In a year with little touring, hip-hop/R&B acts dominated streaming sales and accounted for nearly a third of the 40 artists on the list. 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. 8 in track sales (872,000). 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. 26 That gave the band a $2.7 million touring payday. Publishing: $1.7M Their lyrical skirmish ended in tragedy when Pac was shot and killed in a Las Vegas shooting in 96, rocking the entire music world. Building a reputation for delivering gritty tales in a laid-back style, accented by deep-toned, rumbling vocals and a signature dark sense of humor, Biggie went on to score 16 Hot 100 hits including two No. Touring: $129K. 2 Billboard 200 concept album, III. Plus, his songs were both fun and relatable: The Breaks cleverly recounted bad days; Christmas Rappin still rings true as a holiday jam; and If I Ruled the World showcased raps early aspirations. He was featured on Eminems Those Kinda Nights, which peaked at No. Sales: $712,500 Some of her biggest hits include "California Gurls," "Roar," "Firework," "I Kissed a Girl," "Teenage Dream," and "Wide Awake.". His lyrical intensity and fearless aggression are battle-tested, as he sparred with the likes of 50 Cent and Beanie Sigel in the 2000s before single-handedly dismantling Dipset in a 2021 Verzuz battle. Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. The first became his 10th consecutive Billboard 200 No. . 1 on Top Gospel Albums. He earned $2 million in publishing and $712,500 in sales. Plutos epic mixtape three-peat of Monster, Beast Mode, and 56 Nights followed by thecritically acclaimed DS2 and his What a Time to Be Alive joint project with Drake all within the calendar year of 2015 could be the best use of 365 days that rap has ever seen. 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. Touring:$0. Sales: $119K Snoop Dogg. 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. Publishing: $2.4K This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google, Visit Billboard Pro for music business news, Phil Collins, Genesis Catalogs Sell to Concord, Dick Odette, Former Musicland Music Purchasing Head, Dies at 77. AC/DC $10.1 million14. He is a co-owner of Lids, a sports retailer company worth millions of dollars. 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. 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. Singers Quiz. Income: $110 million. Cole Type Beat on procrastination (broke). He also went platinum with all five of his 2010s albums the last three (2014 Forest Hills Drive, 4 Your Eyez Only and KOD) with no features, of course. 1. Fat Booty) to the inner-spiritual fight for Black liberation (UMI Says). Last years rank: No. Touring: $1M. Top earning rappers. Ghost continued the winning streak well into the 21st century, firstwith his 2000 sophomore opus Supreme Clientele and on through 2006s brilliant Fishscale and 2013s comic book on wax, Twelve Reasons to Die. Redmans rugged yet humorous rhymes and infectious personality make him one of hip-hops most beloved MCs. His 2002 mixtape Guess Whos Back? 1 Hot 100 hit to the top 10 of the Streaming Songs chart in October 2020. Publishing: $398K As of March 2023, Cheryl James net worth is approximately 14 million. The forum calculated she made $13.6 million from flowing and $1 million at the crate office, with an aggregate revenue tallied to be $32.8 million. 1 albums well into the 2010s. He earned an additional $2.2 million from publishing and $253,000 from two concerts. The list breaks down to 22 contemporary artists and 18 heritage artists. Touring: $0. They also moved more than 2.6 million digital downloads. Even if Hill never drops a proper sophomore album, she remains a peerless talent who can still outrap anyone as proven by her memorable verse on Nas KD2 gem Nobody in 2021. Hes the artistic, esoteric and philosophical rapper who juxtaposed the streetwise and humble delivery of the groups late Phife Dawg. A remix of the albums lead single Im Not a Player, it flipped a Brenda Russell sample into a salsa-adjacent jam and cemented the Big Punisher as a commercial force. 22 1 albums (the most amongst solo acts), and over 140 million records sold. Certified double-platinum, the album spun off three consecutive No. He could effortlessly maneuver from bawdy around-the-way storytelling (Ms. Buoyed by his first Billboard 200 No. Last years rank: No. 5 and 6 in those categories, respectively. 2020 At 11:17 pm. When touring is in full bloom, heritage rockers, country artists and jam bands dominate Money Makers because of their concert grosses. The majority of Sheeren's earnings this year were from touring. Streaming: $5.7M NBA YoungBoy $11.9 million10. Ludacris became Atlantas first crossover superstar of the 2000s, dominating theairwaves and the clubs with an arsenal of Dirty South anthems at his disposal, coupled with his uniquely charismatic twang. and 2Pac, show his romantic side on the smash Mary J. Blige collab All I Need and just have fun with Redman on the duos How High films and Blackout! (The genre dates back to 1973, when DJ Kool Herc first set up his two turntables to rock a Bronx party.) The Compton native has become one of musics most influential artists thanks to his vivid, thought-provoking and sometimes controversial lyrics, fearless genre experimentation, and agile-yet-masterful flow. Touring: $2.7M. He has definitely earned his place as one of the world's highest-paid rappers, with annual earnings of $21 million in 2020. 7 in that revenue category. Sales: $4.3M 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. Last years rank: No. During raps golden age, I Need a Beat opened the door to the b-boy style, with unmatched energy and aggressive lyricism that became a genre hallmark. A year with little touring resulted in many of rock and country musics regular road warriors giving up their spots to artists with strong 2020 streaming and physical sales performances many of them hip-hop acts. In 2020, Forbes reported that the English singer-songwriter received $64 million from his singing activities. Touring: $0. Sales: $5.3M The Weeknd made $10.4 million USD while Travis Scott reportedly raked in $5.82 million USD. 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. While her 2.37 billion in combined streams is the main reason she made the cut, she also ranked at No. LL Cool J signed with Def Jam Records as its first artist in 1984 and released I Need a Beat from his studio debut, Radio, produced entirely by Rick Rubin. Even after his death, Pacs legacy pushed forward with seven posthumous albums (including three Billboard 200-toppers), induction into the Rock Hall of Fame, and even a spot in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry (for Dear Mama) and despite his short life and career, Pacs legacy continues to resonate today as much as any rapper CL. Redmans popularity skyrocketed when he joined forces with Method Man in the late 90s and released the first of their two albums together Blackout!, which debuted at No. Then came The Message (1982), hip-hops seismic GOAT recording, elevated by the rapper born Melvin Glover and his vivid ghetto portrait. albums all without missing a beat. A year later, the first universally hailed God MC demystified the allure of the Big Apple (New York, New York) and distilled the crisis of the cocaine epidemic (White Lines [Dont Dont Do It]) before crashing pop radio with his 1984 appearance on Chaka Khans Grammy-winning, No. They live in mansions, drive fast cars, buy expensive clothes and treat themselves welland they sure do enjoy it. Jay-Z came in second with 81 million, Drake came in third with 75 million, and Diddy came in third with 70 million. and Snoop Dogg to Eminem, Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar. Unlike most other R&B/hip-hop acts, The Weeknd also generated strong sales royalties. The group notched three No. Queen $13.2 million8. Rounding out the top 10 is Lil Baby with $11.7 million. 1. 8 in that category with 612 million streams, which contributed to a total of almost 2.7 billion combined streams, the equivalent of $3.74 million in streaming royalties. . 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. Publishing: $1.4M Publishing: $2.4M Cheryl James is an American songwriter and rapper who is best known for being a member of the rap trio Salt-H-Pepa which also includes Sandra Denton and Spinderella. The Beatles $12.9 million9. The group also shot videos for each of the 10 tracks on the addiction-themed album, which contributed to total streaming revenue of $1.3 million. Like AC/DC and Queen, Metallica owns its masters, which means the bands royalties are calculated at a rate of 78% (from which 4% goes to the producers of its albums). Shes also the No. Last years rank: Publishing: $1.5M The Fab Four, which informed sources say receive royalties at the exceptionally high rate of 50%, make their debut on the Money Makers list after an impressive 2020. Streaming: $6.8M Not surprisingly, they ranked much higher on the Global Money Makers list. The list includes Drake, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, JAY-Z, and more. Fans couldnt get enough of the weed-smoking, carefree duos debauchery, which culminated in the 2001 cult classic feature film, How High, starring the pair and named after one of their enduring 90s hits. 14 ($9.7 million), DaBaby at No. The Greatest of All Time, aka the GOAT. Sales: $160.6K From there, Pusha became a fashion icon and served as president of Wests label, while continuing to release well-received solo albums full of vivid descriptions of his drug hustling and emotional struggles. Sales: $310K Billboard Quiz. By genre, rock artists landed the most spots, 13, down one from last year; pop acts accounted for nine entries, down from 14; country, three spots, down from eight; and Latin, two berths, up one from 2019. Individually, artist streaming royalties increased a whopping 82% year to year, from $106 million to $193 million, and accounted for just under 50% of the top 40 Money Makers total income. Despite teasing a July release for a new album named after his mother, Donda, West dropped just one song in 2020, Nah Nah Nah, which was tied to his unsuccessful presidential run, and a remix that featured DaBaby and 2 Chainz. Ludas witty rhymes and slick pop culture references felt as gargantuan as the famously oversized arms he rocked in 2004s Get Back video. Publishing: $2M Hip-hop artists remain musics top money makers. Shawn Carter leads the rap pack with a career-best total of $470 million. After finding God, Rev. 8 in that category. The Coming, Rhymes 1996 major label debut album, couldnt have sported a better title to describe his explosive entrance. Halseys 2020 album, Manic, debuted at No. 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. 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). Touring: $0. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2ad8190c8c380f Q-Tip, co-founder of the alternative hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, has been on point for over 30 years. Unless otherwise noted, streaming totals consist of combined on-demand audio, video and programmed streams. Raised in Fayetteville, N.C., hes Southern to the core but also reps Queens asa St. Johns graduate. Dr. Dre would be the first to tell you that he is not a traditional MC. Streaming: $6M 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. One of hip-hops most creative visionaries, Missy Misdemeanor Elliott began honing her skills as a rapper, singer, songwriter and producer as a member of the R&B/hip-hop collective Swing Mob in the early 90s with childhood friend/producer Timbaland. 1 album, My Turn, which landed 12 songs simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 2020, vaulted him to No. Ross demanded attention through his deep gruff-and-grunting ad-libs, colorful street tales and inside looks at Miamis lavish lifestyle, plus his incredible ear for production more appetizing than a lemon-pepper Wingstop order. Additionally, the OVO Sound leader earned $635,000 in sales. Is President, Paid in Full and Microphone Fiend. Rakims influence is felt in all corners of hip-hop: A$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. Your IP: Publishing: $1.6M And no conversation about that can be had without mentioning The Neptunes, Clipse and the latter duos enduring breakout star Pusha T. After reaching legendary status in the 00s alongside older brother Gene aka No Malice, Pusha later began grinding out a solo career, signing with G.O.O.D. Meanwhile, his enduring combination of lyrical prowess, classic albums and envelope-pushing evolution continue to support the widely held consensus that hes the best rapper of his generation. Rock Quiz. 6 on last years list. He is that rare artist who still sells downloads, and ranked at No. But, also like Strait, Sheltons box-office appeal earned him his berth on Money Makers. Taylor Swifts return to No. Shot and killed in a highway Tripple Beanz. linguistic divergence anthropology; what happened to birk balthazar; laidlaw environmental services inc website; However, the Port Arthur native born Bernard James Freeman twangy flow ended up being far more influential than his initial underground career aspirations. Sales revenue was calculated based on physical/digital albums and track sales. Streaming: $1.3M The top ten earners of 2021 banked more than $1 billion, nearly double their pre-pandemic 2019 haul. Publishing: $1.8M Last years Money Makers ranking credited the K-pop boy band phenom with keeping physical formats alive with its total sales of 827,000 albums. Touring: $4.2M. The late rapper continues to be an inspiration to waves of rappers, particularly Bronx-bred MCs like Fat Joe, Remy Ma and Cardi B. 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 royalties were estimated using the statutory mechanical rates for album and track sales. Last years rank: As of March 2023, J. Cole's net worth is estimated to be $60 Million. The candid presentation of Southern California in his songs has won him many awards, as well as hearts. Symere Woods (born July 31, 1994), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American hip hop recording artist. 7. He also remains a streaming giant with $8.1 million in overall royalties, plus an additional $2 million from publishing. 10. Streaming: $3.3M Recorded-music royalties from sales, streaming and publishing collectively grew 56% from $197 million in 2019 to $308 million. 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. 24 ($7.4 million), Rod Wave at No. Streaming: $1.33M Publishing: $967K 3 title on the year-end Billboard 200 albums chart. Last year . Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Streaming: $10.6M I will not lose. Brooklyns Shawn Jay-Z Carters defiant-yet-confident declaration has proven true through his legendary career. (Only living acts were included on this list.) The evolution continued with the R&B, psychedelic soul, and pop-infused DAMN. 2 Sales: $874.7K 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. Taylor Swift. 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). After Bun proved his chops as a solo artist with Pimp C behind bars, UGK reunited to craft its magnum opus with 2007s Billboard 200-topping Underground Kingz, released just months before Pimp Cs death at 33 in 2007. According to Billboard's report, published on Monday (July 19), rappers Post Malone, Drake, YoungBoy Never Broke AgainandLil Baby are among the publication'sTop Paid Musicians of 2020. Jay-Z, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Kanye West all grabbed spots among the top five with their own 9-figure sums, most of it earned not from . The groups streaming performance was in line with other Latin heritage acts: Aventura generated 731.8 million in combined streams, which translated to just shy of $1 million in streaming royalties. All and all, rappers still made money in 2020 despite the impact of the pandemic on the music industry. In a year with little touring, hip-hop/R&B acts dominated streaming sales and accounted for nearly a third of the 40 artists on the list, including four in the top 10Drake, Post Malone, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and Lil Baby. 1, topping the chart for three weeks Wayne successfully exploded onto the mainstream, setting the stage for rap hopefuls and fellow Billboard all-time chart stars Drake and Nicki Minaj, both of whom Wayne helped develop into the global icons they are today by way of his Young Money/Cash Money record label. He ranked at No. Like many hip-hop artists, his sales royalties were minimal. The pandemic interrupted Joels quasi-monthly residency at Madison Square Garden, cutting the $23.2 million he took home from those shows in 2019 to $2.5 million in 2020. This year's top 5 highest-paid musicians on a worldwide scale encompass a variety of genres that may stun you. KRS-One is also battle-tested: 1987s The Bridge Is Over, recorded in response to MC Shans The Bridge, is one of the most respected (and referenced) diss tracks of all time. 6 with $14.2 million with most of his revenue coming from streaming ($11.7 million) and publishing ($1.9 million). Rhymes about experiencing a mental health crisis? Over a decade into his prolific career, Future Hendrix is more commercially relevant than ever: the ATL trap legend became the only artist to appear on the Hot 100 every week throughout 2022. The LOX frontman fostered his hip-hop breakout with a co-sign from The Notorious B.I.G., then stomped his way to prominence with his Timberlands and hard-nosed raps. 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.
highest paid rappers 2020 billboard