The Bad Boy Records founder leads Forbes' list of biggest-earning hip-hop stars for two consecutive years.
- Sep 29, 2017
AceShowbiz - P. Diddy remains the biggest money maker in hip-hop industry. The rapper topped Forbes' list of highest-paid hip-hop artists in 2016 with an estimated $62 million and now he secures the top spot again with a whopping $130 million.
Diddy pocketed $70 million from selling a portion of his Sean Jean clothing company alone. His other income came from his lucrative deals with Ciroc vodka, DeLeon tequila and Aquahydrate water. He also launched Bad Boy Records reunion tour.
"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," explained the hip-hop mogul who got his first job at age 12 delivering newspapers.
Drake rises a couple of spots from No. 4 to No. 2, forcing Jay-Z to give up his second position. The Canadian rhymer previously raked in $38.5 million but now manages to collect $94 million, thanks to his new music, world tour and massive deal with Apple and Sprint.
Jay-Z settles at No. 3 with $42 million, pushing Dr. Dre down to the fourth spot with $34.5 million. Rounding up the top 10 in a respective order are Chance the Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa, Pitbull, DJ Khaled and Future.
Nicki Minaj is the only female rapper making into the top 20. The femcee sits at No. 16 with an estimated $16 million. She hasn't released a new album since 2014's "The Pinkprint", but she has been featured in a number of songs and singles by other artists. She also signed a deal with modelling agency Wihelmina Models.
The rest of the top 20 are filled by the likes of Kanye West, Birdman, J. Cole, Swizz Beatz, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Rick Ross and Lil Yachty.
- P. Diddy - $130 million
- Drake - $94 million
- Jay-Z - $42 million
- Dr. Dre - $34.5 million
- Chance the Rapper - $33 million
- Kendrick Lamar - $30 million
- Wiz Khalifa - $28 million
- Pitbull - $27 million
- DJ Khaled - $24 million
- Future - $23 million
- Kanye West - $22 million
- Birdman - $20 million
- J. Cole - $19 million
- Swizz Beatz - $17 million
- Snoop Dogg - $16.5 million
- Nicki Minaj - $16 million
- Lil Wayne - $15.5 million
- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - $11.5 million
- Rick Ross - $11.5 million (tie)
- Lil Yachty - $11 million
