Feuding with Drake turned the ‘Not Like Us’ performer into hip-hop’s hottest artist. Now he will take music’s biggest stage in New Orleans—for free.



<abbr>T</abbr>he effects of last summer’s rap feud&nbsp;between&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/kendrick-lamar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kendrick Lamar</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/drake/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Drake</a>&nbsp;continue to reverberate through the music industry, and the careers of its two combatants. This month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/01/15/drake-sues-universal-music-group-for-defamation-over-kendrick-lamars-not-like-us/">Drake made headlines for bringing a defamation lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against Universal Music Group for its role in the back-and-forth, while Lamar prepares for the biggest gig of his life—headlining the halftime show at Super Bowl LIX on February 9.



It’s hard to imagine how the 37-year-old Lamar, who for much of his career has been seen as a critical darling with a cult-like following, would have been chosen by halftime show executive producer Jay-Z and his Roc Nation for music’s biggest stage were it not for the beef and the series of diss tracks it produced. “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s anthemic takedown of hip-hop’s best-selling artist, hit more than a billion streams on Spotify in 2024 and spent a record-setting 21 consecutive weeks atop Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart.



“The feud between him and Drake made him bigger; there’s no one that can sit here and argue that,” says Antwan “Amadeus” Thompson Sr., a multi-platinum music producer. “But [the Super Bowl] is going to catapult [Lamar’s] career to a whole other level. And I think it’s very important that artists take advantage of this because all eyes will be on him.&#8221;



The exposure given to halftime performers, playing in front of more than 80,000 fans inside New Orleans’ Superdome and more than 100 million across the country on TV, is why the Super Bowl is considered the most prestigious gig on the music calendar.



Every artist on the planet wants to take that stage, even if it means performing for free.



And that’s exactly what they’re asked to do. As has been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2016/02/05/why-coldplay-and-beyonce-wont-be-paid-for-their-super-bowl-halftime-gig/">the custom for halftime headliners</a>&nbsp;for many years, Lamar won’t be paid for his 12-to-14-minute performance, other than the negligible union-mandated minimum. (Last year’s headliner, Usher, reportedly received $671.)



The NFL and halftime presenting sponsor Apple Music do cover the cost of the production, which in many years stretches to more than $10 million for sets that don’t last longer than 15 minutes. Some recent artists have chosen to pay millions more from their own pockets to maximize the Super Bowl spectacle.



The tradeoff is well worth it. After last year’s show, Usher reportedly received a 550% bump in overall Spotify streams, similar to what other performers have experienced in recent years.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2021/08/04/fentys-fortune-rihanna-is-now-officially-a-billionaire/">Rihanna</a>, the headliner in 2023, snuck in a plug for her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/06/04/rihanna-launching-fenty-hair-billionaire-pop-star-expands-beauty-empire/">Fenty Beauty</a>&nbsp;brand during her set that was worth an estimated $44 million in earned media.



Like many halftime performers before him, Lamar will ride the Super Bowl bump into a 19-stop stadium tour across North America this summer alongside SZA, who has already been announced as a guest star for the halftime show. The pair have two songs together, “Luther” and “Gloria,” on Lamar’s new album,&nbsp;GNX, which he surprise-released in December. In addition, a movie produced by Lamar and&nbsp;South Park&nbsp;creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone is set to debut in July, distributed by Paramount.



It all represents a major step-up for Lamar, a member of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2017/11/14/kendrick-lamar-conscious-capitalist-the-30-under-30-cover-interview/">Forbes 30 Under 30 class of 2014</a>&nbsp;who has won 17 Grammy Awards but never headlined stadium-sized shows before. His first taste came in 2022, when he was given a two-minute spot during Super Bowl LVI’s halftime performance led by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, seen as a passing of the torch in West Coast rap.



Because Lamar is so closely identified with his hometown of Los Angeles, being chosen for this year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/09/09/nicki-minaj-and-others-seemingly-call-out-jay-z-for-picking-kendrick-lamar-for-super-bowl-over-lil-wayne-what-to-know/">a curious choice</a>. Since Jay-Z took on his role producing the halftime show in 2019, headlining artists have gotten younger, more diverse and more closely associated with the game’s host city. The obvious geographical choice in this case would have been New Orleans native and multi-platinum artist Lil Wayne.



“If I was Jay-Z, I would’ve absolutely gone with Lil Wayne,” says Thompson. He still believes a special guest appearance in the show is possible, but unlikely, in part because of Wayne’s allegiances to Drake, whom Wayne first discovered and signed to his Young Money label in 2008.



Yet Thompson admits that Lamar is unquestionably “the hottest artist in hip-hop” right now, and in the wake of the devastation left by January’s wildfire in Los Angeles, his selection suddenly has greater significance. One of the things fans admire about Lamar is that he raps about and advocates for substantive issues, whether it’s mental health or uniting the gangs in Los Angeles. Lamar’s music has a level of meaning and depth that are rare to see from a stage as big as the Super Bowl.



“He’s been the one to take stands during difficult times and talk about things that a lot of artists wouldn’t touch on,” says Thompson.



Jasmine Young, who serves as director of the Warner Music/Blavatnik Music Center at Howard University and previously worked on marketing campaigns at Def Jam records, agrees that the Super Bowl will boost Lamar’s career but adds that the NFL also stands to benefit from his cultural resonance just as much as he will benefit from its massive global audience.



“Nowadays people use hip-hop to sell their brands,” says Young. “You really can’t sell your brand without hip-hop.”



It’s a sentiment that echoes Lamar’s own words when he was announced for this year’s show back in September. “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” Lamar said. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”

Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show

Why Kendrick Lamar Won’t Get Paid For The Super Bowl Halftime Show

Back in 2007,&nbsp;Jay-Z made a bold statement&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2010/12/14/jay-z-50-cent-and-diddy-i-get-money-forbes-1-2-3-billion-dollar-remix/#283e75c86ec2" target="_blank">in song</a>&nbsp;about both his lyrical prowess and his future financial fortunes: “I’m already the G.O.A.T.–next stop is the billie.”



Sure enough,&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2019/06/03/jay-z-billionaire-worth/#70f0b90d3a5f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">declared</a>&nbsp;him hip-hop’s first billionaire earlier this month. The news caught the attention of observers around the world—not only due to the breadth of Jay-Z’s financial achievement, but because of what it means for others looking to follow in his footsteps.



“Jay-Z’s entire life is the real blueprint,” says hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy, longtime host of the show&nbsp;Yo! MTV Raps. “He’s one of the best examples in our lifetime of one who’s truly achieved the American dream and billionaire status.”



Naturally, Jay-Z tops this year’s ranking of hip-hop’s richest stars. Who will be the next billionaire from the rap world? The answer is almost certainly one of the names below.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5d010d70142c50000a32b592/960x0.jpg?cropX1=1&amp;cropX2=4689&amp;cropY1=693&amp;cropY2=3126" alt="richest rappers Drake"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. Drake</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">$150 million</h3>



The 32-year-old Canadian is the youngest on this list by a decade, but he’s quickly gaining ground on hip-hop’s elder statesmen. Drake’s fortune grew 50% over the past year, boosted by holdings ranging from real estate to his Virginia Black whiskey, as well as a lucrative tour and new residency at the XS Nightclub in Las Vegas.



“Every year, we just want to get more prepared and better at touring and better at things that make money,” he&nbsp;told&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;in 2013 (his average gross has since surged from $500,000 to more than $2 million per stop). “That’s pretty much my objective every year, other than making good music.”



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5d010dbe4c687b0008596731/960x0.jpg?cropX1=4&amp;cropX2=4698&amp;cropY1=679&amp;cropY2=3122" alt="richest rappers Kanye"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Kanye West</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">$240 million</h3>



A onetime protégé of Jay-Z, the superproducer has been making headlines recently for his Sunday Service, an invitation-only get-together mostly in Southern California that is&nbsp;reportedly&nbsp;frequented by the likes of Courtney Love and Tyler, the Creator. He took the show on the road in April for a Coachella service on Easter Sunday featuring appearances by Chance the Rapper, DMX and a gospel choir—while&nbsp;hawking&nbsp;socks and “holy spirit” sweatshirts. But selling church clothes alone won’t be enough to push West into ten-figure territory.



Despite&nbsp;declaring&nbsp;himself $53 million in debt and beseeching Mark Zuckerberg for $1 billion to fund future creations in 2016, West makes his debut on this list thanks to a another patron: Adidas, which lured West and his Yeezy shoe line from Nike several years ago. Our accounting of West’s wealth is almost entirely predicated on a conservative estimate of that brand’s value. As it continues to scale up, he could one day join his sister-in-law, Kylie Jenner, as a billionaire.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5d010ee84c687b0008596780/960x0.jpg?cropX1=1&amp;cropX2=4697&amp;cropY1=804&amp;cropY2=3128" alt="richest rappers Diddy"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Diddy</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">$740 million</h3>



“I started my business career at age 12, delivering newspapers,” Diddy explained two years ago in our centennial issue, where we named him one of the world’s greatest living business minds. “Since then, 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.”



The artist formerly known as Puff Daddy dips to No. 3 on this list as industry trends weigh on some of his holdings, including cable network Revolt and clothing line Sean John (though Diddy has sold much of his stake in the latter, he retains a sizeable piece). But Ciroc, the main driver of his fortune, is growing again after case volumes fell from all-time highs in recent years—making the impresario perhaps the most likely candidate to join Jay-Z in the billion-dollar club.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5d010e3234a5c40008482a48/960x0.jpg?cropX1=0&amp;cropX2=4695&amp;cropY1=603&amp;cropY2=3131" alt="richest rappers dr dre"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Dr. Dre</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">$800 million</h3>



It’s been five years since Dr. Dre proclaimed himself a billionaire, but&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;still doesn’t agree with the assessment made in the wake of Apple’s $3 billion 2014 purchase of his Beats By Dr. Dre headphone line. The superproducer owned an estimated 20%-25% of the company at the time; of the $2.6 billion Apple paid upfront in cash, another $295 million was&nbsp;earmarked&nbsp;to cover debt payments, leaving Dre with a little over $500 million.



Even with the vesting of his final slug of Apple stock last summer, Dre hasn’t quite made it into billionaire territory. He has spent heavily over the years on property (he&nbsp;paid&nbsp;$40 million for Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen’s Los Angeles estate) and charitable donations (along with Beats cofounder Jimmy Iovine, he&nbsp;gave&nbsp;$70 million to start a school at USC). And with his formal involvement at Apple seemingly wrapping up, Dre will likely need to get back on the festival circuit—or start a new company—if he’s to make good on his 2014 declaration.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5d010e694c687b0008596774/960x0.jpg?cropX1=10&amp;cropX2=4698&amp;cropY1=739&amp;cropY2=3130" alt="richest rappers jay-z"/><figcaption>GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Jay-Z</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">$1 billion</h3>



Though he’s hip-hop’s first billionaire, Jay-Z’s lead on the rest of the pack is even larger if his entire family fortune is taken into consideration: He and wife Beyoncé are now worth a combined $1.4 billion. So much for the notion that music is a dying business.



“To convince artists that you can’t be an artist and make money … was the greatest trick in music that people ever pulled off,” Jay-Z&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/1011/rich-list-10-omaha-warren-buffett-jay-z-steve-forbes-summit-interview.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;in 2010. “I think the people that were making the millions said that.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Methodology</h3>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">In order to compile our ranking of the richest rappers, we use the same procedures employed in the calculation of our annual&nbsp;billionaires list: poring over financial documents, valuing major assets, and consulting with analysts, managers, attorneys and other industry insiders.</h5>



Cover photographs: Getty Images (Dr. Dre: AP Images)



-Zack O&#8217;Malley Greenburg; Forbes Staff

hiphop

Hip-Hop’s Next Billionaires: Richest Rappers 2019

Sean “Diddy” Combs got his first job at age 12 delivering newspapers, nestling each delivery inside the screen door of every home instead of tossing it in the front yard. These days, he brings that same attention to detail with products like Ciroc vodka, DeLeon tequila and Aquahydrate water, involving himself in every aspect of the product down to the font of each logo.
“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,” he recently <a href="https://www.forbes.com/100-greatest-business-minds/person/sean-combs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> to Forbes. Earnings from those brands &#8211; plus proceeds from his Bad Boy Reunion Tour and selling a chunk of his Sean John clothing line for an estimated $70 million &#8211; puts Diddy atop the hip-hop heap once again with total pretax earnings of $130 million in the 12 months to June.
Drake, the world’s most-streamed artist over the past two years takes the No. 2 spot with $94 million. Despite his gaudy recorded music numbers, the Canadian emcee made the bulk of his bucks on the road during his wildly successful Boy Meets World Tour. He also earns millions for shilling Apple, Sprite and Nike. Jay-Z ranks third with earnings of $42 million, and there’s more on the way: this summer he signed a new pact with touring giant Live Nation that will pay him $200 million through the coming decade.
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Hip-hop’s top 20 acts earned a grand total of $619.5 million last year, up 38% from last year’s $448.5 million total. Even without Diddy’s $70 million windfall, overall earnings are up 22.5%, thanks in large part to hip-hop’s dominance in the burgeoning world of streaming: over the first half of 2017, it&#8217;s the most popular genre in terms of consumption, <a href="http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7964815/hip-hop-power-list-2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accounting</a> for a quarter of all digital spins.
Our list reflects this new reality, particularly though the presence of newcomers like Chance the Rapper (No. 5, $33 million) and Lil Yachty (No. 20, $11 million). Though 24-year-old Chance has never sold a physical album, instead distributing his music freely via streaming services, he smartly uses musical ubiquity to cash in on festival gigs and arena dates, as well as deals with brands like Apple and Kit Kat. The 20-year-old Yachty, meanwhile, rode gaudy streaming numbers and 100 live dates to his debut as a Cash King.
Other big names include Kendrick Lamar (No. 6, $30 million), whose new album Damn. came out in April and soared to the top of the charts; the critics&#8217; darling now grosses more than $1 million per tour stop. On the more pop-oriented end of the spectrum is DJ Khaled (No. 9, $24 million), boosted by six-figure DJ gigs and millions in earnings from deals with Champ Sports, Apple, Mentos and others.
“People probably thought I was crazy to just spend my last penny to invest in myself,” Khaled <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2017/09/27/how-dj-khaled-rolls-hip-hops-boldest-star-shows-off-his-major-keys/#2638b34732ee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tells Forbes</a>. “Now it&#8217;s paying off … one thing I learned is some investments might take years to kick in, and they are kicking in.”
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/hip-hop-cash-kings/#49c52a8b5bce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full Coverage: The World&#8217;s Highest-Paid Hip-Hop Acts 2017</a>
Other notable names on the list include Cash Money Records founder Bryan “Birdman” Williams (No. 12, $20 million), who gets a boost from having three acts in the Top 20: the aforementioned Drake; Nicki Minaj (No. 16, $16 million), the only female rapper on the list; and Lil Wayne (No. 17, $15.5 million).
To create our list, we add up pretax income from touring, record sales, streaming, publishing, merchandise sales, endorsements and other business ventures. Fees for managers, agents and lawyers are not deducted. Earnings are calculated from June 2016 to June 2017 and based on data from Nielsen SoundScan, Pollstar, Songkick, Bandsintown and the RIAA, as well as interviews with inside sources and a handful of the artists themselves.
Meanwhile, the next generation of hip-hop stars &#8211; younger even than Lil Yachty &#8211; is already on the move. Khaled&#8217;s son, Asahd, turns one this fall but already has 1.5 million Instagram followers, closing in on his dad&#8217;s 7.7 million. Says Khaled: &#8220;My son got a Rolls-Royce already&#8230; a Rolls-Royce car seat.&#8221; &#8211; Written by <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-ga-track="contrib block byline">Zack O&#8217;Malley Greenburg</a>, FORBES STAFF

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