Forbes India 15th Anniversary Special

The world's richest rappers

$450 mln is the amount pulled in by the world's 20 highest-paid hip-hop acts over 12 months in 2016

Published: Jun 13, 2017 06:03:29 AM IST
Updated: Jun 13, 2017 02:14:47 PM IST

Image: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters (For illustrative purposes only)

The only thing more predictable than a Diddy name change? His place atop our annual list of the wealthiest hip-hop artists. But the man formally known as Sean Combs now has some real competition. Jay Z’s fortune has jumped by 30 percent in the past year after a $200 million investment from Sprint reportedly put the valuation of his music-streaming service, Tidal, at $600 million, more than ten times what he paid for the company two years ago. Which rapper will hit billionaire status first? Hard to say. Diddy has a lucrative Cîroc vodka deal with Diageo, while Jay Z augments his portfolio with a champagne brand, Armand de Brignac, and a growing entertainment company, Roc Nation.

Images: DIDDY: Eduardo Munoz / Reuters; JAY, DRAKE, DR DRE: Shutterstock.com; BIRDMAN: Dave Kotinsky/ Getty Images 

(This story appears in the 23 June, 2017 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)