The list of the wealthiest rappers has seen drastic changes over the years. A lot of artists had appeared and disappeared over time. Several of the previously highly ranked rappers are now in lower spots because others have been more successful. Other artists have worked their way up and effectively increased their net worth.
5. Eminem ($230 Million)
Without a sliver of doubt, Eminem is one of the most successful and rappers in the 21st century. He had his humble beginnings competing in rap battles in Detroit; sometimes getting criticism for being the only white rapper performing in shows. This did not stop Em, he signed with Dr. Dre’s Label “Aftermath Entertainment” and continued to be one of the most celebrated artists of all time. As of today, he has won 10 Grammys and has had 10 albums to appear in the Billboard Top 200.
4. Dr. Dre ($820 Million)
Surprisingly in the fourth spot is Dr. Dre. If you’d remember, Dr. Dre used to occupy the second and third spots in the previous years. Dr. Dre began his career with N.W.A in the 1980s and went on to become a solo artist. Dre is a busy man: being a rapper, producer, actor, and an audio engineer. He is the founder of Beats Electronics, which he later sold to Apple for $3 billion.
He helped famous rappers get their career on track. Notable rappers include Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem.
3. Diddy ($885 Million)
Another busy man on the list. Diddy found success when he found his own label in the late 1990’s. He marked his entry into the music industry by releasing “No Way Out” in 1997, it since then been certified platinum seven times. He also formed the group “Dirty Money”, which then became a commercial success. When not a musician, Diddy also spends time with his entrepreneurial ventures. He is the producer of MTV’s making the band. On top of this, he has a clothing line, perfume line, restaurants, liquor business, and even an umbrella company.
2. Jay-Z ($1 Billion)
Jay-Z cracked the $1 billion dollar mark in 2014. On top of being a decorated musician, a large bulk of his wealth has come from his investments and other business ventures. As of the time of writing, Jay-Z currently invests his money in countless record companies, clothing lines, night clubs, sports teams, and more. Oh, and he’s married to one of the most celebrated female musicians of all time, Beyoncé. This effectively makes their net worth a whopping $1.5 billion.
1. Kanye West ($3.2 Billion)
Yeezy used to be in the 5th or lower spot before. What’s crazy is that years after those, he has more than three times the wealth of the previous spot. Before being a successful musician and businessman that he is now, he used to produce and sell his beats to other artists. A big part of his wealth was not made by his musical genius. Instead, he is a fashion icon. His Yeezy line, in collaboration with Adidas, has reported that the line produces over $1 billion annually. He claims that Yeezy is valued at $4 billion.
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