Diddy Tops Forbes' List of Highest Paid Hip-Hop Artists with $130M This Year

On Wednesday, Forbes released its annual "Highest-Paid Hip-Hop Artists" list, and not surprisingly Diddy nabbed the number one spot.

Earning a fortune from products like Ciroc vodka, DeLeon tequila, and Aquahydrate water, the 47-year-old Harlem native long ago broadened his revenue streams to include things not related to music.


“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,” Diddy recently told Forbes.

Also adding to his coffers for the last fiscal year was the Bad Boy reunion tour and the selling of a piece of his Sean John clothing line for an estimated $70 million.

All told, Diddy raked in pretax earnings of $130 million in the 12 months to June.

Drake landed the number two spot with earnings of $94 million, making the bulk of the income from his super-hyped Boy Meets World tour.

JAY-Z took the third spot, earning $42 million.

Other big names include Chance the Rapper, who earned $33 million for fifth place, and Kendrick Lamar, who came in at number six with $30 million. Newcomer Lil Yachty raked in $11 million, making him the 20th highest paid rapper for the year.

The full list is as follows:

1. Diddy - $130 million
2. Drake - $94 million
3. JAY Z - $42 million 
4. Dr. Dre - $34.5 million
5. Chance the Rapper - $33 million
6. Kendrick Lamar - $30 million
7. Wiz Khalifa - $28 million
8. Pitbull - $27 million
9. DJ Khaled - $24 million
10. Future - $23 million
11. Kanye West - $22 million 
12. Birdman - $20 million
13. J. Cole - $19 million
14. Swizz Beatz - $17 million
15. Snoop Dogg - $16.5 million
16. Nicki Minaj - $16 million
17. Lil Wayne - $15.5 million
18. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - $11.5 million (tie)
19. Rick Ross - $11.5 million (tie)
20. Lil Yachty - $11 million

Source: forbes.com