Quick Facts
| Net Worth | Not Known |
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| Profession | Musicians |
Over time, the entertainment industry has proven to be an infinite goldmine, turning stars in different areas and genres into famed millionaires. Inasmuch as it sounds like a walk in the park, the most successful among them didn’t just stumble upon the fame and fortune, they actually worked hard for it. A quick look at the list of top 10 richest rappers in the world today shows legends who have been around since as far back as the 1980s with the younger stars coming in afterward, pointing to the fact that not just talent but sweat, hard work and consistency pays off in the end.
You might have all the talent in the world but in the absence of the right connection and guidance, as well as the zeal to push on, one would hardly make any significant impact in this very competitive industry where talented individuals are springing up from every angle.
While some of y’all were waiting to cash in on your monthly paychecks, these top 10 richest rappers are busy raking in the millions with every minute that passes by. Considering that hip-hop has gradually turned into the most sought-after genre in music, it’s only fair that the partakers reap the profits. Say hello to the big guns of the rap genre.
Richest Rappers In The World And Their Net Worths
Apparently, all the music tours, business investments, endorsement deals among other endeavors have been paying off. Prepare to be awestruck by the heart-stopping net worths accrued by these top bangers in the world as compiled by Forbes.
10. Birdman ($110 million)
It’s no miracle he is among the richest in the rap genre as he is one of the early players in the game. Bryan Christopher Williams who is popular as Birdman in the professional sphere is the co-founder of Cash Money Records through which he discovered Lil Wayne. He has at least 10 studio and collaborative albums to his name.
9. Drake ($120 million)
The Canadian-American rapper came in with a bang, topping the charts as though he owns them. The world-class artist left his career as an actor to pursue his dreams of becoming a rapper. A few mixtapes later, he got signed to Young Money Entertainment – Lil Wayne’s record company. After joining the Young Money crew in 2009, his career picked up steam as the rapper churned out several chart-toppers to rave reviews.
The most charted songs (186) among solo artists on the Billboard Hot 100, the most simultaneously charted Hot 100 songs in a single week (27), the most time on the Hot 100 (431 weeks), as well as the most Hot 100 debuts in a week (22), are just a few of Aubrey Drake Graham’s groundbreaking records. Being a chart-topper attracts the prestigious awards and Drake has received much love in that regard. He has three Grammy Awards, three Juno Awards, six American Music Awards, and thirteen Billboard Music Awards to show for it.
With well over 10 million albums and 86 million singles sold, has secured a permanent spot among the best-selling music artists of the 21st century and in the nearest future. Aside from his music career, Drake is also gifted with a great business acumen. He joined forces with his collaborator Noah James Shebib “40” to launch the OVO Sound record label and also runs a clothing line and radio program on Beats 1. He credits Lil Wayne for seeing the best in him and paving the way for him to share his talent with the world.
8. Snoop Dogg ($135 million)
Scouted by Dr. Dre, Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., popularly known as , among other monikers, has sold more than 23 million albums in the United States in addition to 35 million sold worldwide. Despite several run-ins with the law, Snoop has remained relevant and successful in the career he built from the scratch, keeping a place for himself on the list of top 10 richest rappers in the world. His contributions to the WWE franchise earned him a spot on the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. He remains one of the most influential entertainers of all time.
7. Ice Cube ($140 million)
One of the early starters on the list of top 10 richest rappers in the world right now, tasted fame as early as 1984 when he joined the C.I.A., a hip-hop group which later disbanded. From C.I.A., Cube worked with Dr. Dre and Eazy E as members of another group known as N.W.A. Although they recorded mainstream success, the rapper left to launch his solo career, a well-thought-out move that turned out well for him.
Aside from music, Ice Cube also banks as an actor with top-grossing Hollywood films to his credit. He is also a fine businessman who successfully managed his own clothing line – Solo by Cube. In addition, he is also the brain behind the 3 on 3 basketball league BIG3. The club focuses on retired NBA players.
6. Lil Wayne ($150 Million)
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. plunged into the industry in the early 1990s when he was just a nine-year-old. He subsequently became the youngest member of Cash Money Records and built his career from there. Today, sits among the best-selling artists in the world. So far, he has more than 100 million records sold worldwide among other achievements. He also founded a record label known as Young Money Entertainment and has been credited for propelling some new artists to prominent fame.
5. Eminem ($190 million)
Hate him or love him, remains one of the best-selling artists in the United States to date. With 220 million records sold globally, the rap god has surely achieved the same feat globally and will be remembered as one of the most influential and best artists of all time. The rap superstar whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III has often been dubbed “King of Hip Hop” and holds the rank as the sole artist to get nine of his albums consecutively debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Unlike most of the A-listers, the American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, and actor is not much of a businessman. However, he has done well for himself as a white man in the genre which is visibly dominated by black people.
4. Master P ($250 million)
One of the longtime players in the rap genre, whose real name is Percy Robert Miller, founded No Limit Forever Records which has been changed to several other names in the past. The American musician, actor, businessman, record producer, and philanthropist also founded P. Miller Enterprises and Better Black Television. In addition to his music exploits, Master P also played in the NBA as a professional basketball player. His net worth of $250 million secured him the spot right under the first three on the list of top 10 richest rappers in the world.
3. Dr. Dre ($770 million)
is among the most prominent rap and hip-hop acts of all time who helped build the careers of most of the popular rappers we know today. He takes the third spot on the list, flaunting a handsome net worth of $770 million. Asides his business investments and millions of records sold, the hip-hop guru is still enjoying the benefits from Apple’s $3 billion buyouts of Beats in 2014.
2. P. Diddy ($825 million)
Hot on the heels of the number one spot is none other than Sean John Combs. Since his debut in the industry, we have seen him change his name from Puff Daddy to Puffy, Diddy, Brother Love and even B. Love but the one thing that has remained constant is his ability to maintain relevance in this craft.
His spot on the list of top 10 richest rappers in the world was secured by his current heart-stopping net worth of $825 million. The American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and entrepreneur has always worked hard to remain among the top five on the list and has also topped it for three consecutive years. He owns a record label – Bad Boy Entertainment and has been appreciated with several prestigious awards including three Grammies.
1. Jay-Z ($900 million)
Look who is wearing the hip-hop crown and it fits just fine. Shawn Corey Carter who goes by the moniker has come a long way in his career which spans more than three decades. The American rapper, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and Roc Nation Entertainment boss sits on a hair-raising net worth of $900 million to claim the top spot on the list of top 10 richest rappers in the world.
The father of three was able to oust the likes of Dr. Dre and P Diddy from the top position by upping his fortune from $810 million to the new figure, achieved by making the most of his business acumen which goes beyond music. In addition to his record label Roc Nation, Jay-Z founded 40/40 Club and co-created Rocawear clothing among other investments too numerous to mention.
With 21 Grammy Awards under his belt and almost 75 million albums sold, there’s no doubt he deserves the top spot. While his personal net worth is yet to reach the billion-milestone, the world-acclaimed rapper and his equally famous wife – pop queen , boast a whopping combined net worth of more than $1 billion.
Notably, Jay-Z, Diddy and Dre are not just the top three richest in the hip-hop genre, they are by far, the richest American musicians across all genres.
Top 3 Richest Musicians
Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.
