The world of hip hop features a culture that’s unique to other musical genres. Many artists have contributed to its current success, including female rappers. Although some don’t give them as much respect as their male counterparts, they do play an important role. These are the highest earning female rappers as of 2023.
Top 20 Wealthiest Female Rappers:
1. Nicki Minaj – $150 Million
Frequently dubbed “The Queen of Rap,” Nicki Minaj has been at the top of the female rap game for quite some time now. During her career, she’s sold over 100 million records internationally.
From 2007 to 2009, Nicki released three mixtapes, but it wasn’t until the launch of her debut studio album, Pink Friday, that the rapper broke out on a worldwide level.
Nicki is now one of the best-selling musicians of all time, with numerous accolades under her belt. Most notably, she has 12 BET Awards and a net worth of $150 million.
2. Cardi B – $80 Million
Cardi B is one of today’s most popular figures in the mainstream hip-hop scene. With her distinguished flow, she sold over 75 million units and reigned in the digital music era.
Cardi B first gained attention for her funny Instagram and Vine uploads. It opened up an opportunity for her to join the cast of VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: New York, where she shared her musical ambitions.
Eventually, she achieved her dream and even became the first solo female artist to clinch a Grammy for Best Rap Album with Invasion of Privacy. This helped her acquire a $80 million net worth.
3. Queen Latifah – $70 Million
The next queen on the list is Queen Latifah, an inspiration to many female rappers. She has sold over two million albums in the United States and is also a renowned actress.
Latifah recorded a couple of rap demos before being recruited by Tommy Boy Music in 1989. Her very personal lyrics were something that many African-American women related to.
Queen Latifah was the first rapper to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has received one Grammy Award as a musician and one Emmy Award as an actress. Queen Latifah’s net worth is $70 million.
4. Missy Elliott – $50 Million
Another pioneer in the female rap industry, Missy Elliot had a big impact on modern music videos. “Queen of Rap” has sold more than 30 million records in the US.
She started out in the 1990s R&B category with the girl group Sista. Missy Elliot slowly transitioned to hip-hop with her second musical collective, Swing Mob.
Her influence also made her a media personality and has signed brand deals with well-known brands such as Apple. She’s been awarded four Grammys and currently has a $50 million fortune.
5. Bhad Bhabie – $25 Million
Danielle Bregoli had an unlikely start to her musical career as a meme. But after capitalizing on her online popularity, she made music and sold more than a million US records.
In 2016, she appeared on the Dr. Phil talk show and uttered the words, “Cash me ousside, how bout dah?” It instantly went viral, and Bhad Bhabie plotted her musical pursuit a year later. Her debut song, These Heaux, made her the youngest female rapper to get on the Billboard Hot 100 list.
According to PageSix.com, Bregoli has over $50 million through her content on OnlyFans. Danielle has gained a net worth of $25 million on her road to success.
6. Sandra Denton – $15 Million
Popularly known as Pepa from Salt-N-Pepa, Sandra Denton is part of one of the most iconic trios in all of hip-hop. The female group has sold over 15 million records around the world.
Denton rose to prominence with her bandmates Cheryl James, aka Salt, and Deidra Roper, aka DJ Spinderella. Their album, Very Necessary, is the highest-selling female rap act album in history.
Apart from music, Pepa is also a reality television star on We TV’s Growing Up Hip Hop and VH1’s The Salt-N-Pepa Show. With this, her wealth grew to $15 million.
7. Iggy Azalea – $15 Million
Though her music has received mostly mixed reviews from critics, Iggy Azalea is undoubtedly an affluent artist. The Australian native has sold 70 million records globally but did take a brief break from music to focus on other creative projects.
Iggy started rapping at 14 years old in her hometown in Australia. She relocated to the US in hopes of pursuing a career in music. Before going solo, she was part of the Dungeon Family.
Her pursuits have given her three Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards, and one People’s Choice Award. Iggy’s wealth is estimated to be close to $15 million.
8. Cheryl James – $14 Million
The Salt in Salt-N-Pepa is none other than Cheryl James. Like Sandra Denton, she got accomplishments with the legendary female group and became a reality TV personality.
James and Denton were the first members that formed the band. After meeting at college in 1985, they rapped together for a school project and were initially called Super Nature.
When the duo was joined by Deidra Roper and won a Grammy Award, they were nicknamed “The First Ladies of Rap and Hip Hop.” Salt’s net worth now is over $14 million.
9. M.I.A. – $14 Million
Mathangi Arulpragasam, whose name is abbreviated to M.I.A., uses her musical platform to talk about critical political issues. Her single “Paper Planes” sold over four million copies alone and hitnumber four on the US Billboard Hot 100.
M.I.A. began working as a filmmaker and visual artist, and her love of art was clear to see when she started making music in 2005. Her parents’ background as immigrants in the United Kingdom was her motivation to write songs.
She was given many musical awards for her efforts, but perhaps Mathangi’s most noteworthy feat is receiving an MBE from the Queen for her services to music. Arulpragasam’s fortune is approximately $14 million.
10. Megan Thee Stallion – $12 Million
Megan Thee Stallion is one of the newer faces on this list, but her young career has already come a long way. Her music is popular on digital platforms, and she has 33.9 monthly listeners on Spotify.
She began rhyming at the age of 14. However, it wasn’t until she was 18 that she showed her abilities to her wordsmith mom, who made her pledge to wait until she was 21 before pursuing a career as a musician.
After patiently waiting, Megan reaped her rewards. She won six BET Awards, four American Music Awards, and three Grammys. Plus, she has an $12 million fortune this early in her professional life.
11. Eve – $10 Million
Eve Cooper is a hip-hop talent who has ventured into many sectors of the entertainment world. Even though she hasn’t been active in the music scene lately, Eve has sold 4.8 million albums in her prime.
At the age of 18, she reportedly performed as a stripper until fellow rap artist Mase persuaded her to broaden her horizons. Her early albums, singles, and collaborations were mostly hits.
It earned her a Grammy and a BET Award. Later on, she became a television presenter and actress. Eve also opened a clothing business, Fetish, which has helped grow her wealth to around $10 million.
12. DJ Spinderella – $10 Million
Salt-N-Pepa wouldn’t have acquired its recognition without Deidra Roper, popularly known by her stage name DJ Spinderella. She is the primary beat producer for the team.
DJ Spinderella was introduced to Cheryl James and Sandra Denton in 1986 when their first disc jockey, Latoya Hanson, started missing group rehearsals and events.
Of course, she is also part of their group’s VH1 reality television series titled The Salt-N-Pepa Show. Her music and media endeavors are the sources of her $10 million net worth.
13. MC Lyte – $8 Million
The trailblazer MC Lyte is a big part of rap history. She’s best known as the first solo female hip-hop musician to drop a full-length album with her renowned project Lyte as a Rock.
Her Ruffneck single also went gold, making her the first female rapper to do so. Critics loved her groundbreaking project, and it paved the way for other ladies to join the industry.
MC Lyte’s contributions have been recognized by many musical institutions. It also got her acting roles, business ventures, and speaking gigs. Her net worth is around $8 million.
14. Trina – $6 Million
Described by some media outlets as the most consistent female rapper, Katrina “Trina” Taylor is yet another influential figure for many women in the rap game. Trina’s debut solo album sold over 700,000 copies and her subsequent LPs sold over 300,000 copies.
Her big break happened in 1998 when she was featured on Trick Daddy’s hit song “Nann.” After this, Katrina went out on her own and became a star. Trina has been nominated for a whole slew of awards and has featured in many films and TV shows. Today, Trina’s net worth sits at $6 million.
15. Remy Ma – $4 Million
Remy Ma isn’t commonly defined as a commercial artist, but her music has been nominated for several awards. Ma has done two studio albums, and her debut album has over 160,000 in sales.
Remy first rose to fame working with fellow hip-hop talent Fat Joe and his group, Terror Squad. Remy jumped into the spotlight for getting into a beef with Nicki Minaj.
She is one of only four women to win the BET Award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist several times. Remy also has three Grammy nominations and a net worth of $4 million.
16. Saweetie – $4 Million
Newcomer Saweetie hasn’t released a studio album yet, and is already one of the richest female rappers on the planet. Her singles receive 8,1 million monthly plays on Spotify.
In 2012, Saweetie started posting short raps to her Instagram profile. Six years later, she dropped the Icy Grl single, which was how she was discovered by a subsidiary of Warner Records.
Saweetie also became a fan-favorite guest on several TV programs. She is currently working to release her first album in 2023 and her reported wealth is near $4 million.
17. Foxy Brown – $3 Million
Foxy Brown was part of the hip-hop dream team called the Firm. She had such honor after signing with the legendary label Def Jam and selling 25 million in singles and 16 million in albums.
In 1996, Foxy Brown launched her debut album, Ill Na Na and it sold 128,000 copies in the first week. The RIAA considered it a platinum record, and Brown had a massive boost early in her career.
She went on to make more hits and collaborate with big-name artists. Nowadays, she isn’t as active in music as before, but her personal net worth is still at $3 million.
18. Azealia Banks – $2 Million
Azealia Banks has picked up a controversial reputation for a number of feuds with fellow artists. Still, she’s developed a loyal fanbase with 3.4 million Spotify streams every month.
In 2008, she began releasing songs on Myspace before signing with XL Recordings at the age of 18. Her initial success helped her establish her own label, Chaos & Glory Recordings. In 2011, her debut single “212” was a huge success and became one of most played tracks in clubs.
Azealia has dabbled in acting, modeling, and entrepreneurship as a result of her newer music’s declining sales. However, it’s still enough to sustain her wealth of over $2 million.
19. Young M.A – $2 Million
After her single Ooouuu became a certified quadruple-platinum in 2016, Young M.A’s life instantly turned upside down. She went on to make albums and made 485,000 in sales.
Initially, she made headlines in 2014 after a Facebook post ridiculed her freestyle song Brooklyn. An attempt to ruin her name instead kick started her career. Young M.A has experimented with activities outside of music, such as acting and film directing. This became her way of preserving her $2 million fortune.
20. Kash Doll – $2 Million
The last one to make the cust is Kash Doll, a female rapper who once worked as a stripper. This transition helped her accumulate more than 440,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Kash began rapping while operating as a dancer and made money from nightclub guests with only her voice. In addition, she rapped at charity events and local schools. Drake also asked her to open one of his shows.
Doll became a social media star and appeared in two drama series, Fox’s Empire and Starz’s BMF. After rising from humble beginnings, her net worth is now close to $2 million.
