On the surface, the amount of effort, time and energy it takes to become a rapper seems like a light burden. It could be argued that that’s needed is a microphone, a laptop, and some basic knowledge of rhythm and melody, and off you go. However, there is a difference between pursuing rap as a hobby versus a career.
Rapping is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates rhyme which is performed or chanted in a variety of ways, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment.
If you are considering making a profession as a rap artist, below are 50 rappers you can do a background check of how they started till the point they are now, so as to build yourself.
Without much furtherado Auchijeffblog have gathered below the top of richest rappers in the world.
Top Highest paid Rappers in the World
50. Kendrick Lamar – $20 Million
Kendrick Lamar was born on the 17 of June 1987 in Compton, California and he is currently 35 years of age, he is a songwriter, singer and rapper. Lamar who is also known in full names as Kendrick Lamar Duckworth took up rapping in his elementary school days and inspired by rap royalties like Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur. While in high school, he released his first mixtape which drew the attention of some local record labels.
49. Tech N9ne – $21 Million
Aaron Dontez Yates, better known by his stage name Tech N9ne was born on the 8 of November 1971 and he is currently 50 years of age, he is an American rapper. he and his business partner Travis O’Guin founded the record label Strange Music in 1999. He has sold over two million albums and has had his music featured in film, television, and video games. He got his start rapping with a group known as the Black Mafia, which helped him develop a stage personality.
48. Cee Lo Green – $22 Million
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway is popularly known as CeeLo Green was born on the 30 of May 1975 and he is currently 47 years of age, He is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls Barkley single “Crazy” and his solo single “Fuck You“. He is currently a judge on NBC’s reality talent show The Voice. Cee Lo was married to Christina Johnson but divorced in 2005.
47. Mike Shinoda – $23 Million
Michael Kenji Shinoda popularly known as mike Shinoda was born on the 11 of February 1977 and he is currently 45 years old, he is an American musician, singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer. He is the co-founder of Linkin Park in 1996 and is the band’s lead vocalist, as well as rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, primary songwriter and producer. Shinoda later created a hip-hop driven side project, Fort Minor, in 2004. He is married to Anna Shinoda.
46. Lil Jon – $25 Million
Jonathan H. Smith popularly known as Lil Jon was born on the 17 of January 1971 and he is currently 51 years of age, He is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre crunk, and is credited with bringing the genre into mainstream success. He is the charismatic figurehead of the Dirty South crunk movement that arose from the Atlanta area around the turn of the century.
45. The Game – $25 Million
Jayceon Terrell Taylor, better known by his stage name the Game or simply Game Taylor was born on the 29 of November 1979 in Los Angeles California and currently he is 42 years old, He is an American rapper. he initially released a series of mixtapes under the wing of fellow West Coast rapper JT the Bigga Figga. According to him, the reason he was involved in many neighborhood trouble was because he claims that he was born to a corrupt family surrounded by drugs, hustling, gang-wars and guns.
44. 50 Cent – $30 Million
Curtis James Jackson III, known professionally as 50 Cent was born on the 6 of July 1975 and currently he is 47 years of age, Cent is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Known for his impact in the hip hop industry, he has been described as a “master of the nuanced art of lyrical brevity“. He was born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, this was where his story began, Jackson began selling drugs at age 12 during the 1980s crack epidemic. He later began pursuing a musical career, and in 2000 he produced Power of the Dollar for Columbia Records
43. Soulja Boy – $30 Million
DeAndre Cortez Way popularly known as Soulja Boy, He is an American rapper and record producer. He was born on the 28 of July 1990 in Chicago and moved to Atlanta at the age of six, where he became interested in rap music. At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi, with his father and currently he is 32 years old. In September 2007, his debut single “Crank That” was ranked at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
42. Flo Rida – $30 Million
Tramar Lacel Dillard, popularly known as Flo Rida was born on the 16 of September 1979 and currently he is 43 years old, He is an American rapper and singer. In 2007, his first breakout single was “Low” it was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital download sales at the time of its release.
41. Cardi B – $30 Million
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, popularly known as Cardi B, is an American rapper and songwriter was born on the 11 of October 1992 in Manhattan and raised in The Bronx, New York City and she is currently 30 years old she became an internet celebrity by achieving popularity on Vine and Instagram.. Her parents are Dominican and Trinidadian. She is known for her aggressive flow and candid lyrics.
The Top richest/sucessful rappers in the world
40. Ludacris – $31 Million
Christopher Brian Bridges popularly known as Ludacris was born on the 11 of September 1977 in Champaign, Illinois and he is currently 45 years of age, he is an American rapper, actor, and record executive. Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at age nine where he first began rapping. The self-proclaimed Mouth of the South makes money from much more than just music. Currently he is arguably the most commercially successful Southern rapper of the time.
39. T-Pain – $35 Million
Faheem Rashad Najm, popularly known as T-Pain was born on the 30 of September 1984 and he is currently 38 years of age, he is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Throughout his career as a singer, T-Pain popularized the creative use of the Auto-Tune pitch correction effect, used with extreme parameter settings to create distinctive vocal sounds.
38. Common – $35 Million
Lonnie Rashid Lynn popularly known as Common was born on the 13 of March 1972 and he is currently 50 years of age. He is an American rapper and actor. He debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar?, and gained critical acclaim with his 1994 album Resurrection. He maintained an underground following into the late 1990s.
36. Big Boi – $40 Million
Antwan André Patton, better known by his stage name Big Boi was born on the 1 of February 1975 and he is currently 47 years of age, He is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a member of the southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 3000.
35. Ice T – $35 Million
Tracy Lauren Marrow is popularly known by his stage name as Ice-T was born on the 16 of February 1958 and his currently 64 years of age, Ice T is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and producer. He began his career as an underground rapper in the 1980s and was signed to Sire Records in 1987, when he released his debut album Rhyme Pays.
34. Rick Ross – $42 Million
William Leonard Roberts II popularly known as Rick Ross was born in January 28, 1976 William Leonard Roberts II was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, he is known to be an American rapper and he was raised in Carol City, Florida. He is a very popular rapper Prior to releasing his debut single, “Hustlin’“, in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment and Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc, until signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Jay-Z on Def Jam Recordings.
33. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – $45 Million
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American hip hop group composed of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Flesh-n-Bone. The group was signed to fellow American rapper Eazy-E‘s Ruthless Records in late 1993, when they debuted with their EP Creepin on ah Come Up.The group has earned its wealth from the release of several albums.
32. J Prince – $45 Million
James L. Smith is an American music executive and promoter was born on the 31 of October 1964 and his currently 57 years of age. He is the CEO of the Houston based record label Rap-A-Lot. He is best known as the person who had originally introduced Canadian rapper Drake to Lil Wayne and helped him get signed to Young Money Entertainment in 2009. He is known to be the chief executive officer of Rap-a-Lot Records which is currently based in Houston.
31. Andre 3000 – $45 Million
André Lauren Benjamin popularly known as André 3000, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor, he was born on the 27 of May 1975 and he is currently 47 years old. He is best known for being a part of southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi.He is not only a rapper but also a singer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer songwriter and actor. He is mostly recognized as a part of the duo known as OutKast.
The Highest paid Rappers in the world
30. T.I. – $55 Million
Clifford Joseph Harris Jr, popularly known as aT.I. was born on the 25 of September 1980, and he is currently 42 years of age. He is an American rapper, record executive, and actor. He has also starred in several movies and television shows such as “Boss” and “American Gangster“. He is also the founder of Grand Hustle records. He also owns a very popular night club in Atlanta. T.I. is considered to be extremely fashionable as he released a clothing line.
29. Wiz Khalifa – $55 Million
Cameron Jibril Thomaz popularly known as Wiz Khalifa was born on the 8 of September 1987 and he is currently 35 years of age, He is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007. Wiz Khalifa came to be a rising star over the course of the late 2000s based on his young bravado and hardcore yet charismatic execution of rhymes.
28. Chad Hugo – $55 Million
Charles Edward Hugo popularly known as Chad Hugo was born on February 24, 1974, in Portsmouth, Virginia, United States and he is currently married to Rachel with whom he has two children. Chad is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. With close friend Pharrell Williams, he formed the production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he has produced songs for many recording artists.
27. Nelly – $60 Million
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. Is popularly known by all as Nelly and he was born on the 2 of November 1974, Nelly is currently 47 years of age, He is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. In 1993, that was also when His music career began the In 1999, he was signed with Universal Records. By 2000, he began his solo career with his debut album Country Grammar which is also the title track that became a top ten hit.
26. Swizz Beatz – $65 Million
Kasseem Daoud Dean who is popularly known as Swizz Beatz was born on the 13 of September 1978 and he is currently 44 years old, He is an American record producer, rapper, and record executive. He was born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. Swizz Beatz started as a DJ and later he began to produce tracks at the tender age of 16, when his relatives became involved with the Ruff Ryders label. He has also produced countless rap and R&B.
25. Busta Rhymes – $65 Million
Trevor George Smith Jr who is popularly known as Busta Rhymes was born on the 20 of May 1972 and currently he is 50 years old, he is an American rapper and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver George “Buster” Rhymes. He first got noticed when he was a part of the rap band “A Tribe Called Quest”. There was a track named “Scenario” in the album “The Low End Theory” where his performance really stood out.
24 Joseph Simmons – $70 Million
Joseph Ward Simmons popularly known as Rev. Run or DJ Run was born on the 14 of November 1964 and he is currently 57 years old, he is an American rapper, producer, DJ and television personality. Joseph Simmons is one of the founding members of the influential hip hop group Run-DMC. He is also a practicing minister, known as Reverend Run. During the long run you would come across his brother in this same list. He is known as Russell Simmons and. Russell Simmons is recognized as one of the founders of Def Jam Records.
23. Nicki Minaj – $75 Million
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty popularly known as Nicki Minaj was born on the 8 of December 1982 and she is currently 39 years of age, She is a Trinidadian-born rapper, singer, and songwriter based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, sharp lyrics, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accents. In 2011, Nicki Minaj became the first female rapper to join the Forbes Magazine’s Hip-Hop Cash Kings list ranking number 15 with $6.5 Million earnings between 2010-2011.
22. DJ Khaled – $75 Million
DJ Khaled is an American record producer, radio personality, rapper, DJ, and record label executive. DJ Khaled is also a radio host for the Miami based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. DJ Khaled also earns tens of millions from endorsement deals with companies like Weight Watchers, T-Mobile Ciroc, and Apple. Khaled first gained recognition as a radio host in the 1990s on the radio station 99 Jamz, and translated his popularity by working with Terror Squad as a DJ for their live performances
21. Will.i.am – $75 Million
William James Adams Jr. Is popularly known as will.i.am was born on the 15 of March 1975, he is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. Will.i.am helped make Black Eyed Peas one of the most intriguing acts in hip-hop, and later made them one of the most popular acts on the charts when the albums Elephunk and Monkey Business started ascending the charts.
Best Rappers in the World
20. Adam Horovitz – $75 Million
Adam Keefe Horovitz, popularly known as Ad-Rock, is an American rapper, guitarist, He was born on the 31 of October 1966 and he is currently 55 years old. He is of Irish and Jewish ancestry. In addition to being a musician, Horovitz also took roles in several TV and film projects which include Roadside Prophets, Godspeed, and Lost Angels. After leaving his band “The Young And The Useless“, Adam Horovitz joined Mike D and Adam Yauch in the Beastie Boys, opening for Madonna on her famous “Like a Virgin” tour.
19. Mike D – $75 Million
Michael Louis Diamond professionally known as Mike D was born in November 20, 1965, Mike D is an American rapper, musician, and music producer. He is best known as a founding member of the hip hop group Beastie Boys. Diamond was born in New York City by an art dealer and he grew up on the Upper West Side surrounded by artwork, He attended the arts-oriented Saint Ann’s School and Walden School. Since 1993, Mike D has been married to music video, film and TV director Tamra Davis. Together, the couple has two children named Skyler and Davis Diamond
18. Akon – $80 Million
Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam popularly known as Akon was born on the 16 of April 1973 and is currently 49 years of age, he is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. Akon grew up in Senegal before he and his family returned to the United States and settled in New Jersey when he was seven. At the age seven he discovered two times at his young age which are hip-hop for the first time, as well as crime. He was eventually jailed but he used the time three years, he claimed to work on his musical ideas. Upon release, Akon began writing and recording tracks in a home studio.
17. Timbaland – $85 Million
Timothy Zachery Mosley, popularly Known as Timbaland was born on the 10 of March 1972 and he is 50 years of age, he is an American musician, record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinctive “stuttering” rhythmic style, He also owns Thomas Crown Studio in Virginia Beach that recording artists such as Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliot frequently visit.
16. Eminem – $100 Million
Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem was born on the 17 of October 1972, he is 49 years of age, he is an American rapper and record producer. Eminem spent his youth moving around the state with his single mom before settling in Warren, Michigan where he became interested in hip-hop. He was the first white rapper since the Beastie Boys to garner both sales and critical respect, Later on in the future he was credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclaimed as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
15. LL Cool J – $100 Million
James Todd Smith, known professionally as LL Cool J was born on the 14 of January 1968, and he is currently 54 years of age, He is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. His breakthrough started when LL Cool J sent out demo tape to various recording companies. The people from Def Jam liked the demo and signed him to a record deal.His first album, Radio was released in 1985.
14. Birdman – $110 Million
Bryan Christopher Williams, better known by his stage name Birdman was born on the 15 of February 1969 and currently he is 53 years of age, He is an American rapper and record executive. He is the co-founder and public face of Cash Money Records which he founded with his older brother Ronald “Slim” Williams in 1992 and they have expanded the brand since then. It was distributed by Republic Records, which used to be the Universal Republic.
13. Ice Cube – $140 Million
Ice T.O’Shea Jackson Sr. was born in June 15, 1969, and his popularly Known as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, and filmmaker. His lyrics on N.W.A’s 1988 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap’s widespread popularity, and his political rap solo albums America’s Most Wanted, were critically and commercially successful. He has also had an active film career since the early 1990s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A in 2016.
12. Snoop Dogg – $143 Million
Snoop is one of the most resilient, wealthiest and most successful rapper to come out of the 1990s rap scene, and one of the few still recording today and he was born on the 20 of October 1971 and he is currently 50 years old. His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre and featured on Dre’s solo debut, “Deep Cover“, and then on Dre’s solo debut album, The Chronic. He has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide.
11. Lil Wayne – $150 Million
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr popularly known as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record executive. He is a game changing artist and an impervious celebrity, He began as his career as a near novelty but through the years developed into a million selling rapper with a massive body of work, one so inventive and cunning that it makes his famous claim of being the “best rapper alive” worth considering. He’s commonly regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and often cited as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
Top 10 wealthiest Rappers in the world
10. Pharrell Williams – $150 Million
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Pharrell Williams was born on the 5 of April 1973 and currently he is 49 years old, and as one of the most sought after producers in the music industry, it is obvious why Pharrell Williams is one of the top 10 richest rappers of 2010.In the past year, Pharrell has produced records for major artists like Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Kid Cudi and according to Forbes, Pharrell has made approximately $13 million dollars as of April 2010.
9. Ronald Slim Williams – $170 Million
Ronald Jay “Slim” Williams was born on the 11 of November 1964, he is currently 57 years. He is an American entrepreneur and record executive who co-founded the record label Cash Money Records along with his younger brother, rapper Bryan “Birdman” Williams. As with his younger brother, he is the executive producer of nearly all of Cash Money’s artist’s albums. Along with his younger brother Bryan He serves as the executive producer for many of Cash Money artists’ albums.
8. Drake – $180 Million
Aubrey Drake Graham popularly known by all as Drake was born on the 24 of October 1986 and he is currently 35 year, He is a Canadian rapper, singer, and actor. An influential figure in contemporary popular music, Drake has been credited for popularizing singing and R&B sensibilities in hip hop. Drake came to fame as a rapper and singer with pop appeal in 2006 when he released a series of mixtapes. He was best known for his role as Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation.
7. Usher – $180 Million
Usher Raymund popularly known as Usher is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor, Usher was born in October 14, 1978, in Dallas, Texas. At the age of 12, his mother put him in local singing competitions before catching the attention of a music A&R from LaFace Records. He later moved to Georgia where his music career took off when he was spotted by a LaFace record executive at a talent show in his hometown.
6. Master P – $250 Million
Miller was born on the 29 of April 1970 and is currently 52 years of age, he was known in the hip-hop world as Master P. He is the president, CEO, founder of No Limit Records. He is also the founder of P. Miller Enterprises, an entertainment and financial conglomerate and Better Black Television. Like Jay-Z, Master P got superb business skills, he built a well-diversified empire that includes several rap labels, a clothing line, a management company, a high-end travel agency, a film production company, and a video game company.
5. Russell Simmons – $340 Million
Russell Wendell Simmons was born on the 4 of October 1957 and his currently 65 years old, he is an American business magnate and People know him as the most influential businessman in the history of rap music. As co-founder of the Def Jam label, Simmons’ street-friendly taste and marketing savvy helped bring hip-hop crashing into the mainstream of American culture and mass media. Russell Simmons was there before Jay Z, Diddy and Dre and he is the original hip-hop mogul.
4. Kanye West – $400 Million
Kanye West who was born in the 8 of June 1977 and is currently 45 years of age is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer. Most of West’s fortune is due to his brand Yeezy, which is associated with Adidas in the production of limited-edition sneaker and with Gap to manufacture clothes for men, women, and kids.
He has been a billionaire since 2020, with his Yeezy-Adidas deal accounting for $1.8 billion of his net worth, according to Forbes estimates. Without Adidas, West’s net worth is “only” $400 million.
3. Dr. Dre – $800 Million
Andre Young popularly known as “Dr. Dre” was born on the 18 of February 1965 and his currently 57 years of age, he expanded his wealth with the Aftermath record label, Beats headphone and HP laptop line. Dr. Dre helped launch careers of Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent. More than any other rapper, Dr. Dre was responsible for moving away from the event-noise and political stance of Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions as well as the party vibes of old-school rap.
2. Diddy – $850 Million
Sean Love Combs, also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, Diddy, or Puffy was born on November 4, 1969, in Harlem, New York, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, record executive, actor, and entrepreneur. He has five children from his previous relationships. He worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his own record label, Bad Boy Records in 1993.
1. Jay Z – $1.4 Billion
Shawn Corey Carter popularly known by all Jay-Z who was born on December 4, 1969, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, He is an American rapper, record executive, and businessman and as of March 2021 according to Forbes magazine. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time. He is married to Beyonce Knowles Carter and the couple share three children together.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the about list of the top rappers complied by Auchijeffblog is currently as at the time this article was published the richest ranking from the least to the top, if you feel otherwise kindly drop a comment below.
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