Every year, Forbes compiles their list of highest-paid entertainers, which typically includes some of hip-hop’s household names. In a new report from a former editor for the publication, Jay-Z and Kanye West are claiming the big money throne for 2021.
On Monday (Feb. 28), journalist Zack O’Malley Greenburg, formerly of Forbes, who curated the list for the publication for years, independently unveiled his list of the top-earning rappers with Jigga making $470 million, Ye raking in $250 million and Diddy bringing in $75 million—the aforementioned rappers are the big three on the list.
I started compiling the "Forbes list" of hip-hop's top earners over a decade ago. Annual income for this year's top two—Jay-Z ($470m) and Kanye ($250m)—is up more than tenfold from ten years ago. This year is the first time I'm doing the rankings independently.
— Zack O’Malley Greenburg (@zogblog) March 1, 2022
Hov’s massive numbers can partly be attributed to the sale of his Tidal streaming service to Jack Dorsey’s Square for over $350 million and selling 50 percent of Armand de Brignac champagne, also referred to as Ace of Spades, to LVMH—Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy. As for Kanye, his hundreds of millions are largely due to his Yeezy sneaker/clothing brand. Diddy’s millions also come from his Ciroc vodka brand while DJ Khaled, who placed at No. 7, brought in $35 million thanks to his deals with Pandora, Dolce & Gabbana and more.
Other rhymers on the list include Drake (No. 4, $50 million) and Wiz Khalifa (No. 5, $45 million), while Tech N9ne, Doja Cat and Birdman all tied at the 10th spot with $25 million each.
Although Greenburg listed the top 10 highest-paid rhymer, the quantity of his rapper pool is unclear.
Nonetheless, see the full list of the highest earners in hip-hop for 2021 below:
10. Tech N9ne ($25 million)
10. Doja Cat ($25 million)
10. Birdman ($25 million)
9. J. Cole ($27 million)
8. Eminem ($28 million)
7. DJ Khaled ($35 million)
6. Travis Scott ($38 million)
5. Wiz Khalifa ($45 million)
4. Drake ($50 million)
3. Diddy ($75 million)
2. Kanye West ($250 million)
1. Jay-Z ($470 million)
