Despite his legal problems, YoungBoy Never Broke Again managed to collect bank thanks to streaming. With 15 Grammy awards, 10 No. Aventura makes its debut on the Money Makers list, totally on the strength of its box office. Top earning rappers of 2020 | Lipstick Alley Fat Booty) to the inner-spiritual fight for Black liberation (UMI Says). 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. KISS managed to play 20 shows in 2020, generating $14.8 million in ticket sales and $5 million in take-home pay, the sole reason the road warriors made the Money Makers list this year (and last year, too). Grande was 2019s No. 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 . He can turn the mundane into something sweet (Foldin Clothes) or act out in rebellion (Fire Squad). 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. 2023 Billboard Media, LLC. His flamboyant rhymes helped him become one of the first West Coast rappers to sign a major deal when he signed with Jive Records in the early 90s. 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. Publishing: $398K 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. He was the first rapper signed to a major label, created one of hip-hops earliest hits with Christmas Rappin, earned the first gold plaque for a rap single with The Breaks and became the first rapper to embark on a national (and then international) tour. 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. The top ten earners of 2021 banked more than $1 billion, nearly double their pre-pandemic 2019 haul. 9 And no conversation about that can be had without mentioning The Neptunes, Clipse and the latter duos enduring breakout star Pusha T. After reaching legendary status in the 00s alongside older brother Gene aka No Malice, Pusha later began grinding out a solo career, signing with G.O.O.D. By Devin. Top Rap Artists Ranking is based on an artist's chart performance on the Hot Rap Songs, Top Rap Albums and Boxscore touring revenue. However, Andre Youngslegacy as a lead rapper on three separate era-defining albums 1988s Straight Outta Compton with N.W.A. Snoop Dogg. The White Teeth rapper ranked No. 1 albums (the most amongst solo acts), and over 140 million records sold. Publishing: $1.6M #nelly #stlunatics #ynwmelly #liltecca #juicewrld #playboicarti #dancingrappers #nbayoungboy #2000 #soreuzi #ride #wit #met #comes #radio. 1 as a guest on Rae SremmurdsBlack Beatles.. Touring: $0. Last years rank: Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. Certified double-platinum, the album spun off three consecutive No. LL Cool J signed with Def Jam Records as its first artist in 1984 and released I Need a Beat from his studio debut, Radio, produced entirely by Rick Rubin. Those wins contributed to his Money Makers debut as a solo act. Publishing: $2.9K In fact, Reggie Noble led off Eminems list of the greatest MCs within the latters pump-up perennial Till I Collapse. With EPMDs Erick Sermon as a mentor, Redman (aka Funk Doc) exceeded expectations in 1992 when his debut studio project Whut? Once a tag-along member in Digital Underground, Pacs larger-than-life demeanor became too big to shelter. The fledgling labels first album to crack the top 50, Radio spent 38 weeks on the Billboard 200 and claimed platinum status in 1989. While the pandemic had a disastrous effect on touring revenue, it lifted other royalty streams as music fans listened to more recorded music from the relative safety of their homes, through radio, streaming platforms or the turntable setups they bought with the money they ordinarily would have shelled out for concerts and festivals. 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. 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). A serial entrepreneur and activist, Snoop Dogg brought his career full-circle by purchasing his alma mater Death Row in 2022. 7 in that revenue category. No matter the moniker, theres no denying Calvin Broadus Jr.s estimable impact as one of the founding fathers of West Coast and gangsta rap. As a lyrical purveyor of the violence that littered his Bronx neighborhood, KRS-One started his career in the late 80s on Boogie Down Productions classic Criminal Minded. The timeless Ms. Lauryn Hill straddles the line between Motown soul, boom bap, R&B, jazz and rap defying convention and introducing a new standard for genre-bending rappers. He has recently used Instagram to make paid partnership posts promoting Wrogn styles for Myntra. Scott moved up four places in the rankings in 2020, even though his take-home pay in 2019 was $15.5 million. Sales: $1.8M Sales: $5.2M His $66,400 in sales royalties came entirely from digital downloads. His catalog reigns supreme, especially in the late 2000s and 2010s, as he doled out gems such as Trilla, Deeper Than Rap and God Forgives, I Dont. His executive producer status grew as he created his Junior Mafia clique writing and producing their 1995 Conspiracy album, then releasing JM breakout star Lil Kims Hard Core debut in 1996. James is the 6th richest female rapper in the world. Publishing: $3.2M And Kanes skill set remains sharp, whether hes tackling police brutality on his 2020 cut Enough or reeling off a fantastic guest cameo on mentee Busta Rhymes 2022 song Slap.. 1 overall streaming artist (as he was in 2019) with almost 8 billion streams when the on-demand video and web radio streams he amassed last year are included. 6 with $14.2 million. Some of the names on the list are expected . Starting with 1993s riotous Party and Bullshit, the Brooklyn, New York kingpin later signed with Diddys Bad Boy Records. Surprise, Surprise Jay-Z Was The Highest-Paid Rapper Of 2021 Before rap became a cultural and commercial powerhouse, Kurtis Blow provided early proof of the genres future capabilities. Posty finished at No. Signaling a major renaissance in West Coast and gangsta rap, his critically acclaimed sophomore project reeled off several commercial hits: Swimming Pool (Drank), Backseat Freestyle, and Bitch, Dont Kill My Vibe. Next came 2015s jazz-influenced To Pimp a Butterfly, his first Billboard 200 No. Sales: $970K Then came The Message (1982), hip-hops seismic GOAT recording, elevated by the rapper born Melvin Glover and his vivid ghetto portrait. He also remains a streaming giant with $8.1 million in overall royalties, plus an additional $2 million from publishing. 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. what challenges do advertisers face with product placement? Net worth: $820 million. His imaginative vision also vaulted him into hip-hop lore, as he and director Hype Williams whipped up some of the genres most innovative videos, including Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See and Dangerous. Aside from his puckish verses, Rhymes brought his A game when paired with R&B greats such as Mariah Carey (I Know What You Want) and Janet Jackson (Whats It Gonna Be?!). Even when dueling alongside rap greats like Jay-Z (Swagger Like Us), Eminem (Touchdown) and Kanye West (Welcome to the World), T.I. He earned $2 million in publishing and $712,500 in sales. Future also rereleased three classic mixtapes from the mid-2010s, Beast Mode, 56 Nights and Purple Reign, which contributed to 4.4 billion combined streams that paid $6.4 million in royalties. Last years rank: Sales: $557K Changes, Biebers first album in more than four years, became his seventh Billboard 200 No. 3 in track downloads with over 1 million. After a disappointing debut effort with 2001s Im Serious, T.I. Streaming: $7.3M Most of his income has come from tours, with the Divide Tour . Streaming: $6M 1 albums and 10 top 10 Hot 100 hits to his name. The candid presentation of Southern California in his songs has won him many awards, as well as hearts. Billboard Quiz. The following royalty rates were used: The album and track sales rate is 22% of retail revenue. 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. 22 10 Highest Paid Rappers and Their Net Worth | 2023 - Kiiky Wealth 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. ! And with those iconic words from the powerful 1993 anti-domestic violence statement U.N.I.T.Y., Queen Latifah cut through all the misogynistic noise. Publishing: $1.5M 4 in physical album sales after moving 517,000 copies of their recordings. 6 with $14.2 million with most of his revenue coming from streaming ($11.7 million) and publishing ($1.9 million). Posty . Last years rank: Forbes list of highest-earning musicians - Wikipedia 7 in both overall streams (4.8 billion) and streaming royalties ($7.3 million). Bring the crowd and Im loud in living color/ It is Weezy Fkin Baby, got these rappers in my stomach, Lil Wayne opens his 2005 deep cut, Best Rapper Alive, foreshadowing the years to come. By genre, rock artists landed the most spots, 13, down one from last year; pop acts accounted for nine entries, down from 14; country, three spots, down from eight; and Latin, two berths, up one from 2019. From there, Pusha became a fashion icon and served as president of Wests label, while continuing to release well-received solo albums full of vivid descriptions of his drug hustling and emotional struggles. A recent Billboard revealed that such big-name rappers who saw the most cash in 2021 are Post Malone, Drake, YoungBoy Never Broke Again & Lil Baby.They're at the top in the least of the top paid musicians of 2020. The Highest-Paid Entertainers 2022 - Forbes 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. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. highest paid rappers 2020 billboard - coachingsupremacy.com Drizzy Drake Rogers forecasted his superstar climb when he was Wheelchair Jimmy on the popular 00s teenage show Degrassi: The Next Generation. Streaming: $3.7M curtailing chances for any artists to tour in 2020. He showcased his genuine connection to fans by rapping over a YouTube producers J. Doja Cat is one of the most famous rappers globally and has won numerous awards . These days Kendrick's name is on every hip hop lover's lips. Lyrically, she pushed hip-hop beyond its boundaries regarding female empowerment, with a fearlessness that also imbued her innovative and still-influential music videos. Additionally, the OVO Sound leader earned $635,000 in sales. 2020's Top 10 Highest Paid Musicians | Music Times 8 Run the Jewels, "Walking in the Snow". But even among those heavy-hitters, Kane more than held his weight: Tracks like Aint No Half Steppin, Set It Off and Smooth Operator sound as spirited now as they did decades ago. Sales: $1.5M While not enough to make the top 10 in that category, he ranked second in album download sales with 314,000 copies and No. 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.