Richest rappers in the world 2023: We provide you with the profile and estimated net worth of the top 20 richest rappers in the world.
DJ Kool Herc (popularly known as DJ and the founding father of rap) is widely credited with popularising rap music in the United States. In their building, he and his sister Cindy began hosting school parties. Nobody could have predicted that these parties would usher in a new culture known as rap music or hip-hop.
Rapping or hip-hop careers can be extremely lucrative. Most rappers go into Hollywood as their popularity and income grow; others start their own businesses or make investments to increase their wealth.
Here are the top 20 richest rappers in the world (2022 rating):
Top 20 Richest Rappers in the World
1. Kanye West (Net Worth: $6.6 billion)
The super-controversial but highly successful rap artist Kanye West makes the top spot for the richest rappers in the world.
Kanye West was born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta and raised in Chicago. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop musicians of all time, as well as one of the greatest musicians of his generation.
Yeezy got his start with Jay-Z’s label, where he composed instrumentals for their albums. For years, he was sought after by the most successful rappers for his beats. He was eventually allowed to release his own record, which was a huge success and launched his career as an all-time great lyricist.
According to Bloomberg, Kanye West’s net worth is $6.6 billion, thanks to a whopping $4.7 billion valuation of his brand Yeezy following a mega deal with clothing company Gap.
He, like many others, has launched his own record label, GOOD Music. He has 21 Grammys to his name, making him one of the most decorated artists of all time.
His clothing collection, Yeezy, has collaborated with Nike and Louis Vuitton to release shoes and other merchandise. He’s dabbled in acting, architecture, politics, design, and a variety of other fields.
2. Jay Z (Net Worth: $1.3 billion)
Jay Z is considered to be one of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time. He comes second in our list of richest rappers in the world.
Shawn Corey Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, was born on December 4, 1969. Jay-Z is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time.
He was the CEO of Def Jam Recordings, and he has been central to the creative and commercial success of artists, including Kanye West, Rihanna, and J. Cole.
While he has never dabbled in the arts outside of music, Jay Z’s success includes a diverse portfolio of accomplishments — and investments.
The hip-hop superstar not only developed a distinct sound in the industry, but he also used his business acumen to achieve success in all aspects of the industry, from the beats to the business.
And, of course, he made wise choices in his personal life, landing Beyoncé.
Sean Carter has won 22 Grammy Awards and sold over 100 million records. But that’s only a small portion of the money he makes from his record label, Roc-A-Fella Records, and his clothing line, Rocawear. He also invests in a number of projects, including the music streaming service Tidal and his company Roc Nation Sports, where he is a licensed sports agent.
Sean Carter is the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s first rapper inductee. He currently holds the record for the number one album on the Billboard 200, with 14 albums. He is now investing in smartphone apps, television, and films.
3. Sean Combs (Diddy) (Net Worth: $900 million)
Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs) on November 4, 1969, is also known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy, or Puffy.
Diddy is an American rapper, record executive, and entrepreneur. He was born in New York City.
He worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his own record label, Bad Boy Records, in 1993. Combs has produced and cultivated artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher.
Sean Combs makes the third top spot on our list of richest rappers in the world.
Combs has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards and is the producer of MTV’s Making the Band.
In 1998, he launched his own clothing line, Sean John. He was nominated for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) award for Menswear Designer of the Year in 2000 and won in 2004.
4. Dr. Dre (Net Worth: $500 million)
Dr. Dre is heavily credited with having resuscitated the hip-hop genre in his time — not to mention introducing the world to Eminem. He takes the fourth spot on our list of richest rappers in the world.
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965) is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur better known as Dr. Dre.
Andre Young makes a fortune from a variety of sources, including countless royalties from launching protégés such as Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Eminem, and 50 Cent. His focus on creating other superstars has limited his personal time, resulting in only two album releases for himself. This effort has also propelled him to the top ten best producers in the game.
His early work with NWA, Death Row Records, and then his own label, Aftermath Entertainment, provided him with enough money and fame to launch a number of other ventures in the film industry, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship.
His recent divorce (reportedly costing him more than $100 million) is partly to blame for his drop on our list.
5. Pharrell Williams (Net Worth: $250 million)
Pharrell Williams takes the fifth spot on our list of richest rappers in the world with an estimated net worth of a whopping $250 million.
Williams Pharrell rose to prominence as a member of the beat production duo The Neptunes and then as the lead vocalist of N*E*R*D. For years, his production abilities made him the go-to beatmaker for hip-hop and R&B artists.
Williams has received a slew of awards and nominations. He has 13 Grammy Awards, including three for Non-Classical Producer of the Year (one as a member of the Neptunes). He is also a two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Original Song in 2014 for “Happy” (from Despicable Me 2) and Best Picture in 2017 as a producer of Hidden Figures.
Pharell Williams even got a spot as a coach on the TV show ‘The Voice.’ He now runs the ‘i am OTHER’ record label and multimedia creative collective.
To top it all off, he’s collaborated with a slew of international companies to create streetwear brands, sneakers, jewelry, sunglasses, furniture, sculptures, textiles, and a slew of other products. He’s definitely working hard.
6. Drake (Net Worth: $250 million)
Drake is a Canadian rapper, singer, and actor. He is one of the top richest rappers in the world.
The Canadian rapper is a Toronto Raptors ambassador and a local legend. Drake made his television debut as “Jimmy” in the reboot of the classic coming-of-age show Degrassi.
Drake has taken the hip-hop world by storm with his mix of rap and R&B styles, a lot of charisma in front of the camera, and the love of his city behind him since then.
Drake’s career took off when Lil Wayne signed him to his own label, Young Money, in June 2009, and he is now considered one of the rap kings.
He has four Grammys, including the Best Rap Album Grammy for “Take Care” at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012. He has also outsold rap legends such as Jay-Z, Eminem, and Tupac Shakur. It’s no surprise that he’s near the top of our list of best-selling artists of all time.
Drake will undoubtedly continue to rise through the ranks of our list. The real question is whether it will be due to his musical abilities or his business savvy. He has his own record label (OVO Sound), his own fashion line (October’s Very Own), countless brand partnerships, and has even launched his own whiskey, Virginia Black. He is also the global ambassador for his hometown NBA team, the Toronto Raptors.
7. Eminem (Net Worth: $230 million)
Eminem is one of the richest rappers in the world. He was born on October 17, 1972, as Marshall Bruce Mathers.
The one and only Eminem is an industry legend, a controversial figure from the start, and one of the fastest rhyme-spitters of all time.
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time and is credited with popularising hip hop in middle America.
He is currently estimated to have a net worth of $230 million.
Marshall Mathers is a Dr. Dre protege who launched his own record label, Shady Records, and his own set of superstars. He has 15 Grammy Awards and is the first rapper to receive an Academy Award for Best Original Song for his role in the film 8 Mile.
Mathers is also a writer.
8. Master P (Net Worth: $200 million)
Master P makes the 8th spot in our list of the richest rappers in the world with an estimated net worth of $200 million.
He is the founder of No Limit Records, an American rapper, record executive, actor, and entrepreneur.
Percy Miller (Master P) amassed enormous wealth while his record label, No Limit Records, dominated the rap scene. He launched a slew of stars at the time, striking while the iron was hot and releasing up to ten times as many albums as in previous years. In the late 1990s, he was able to sign Snoop Dogg to a three-album deal.
He’s broken into travel, real estate, stocks, toys, sports, cars, and other industries, in addition to television, movies, and professional wrestling. He accomplished all of this while failing to win any of the major music awards. He is the king of multiple streams of income.
9. Lil Wayne (Net Worth: $170 million)
Lil Wayne is one of the richest rappers in the world, with a net worth of $170 million.
The super-flashy and king-of-catchy chart-topper has always flashed that diamond-accented mega-watt smile.
He is a rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential hip-hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman and became the label’s youngest member. Wayne remained Cash Money Records’ flagship artist until June 2018, when he parted ways with the label.
Lil Wayne has sold over 120 million records worldwide, including over 20 million albums and 70 million digital tracks in the United States, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world.
He has five Grammys, 11 BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and eight NAACP Image Awards to his name. On September 27, 2012, he became the first male artist to surpass Elvis Presley’s record of 109 Billboard Hot 100 entries.
Lil Wayne is also the president and CEO of his own record label, Young Money Entertainment.
He was also the go-to guy for guest appearances, which earned him a lot of money. He’s become one of the best-selling artists of all time, and he’ll continue to rise as he continues to launch superstars like Drake and Nicki Minaj.
10. Ice Cube (Net Worth: $160 million)
Ice Cube is a superstar and one of the richest rappers in the world.
He established himself as a hip-hop icon as a founding member of the pioneering rap group NWA, whose often-controversial lyrics and subject matter broke ground in the music industry and shone a no-filter spotlight on the culture often associated with this hip-hop genre. In 2016, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his contributions to NWA.
Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson) has been in the game as long as Dr. Dre, beginning in the same group called NWA. Following an illustrious solo career that included ten albums, he moved into Hollywood films and television, starring in classic urban films, comedies, and even children’s films.
As a member of the popular Westside Connection, he continued his musical career. Jackson is an entrepreneur who owns a clothing line called Solo by Cube as well as a 3-on-3 basketball league called Big3. He continues to win music and film awards to this day.
11. Snoop Dogg (Net Worth: $150 million)
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. was born on October 20, 1971. He is an American rapper, media personality, and actor popularly known as Snoop Dogg. He was previously called Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion. His career began in 1992 when he appeared on Dr. Dre’s debut solo single, “Deep Cover.” This was followed by Dre’s debut solo album, The Chronic. Snoop has sold over 23 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide since his debut.
He purchased Death Row Records from MNRK Music Group (formerly known as eOne Music) in 2022. And thereafter, he released BODR, his 19th studio album.
Snoop is widely regarded as one of the original “hip hop greats” and one of the industry’s most diverse artists. Snoop, who has a distinct sound but a strong desire to collaborate, is always willing to try something new, whether musically or otherwise.
12. Swizz Beatz (Net Worth: $150 million)
He is one of the top richest rappers in the world.
Swizz Beatz (born Kasseem Daoud Dean on September 13, 1978) is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, and businessman.
He was raised in New York City and began his musical career as a DJ. He began to gain recognition in the hip-hop industry at the age of 18 through his family’s record label, Ruff Ryders, as well as his friendship and collaboration with East Coast rapper DMX. Working with DMX as his producer, DJ, and hype man aided Swizz Beatz’s rise to prominence as a high-profile hip-hop personality.
Swizz Beatz later discovered Cassidy, a Philadelphia-based rapper whose success aided the launch of his own label imprint, Full Surface, in 2001. He went on to sign a slew of artists to the label, including Eve, Mashonda, and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
Fellow American rapper and producer Kanye West called Dean “the best rap producer of all time.”
Aside from music, Dean has pursued a variety of entrepreneurial endeavors, including fashion design, art collecting, and board directing. He has been a trustee at the Brooklyn Museum since 2015, as well as a creative director for Monster Cable and Reebok.
Swizz Beatz married fellow artist Alicia Keys in 2010, and the couple has two children together.
13. Birdman (Net Worth: $150 million)
On number 13 on our list of richest rappers in the world is Birdman.
Birdman, also known as Baby, is best known as the co-founder of Cash Money Records, the original “label home” to many hip-hop superstars, including hip-hop icon Lil Wayne.
14. LL Cool J (Net Worth: $120 million)
LL Cool J is a two-time Grammy Award winner best known for hip hop songs like “Going Back to Cali,” “I’m Bad,” “The Boomin’ System,” “Rock the Bells,” and “Mama Said Knock You Out,” as well as R&B hits like “Doin’ It,” “I Need Love,” “All I Have,” “Around the Way Girl,” and “Hey Lover.” He is one of the best and richest rappers in the world.
VH1 named him one of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” in 2010.
LL Cool J was the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honors in 2017. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, receiving an award for Musical Excellence.
He presently works in television and filmmaking and has been in the hip-hop scene for many years now.
LL Cool J has appeared in films such as Halloween H20, In Too Deep, Any Given Sunday, Deep Blue Sea, SWAT, Mindhunters, and Edison. In the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles, he currently plays NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna. LL Cool J also hosts Lip Sync Battle on the Paramount Network.
15. Pitbull (Net Worth: $100 million)
Pitbull, born Armando Christian Pérez, was raised in Miami’s “Little Havana” neighborhood by Cuban immigrants.
Pitbull’s sound instantly attracted seasoned artists in the industry, like Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera, when he broke out in the industry in 2004 with his debut release MIAMI. His collaboration tracks became a signature as he dominated the charts then – and now.
16. Nicki Minaj (Net worth: $100 million)
Nicki Minaj is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. She is the only woman on this list of the top richest rappers in the world. And it’s no surprise, given that this no-filter artist has never had trouble competing with the boys in the often male-dominated hip-hop industry.
Minaj is dubbed the “Queen of Rap” and “Queen of Hip Hop” by various media outlets. She is also one of the best-selling music artists, having sold over 100 million records worldwide.
Several media outlets have called her one of the most influential rappers of all time. And Billboard named her the top female rapper of the 2010s. And also the seventh most influential female artist of all time.
She is the first female artist to have one hundred Billboard Hot 100 entries. And she has twenty-one top-ten singles in the United States. Eight American Music Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards (including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2022), six MTV Europe Music Awards, twelve BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, a Brit Award, and three Guinness World Records are among her many honors.
In 2016, she was named to time’s annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people. Her film credits outside of music include voice roles in the animated films Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) and The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019). She also played supporting roles in the films The Other Woman (2014) and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016).
17. Ad-Rock (Net Worth: $90 million)
Adam Horovitz, popularly known as Ad-Rock or King Ad-Rock, is one of the richest rappers in the world. He has a net worth of 90 million dollars.
Ad-Rock is a rapper, guitarist, and actor from the United States. He was a member of the Beastie Boys, a hip-hop group. BS 2000 was an Ad-Rock side project while the Beastie Boys were active. Following the dissolution of the Beastie Boys in 2012 (due to Adam Yauch’s death), Ad-Rock has worked as a remixer, producer, and guest musician for other artists. He also acted in a number of films.
18. Mike D (Net worth: $90 million)
Michael Louis Diamond (Mike D) is a rapper, musician, and music producer from the United States. He is best known as a founding member of the Beastie Boys, a hip-hop group. Mike D also played the drums with the Beastie Boys in addition to singing. He has produced albums for acts such as Portugal and has done a number of remixes. Slaves and the Man
19. Timbaland (Net worth: $85 million)
Timbaland is an American rapper, singer, record producer, songwriter, and record executive best known for his numerous collaborations with childhood friend and fellow hip-hop icon Missy Elliott.
He is a Grammy Winning super producer. He is one of the top richest rappers in the world, with a net worth of 85 million dollars.
20. Kendrick Lamar (Net worth: $75 million)
Concluding our list of the top 20 richest rappers in the world is the super Kendrick Lamar.
Kendrick Lamar is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer.
He is often cited as one of the most influential rappers of his generation. Aside from his solo career, he is also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Black Hippy. This is alongside his former Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) labelmates Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q.
That concludes our discussion on the top 20 richest rappers in the world in 2023. Do well to subscribe to our site for more interesting discussions.