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While the rap and hip-hop industry has been riddled with controversy and has been the target of heavy criticism for decades now, there's no doubting the fact that it has produced and still is producing some of the wealthiest artists ever. And the rise of social media has only opened the door for other streams of income to be made, both by contracted and independent artists. And as rappers have a tendency to shamelessly flaunt their assets and possessions, we're well aware of pricey items like Drake's $20 million YOLO estate, Jay-Z's $28 million Rolls Royce Boat Tail convertible he bought together with his wife Beyonce, and Sean "Diddy" Combs fleet of fast cars. Here are 10 of the richest rappers of 2022, ranked.
Kanye West - $6.6 Billion
Heading off the list is a man who can undoubtedly put his money where his mouth is. Kanye West has been the topic of discussion on a global level for more than a decade now, but in recent months, he has really stolen the spotlight with some of the controversy that he was a part of. First recognized as a producer on the rapper Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records in the early 2000s, West went on to establish himself as one of the most diverse and unique rap artists in hip hop, selling close to 36 million records over the course of his solo rap career, according to Best Selling Albums.
While he still releases music, he is also invested as a fashion designer and had once collaborated with Nike, Gap, Louis Vuitton, and A.P.C. and also released his Yeezy fashion wear in collaboration with Adidas. Today, his net worth is $6.6 billion.
Jay-Z - $1.3 Billion
Believe it or not, Jay-Z is known for much more than marrying the Queen of Pop, singer and actress Beyonce Knowles. The Brooklyn, New York rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur has cemented himself as one of the greatest rappers in history. Through the founding of his talent and entertainment agency Roc-Nation, he has brought multiple artists to stardom, such as Savage x Fenty CEO and singer Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Megan Thee Stallion, and rapper Big Sean. According to HypeBeast, much of Jay-Z's wealth comes from his ownership stake in Roc Nation, as well as his champagne company, Armand de Brignac. Since the start of his career to 1996 until present, he has sold over 140 million records worldwide, and holds a net worth of $1.3 billion.
Sean "Diddy" Combs - $900 Million
Another name that has been ringing in hip hop circles for decades on end in Sean "Diddy" Combs, P. Diddy, Diddy Love - whichever one floats your boat. At 53 years old, there doesn't seem to be anything the Harlem, New York native hasn't dabbled his hands in. Known mostly for founding his own record label, Bad Boy, in 1993, a large part of Combs' success and fame can be credited to the Brooklyn rap-extraordinaire, The Notorious B.I.G., better known as Biggie Smalls. Other talents such as rappers Lil' Kim, Craig Mack, Bow Wow, Machine Gun Kelly, and singer/actress and former wife of the deceased Biggie Smalls, Faith Evans, were also signed to Bad Boy.
However, Combs' also made a great sum of money from other business investments such as his Ciroc vodka brand, the Sean John clothing line, a huge stake in Revolt TV, and the Aquahydrate beverage company he owns with Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg and businessman Ronald Burkle.
Dr. Dre - $500 Million
Leaving the East Coast, we're heading over to the West Coast where we have one of the founding fathers of the west coast style of rap, Dr. Dre. Born Andre Young, he helped pave the way for "gangsta rap" along with rapper/actor Snoop Dogg, Ice-Cube, Ice T, and other members of the N.W.A. rap group such as Eazy-E, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince. Although he has released a few timeless rap songs with rapper such as the late Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, he really shone as a producer.
In his early days, he produced albums for Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube before founding his own record label, Aftermath Entertainment. Some of the most popular names in Hip Hop who have signed under Aftermath Records include Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, The Game, and Busta Rhymes. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he currently has a net worth of $500 million.
Pharrell Williams - $250 Million
You don't hear much about Pharrell Williams anymore, but during the late 1990s into the early 2000s, and even for some time after that, he brought a new style to hip hop which infused R&B and pop, making for an introduction to a new era of music. Beginning in the early 1990s with his cousin and fellow producer, Timbaland, and Chad Hugo, he formed a hip hop group named Surrounded by Idiots, but they disbanded before recording any music material.
Following that, he formed the Neptunes an were discovered by producer Teddy Riley during a high school music performance. Fast forward a few years and they began working with the rap duo Clipse, which included Pusha T and Malice. Pharrell and The Neptunes have produced songs for top-tier artists such as Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, and Beyonce. His net worth today stands at $250 million.
Drake - $250 Million
A name that is synonymous both in the world of hip hop and R&B is none other than Canadian-born rapper, Drake. However, unlike many others on this list whose rise to fame was a career in hip hop, Drake got his foot in the door through a career as an actor on the Canadian television series, Degrassi: The Next Generation. However, he began making the switch to music in the mid-2000s and by 2010, released his chart-topping studio album, Thank Me Later, which featured numerous artists such as Nicki Minaj, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, and T.I.
He would go on to release multiple successful albums thereafter, making tens of millions each year. He even holds the record for most digital singles sold, numbering more than 163 million. Besides founding his own record label, OVO Sound, he's also endorsed by multiple brands such as Sprite, Nike, and Burger King, including a $19 million exclusivity deal with Apple.
Eminem - $230 Million
Marshall Mathers, better known as Eminem, is a name that can't be excluded when mentioning the greatest talents in the rap history. Born in Missouri, he would end up in a predominantly black neighborhood in Detroit after the divorce of his parents. Among some of the names he is called by, he adopted the Slim Shady alter-ego and began his career in the late 1990s, releasing his debut album in 1996 titled Infinite.
By 1999, he signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment which skyrocketed his to mainstream popularity. After releasing a few albums with Dre that received worldwide success, he starred in his debut musical drama film, 8 Mile in 2002, which also featured actor Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Kim Basinger, Michael Shannon, and Anthony Mackie. Across his music career, he has amassed a net worth of $230 million.
Master P - $200 Million
One of the most multitalented and business savvy rappers on this list is Master P. Born Percy Miller in New Orleans, Louisiana, he always had a business mind, even going into the hip hop industry. The city of Louisiana is renowned for its musical talent, which has also produced artists such as the eccentric rapper Lil Wayne, C-Murder, Juvenile, Kevin Gates, Boosie Badazz, and NBA YoungBoy to name a few. Master P's first investment was in a record store-turned-record label named No Limit Records with $10,000 he inherited from his deceased grandfather.
After that, the rest was history. The label was formed with himself and his two brothers, C-Murder and Silkk The Shocker. He would sell over 7 million albums over the course of his rap career. But, being the businessman he is, in the late 1990s he established a business empire that included various rap labels, a clothing line, a management company, production company, video game company, among others income streams. His net worth from all this is $200 million.
Lil Wayne - $170 Million
Equally as influential and successful as the former Louisiana rapper is the New Orleans rapper, Lil Wayne, who began his career at the tender age of twelve years old after her signed by Birdman to the Cash Money Records label. As the youngest rapper on the record label, he would become one of the most influential rappers of his generation.
Under Cash Money Records, he became one of the best selling musical artists in history and even surpassed Elvis Presley for having the most entries on the Billboard Top 100 chart. To date, he has sold over 100 million records worldwide, most of which came through his solo career. With his experience, he formed his own label, Young Money Entertainment, under which he signed both Drake and Nicki Minaj. He then sold the Young Money Masters to Universal Music for $100 million and, today, has a net worth of $170 million.
Ice Cube - $160 Million
Following close behind the Young Money Millionaire is O'Shea Jackson, better known as Ice Cube, with a net worth of $160 million. Cube also began writing raps from the age of fourteen. By the age of sixteen, he had sold his first rap to Eazy-E before they formed the N.W.A. group. Cube then formed his own group called C.I.A. and released a song produced by Dr. Dre called "My Posse." Around the same time, they formed the N.W.A. group, writing the lyrics for Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, and half the lyrics for the rest of the members.
Subsequently, he left the group in 1988 after issues arose involving payments for his writing and lyrical contributions. He pursued his solo career shortly after, releasing albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and Kill At Will, both raking in over 1 million sales. Along with his blossoming hip hop career, he also starred in director John Singleton's 1991 crime drama Boyz n The Hood, opposite Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, and actresses Nia Long and Regina King. Cube has also been the spokesperson for Coors Light Beer and has his own clothing line, Solo by Cube.
Sources: Best Selling Albums, HypeBeast, Celebrity Net Worth,