Other acts in the top 30 include Lil Uzi Vert (No. 1 in video streams with over 1.4 billion; No. Cole is one of the highest-paid rappers in the world. 1 mover of digital albums (1.06 million), digital tracks (1.09 million) and on-demand audio streams (4.3 billion) for 2020. Streaming: $1.3M However, Andre Youngslegacy as a lead rapper on three separate era-defining albums 1988s Straight Outta Compton with N.W.A. Top earning rappers. Billboard has released its highest-paid musicians of 2020. albums all without missing a beat. 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, . 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. 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. YoungBoy Never Broke Again breaks into Money Makers for the first time, due almost entirely to the prodigious number of streams his music generated. Ice-Ts harrowing 6 N the Mornin (1986) forever stamped the West Coast on the hip-hop map. Last years rank: Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. Last years rank: Last years rank: Celine Dion $17.5 million4. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. So for example, as estimable as his career is, British rapper Slick Rick isnt on this list. Check the list below: 1. Touring: $129K. Eminem surprise-released two albums in 2020, Music To Be Murdered By and a deluxe version, Music To Be Murdered By Side B. DaBaby $9.1 million18. Her fans fascination with her music videos helped her rack up nearly 671 million video streams putting her at No. (The genre dates back to 1973, when DJ Kool . Maybe there are other rappers who could claim to match Jay at his peak. 10. Rod Wave is among the many hip-hop artists who dominated last year and earned a spot on Billboard'sranking of the highest-paid musicians of 2020, including Travis Scott, DaBaby, Kanye West, Roddy Ricch, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and Lil Uzi Vert. Publishing: $2.4M All revenue figures cited are Billboard estimates and, due to rounding, an artists total may not equal the sum of the subcategories. Earnings of the world's highest earning rappers and hip-hop artists 2019 . Dr. Dre would be the first to tell you that he is not a traditional MC. 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. 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. He received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sporting honor in India, in 2018. 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. So well never know what the then-24-year-old could have accomplished if hed been allowed a career as long and as storied as his peers. #4 of 97. 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. Ed Sheeran - $200 Million. Sales: $185K 3 in track downloads with over 1 million. In a year with little touring, hip-hop/R&B acts dominated . #nelly #stlunatics #ynwmelly #liltecca #juicewrld #playboicarti #dancingrappers #nbayoungboy #2000 #soreuzi #ride #wit #met #comes #radio. Money Makers was compiled with 2020 U.S.-only MRC Data and Billboard Boxscore statistics. Scott moved up four places in the rankings in 2020, even though his take-home pay in 2019 was $15.5 million. To the Moral Majority, the Godfather of gangsta rap who set the table for West Coast MCs ranging from N.W.A and Snoop Dogg to The Game and the late Nipsey Hussle was a walking Parental Advisory sticker. We're always a bit suspicious of Forbes highest-paid musician lists, as there seem to be some shenanigans involved with their accounting. 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. But, also like Strait, Sheltons box-office appeal earned him his berth on Money Makers. With unapologetically controversial and macabre (yet frequently hilarious) bars and unparalleled rhyme schemes and syncopation, hes relished playing the role of raps supervillain. He also picked up a nice chunk of change from 132,000 vinyl album sales in 2020, including the 10th-anniversary three-LP release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Out of 40 artists, Taylor Swift returned to the number-one spot on the 2020 list, earning $23.8 . Publishing: $1.9M The albums smash single, The Box, spent 11 consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100, and Ricchs feature on DaBabys No. 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. Publishing: $1.8M 35 ($5.82 million). Q-Tip, co-founder of the alternative hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, has been on point for over 30 years. JAY-Z, Kanye West & Diddy Named Highest-Paid Rappers Of 2021 - With $800M Combined Earnings. That dollar total was also boosted by fans preference for vinyl copies of the bands albums, which accounted for 72% of physical sales. In a typical touring year, The Lumineers would probably not have made the Money Makers top 40. Sales: $2.1M 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. Billboard and Vibe are counting down the best MCs ever in honor of hip-hop's 50th anniversary. 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). As of March 2023, Cheryl James net worth is approximately 14 million. #1 of 29. Last years rank: No. Before Melle Mels game-changing run with Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, rap was still constrained by its yes, yes yall! park jam origins. A pioneer in crafting the fast-flowing, double-time rap style, he attracted the ladies with his convincing, authoritative machismo and head-turning fashion sense. 1. 1 on the Billboard 200. Streaming: $6.8M Click to reveal 15, $9.5M), DaBaby (No. After coming up in freestyle rap battles, Eminem has continually wielded the mic as his weapon of choice and obliterated anyone who comes in his path as seen in the countless feuds hes engaged in over the years. Touring: $4.2M. 9 spot in that category. 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. In 2020, Elliott ranked No. But with his peerless technical skills, larger-than-life personality and turn-of-the-century run of classic albums, Slim Shady has rightfully earned his spot in the upper echelon of GOAT rappers lists. The late Juice WRLD displaced Drake as the top on-demand audio streaming artist in 2020, but Drizzy remains the No. He earned $2 million in publishing and $712,500 in sales. Rock Quiz. He has recently used Instagram to make paid partnership posts promoting Wrogn styles for Myntra. Eminem $9.7 million15. With his impenetrable streak of commercial success hes currently the Hot 100s all-time hits leader, with nearly 300 entries to his credit he refuses to give his opposition a breather, consistently releasing projects every calendar year, including generation-defining sets like 2011s Take Care and 2013s Nothing Was The Same. The South got something to say, Andr 3000 said in rebuttal to the New York crowd booing OutKast for their best new rap group win at the 1995 Source Awards. 35 Touring: $0. 5 1 on the Billboard 200. One fan learned the hard way when she tried to capture the moment. 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?!). Touring: $4.2M. Ludas witty rhymes and slick pop culture references felt as gargantuan as the famously oversized arms he rocked in 2004s Get Back video. After signing with Dr. Dres Interscope imprint Aftermath Entertainment a year later, Lamar hit the ground running with second studio album good kid, m.A.A.d City becoming an instant creative and cultural force. 2 on the Billboard 200, and her biggest hit of the year was Lifes a Mess with Juice WRLD, which hit No. The highest-earning musicians, also published as the "highest-paid musicians", have been reported annually by Forbes since at least 1987. 14 spot ($9.7M). 5 and 6 in those categories, respectively. His impact is undeniable: Nas, Jay-Z, De La Soul, KRS-One and Redman are just a few of the rappers who have sampled Blows music. As of March 2023, J. Cole's net worth is estimated to be $60 Million. Publishing: $1.53M World Tour (only two of which were reported to Boxscore), she still made a bundle in streaming and publishing income. Sales: $1.5M Reviving gangsta rap in the process, Get Rich also nabbed a stunning nine-times platinum RIAA certification. Is President, Paid in Full and Microphone Fiend. Rakims influence is felt in all corners of hip-hop: A$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. San Franciscos Bay Area has always been a key birthplace for unique hip-hop talent, from MC Hammer and Tupac Shakur to Too $hort. The Copyright Royalty Board streaming formula produced an average publishing rate of 13.1% for on-demand audio streaming revenue; the blended per-play terrestrial radio rates, according to Massarsky Consulting, were applied, ranging from 82 cents to $4, depending on the genre and whether hit songs triggered bonus payment plans from the songwriters performing rights organization. Sandra Denton. Theres Safe from his 2002 album The Fix. Touring: $1M. The majority of Sheeren's earnings this year were from touring. 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. The following royalty rates were used: The album and track sales rate is 22% of retail revenue. 5 on the Billboard 200, due to Big Puns expert wordplay, vivid storytelling and ability to craft catchy hooks. 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. Lyrically, she pushed hip-hop beyond its boundaries regarding female empowerment, with a fearlessness that also imbued her innovative and still-influential music videos. Touring: $0. Tour revenue, after the managers cut, equals 34% of an acts Boxscore. Since partnering with Hit-Boy in 2020 for their first installment of their well-received Kings Disease series, Nas has released three more projects and nabbed his first-ever Grammy, proving his lyrical sword remains as sharp as ever. In previous years, it has made up 75% to 80% of the top 40 Money Makers income. Shawn Carter leads the rap pack with a career-best total of $470 million. 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. The group notched three No. 1 albums well into the 2010s. 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. 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. The duos 1994 debut, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, used gospel-influenced tracks (produced by Organized Noize)to introduce the many nuances and characters of Atlanta. Jay-Z ($560 million) Music . Eve - $10 Million. 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. Touring: $0. And though he generated almost 3 billion more streams than Taylor Swift, he takes second place in streaming royalties because Swift owns her masters and is paid more per stream. When touring is in full bloom, heritage rockers, country artists and jam bands dominate Money Makers because of their concert grosses. Rapping since 1993, Black Thought continues to grow more polished as one of the genres greatest MCs. While his ascension from producer to artist has been remarkable, Wests quest as a fashion and business mogul, especially with his Yeezy empire, makes him one of the genres most impactful pioneers. 9 on the Hot 100. Touring: $0. Last years rank: The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Hip-hop artists remain music's top money makers. 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. 3-peaking Hot 100 hit I Feel for You a pivotal early crossover moment between the hip-hop and R&B worlds. With a ravenous rhyme style and the powerful recurring useof dogs as a lyrical motif, DMX had the most commanding presence rap has ever seen. A year with minimal touring resulted in top-streaming acts, many of them hip-hop artists, replacing the rock and country acts that fill arena and stadiums on Billboard's annual ranking. Featuring Lamars first solo No. Publishing: $1.2M Eight out of the top 10 artists according to the Nielsen Music mid-year report, are rappers. Last years rank: Sales: $557K And he hasnt gone more than four years without releasing an album since 1993. 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.