Have you considered whether or not you would choose between a multi-million dollar payout or a few rounds of your favorite video game? Yeah, neither have we. Compton native rapper The Game admitted during an interview with Complex that he once turned a $7 million tour so that he could level up in NBA 2K.

Hip-Hop is big business. What was once considered a niche musical sound has become the soundtrack of our lives. And the genre’s best-known artists have become all the richer for it. “Hip-hop has, and always will, set trends,” says Kim Kaupe, founder of the creative agency Bright Ideas Only, to Variety. “Brands realize they can no longer sit on the sidelines and test what ‘might’ work. They need to be in the mix testing partnerships and trends before they have the data to back it up.” Certainly, too, some rappers do far better than others — and indie rappers, like Tech N9ne, can still make a six-figure salary for themselves. According to Variety, Tech N9ne’s earnings come from an eight-figure digital catalog deal — a deal that was previously unreported to mainstream outlets. But, as one might imagine, the marquee-name rappers — like Drake and Kanye — make the biggest bucks. What’s more, rappers who diversify their portfolios — like Jay-Z and Wiz Khalifa — can continue to make money...

Lil Baby has certainly come a long way from his humble beginnings. The man born Dominique Armani Jones on Dec. 3, 1994, could have had a hard life in Atlanta, GA. His father left the family when he was just two-years-old. He dropped out of high school in his freshman year. And in 2012, he was arrested on several charges — including possession with intent to sell. But despite this inauspicious beginning, Lil Baby proves that it’s not about where you’ve come from, but where you’re going. In 2016, after he was released from his last prison stint, he teamed up with Quality Control Music to form his own label, 4PF (4 Pockets Full). From there, he began releasing a string of hit songs that would — according to Celebrity Net Worth — give him a net worth of $5 million and growing. In May 2021, Lil Baby made headlines when he visited the White House with George Floyd’s family to demand justice for Floyd’s murder. According to NME, he also met with Vice President Kamala Harris during that...

YoungBoy Never Broke Again is an artist that certainly may live up to his name. Unlike many artists in the Hip-Hop industry, however, the Baton Rouge native (born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden) has earned the vast bulk of his nearly $12 million estimated net worth from his music. While many Gen Z rappers are diversifying their investments and building outside businesses, NBA YoungBoy has kept the focus squarely on the music. And, even while he’s incarcerated, his team is still trying to work out a way for him to continue to make music. What’s more, the “Bandit” rapper was reportedly amongst the highest-paid rappers of 2020, according to XXL Magazine). So dedicated is he to his craft that he actually petitioned a judge to allow him to work from his at-home studio while surrounded by ex-military armed guards, according to Rolling Stone. And though the case is still pending before a federal judge, that move is proof that regardless of what life throws his way, NBA YoungBoy is going to throw...

If you’re a rapper and you’re looking to secure the bag, endorsement deals are the way to go. But believe it or not, the concept of rappers getting endorsement deals is nowhere near a new concept. According to High Snobiety, the rappers of today can thank a legendary Hip-Hop group for securing the first-ever product endorsement deal in the rap industry, which kicked off the trend that’s still going strong today. “You’ll likely recall Run DMC’s third studio album, “Raising Hell,” which thrust the group into the American mainstream and forever linked the genre to their iconic style and affinity for the Three Stripes,” they said. “When the album was released in 1986, one track particularly stood out: “My Adidas.” The song was more than just a powerful co-sign — it would soon become the catalyst for rap’s first endorsement deal, setting the stage for a generation of new artists to follow suit.” Run-DMC may have been just the first of many rappers to secure the bag with endorsement deals...

In the 1970s, Hip-Hop was a safe haven for kids coming up in New York City and its boroughs — which were a much different place than they are today. Today, Hip-Hop music is a global music sound heard in nearly every corner of the world, and a pop culture phenomenon that has influenced everything from the way we talk and dress to the way we interact with each other on social media. Black and LatinX kids in New York City had a golden opportunity to create something out of the ashes of economic devastation. The “white flight” from the cities to the suburbs left rows and rows of abandoned buildings, which allowed for “street kids” to host parties with their portable “Sound Systems” in what would become thriving clubs. When the sounds of the Caribbean, Africa, and soul combined to get the party started, Hip-Hop — as it would eventually become known — was born. Today, it’s a multi- billion dollar industry that provides a better way of life for countless men and women that wouldn’t have...

As Drake scores his seventh total chart-topper on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with “Toosie Slide,” landing at the top, he has now become the first male artist — and second overall — to debut three songs at No. 1. However, many critics and fans wonder how Drake manages to be successful with overexposure. Drake is one of the few rap stars left of the blog era of rap , which leaves him in a unique position to effortlessly navigate through incessant waves of the internet, particularly social media. This double audience, at its core, loves both hip hop and social media trends. He understands this and has used it to his advantage throughout his entire career. He went from releasing singles via his blog like the rollout of his sophomore album, “Take Care,” to creating his own music festival (OVO Festival). He then started releasing diss tracks through multiple social media platforms , all while fulfilling the traditional roles of an artist signed to a major label. His new single...