These Are The Highest-Paid Female Rappers Right Now
Christopher Duran Quick Links
Highlights
- Female rappers are breaking barriers and setting new standards in the hip-hop industry.
- Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj are engaged in a diss track beef as of January, highlighting tensions within the genre.
- Nicki Minaj is the richest female rapper, with a net worth of $150 million.
When hip-hop was brand new, female rappers were far less common than they are today – now, female rappers are breaking barriers, setting a new standard, making good music, and collecting a lot of paper from it.
Updated, January 2024: On January 26th, several entertainement outlets reported on a diss track purportedly involving two of the female rappers on this list: Megan Thee Stallion, and Nicki Minaj.
It appears that a bona fide beef has emerged between the hip-hop stars, and Megan Thee Stallion released a track called "Hiss," reportedly aimed at Nicki Minaj:
Minaj is no stranger to being the subject of such tracks, having inspired Lil Kim's "Black Friday," as well as Remy Ma's "Ether" call back, "Shether."
People magazine reported: "On Friday [January 26th], the rap superstar [Megan Thee Stallion], 28, shared 'Hiss' the second single off her forthcoming third studio album and a rapid spitfire diss track.
"The hip-hop artist (whose real name is Megan Pete) channels a sort of serpentine fearlessness on the track — hissing back at those who can’t keep her name from out of their mouths."
According to the outlet, Megan Thee Stallion was asked about the song's subject during an interview on the 26th. Megan said it was generally about people who mention her name so "they get 24 hours of attention" in the news cycle, and added:
"Basically, I understand what y’all doing, and I want y’all to get up off me. Use something else. Do something different. Use another tactic. This one getting old."
Music magazine Rolling Stone covered the beef, describing Nicki Minaj as "hella pressed" about Megan's "Hiss" in their headline, and reporting:
"In the hours since the [song's] drop, Minaj has tweeted several times about Megan, calling her a liar, a flop, all while claiming she doesn’t 'condone bullying.' In a 3,100-character post on X Friday [the 26th] and an Instagram Live Thursday night [the 25th], Minaj took aim at Megan, seemingly claiming the rapper lied about being shot by Tory Lanez."
Newspaper USA Today even covered the escalating controversy between Megan and Nicki, noting that Minaj clapped back on social media, dropping verses in response during her Instagram Live.
US Magazine also reported on the brewing controversy, describing Minaj's Instagram Live retort as a "diss track," adding that Minaj appeared to go on to interact with social media content mocking Megan:
"In addition to the [Instagram] Live, Minaj went on a spree of 'liking' posts on X [Twitter] that mocked Megan’s appearance and the [Tory] Lanez shooting."
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Let's take a look at how these successful rappers earned their money, and how much their performances cost producers.The word rap is a considered to be a shortened form of "Rhythm" and "Poetry," two aspects that form the basis of the genre.
Etymology blog Grammarphobia investigated the origins of the genre's name, explaining in part:
"The OED [Oxford English Dictionary] has two definitions of “rap” as used in music — one for a performance or a work, and one for the genre itself.
"Both, like the “verbal display” meaning, are labeled “originally U.S. colloquial.” In the earliest usage, dating from the late 1970s, “rap” means “a performance in which lyrics (typically rhyming and sometimes improvised) are spoken rhythmically over a strong background beat.”
"Here the word can also mean 'a rap song' or 'a set of rap lyrics,' Oxford says."
Rap is a primary component of hip hop, composed of rhyme, rhythm, tone, and cadence.
While the industry has always been male-dominated, female rappers are killing it and amassing a fortune through rap, endorsements, tours, and so many other business ventures – also serving as role models to people from every sphere of life, and paving the way for a younger generation of female rappers.
Let's take a look at the highest paid female rappers right now by their estimated net worths ... and the name in the number one spot might be a shock.
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Nicki Minaj is a female rapper who has topped charts, won awards, and sold over 100 million records.10 Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion's Net Worth (Estimated): $14 Million
Megan Thee Stallion is an American-born star from Houston, Texas.
Megan's rise to stardom started with her freestyle videos on social media, which exposed her talent to the world, and she signed with 300 Entertainment in 2018.
Her breakthrough came the following year when she dropped her single "Hot Girl Summer" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign and Nicki Minaj), which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
She went on to drop "Cash S***" featuring DaBaby, which was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Her songs have been a commercial success, which explains her being on the list.
Megan's audience has grown over the years, as she keeps winning awards and dropping hits.
9 M.I.A.
M.I.A.'s Net Worth (Estimated): $14 Million
Mathangi Maya Arulpragas goes by the stage name M.I.A., which means "missing in action," or "missing in Acton."
M.I.A.'s parents returned to London after being displaced by the Sri Lankan Civil War when she was only eleven years old, after which she grew up to become the musician we all know and love.
Her world-class fusion of genres and elements, such as electronic, hip-hop, and dance music, makes her a sight to behold.
M.I.A. dropped her first two albums, Arular and Kala, in 2005 and 2007, respectively.
"Paper Planes", from her second album Kala, sold over four million copies and reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100.
She went on to drop more albums, all of which were commercial successes.
M.I.A. became the first person of South Asian descent to be nominated for a Grammy and an Academy Award in the same year (2012), and she has grown to gain a dedicated fan base.
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Streaming revenue is a heated topic for artists, but the most streamed artists on Spotify likely earn the most on the platform.8 Cheryl James
Cheryl James' Net Worth (Estimated): $14 Million
This talented American rapper goes by the stage name Salt (of Salt-N-Pepa), and was born in Brooklyn, New York.
She is famously known as a member of the barrier-smashing rap group Salt-N-Pepa, which includes Spinderella (Deidra "Dee Dee") and Pepa (Sandra Denton).
This talented group was initially called Super Nature before it evolved into Salt N' Pepa; they released many albums, including Blacks' Magic, Very Necessary, and Brand New.
Unfortunately, the group formally disbanded in 2002, but its members didn't become entirely inactive.
James recorded one of the best-selling gospel albums in history, called Stomp, in collaboration with Kirk Franklin for the Gods Property album.
In 1995, Salt-N-Pepa became the first female rap act to win a Grammy, and in 2008, the group reformed.
7 Iggy Azalea
Iggy Azalea's Net Worth (Estimated): $15 Million
Amethyst Amelia Kelly is an Australian rapper and model, better known as Iggy Azalea; Kelly started writing raps at a very young age and shared them online.
When she was 16, she moved to the United States in search of the proverbial greener pastures in music, and found them to be incredibly green.
Azalea started gaining attention after the release of the song "P****."
In 2011, she released her debut mixtape Ignorant Art, which led to her signing a recording contract with T.I.'s Grand Hustle label.
In 2014, under the Grand Hustle record label, she dropped her debut studio album New Classic, which received mixed reviews.
New Classic ended up topping the Billboard charts, which saw Azalea becoming the first non-American female rapper to reach the top.
Azalea dropped a series of singles and albums that were all successful until she switched labels to Island Records, a decision born out of her conflict with Grand Hustle.
Further disagreements and personal considerations led her to create her own label, "Bad Dreams."
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Social media has emerged as a lucrative hustle. Let's look at the richest Instagram influencers right now.6 Sandra Denton
Sandra Denton's Net Worth (Estimated): $15 Million
Sandra Jacqueline Denton is a Jamaican-American rapper who was born in Jamaica and moved to Queens, New York when she was six years old.
She became a member of the famous female trio group called Salt N' Pepa; they released a total of five albums that were all commercial successes, some more than others.
This group disbanded in 2002 and reformed a few years later.
Denton starred in the reality series The Salt-N-Pepa Show, and made big stacks of money in her film career.
Her big screen debut was with her crew in 1992 in a fantasy comedy, Stay Tuned.
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Viola Davis has starred in almost 40 films, grossing over $3 billion. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, worth over $25 million.She was also in the comedy Who's The Man, the crime drama First Time Felon, and several other films. She owns a retail clothing store in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sandra Denton has an estimated net worth of $15 million and is one of the wealthiest rappers of her generation.
5 Lil Kim
Lil Kim's Net Worth (Estimated): $18 Million*
One of the most influential female rappers of all time, Kimberly Denise Jones, better known as Lil Kim, grew up on the streets of New York after being expelled from her home.
Lil Kim is a songwriter, singer, rapper, actress and record producer. Iconic rapper The Notorious B.I.G discovered this young talent, and signed her to Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Shortly after she dropped her debut album Conspiracy, which was certified gold by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA), her debut studio album Hard Core sold more than six million copies worldwide; she ended up winning a Grammy Award for the single "Lady Marmalade."
She has sold more than fifteen million albums and thirty million singles worldwide, and her popularity has increased as many media outlets regard her as the Queen of Rap.
Estimates of Lil Kim 's net worth exhibit more range than other female rappers, with some sources approximating it at $15 million, and others below $1 million.
4 Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott's Net Worth (Estimated): $50 Million
Melissa Arnette Elliott is a rapper, a singer, and a producer, best known as "Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott."
In 1991, Elliott assembled an R&B group called Fayze, which later changed to Sista.
Their producer was Timothy Mosley (Timbaland), and the newly renamed group's first song was titled "Brand New."
Elliott later joined the Swing Mob label alongside her longtime producer Timbaland; after several collaborations, she began her solo career with Supa Dupa Fly as her debut album.
Supa Dupa Fly ranked at number three on the Billboard 200 and became the highest charting debut album for a woman rapper at the time.
Elliott became the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, selling over 30 million records in the United States.
3 Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah's Net Worth (Estimated): $70 Million
Dana Elaine Owens is a well known celebrity who succeeded in singing, rapping, acting and producing, and she goes by the stage name Queen Latifah.
She has many accolades, including Grammys, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Golden Globes.
Latifah dropped her debut album All Hail The Queen at 19, after which she was signed to Tommy Boy Music.
A bit later and with a financial boost from the label, she formed her own record company, "Flavor Unit Records."
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When Taylor Swift's "bully" Scooter Braun bought the rights to her masters, she leveraged it. In January, the star was attacked via deepfakes on X.Latifah also ventured into acting and starred in several movies and shows, including Juice, Living Single and Set It Off.
Queen Latifah has a net worth estimated around $70 million, earned through many successful ventures in entertainment.
2 Cardi B
Cardi B's Net Worth (Estimated): $80 Million
The outspoken and talented American-born rapper Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar Cephus, professionally known as Cardi B, is considered one of her generation's most commercially successful female rappers.
She appeared in a reality television series Love & Hip Hop early in her career, before she ventured into music.
Cardi B officially came into the limelight when she dropped her first studio album, Invasion Of Privacy, which made her the first female rapper to win a Grammy for "Best Rap Album" as a solo artist.
Her lead single, "Bodak Yellow," became the first to achieve a diamond certification from the RIAA.
Cardi invests in real estate and business (with the fast fashion mecca Fashion Nova), and also has lots of endorsement deals, including ones with Pepsi and Reebok.
In 2017, she married fellow rapper Offset from Migos.
Cardi B's rise to fame and wealth has shown no signs of slowing down.
1 Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj's Net Worth (Estimated): $150 Million
The queen of rap (Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, better known as Nicki Minaj) – her musical versatility, animated flows in her rapping style, and alter egos make her unique.
Her debut album, Pink Friday, officially introduced her to the world.
Pink Friday did exceptionally well, topping the charts, and it was certified diamond by the RIAA.
Nicki is the richest female rapper today, and one of the greatest rappers of all time, having sold over 100 million records worldwide and having dropped standout albums that were consistently commercially successful.
She has received eight American Music Awards, five MTV Video Music videos, three Guinness World Records, twelve Grammy nominations and many more accolades.
Nicki Minaj is also an American Idol judge; she earns money from not just her music, but from endorsements, acting, real estate investing, clothing lines, fragrances and other ventures, all of which have built her astronomical net worth.
