YoungBoy Never Broke Again breaks into Money Makers for the first time, due almost entirely to the prodigious number of streams his music generated. 6 Last years rank: No. 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. curtailing chances for any artists to tour in 2020. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 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. Touring: $11.4M. (1989) were eloquent hood testimonies. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many delayed their albums and did not get the chance to tour, but thanks in large part . In 2020, hip-hop came on strong because its artists often have a strong streaming game. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. These days Kendrick's name is on every hip hop lover's lips. 1 single Wait for U with Drake and Tems, he now boasts eight No. Last years rank: Billboard has released its highest-paid musicians of 2020. The Top 10 Richest Female Rappers of 2023. Touring: $0. That dollar total was also boosted by fans preference for vinyl copies of the bands albums, which accounted for 72% of physical sales. Sales: $4M Shes also the No. Im drivin Caddy, you fixin a Ford, Joseph Simmons boasted on Run-DMCs 1984 breakthrough Rock Box. While DMC was the majestic voice and the late DJ Jam Master Jay the heartbeat of the epochal 80s rap trio, Run was the undisputed star. Before Power-ing up his TV empire, 50 Cent continued to top the charts with follow-ups like The Massacre and Curtis, while also making stars of his G-Unit label roster mates, including Lloyd Banks, Young Buck and The Game. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. 5 most-played act of 2020 the band also generated nearly $4.9 million in income from its recorded masters, which is almost 30% of the bands overall earnings. 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. The murder trial of rapper Lil Boosie has taken several twists and to commit the killing - Michael "Marlo Mike" Louding - had admitted . 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). Touring: $0. Big Daddy Kane was an early rap star archetype thanks to his show-stealing performances in the late 1980s. Some of her biggest hits include "California Gurls," "Roar," "Firework," "I Kissed a Girl," "Teenage Dream," and "Wide Awake.". But, also like Strait, Sheltons box-office appeal earned him his berth on Money Makers. In addition, deceased artists are excluded from the rankings. Last years rank: Whether its her work on Fugees blockbuster 1996 album The Score or her game-changing 1998 debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she has influenced a host of hip-hop artists over the decades. Touring: $2.7M. 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. However, the Port Arthur native born Bernard James Freeman twangy flow ended up being far more influential than his initial underground career aspirations. 1 with $23.8 million, Post Malone moves up to No. She ranks even higher on the Global Money Makers list because of her strong global performance, particularly in streaming. Last years rank: Rapping since 1993, Black Thought continues to grow more polished as one of the genres greatest MCs. Additionally, the OVO Sound leader earned $635,000 in sales. In 2015, she earned $154 million and was named Forbes' highest-earning . "Things got bigger and betterGod is great," says DJ Khaled, who ranks No. Streaming royalties consist of on-demand audio and video streams plus estimated royalties from programmed satellite, cable and webcasting services like SiriusXM and Music Choice. Earnings of the world's highest earning rappers and hip-hop artists 2019 . Touring: $253K. The Best Rappers with Lil in Their Names, Ranked. Aerosmiths plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the bands formation were cut short by the pandemic, but the group played eight shows during its Deuces Are Wild residency at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas before the curtain fell. Over a slew of genre-bending albums (Pink Friday, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, The Pinkprint) and killer guest verses (most famously on Kanye Wests Monster), Nicki has defended her title for over a decade, with incredibly animated flows and alter egos from the soft-spoken, pink-haired Harajuku Barbie to the volatile Roman Zolanski with the British cockney accent. He also rolled deep with the Juice Crew, Marley Marls Queens-based squad whose members included MC Shan, Biz Markie, Kool G Rap and Roxanne Shante. 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. The Greatest of All Time, aka the GOAT. His fourth studio album had the makings of a bonafide classic with incredible singles (How Do You Want it, California Love, & I Aint Mad at Cha) and superior production and it reigned for eight weeks at No. 17 With one of the deepest catalogs in hip-hop history including 18 top 10s on Billboards Top Rap Albums chart Forty Water personifies the hustle of forging a successful independent career. Last years rank: Touring: $17M. Revenue from merchandising, synchronization and sponsorship and livestream concerts is not included. Shes undeniably blazed the trail for the next generation of female MCs, while at the same time, building a legacy whose impact is hardly limited to the hip-hop world: Nicki is one of only a dozen artists to have more than 100 Billboard Hot 100 entries, and earned the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 2022 for her provocative music videos. Despite the lack of new music, Ye still generated 2.6 billion in combined streams, which yielded a $3.9 million payday. 1 albums well into the 2010s. 1 twice on the Billboard 200, while all six of the groups albums were certified either gold or platinum. 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. He could effortlessly maneuver from bawdy around-the-way storytelling (Ms. E-40s contributions, including his 2006 top 10 rap hit and hyphy movement anthem Tell Me When to Go, helped bring the Bay Area into the hip-hops mainstream. 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. Those concerts grossed $12.6 million, which yielded $4.3 million in take-home pay, and earned them the No. Publishing: $1.4M 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. 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. Strait was one of the few artists who made significant touring income before the pandemic. He ranked at No. 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. 10 in physical sales with 334,000 copies scanned in 2020 47% of those purchases were in the higher-priced vinyl format. 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. Aventura $10.2 million13. Rozays Hustlin dreams turned to gold when he rattled the cages of raps mainstream with his 2006 summer anthem and pledged his allegiance to Def Jam and its ex-president Jay-Z. Sales: $89.3K Last years rank: No. The Dre-produced set further solidified the West Coasts status as a major player in the rap game and featured such enduring hits as Gin and Juice and Who Am I? what challenges do advertisers face with product placement? 1 live touring revenue generator for 2020, that amounts to $17 million in take-home pay, which puts Dion at the top of the concert earnings ranking and accounted for over 98% of her overall 2020 income. Touring: $12.4M. Yet like Colors, Ices masterful 1988 first-person account of the Crips and Bloods gang violence that gripped Los Angeles, street manifestos like Rhyme Pays(1987), Power(1988) andThe Iceberg/Freedom of Speech Just Watch What You Say! He earned $2 million in publishing and $712,500 in sales. Streaming: $6.6M 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. 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.. Check the list below: 1. Streaming: $5.1M (Only living acts were included on this list.) 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. That year also marked his major foray into film with the Black Panther the Album. Whether hes crooning his aches and pains on timeless gems (Marvins Room and Jaded) or slashing down hapless MCs (5 AM in Toronto and Omerta), Drakes virtuosic skillset has made him one of the most gifted (and most accomplished artists to ever touch down in music. 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 other two were Las Que No Iban a Salir and his first Billboard 200 No. 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. 1 spot on the list and because of the pandemic had little influence over the ranking in general. Changes, Biebers first album in more than four years, became his seventh Billboard 200 No. 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. 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. Publishing: $1.8M Although he has yet to release his long-awaited album Certified Lover Boy, Drake continues to put up big numbers, landing at No. The former honors student dropped out of school at 14 to focus on his music career, five years after entering the mentorship of Cash Money Records co-founder Birdman. Name a subject covered by your favorite rapper, and Scarface probably addressed it first. Touring: $0. 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. Here are the highest-paid musicians and their estimated net worth, according to Forbes as of 2020: Kanye West - $241M Kanye Omari West is a rapper with a variety of musical genres and . Last years rank: No. Publishing: $967K Method Man is hip-hops version of create-a-player perfection. 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. In determining these rankings, the Billboard and Vibe editorial teams opted first to limit the rap arena to North America. Last years rank: No. Sales: $446.8K Ever since signing to Roc Nation, Meek Mill has become more passion-driven and has ventured into business. As the No. 3 in 2020 digital album sales (295,000 copies) and No. Touring: $4.2M. 11. Streaming: $3.9M ), among the catchiest singles in hip-hop history. 1. The Wu-Tang Clan member possesses it all: unmistakable voice, impenetrable flow, witty rhymes, dark sense of humor, charm and good looks that also translated into Hollywood success. 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. 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. 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, . Lil Uzi Vert. Last years rank: We're always a bit suspicious of Forbes highest-paid musician lists, as there seem to be some shenanigans involved with their accounting. 1 mover of digital albums (1.06 million), digital tracks (1.09 million) and on-demand audio streams (4.3 billion) for 2020. Sales: $394.9K 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. He is a co-owner of Lids, a sports retailer company worth millions of dollars. Wielding words like swords, Wayne is one of the most masterful lyricists of our time, delivering mind-boggling verses for the last quarter century. San Franciscos Bay Area has always been a key birthplace for unique hip-hop talent, from MC Hammer and Tupac Shakur to Too $hort. 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). Ed Sheeran is among the highest-paid rappers globally, with an estimated net worth of $200 million. The deluxe set boosted Combs total streams for 2020 to almost 4 billion and streaming royalties to $5.5 million. 1 single, HUMBLE, the album won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, the first non-jazz or classical work to do so. 3 title on the year-end Billboard 200 albums chart. 3 on the Billboard 200. Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Taylor Swifts return to No. DaBaby $9.1 million18. Touring: $0. Touring: $0. YoungBoy earned $10 million via streams, along with $1.7 million in publishing. Swift takes the top spot almost solely on revenue earned from the recorded masters of her two 2020 albums, folklore and evermore, which she owns and licenses to Republic for distribution. Ludas witty rhymes and slick pop culture references felt as gargantuan as the famously oversized arms he rocked in 2004s Get Back video. 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. Touring: $0. Touring: $1M. 5 and 6 in those categories, respectively. Queen, which owns its masters, ranked second in sales royalties with $5.3 million thanks, in part, to the 2020 rerelease of its $500-plus limited-edition colored vinyl Studio Collection box set of the bands 15 studio albums. In 2022, he relaunched the Rock the Bells Festival in Queens, which included performances from Rick Ross, The Diplomats, Ice Cube and more. The rollout began with the Jan. 11 reveal of the rappers ranked 50-41. Last years rank: 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. 9 Em also certifiably spits a mile a minute, breaking Guinness World Records like fastest rap in a hit single with Godzilla, where he rapped 225 words in a 30-second segment. He earned $23.2 million, of which $12.4 million is from touring prior to the pandemic shutdown. Thng thc nhc ca Self-Paid Fabo trn Apple Music. Despite his gaudy wins, the mercurial MC had his fair share of battles, most notably with Brooklyn titan The Notorious B.I.G, which turned into heartbreaker for both coasts. Sales: $218K Pandemic-induced isolation led to Bad Bunnys most successful year yet, yielding three albums, including the best-selling Latin album in the United States and Spotifys most globally streamed album of 2020, YHLQMDLG. 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. Billboard has released its highest-paid musicians of 2020. Publishing: $1.8M Sales: $215K And he hasnt gone more than four years without releasing an album since 1993. 8 in digital album downloads with 114,000 copies. Wave had zero physical sales last year. Publishing royalties were estimated using the statutory mechanical rates for album and track sales. The evolution continued with the R&B, psychedelic soul, and pop-infused DAMN. A serial entrepreneur and activist, Snoop Dogg brought his career full-circle by purchasing his alma mater Death Row in 2022. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. The group also generated over 1.8 billion streams, which is impressive for a rock band. Fueled by 744 million web radio plays they were the No. Touring: $0. Streaming: $431K Hip Hop's highest earners of 2021 have been announced, and it appears the global COVID-19 pandemic . 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. Sales: $557K 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? 6 on last years list. 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. Last years rank: 6 spot in box-office revenue. Publishing: $611K Publishing: $2M Featuring Lamars first solo No. They live in mansions, drive fast cars, buy expensive clothes and treat themselves welland they sure do enjoy it. Styles 2019 album, Fine Line, peaked at No. 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. From there, the teams took into account the following criteria, not in any particular order: body of work/achievements (charted singles/albums, gold/platinum certifications), cultural impact/influence (how the artists work fostered the genres evolution), longevity (years at the mic), lyrics (storytelling skills) and flow (vocal prowess). Raphael Pour-Hashemi, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. 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. Touring: $0. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. 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 . Streaming: $10.6M 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. And that was only the tip of the iceberg: After releasing 2022s I Never Liked You, featuring current Grammy nominee and No. 31, and then charted with his own single, South of the Border, featuring Camila Cabello and Cardi B, which hit No. The world of hip hop still found a way to get to the bag in a pandemic-plagued 2020.. 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. 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. Despite laying low (for Ed Sheeran), he remained a staple of web radio, ranking at No. 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. 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. Run reinvented himself as a reality star in the 2005 MTV series Runs House. The rockers also racked up 1.3 billion in combined streams that translated to $3.9 million in royalties. Last years rank: Top earning rappers. Publishing: $2.4M Streaming: $3.9M Embracing his nickname as raps toxic king, Future and his syrupy flows were a driving force in Atlantas claiming of the hip-hop throne in the 2010s. Publishing: $1.8M 9 with $11.9 million. Sales: $970.7K Billboard, on the other hand, is all about the statistics. 8 3-peaking Hot 100 hit I Feel for You a pivotal early crossover moment between the hip-hop and R&B worlds. highest paid rappers 2020 billboardkristen wiig daughter. All the above sales and streaming royalty rates then had a 4% producers fee deducted. 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. Sales: $1.8M Like other hip-hop artists, he lags in sales royalties, taking home $161,000. Six months after the death of Tupac Shakur, Biggie was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in 1997. . Snoop Lion. 5 on the Billboard 200, due to Big Puns expert wordplay, vivid storytelling and ability to craft catchy hooks. Beyonce Knowles-Carters husband has succeeded in every era, spitting regal-scented rhymes that speak to the struggle, and to the opulence that follows an intensely self-made greatness. 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. 19,008 votes. He wasnt necessarily the best lyricist, nor did he possess the craziest flow. They also placed No .7 in publishing royalties ($2.4 million) because the original members wrote all of their songs. 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. Income: $110 million. Publishing: $1.3M On-demand streaming royalties were calculated using blended audio and video rates of $0.0053 and $0.0038 per stream, respectively. Streaming: $2.2M Ross has notched 58 Billboard Hot 100 entries spanning three decades, but his legacy doesnt end there: His Maybach Music Group laid the tarmac for Meek Mill and Wale to take off and become titans in the 2010s. 11 junio, 2020. He has definitely earned his place as one of the world's highest-paid rappers, with annual earnings of $21 million in 2020. 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? Publishing: $435K 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. Last years rank: 1s: In da Club and 21 Questions with Nate Dogg. Sales: $1.3M 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. Performance & security by Cloudflare. 15, $9.5M), DaBaby (No. 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). Sales: $152K 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. 1. 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. 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. Publishing: $1.4M The classic psych-rockers ranked even higher in the sales royalties category No. They did even better internationally and topped the 2020 Global Money Makers ranking.