Forbes has officially tallied its list of the highest-paid hip-hop artists of the past year, and largely due to endorsements and world tours, the group averaged in $44 million.
JAY-Z came in on top with $76.5 million, as he embarked on his 4:44 run in 2017 and later kicked off his joint On The Run II tour with his wife, Beyonce. The couple also released their Everything Is Love album in June. Diddy followed Jay with $64 million, thanks to some massive beverage endorsements, including Ciroc vodka, DeLeon tequila and Aquahydrate alkaline water.
Kendrick Lamar claimed the No. 3 spot at $58 million. The numbers, calculated from June 2017 to June 2018, include “annual income from touring, record sales, streaming, publishing, merchandise sales, endorsements and other business ventures. Management, agent and attorney fees are not deducted.” The data was based on information from Nielsen SoundScan, Pollstar, Songkick, Bandsintown, the RIAA, as well as interviews with the artists’ team and the artists themselves.
