The music industry is constantly evolving, and hip-hop and rap are emerging as one of the most popular ways today’s generation expresses itself. It helps the younger generation connect to the musicians more efficiently and effectively. Over the years, several black musicians have made a special place in the hearts of their listeners and established themselves as the icons of the rap industry. If you are someone who wants to know more about such icons who are not only dominating the charts but also bridging the gap that racism created, this article is for you. It brings you a detailed list of the top 10 black male rappers in the world.
1. Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter, famous by the name Jay-Z, in the world of music, is considered one of the most successful black male rappers with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion. He won the Grammy a total of 26 times in his career and was nominated 89 times. He’s considered the best-selling music artist in the world with over 140 million album records sold. Jay-Z also entered the Billboard 200 chart 24 times and achieved his 100th Billboard Hot 100 solo entry back in 2019.
2. Ye (Kanye West)
Kanye Omari West, formally known as Ye in the music industry, is another one of the most successful black male rappers in the world with a net worth of $2 billion. He won a Grammy award 24 times, and his album titled “The College Dropout” was recognised as the Best Rap Album in 2005. Ye has successfully sold over 160 million album records and shares a record with Bob Dylan for most albums topping the annual Pazz & Jop critic poll. He also earned the GQ Most Stylish Man of the Year award for his unique styling.
3. Drake
Aubrey Drake Graham, famously known as Drake, is another one of the male rappers who is half black and has a net worth of $250 million. Drake has been a 5 time Grammy winner and was nominated for an award around 55 times. He also holds a record for having the most Billboard Music Awards wins with a total of 41 awards. Several of his songs reached the top of the Billboard 200 list as well as the Billboard Hot 100 list.
4. Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., popularly known as Lil Wayne, is another one of the top black male rappers with a net worth of $170 million. He’s the winner of a total of 5 Grammy awards and around 11 BET awards. Lil Wayne’s success is evident from the fact that he has sold a total of 120 million album records, along with 95 million digital tracks in the US. He successfully surpassed Elvis Presley, becoming the musician with the most Billboard Hot 100 entries. He now holds the record of having the 3rd most entries with over 183 songs entering the chart.
5. Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., famous by the stage name Snoop Dogg, is also a part of our list, having a net worth of $160 million. He received around 17 Grammy nominations and sold over 35 million record albums. Snoop Dogg’s debut album topped the Billboard 200 chart and became a quadruple platinum album. He has been the recipient of several BET and MTV Awards, along with a Soul Train Music Award.
6. Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is also one of the most popular male rappers, who is quickly gaining a lot of popularity in recent times. His current net worth is estimated at $140 million. Kendrick has successfully won a total of 22 Grammys and has been nominated over 57 times. His contribution to the music industry as a black musician becoming the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music back in 2018. He also won several AMA and BET awards, along with NAACP Image Awards and the Brit Award for Best International Male Solo Artist.
7. Travis Scott
Jacques Bermon Webster III, also known as Travis Scott, is one of the most popular black male rappers with a net worth of $80 million. Travis gained immense success in the industry with his songs topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart 5 times, with over 100 entries. He has successfully sold a total of 45 million records in the United States of America. Travis also went for the Circus Maximus Tour, which grossed over $209.3 million and sold 1.7 million tickets.
8. J. Cole
Jermaine Lamarr Cole, popularly known as J. Cole, is also a famous rapper who’s half black and has a net worth estimated at $60 million. He has received 2 Grammy Awards till now and has also won a total of 8 BET Awards. He was the first rapper in 25 years to get a whole album platinum with no collaborations.
9. 50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III, who is now popular as 50 Cent, is also a famous black male rapper with a net worth of $60 million. The famous artist has been pretty successful in his career and ended up selling a total of 30 million albums till now. He is the recipient of several iconic awards, including a Grammy, BMA, AMA, BET, and World Music Awards. He also won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for his performance in the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show.
10. A$AP Rocky
Rakim Athelaston Mayers, the rapper best known as A$AP Rocky and Rihanna’s partner, is also one of the most successful lyrical legends, with a net worth estimated at $20 million. He has had both his subsequent studio albums top the Billboard 200 chart. He has also been nominated for a Grammy and is widely known for his unique fashion sense.
