Kendrick Lamar tops the highest earners in hip hop for 2025, with a Grand National Tour that grossed $369.6 million. The old version of this article was a 2014 list headed by Jay-Z and Kanye West. Paycheques are private, so this version ranks hip hop acts by dated tour box-office figures, which are the best public numbers, and calls out clearly what each number means.
| Rank | Artist | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kendrick Lamar | $369.6 million |
| 2 | Drake | $320.5 million (2023 to 2024) |
| 3 | Tyler, the Creator | $174.5 million (2025) |
| 4 | Nelly | $44.9 million (2025) |
| 5 | Travis Scott | $41.2 million (2025 slice) |
1. Kendrick Lamar: $369.6 million
The Grand National Tour, which Lamar headlined alongside SZA, sold 1.9 million tickets across North America, Europe and South America and was named the highest-grossing rap tour of 2025 by Billboard’s year-end Boxscore. After its 23-date North American leg it was declared the highest-grossing co-headlining tour of all time, at $256.4 million from 1.1 million tickets.
The $369.6 million is box-office revenue shared with SZA, her crew and the promoters, not Lamar’s pay. It is still the best hard number in the genre this year.
2. Drake: $320.5 million (2023 to 2024)
The It’s All A Blur Tour was a two-year run that Drake shared with J. Cole for part of the schedule. The figure comes from secondary reporting of Boxscore data, so we treat it as approximate.
Drake has not toured on a comparable scale since, which is why he drops behind Lamar for 2025.
3. Tyler, the Creator: $174.5 million (2025)
The Chromakopia: The World Tour sold 1.3 million tickets over 98 shows worldwide. Few rap acts have gone to that many cities in one year.
Gross is revenue before crew, production and promoter costs. We list the figure as a ceiling for his pay.
4. Nelly: $44.9 million (2025)
The Where The Party At Tour put Nelly at number 3 among rap tours in 2025, ahead of acts with more recent chart hits.
A nostalgia headliner can out-earn a newer star if the ticket price is right.
5. Travis Scott: $41.2 million (2025 slice)
His Circus Maximus Tour ran from 2023 to 2025 and grossed an estimated $265 million over its life, though we could only confirm the $41.2 million that fell in 2025. The earlier years are not dated in sources we opened.
We show the 2025 slice because it is the one we can date.
Special mentions
Several of the biggest hip hop earners do not show up in tour charts because their money comes from elsewhere. Jay-Z built his wealth around Roc Nation, champagne and spirits and other investments. Dr. Dre sold Beats to Apple in 2014. Kanye West, now known as Ye, earns from his Yeezy brand and publishing. Eminem and Snoop Dogg have catalogue and brand income. We have not put a 2025 or 2026 number on any of them.
FAQ
Who is the highest-paid hip hop artist in 2026?
Kendrick Lamar led 2025 on touring, with a $369.6 million gross shared with SZA. Total pay is not public, so we rank on box office.
Is tour gross the same as pay?
No. It is revenue before production, crew, promoter and venue costs. The artist’s share is smaller and not published.
Where is Drake on the list?
His It’s All A Blur Tour (2023 to 2024) grossed about $320.5 million on secondary reports of Boxscore data.
Why are Jay-Z and Dr. Dre not ranked?
Most of their money comes from businesses and deals, not touring, so they sit in special mentions.
How often does this change?
Annually, when Billboard publishes its year-end Boxscore.
How we estimate pay
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
For this list the inputs were Billboard year-end Boxscore data for 2025, specific tour announcements and secondary reporting for earlier tours. Where a figure comes from secondary reporting we say so.
Keep reading
- Richest rappers in the world
- Kanye West net worth
- Drake net worth
- Jay-Z net worth
- 11 celebrities and how much money they spend
- Richest drop-out billionaires
- Richest self-made billionaires
Last updated: October 2026.
