Top 10 Richest Rappers In The World And Their Net Worth (2023)

Rappers often brag about their wealth and the grind (hard work they put in to achieve it). Many even back up their claim by making ridiculous purchases such as pieces of jewellery or a toilet.

Take for instance, Kanye West bought a gold-plated toilet for $750,000 in 2013. Also, Rick Ross purchased a self-portrait pendant for $1.5 million in 2010.

More ridiculously, T-Pain spent a whopping $400,000 on his infamous “Big A$$ Chain” in 2009 simply because a random fan dared him to. In 2023, he recalled this as one of his biggest regrets, says TMZ.

However, financial literacy dictates that flashy purchases like gold-plated toilets and diamond-studded chains don’t always reflect actual wealth.

So, who are the truly richest rappers in the world and what is their net worth?

Top 10 Richest Rappers In The World (2023)

The table below contains the names of the top 10 richest rappers in the world with their estimated net worth, per Forbes real-time billionaire index, and other reputable sources.

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List of the Richest Rappers In The World (2023)

1. Jay Z

The richest rapper in the world (2023)

Jay Z is worth an estimated $1.3 billion, making him the richest rapper in the world and second only to Rihanna as the richest musician in the world.

The legendary Rapper and executive producer is one of the most influential hip-hop artists in history and has been central to the creative and commercial success of artists including Kanye West, Rihanna, and J. Cole.

Jay Z began his musical career in the late 1980s; he co-founded the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 and released his debut studio album Reasonable Doubt in 1996. He went on to release twelve additional albums and two collaborative albums with Kanye and Beyonce.

Interestingly, Jay Z was the first rapper to hit the billion-dollar mark, thanks to his series of investments and business ventures over the years.

He founded the clothing retailer Rocawear in 1999, the luxury sports bar chain 40/40 Club in 2003, and Roc Nation in 200.  In 2015, he acquired the tech company Aspiro and took charge of their media streaming service Tidal

Jay Z reportedly made $470 million in 2021, the highest annual earnings total of his career, after he sold half of his Armand de Brignac champagne to luxury giant LVMH for $300 million and 80% of Tidal to Square for $350 million.

With over 125 million records sold, Jay-Z is one of the best-selling rappers of all time. He is the recipient of 24 Grammy awards, NAACP’s President’s Award, and is one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, according to Billboard and Rolling Stone Magzine.

You can read more about Jay Z, his career and his achievements.

2. P-Diddy

P-Diddy is an American rapper, record executive, and entrepreneur. Puff Daddy reached the billion-dollar mark for the first time in late 2022, thanks in part to his CÎROC partnership with Diageo.

With a net worth of $1 billion, he is not only one of the richest rappers but also one of the richest musicians in the world.

Diddy whose real name is Sean Comb is one of the most successful music executives in American history. He is responsible for producing and cultivating successful artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher.

Prior to Diddy founding Bad Boy Records in 1993, he worked as a talent director at Uptown Records. He began his music career in 1997 with his debut album No Way Out, which has been certified platinum seven times.

Since then, he has released three additional albums, all of which were commercially successful. He is also a recipient of three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards.

Like many on this list, Diddy made a majority of his fortune from Non-music ventures. In 1998, he founded his own clothing line, Sean John. He also owned two restaurants in New York and Atlanta called Justin’s.

Additionally, P-Diddy is the designer of the Dallas Mavericks alternate jersey. In October 2007 Combs agreed to help develop the Cîroc vodka brand for a 50% share of the profits.

Combs has a major equity stake in Revolt TV, a television network that also has a film production branch; Aquahydrate, a calorie-free beverage for athletes and PlayVS, a gaming company that provides an infrastructure for competitive gaming in US high schools.

You can read more about the illustrious career and personal life of Sean John Combs “Puff Daddy”.

3. Dr. Dre

With an estimated net worth of $820 Million, Dr. Dre takes third place among the richest rappers in the world in 2023.

The legendary rapper is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and was the president of Death Row Records.

Dr. Dre began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin’ Cru in 1985 and later found fame with the gangsta rap group N.W.A. The group popularized explicit lyrics in hip-hop to detail the violence of street life.

In 1992, he went solo and released his solo debut studio album The Chronic which made him one of the best-selling American music artists of 1993.

After his successful debut album, Dr. Dre released two additional studio albums and began to produce for other artists and occasionally contribute vocals.

He signed Eminem in 1998 and 50 Cent in 2002 and co-produced their albums. He has produced albums for and overseen the careers of many other rappers, including The D.O.C., Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, The Game, Kendrick Lamar, and Anderson Paak.

Aside from his successful music career, Dr. Dre also has a successful career as a film executive and entrepreneur.  His first brand of headphones, Beats by Dr. Dre was acquired by the technology giant Apple for $3 billion. A deal that made him the “richest man in hip hop” in 2014.

Learn more about Dr. Dre and how he acquired his immense wealth and fame.

4. Kanye West

Highest Paid Rappers in the World

Ye, popularly known as Kanye West used to be the richest musician and rapper in the world, but not anymore.

His net worth went down by $1.6 billion after Adidas terminated his contract in October 2022. Despite this, he is still one of the richest rappers in the world with a real-time net worth of $400.1 million, per Forbes.

Kanye West is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop musicians of all time.

He began his legendary career as a producer in early 2000, before pursuing a solo career as a rapper. He has since then released 11 studio albums and 3 collaborative albums, registering himself as one of the greatest rappers of this generation.

With 24 grammy awards to his name, Kanye West alongside Jay Z is the most awarded rapper in the history of the award.

Aside from his successful music career, West also built a successful entrepreneurial career as A shoe designer. He has collaborated with Nike, Louis Vuitton, The Gap, and A.P.C. on clothing and footwear, and led the Yeezy collaboration with Adidas before things fell apart.

He is also the founder and head of the creative content company Donda. With over 160 million records sold worldwide, Kanye West is one of the best-selling artists in the world.

However, the bulk of his wealth was not generated from music but from real estate, and brand endorsement deals.

5. Eminem

The most successful white rapper of all time, Eminem joins the list of the richest rappers in the world, with an estimated net worth of $230 Million.

The 49-year-old rapper is credited with popularizing hip-hop in middle America and is critically acclaimed as one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Eminem began his career in 1996, releasing his debut album, Infinite. He began to achieve mainstream popularity in 1999 after he signed with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment.

Since then, he has released 12 studio albums. His 2010 album, Recovery was the best-selling album in the world 2010, the same as The Eminem Show in 2002.

Eminem is the first Hip-hop artist to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song, after making a debut in the film industry with the musical drama film 8 Mile (2002), playing a fictionalized version of himself.

Meanwhile, Eminem also developed other ventures, including Shady Records, a joint venture with manager Paul Rosenberg, which helped launch the careers of artists such as 50 Cent, Yelawolf, and Obie Trice, among others. He also established his own channel, Shade 45, on Sirius XM Radio.

With over 220 million records sold, Eminem is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He was the best-selling music artist in the United States in the 2000s and the best-selling male music artist in the United States in the 2010s.

He is a recipient of numerous awards including 15 Grammy Awards, eight American Music Awards, 17 Billboard Music Awards, an Academy Award, and an MTV Europe Music Global Icon Award.

6. Master P

Percy Robert Miller Sr., popularly known as  Master P has an estimated net worth of $200 Million. The American Rapper and Entrepreneur is the founder of the record label No Limit Forever  Records.

Master P, with 15 studio albums is known as the King of diversified income as he has ventured into numerous industries including television, movies, professional wrestling,  real estate, sports, and many others.

He is also the founder and CEO of P. Miller Enterprises and Better Black Television, which was a short-lived online television network.

Miller initially gained fame in the mid-1990s with the success of his hip-hop group TRU. Prior to the formation of the group, Master P released two projects as a solo Rapper: Get Away Clean in  1991 and Mama’s Bad Boy in 1992.  He has released 13 additional projects since then.

Master P was one of the first rappers to build a business and financial empire by investing in a wide range of business and investment ventures.

His conglomerate company, No Limit Enterprises reportedly grossed over $110 million in revenue in 1998 alone. His real estate investment and property management company controls over 100 properties across the United States. This level of success inspired other rappers to branch out into other business ventures and investments.

7. Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams is an American rapper and producer. He has been widely referred to as one of the most influential and successful music producers of the 21st century due to his impact on the sound of modern popular music.

He and Chad Hugo formed the hip-hop and R&B production duo The Neptunes in the early 1990s, and has produced songs for various recording artists.

In 1999, he became the lead vocalist of the band N.E.R.D., which he formed with Hugo and drummer Shay Haley

Williams released his debut solo album, In My Mind, in 2000, and his second album, Girl, was released in 2014.

He has since registered himself as one of the biggest forces in the industry. Williams has received numerous accolades and nominations. He has won 13 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, He is also a two-time Academy Award nominee.

Aside from his music money, Williams also owns a media venture that encompasses entertainment, music, fashion, and art called I am OTHER.  This venture serves as a multimedia creative collective, record label, and umbrella for all of Pharrell Williams’ endeavours, including Billionaire Boys Club.

As of 2023, Williams Pharrell has an estimated net worth of $200 million, making him one of the richest rappers in the world.

8. Drake

Richest Rapper in Canada, Drake

Aubrey Drake Graham popularly known as Drake is the richest rapper in Canada and ranks 8th among the richest rappers in the world.

He is regarded as an influential figure in modern popular music and is credited for popularizing singing and R&B sensibilities in hip-hop.

Drake, who is one of the best-selling rappers of all time, attained the limelight after he was featured as an actor in the CTV teen drama series, Degrassi.

He began to pursue his music career in 2006 releasing his debut mixtape and two other mixtapes before he was signed into Young Money Entertainment by Lil Wayne in 2009.

Today, he is among the world’s best-selling music artists with over 170 million records sold, and he is ranked as the highest-certified digital singles artist in the United States by the RIAA.

Drake has won four Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, 29 Billboard Music Awards, two Brit Awards, and three Juno Awards, and holds several Billboard Hot 100 chart records.

Over his illustrious career, Drake has managed to rack up an estimated net worth of $180 million.

9. Lil Wayne

Without a doubt, Lil Wayne is one of the most influential hip-hop artists of his generation. He is generally considered one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Wayne began his career in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label.  He was put in a duo with label-mate B.G.  and they released an album titled True Story, in that same year.

The duo soon joined the southern hip hop group Hot Boys, with Cash Money, label-mates Juvenile and Turk in 1997; they released their debut album Get It How U Live! in 1997.

The Hot Boys became popular following the release of the album Guerrilla Warfare (1999) and the song “Bling Bling“.

Wayne debuted his solo career in 1999, releasing his debut album Tha Block Is Hot in the same year. He has since then released 14 additional studio albums.

With 120 million records sold worldwide, Lil Wayne is one of the best-selling rappers of all time.

He is a recipient of five Grammy Awards, 11 BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and eight NAACP Image Awards. His record label, Young Money is responsible for launching superstars like Drake and Nicki Minaj.

Not only that, Lil Wayne has managed to remain as one of the richest rappers in the world, with an estimated net worth of $170 million.

10. Ice Cube

O’Shea Jackson Sr. professionally known as Ice Cube is not just an American actor and filmmaker but also one of the richest rappers in the world, with an estimated net worth of $160,000. The legendary television star is one of the most successful rappers in the 90s

He formed his first rap group called C.I.A. in 1986. In 1987, with Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, he formed the pioneering gangsta rap group N.W.A. His lyrics on N.W.A’s 1988 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap’s widespread popularity, Ice Cube left N.W.A. in late 1989, teaming with New York artists and launching a solo rap career.

He has since then released 10 studio albums which were all critically and commercially successful. In 2020, Cube joined rappers Snoop Dogg, E-40, and Too Short and formed the supergroup Mt. Westmore. The group’s debut album was released on June 7th, 2022.

Ice Cube is more notable for his successful cinematic career, he has appeared in about 40 films, such as the 1999 war comedy Three Kings,  and family comedies like the Barbershop series. He is a recipient of numerous awards including an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A. in 2016.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, the world of hip-hop has produced some of the wealthiest entertainers in the world. The top richest rappers not only excel in music but also have diversified their income streams by investing in various business ventures.

From music production to clothing lines, and endorsement deals, these rappers have built empires that have transformed their lives and the communities around them.

However, their success is a testament to the hard work, talent, and entrepreneurial spirit that has propelled them to the top of their game.

Despite the challenges of the music industry, the future of hip-hop looks promising, and we can only expect to see more talented and business-savvy rappers join the list of the richest rappers in the world.

Richest rappers in the world and their Net Worth in 2023:

1. Jay Z – $1.3 Billion
2. P-Diddy – $1 Billion
3. Dr. Dre – $820 Million
4. Ye (Kanye West) – $400.1 Million
5. Eminem – $230 Million
6. Master P – $200 Million
7. Pharrell Williams – $200 Million
8. Drake – $180 Million
9. Lil Wayne – $170 MIllion
10. Ice Cube – $180 Million

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