Around that time, Wayne joined The Hot Boys with fellow rappers Juvenile, B.G., and Turk and they topped Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in 1999 with Guerilla Warfare. Last years rank: talladega high school basketball. Sales: $215K Touring: $4.2M. 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. She ranks even higher on the Global Money Makers list because of her strong global performance, particularly in streaming. Read through our list of the highest-paid musicians to see just how rich the most successful performers can be! When you consider the evolution of hip-hop, Rakim is the source material for pioneering the use of internal and multisyllabic rhymes, penning intricate lyrics and shifting the overall use of simple flows to more complex deliveries. While 2020 proved to be a huge setback for most artists' revenue, a new Billboard article says a number of rappers are among the highest-paid musicians of the year. 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. 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. Even when dueling alongside rap greats like Jay-Z (Swagger Like Us), Eminem (Touchdown) and Kanye West (Welcome to the World), T.I. While not enough to make the top 10 in that category, he ranked second in album download sales with 314,000 copies and No. Shawn Carter leads the rap pack with a career-best total of $470 million. List of East Coast hip-hop artists (rappers and rap group) The Notorious B. Last years rank: Sales: $348K This year's top 5 highest-paid musicians on a worldwide scale encompass a variety of genres that may stun you. Billboard has released its highest-paid musicians of 2020. 1 Billboard 200 albums and three RIAA-certified Diamond singles (Lose Yourself, Love the Way You Lie and Not Afraid), his unprecedented commercial success makes for one of the most noteworthy rags-to-riches tales in popular music. Rhymes about experiencing a mental health crisis? Pink Floyd $8.8 million. Billboard Quiz. It's impossible to overstate the influence of rap on popular culture. Once a tag-along member in Digital Underground, Pacs larger-than-life demeanor became too big to shelter. 1 spot on the list and because of the pandemic had little influence over the ranking in general. Here's their take on the top 20 biggest money makers of 2020, with a YoungBoy surprise at number 9. Touring: $0. Touring: $0. His most potent project came when he released his double-disc album All Eyez On Me the next year. 6 on last years list. Touring: $0. Another hip-hop artist who shines in the streaming format, Lil Uzi Vert ranked fifth in both audio streams and combined streams with 4.4 billion and close to 5 billion, respectively, fueled by the March 2020 release of Eternal Atake, which led to him becoming only the third artist to simultaneously chart 20 songs on the Hot 100, 18 of them from the new album. Publishing: $2.2M Streaming: $5.9M Redmans popularity skyrocketed when he joined forces with Method Man in the late 90s and released the first of their two albums together Blackout!, which debuted at No. Rapping since 1993, Black Thought continues to grow more polished as one of the genres greatest MCs. In previous years, it has made up 75% to 80% of the top 40 Money Makers income. 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. Touring: $0. Last years rank: 1 single Wait for U with Drake and Tems, he now boasts eight No. And in a notable accomplishment for a rock band, Queen generated 1.2 billion on-demand audio streams in 2020, a feat that other legacy acts on this list including Pink Floyd, the Eagles, Metallica and AC/DC have yet to do. 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. Lucky for us, Jay found his early in life, and has since become your favorite rappers favorite rapper. Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. As a result, Metallica placed at No. But even after writing rhymes that triggered FBI attention and radio bans, Ice Cube launched an even more extraordinary solo run. Sales: $10M Publishing: $2.4M 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. 8 in digital album downloads with 114,000 copies. 6 with $14.2 million with most of his revenue coming from streaming ($11.7 million) and publishing ($1.9 million). 19,008 votes. Tour revenue, after the managers cut, equals 34% of an acts Boxscore. The other two were Las Que No Iban a Salir and his first Billboard 200 No. Celine Dion $17.5 million4. Luke Combs $9.2 million17. Publishing: $398K 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. Cheryl James is an American songwriter and rapper who is best known for being a member of the rap trio Salt-H-Pepa which also includes Sandra Denton and Spinderella. Unless otherwise noted, streaming totals consist of combined on-demand audio, video and programmed streams. He was crowned the Chosen One from the jump, and had LeBron-like expectations to overcome. More than 20 years after making his debut on the Wus Enter the 36 Chambers, hes not done: a standout verse on Conway the Machines 2020 single Lemon found him just as sharp as ever. Last years rank: Sales: $119K 3 in track downloads with over 1 million. Publishing: $1.8M Hip Hop's highest earners of 2021 have been announced, and it appears the global COVID-19 pandemic . 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. NBA YoungBoy is the third highest paid rapper in 2020 behind Drake and Post Malone who was the highest earner. The groups streaming performance was in line with other Latin heritage acts: Aventura generated 731.8 million in combined streams, which translated to just shy of $1 million in streaming royalties. 1. Sales: $635K Sign Up to track. 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). 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. The Weeknd made $10.4 million USD while Travis Scott reportedly raked in $5.82 million USD. Buoyed by his first Billboard 200 No. Cole Type Beat on procrastination (broke). He also went platinum with all five of his 2010s albums the last three (2014 Forest Hills Drive, 4 Your Eyez Only and KOD) with no features, of course. 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. has earned three Grammys andseven top five Billboard 200 albums and forged a successful film and TV career. Then came The Message (1982), hip-hops seismic GOAT recording, elevated by the rapper born Melvin Glover and his vivid ghetto portrait. "Things got bigger and betterGod is great," says DJ Khaled, who ranks No. Not surprisingly, they ranked much higher on the Global Money Makers list. After a return-to-form with 2009sThe Ecstatic, the reinvigorated MC-turned-actor (Brown Sugar, Dexter) changed his name to Bey in 2011. 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. The top ten earners of 2021 banked more than $1 billion, nearly double their pre-pandemic 2019 haul. 11 junio, 2020. 35 Still, on the guest side, Andres stamina and lyrical fervor remains top tier, crushing features for Jeezy (I Do), DJ Unk (Walk It Out), and UGK Intl Players Anthem. Overall, 3000s eclecticism, eccentricity and mind-blowing rhymes prove you can be out of this world and still cut through. 7 with $35 . Im not a player, I just crush a lot, Big Pun declared on the 1998 smash hit Still Not a Player from his debut album Capital Punishment. Wielding words like swords, Wayne is one of the most masterful lyricists of our time, delivering mind-boggling verses for the last quarter century. Last years rank: No. Other key performance drivers for the beerbongs & bentleys artist include his No. A remix of the albums lead single Im Not a Player, it flipped a Brenda Russell sample into a salsa-adjacent jam and cemented the Big Punisher as a commercial force. They made the cut because the band owns about half of its catalog the rest belongs to the late Allen B. Kleins label, ABKCO Music & Records and collects 60% of its streaming royalties and 40% of the royalties it receives for physical sales. A year later, the first universally hailed God MC demystified the allure of the Big Apple (New York, New York) and distilled the crisis of the cocaine epidemic (White Lines [Dont Dont Do It]) before crashing pop radio with his 1984 appearance on Chaka Khans Grammy-winning, No. Drake $14.2 million7. As of March 2023, Cheryl James net worth is approximately 14 million. 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. Billie Eilish $14.7 million6. Last years rank: Streaming: $6M Like other hip-hop artists, he lags in sales royalties, taking home $161,000. Lil Kims raunchy, vicious rhymes turned hip-hop upside down. 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). 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. The band ranked third in physical sales selling 671,000 copies of its albums, 78% of which were vinyl reissues that are priced higher than CDs and thus pay higher royalties. Streaming: $3.2M Some McDonalds locations refuse to promote the celebrity meal. regained his swagger with his 2003 breakthrough album Trap Muzik. Touring: $0. Before rap became a cultural and commercial powerhouse, Kurtis Blow provided early proof of the genres future capabilities. For artists like Taylor Swift and The Rolling Stones who own only a portion of their recorded masters catalog, a blended royalty rate was used. linguistic divergence anthropology; what happened to birk balthazar; laidlaw environmental services inc website; While turning heads with hit singles (The Rain, Hot Boyz, Get Ur Freak On, Work It) and acclaimed albums (Da Real World, Miss E So Addictive, Under Construction, This Is Not a Test), she crafted a uniquely futuristic, funky and totally unique style of hip-hop that found her rhyming, singing, scatting or doing whatever else the beat might spontaneously spark. Eight out of the top 10 artists according to the Nielsen Music mid-year report, are rappers. 22 ($8.2 million), Roddy Ricch at No. Last years rank: Individually, artist streaming royalties increased a whopping 82% year to year, from $106 million to $193 million, and accounted for just under 50% of the top 40 Money Makers total income. 5 in audio streams with almost 6.2 billion; and No.3 in overall combined streams with almost 7 billion. 24 ($7.4 million), Rod Wave at No. Running down the road for five decades, the Eagles played 10 shows in 2020 that grossed $33 million and netted $11.4 million in income. Money Makers was compiled with 2020 U.S.-only MRC Data and Billboard Boxscore statistics. 22 Touring: $11.4M. They live in mansions, drive fast cars, buy expensive clothes and treat themselves welland they sure do enjoy it. Publishing: $166.3K Forbes ranking: #21. To this day, the album remains an undisputed classic, and he continued evolving and staying relevant, scoring No. Publishing: $1.17M 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. Streaming: $1.7M Sales: $4.3M Streaming: $7.1M expunged any doubt about his MC credibility via his grit and lyrical precision. And rap artists have similarly dominated the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 2020 as well. Maybe there are other rappers who could claim to match Jay at his peak. 4 in physical album sales after moving 517,000 copies of their recordings. Dr. Dre would be the first to tell you that he is not a traditional MC. 2021-2022 earnings: $73 million. 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. Billboard has officially released its list of the highest-paid music artists in 2020, which shows how hip-hop has dominated as a genre in the last year. By Devin. That gave the band a $2.7 million touring payday. His touring take came from two concerts. Last year . Bolstered by two mammoth deals with luxury giant LVMH and Jack Dorsey's Square, Jay-Z has lapped the competition to become the highest-paid rapper of 2021; and as per Rolling Stone, the 2nd highest-paid musician behind Bruce Springsteen and his US$590 million / AU$811.9 million music catalogue sale.. Hip-hop's first billionaire managed to rake in a grand total of US$470 million / AU$646.75 . Where he really shone, though, was on terrestrial radio: Bieber was the top artist in the category with almost 2.4 million plays. Sales: $591.7K 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. 15, $9.5M), DaBaby (No. 1s with Mo Money Mo Problems and Hypnotize. Big completed two classic solo albums, 1994s Ready to Die and 1997s double-disc Life After Death the latter spending four weeks at No. 4 with $4.3 million because they own their masters and reap a higher royalty rate as a result. 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. 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. Even Swift, that rare artist with strong sales, streaming and touring numbers, saw her take-home pay drop from $99.6 million in 2018 the last time she was on the list to $23.8 million. Touring: $12.4M. For measurement, the magazine used pretax earningsbefore deducting fees for agents, managers or lawyers. 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. 5 and 6 in those categories, respectively. Streaming: $5.5M Aventura $10.2 million13. 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. Capital Punishment also topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and peaked at No. James is the 6th richest female rapper in the world. Sales: $1.3M When he wasnt baring his soul, DMX steadily proved he could hang with raps best: LL Cool J, Jay-Z, Nas, Busta Rhymes and others have all experienced Xs untameable aggression firsthand. Pitbull's early life Amando Christian Prez was born in Miami, Florida on 15th January 1981 to Cuban immigrant parents. Publishing: $1.5M According to Billboard's 2020 Money Makers list they published today (July 19), Post Malone, Drake and YoungBoy Never Broke Again were the three highest-earning hip-hop artists in 2020, a year that saw the COVID-19 pandemic effectively stop large-scale touring across the entire world. Publishing: $373K Snoop Dogg. Rounding out the top 10 is Lil Baby with $11.7 million. After an attempt on his life left him riddled with nine bullets, Curtis Jackson III revved up a meteoric resurrection. Ice-Ts harrowing 6 N the Mornin (1986) forever stamped the West Coast on the hip-hop map. Here are the richest rappers in the UK. 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.. Last years rank: Plus, his songs were both fun and relatable: The Breaks cleverly recounted bad days; Christmas Rappin still rings true as a holiday jam; and If I Ruled the World showcased raps early aspirations. Thee Album became an instant hip-hop classic with its early use of funk samples and hilarious punchlines. The Fab Four, which informed sources say receive royalties at the exceptionally high rate of 50%, make their debut on the Money Makers list after an impressive 2020. The albums smash single, The Box, spent 11 consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100, and Ricchs feature on DaBabys No. 11 ($10.4M), while Eminem holds down the No. 14 spot ($9.7M). NBA YoungBoy $11.9 million10. 3 in 2020 digital album sales (295,000 copies) and No. Building a reputation for delivering gritty tales in a laid-back style, accented by deep-toned, rumbling vocals and a signature dark sense of humor, Biggie went on to score 16 Hot 100 hits including two No. 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). 1 in video streams with over 1.4 billion; No. The late rapper continues to be an inspiration to waves of rappers, particularly Bronx-bred MCs like Fat Joe, Remy Ma and Cardi B. Other Hip Hop figures include Future at 22 with $8.2 million Roddy Ricch at 24 with $7.4 million, Rod Wave at 25 with $7.4 million, and Kanye West at 30 at $6.6 million. All Rights Reserved. A random call from Jay-Z in 1999 ended up shattering regional exposure barriers when Jays braggadocious Big Pimpin earned UGK its first top 40 Hot 100 hit. Iggy . 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). He ranked at No. These are the . . Jay Z the best rapper . 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. 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. 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. The White Teeth rapper ranked No. Lil Baby generated over 6.2 billion streams, almost 4.6 million of which were audio, for $9.1 million. 26 But, also like Strait, Sheltons box-office appeal earned him his berth on Money Makers. All the numbers are down this year because COVID limited touring. Touring: $129K. Click to reveal The album debuted at No. Income: $110 million. 7 finish in on-demand audio streams (almost 4.2 billion) and No. Touring: $0. 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. 22, $8.2M), Roddy Ricch (No. 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. Sales: $4M 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. Wave had zero physical sales last year. The evolution continued with the R&B, psychedelic soul, and pop-infused DAMN. #nelly #stlunatics #ynwmelly #liltecca #juicewrld #playboicarti #dancingrappers #nbayoungboy #2000 #soreuzi #ride #wit #met #comes #radio. 10 in streaming royalties. Streaming: $10.6M According to Billboard's report, published on Monday (July 19), rappers Post Malone, Drake, YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Lil Baby are among the publication's Top Paid Musicians of 2020. All the above sales and streaming royalty rates then had a 4% producers fee deducted. Post Malone Money. Publishing: $1.6M 1 on the Billboard 200, and its title track did the same on both the Hot 100 and Top Streaming Songs charts, contributing to more than 4 billion combined streams and generating $6 million in streaming royalties. #1 of 29. 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. 1 in February 2020, a year in which he also landed five songs in the top 10 of the Hot 100, including his duet with Ariana Grande, Stuck With U, which debuted at No.1. Tariq Trotter, co-founder of the legendary Roots crew and the long-running Phillybands lead MC, still amazes rap fans with electrifying stream-of-consciousness radio freestyles and brilliant live performances. 30, $6.3M). Streaming: $1.3M Publishing: $1.53M This year, artists should be able to stack some cheddar now that music festivals and tours are opening back up from coast to coast. Publishing: $194.5K Check out the count-down of the best rappers of 2023. The Weeknd $10.4 million12. Earnings of the world's highest earning rappers and hip-hop artists 2019 . 14. Dre e ha ottenuto il primo successo due anni pi tardi con il singolo My Name Is. Last years Money Makers ranking credited the K-pop boy band phenom with keeping physical formats alive with its total sales of 827,000 albums. & Rakim, producing classic albums like 1987s Paid in Full and 1988s Follow the Leader with eternal singles like Eric B. Song Quiz. He struck special chemistry with Wu compatriot Raekwon when the two adopted prominent roles on each others classic 90s debuts, Ironman and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, respectively. Streaming royalty rates applied were 22% for new hit artists; 33% for superstar artists, 46% for heritage artists and 74% for artists that own their master recordings. With unapologetically controversial and macabre (yet frequently hilarious) bars and unparalleled rhyme schemes and syncopation, hes relished playing the role of raps supervillain. prompted his signing to Eminems Shady Records under Dr. Dres Aftermath Entertainment banner, and was followed by the Billboard 200 No.