Hip-Hop Cash Kings 2015: The World's Highest-Paid Rap Acts
“Don’t worry if I write rhymes, I write checks,” Sean Combs once rapped. That advisory still holds true: Diddy earned $60 million over the past year, more than any other hip-hop act in the world.
Though he rarely performs these days, Diddy captures his latest Cash Kings crown thanks to the fruits of a reputation forged in music: TV network Revolt, clothing line Sean John, alkaline water brand Aquahydrate and Ciroc vodka, the last of which brings in the bulk of his bucks. He’s also said to be readying new album No Way Out 2, and no matter who writes the lyrics—a hot topic in hip-hop these days—one can assume the record will get plenty of attention.
Next on the list is a very different sort of hip-hop mogul: Jay Z, who pulled in $56 million. He once described himself as “the man who write checks with the hand that don’t write,” a reference to his knack for composing his own verses in his head. The multifaceted mogul’s 22 shows with wife Beyoncé boosted his bottom line alongside ventures like entertainment company Roc Nation and Armand de Brignac champagne, both manifestations of a new career path he embarked upon 12 years ago (read more in freshly-updated Jay Z biography Empire State of Mind).
Rounding out the top three is Drake at $39.5 million, the best Cash Kings finish of his career. He played 50 dates during our scoring period, with a nightly average gross of nearly $1 million. Also padding his coffers: gold-certified surprise record If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late and endorsements for Sprite and Nike.
“That’s pretty much my objective every year,” Drake once said of making the FORBES list. “Other than making good music.”
Making good music is something Dr. Dre has been doing for decades. Recently he’s spent more time making good money—$620 million last year, the highest annual payday of any musician ever, thanks to Apple’s $3 billion Beats buy—which is why it’s something of a surprise that he ranks No. 4 with $33 million, the result of smaller checks from Apple. He also exec-produced biopic Straight Outta Compton and released his long-awaited third album, both of which will boost his total on next year’s list.
Pharrell Williams rounds out the top five with $32 million. The “Happy” singer is one of the more diversified performers on the list, clocking multimillion-dollar checks from touring, music and his role as a judge on The Voice. He also mingles his fashion sense with an entrepreneurial streak, as evidenced by his Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream clothing lines.
To formulate the Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, we consider pretax income from touring, record sales, streaming, publishing, merchandise sales, endorsements and other business ventures. Management, agent and attorney fees are not deducted. Earnings are calculated from June 2014 to June 2015 and based on data from Nielsen SoundScan, Pollstar, the RIAA and from interviews with managers, lawyers, executives and a handful of the artists themselves.
Beyond the top five, there are plenty of familiar names on the list, including a few well-known rappers under age 30 who may soon push into the upper tier. Wiz Khalifa takes the No. 8 spot with $21.5 million, fueled by his Furious 7 duet “See You Again” and incessant touring, plus accompanying sales of his weed-themed merch. “It’s part of my personality,” he told FORBES. “It wasn’t conscious at first, but then when I saw how far it was going … I was like, ‘Why not?’”
Kendrick Lamar lands at No. 13 with $12 million, underscoring his status as a critical favorite with To Pimp a Butterfly, a dense, jazz-inflected record that denied fans singalong hits, yet still sold 324,000 copies in its first week. He remains in the middle of the pack earnings-wise partly due to his selectivity when it comes to endorsing products. Said Lamar: “All money ain’t good money.”
