and ignoring popular trends, influencing a host of generation-next talents like Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and Tyler, the Creator. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy. Lamar first gained local attention as teen rapper K.Dot through various mixtapes before releasing his first studio album on indie label Top Dawg Entertainment, 2011s Section.80. He also performed unusually well, for a country artist, in streaming, generating 595.7 million plays on web radio, which lifted his combined streams to 1.6 billion and revenue of $2.1 million. Touring: $91.5K. His $66,400 in sales royalties came entirely from digital downloads. Snoop Lion. Sales: $5.2M Touring: $11.4M. Publishing: $1.53M The first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Jay-Z believes everyone has genius-level talent. Lyrically, she pushed hip-hop beyond its boundaries regarding female empowerment, with a fearlessness that also imbued her innovative and still-influential music videos. Their lyrical skirmish ended in tragedy when Pac was shot and killed in a Las Vegas shooting in 96, rocking the entire music world. 8 in track sales (872,000). The star-studded set was executive produced by Dreamville. In determining these rankings, the Billboard and Vibe editorial teams opted first to limit the rap arena to North America. 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. Aventura $10.2 million13. #1 of 29. 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. Sales: $14.4K The top ten earners of 2021 banked more than $1 billion, nearly double their pre-pandemic 2019 haul. Billboard, on the other hand, is all about the statistics. For the first time, YoungBoy Never Broke Again scores a spot on the top Money Makers at No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100and anotherfour on the Billboard 200 albums chart are nothing to scoff at, as Ludacris chart resum can stand up to just about any of his rap contemporaries. The album served up unapologetic street rhymes, dark humor and some of the stickiest choruses that year, thanks to two Hot 100 No. Eve - $10 Million. KRS-One is also battle-tested: 1987s The Bridge Is Over, recorded in response to MC Shans The Bridge, is one of the most respected (and referenced) diss tracks of all time. Here's their take on the top 20 biggest money makers of 2020, with a YoungBoy surprise at number 9. Some of her biggest hits include "California Gurls," "Roar," "Firework," "I Kissed a Girl," "Teenage Dream," and "Wide Awake.". The haunted hip-hop persona of Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn scored his seventh Billboard 200 No. After finding God, Rev. We're always a bit suspicious of Forbes highest-paid musician lists, as there seem to be some shenanigans involved with their accounting. Sales: $10M Last years rank: No. Pink Floyd hasnt released a studio album since 2014 and it still managed to finish at No. He showcased his genuine connection to fans by rapping over a YouTube producers J. More seminal, million-plus-selling albums followed, such as Tha Doggfather, Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told; R&G (Rhythm and Gangsta): The Masterpiece and Tha Last Meal as Snoop moved on from the G-Funk era to make albums with No Limit, score crossover hits with The Neptunes and even become an early adopter of Auto-Tune. Other rappers gracing the list include Eminem at No. The White Teeth rapper ranked No. Publishing: $436.3K Publishing: $838K talladega high school basketball. Its also no surprise that the dearth of live revenue led to a precipitous decline in the paychecks of musics top earners, who collectively took home $387 million in 2020, down from $969 million in 2019. albums all without missing a beat. Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. Sales: $336.6K 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. (Billboard counts her siblings share as part of the artists revenue base.) Luke Combs $9.2 million17. Big Daddy Kane was an early rap star archetype thanks to his show-stealing performances in the late 1980s. Tips laid-back, smooth-talkin flow came peppered with immortal lyrics in playful songs like Bonita Applebum. His body of work further established the creative link between hip-hop and jazz. Streaming: $6.8M Eminem $9.7 million15. After an attempt on his life left him riddled with nine bullets, Curtis Jackson III revved up a meteoric resurrection. Sales: $564K (Only living acts were included on this list.) The highest-paid hip-hop artists of 2021 have been revealed and JAY-Z and Kanye West once again top the list. 4 with $4.3 million because they own their masters and reap a higher royalty rate as a result. One of hip-hops most creative visionaries, Missy Misdemeanor Elliott began honing her skills as a rapper, singer, songwriter and producer as a member of the R&B/hip-hop collective Swing Mob in the early 90s with childhood friend/producer Timbaland. Strait was one of the few artists who made significant touring income before the pandemic. Down to earth and humble, Cole possesses a passion that pulsates throughout his raps and beats.