Diddy, Kanye West and JAY-Z topped the list of last year’s highest hip hop earners, former Forbes journalist Zack O’Malley Greenburg reports.
According to the journalist’s tally, JAY-Z placed as the highest-paid rapper of 2021, earning $470 million. Kanye had the second-highest reported earnings — $250 million — and Diddy reportedly made $75 million.
Hov’s financial success last year came, in part, from his Tidal and Armand de Brignac champagne deals. Ye, on the other hand, earned a considerable amount of revenue from his Yeezy shoes, while Diddy’s earnings are largely a result of business deals like Ciroc vodka.
According to Greenburg’s estimates, Drake claimed the No. 4 spot on the list, raking in $50 million last year. With his booming Khalifa Kush cannabis brand, Wiz Khalifa also earned $45 million in 2021, followed by Travis Scott, who made $38 million.
Thanks to his partnerships with Pandora and Dolce & Gabbana, DJ Khaled earned $35 million last year. Eminem made No. 8 on the list with a reported $28 million, followed by J. Cole, who made $1 million less.
Birdman, Tech N9ne and Doja Cat — the only woman on the list — tied for 10th place with $25 million each. Last year, Tech N9ne scored a lucrative digital-only catalog deal, while Doja partnered with brands like Pepsi, CandyCrush and more.
The reported earnings measure “pre-tax income for [the] calendar year 2021 before deducting fees for agents, managers, lawyers and living expenses,” Greenburg’s website, where the full list was published, writes. “Estimates are generated with the help of numbers from MRC Data, Pollstar and other databases, as well as by interviewing handlers and some of the artists themselves.”
See the list below.
No. 1: JAY-Z – $470 million
No. 2: Kanye West – $250 million
No. 3: Diddy – $75 million
No. 4: Drake – $50 million
No. 5: Wiz Khalifa – $45 million
No. 6: Travis Scott – $38 million
No. 7: DJ Khaled – $35 million
No. 8: Eminem – $28 million
No. 9: J Cole – $27 million
No. 10 (tie): Birdman, Doja Cat, Tech N9ne – $25 million