Diddy, Drake Top Forbes' List Of Highest Paid Hip-Hop Artists Of 2017

Forbes magazine has once again published its list of
the 20 highest earners in the hip-hop music
landscape, with 2017's rankings featuring some new
rising faces, but mostly a lot of older, familiar
mainstays.
Topping the list once again this year was Sean
"Diddy" Combs, who's been in the game for over
twenty years, forging a legacy that few have equaled,
before or since. A big chunk of his $130 million in
earnings have come through deals with Ciroc vodka
and DeLeon tequila, both of which are very popular
brands in the booze business. “I’ve always
understood that if I give the customers my best and
service them differently, whether music, clothing or
vodka, I’ll get a return on my hard work,” he
explained. Other income came from his Bad Boy
Reunion Tour and selling off a chunk of his Sean
John clothing line that was worth around $70 million,
putting his pre-tax total head and shoulders above
his competition.
Drake comes in at No. 2, bringing in $94 million due
in large part to the success of his Boy Meets
World tour. He'll be headlining a slew of new dates in
Australia and New Zealand in the coming months as
well. Jay-Z earned the last podium spot, taking home
third place with an estimated $42 million in income.
It's a nice salute to a rapper whose comeback was
somewhat unexpected, given that many in the hip-
hop community felt that he had taken a step back
from making music prior to the release of 4:44 . He
also has a $200 million deal with Live Nation that will
continue to boost his wealth status for the next
decade.
Elsewhere on the list, young guns like Lil Yachty and
Kendrick Lamar present a look to the future on a list
that's mostly full of tried-and-true commodities like
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Peep the entire list, in
ascending order, below.
20. Lil Yachty - $11M
18. Rick Ross (tie) - $11.5M
18. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - $11.5M
17. Lil Wayne - $15.5M
16. Nicki Minaj - $16M
15. Snoop Dogg - $16.5M
14. Swizz Beatz - $18M
13. J. Cole - $19M
12. Birdman - $20M
11. Kanye West - $22M
10. Future - $23M
9. DJ Khaled - $24M
8. Pitbull - $27M
7. Wiz Khalifa - $28M
6. Kendrick Lamar - $30M
5. Chance the Rapper - $33M
4. Dr. Dre - $34.5M
3. Jay-Z - $42M
2. Drake - $94M
1. Diddy - $130M

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