Drake’s unquestionably at the top of the game commercially, and has been for many years up until this point. However, just because he keeps setting records doesn’t mean his chances of breaking them get any slimmer. Moreover, the 6 God just set a new record as the highest-grossing touring rap act, according to Billboard, which means that he’s made more money off of tours than any other rapper throughout his career. Other metrics exist for the highest-grossing tours, individual shows, and more, and you can bet that he’s near the top of those lists, too. Yet, with over 3.9 million tickets sold and profits of approximately $473 million, the 37-year-old stands alone in all-time profits.
Furthermore, Drake’s latest milestone has a few interesting facts and curiosities to it. For example, he’s performed 304 shows for his tours, so this doesn’t count one-off performances, guest appearances, and things of that nature. Drizzy’s first tour show was on April 9, 2010 at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Philadelphia. That show grossed him and his team $191,000. For comparison, the OVO mogul’s 2019 show at the O2 Arena in London, England earned him and his crew a whopping $13.5 million.
SANTIAGO, CHILE – MARCH 18: Drake performs during day two of Lollapalooza Chile 2023 on March 18, 2023 in Santiago, Chile. (Photo by Marcelo Hernandez/Getty Images)
For those curious, Jay-Z is the runner-up in this field, with about $431 million in profits from 402 shows across his career. Other names in this list include Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Eminem, J. Cole, Tyler, The Creator, Nicki Minaj, and more. Interestingly enough, some very popular but relatively smaller artists also made the cut that might surprise you, such as $UICIDEBOY$. There’s also The Black Eyed Peas, which most people don’t view as part of hip-hop as much these days.
Regardless of those technicalities, Aubrey Graham’s accomplishment is impressive. If you take a look at the numbers for his best-selling album, it’s no wonder that he continues this dominance in every commercial field possible. Let us know in the comments whether you think he’s going to fall off now… and get ready for him to beat expectations once again soon. For more news and the latest updates on Drake, stick around on HNHH.
The biggest hip hop tours of all time serve as a key reminder as to how crucial concerts are to the hip hop genre. As we continually move towards a digital era, concerts remain the lifeblood of artists’ livelihoods. The Covid-19 pandemic shied a visible light on this, as complaints surrounding streaming revenue for artists became even louder during the pandemic. Essentially, the music industry realized that the hard-earned money of fans looking to see their favorite artist live was still the hallmark source of revenue for artists and music companies alike.
The pandemic left artists lost as they scrambled to figure out other sources of revenue to keep their image relevant. In addition, many struggled to find meaning in their work because they may never be able to display it to a live crowd. In essence, tours remain an essential aspect of the music industry. This is especially the case for hip hop, where the energy of many tracks is best conveyed in a live setting. Take a Playboi Carti set, where fans lose their minds to “Rockstar Made” while shoving each other in a mosh pit. We’re looking back on the highest-earning tours in hip-hop history.
1. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers (2023)
GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND – JUNE 26: Kendrick Lamar performs as he headlines the Pyramid Stage during day five of Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 26, 2022 in Glastonbury, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers tour has officially become the highest-grossing tour in hip-hop history. In fact, it’s the highest-grossing tour by far. Going nationwide, the tour garnered $110 million in revenue across 73 shows. His fifth studio album was his most anticipated yet, as he returned from a five-year hiatus from music. Lamar was as introspective as ever, delving into his personal biases and rapping about the demons of Compton life that still live within him. However, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers also has plenty of crowd-including bangers such as “N95” and “Silent Hill.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 12: Offset and Drake attend Huncho Reality “The Album Release Experience on October 12, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Prince Williams/FilmMagic)
Drake and The Migos were arguably at their respective peaks in 2018. Amidst the rollout of Scorpion, Drake’s “God’s Plan” and “In My Feelings” took over the internet. The Migos had just released Culture II, the follow-up to their highly successful Culture debut. The two titans coming together would always generate one of the biggest hip-hop tours to date. The tour innovated the performance setting for hip-hop artists. Drake decided to switch things up by performing in the middle of the stadium on a raised, rectangular platform rather than a traditional stage. Darting from corner to corner, the Toronto-based MC was tasked will keeping all four sides of the crowd engaged. The increased fan accessibility was a hit, making Aubrey & The Three Migos the second highest-grossing tour of all time.
ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 20: Future and Drake perform onstage at Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash Block Show at Phillips Arena on June 20, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Views ran the summer of 2016. From the iconic dance grooves such as “Hotline Bling” and “One Dance,” it only made sense for Drake to top off the album with a nationwide tour of the record. He counteracted the smooth grooves of Views for the Summer Sixteen Tour by collaborating with Future. Naturally, much of the What a Time to Be Alive mixtape was performed throughout the tour. Generating over $84 million across 56 dates, the tour dethroned the Watch the Throne tour for the highest-grossing hip-hop tour ever.
WASHINGTON, DC – November 3rd, 2011 – Chart-topping rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West perform their collaborative album Watch The Throne at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Kanye West and Jay-Z were the two hip hop kingpins in the early 2010s. The two shifted the sound of hip hop, a process that began all the way back to The Blueprint. Ye’s notoriety as a producer grabbed the attention of Jay-Z, who worked with him throughout much of the project. This would kick off a decade-long slew of collaborations, which would peak with Watch the Throne. The two would parlay the hit record into the most successful hip hop tour to date, grossing $75 million. Featuring striking visual elements and seamless crowd control, the two set the bar for other performing MCs to live up to.
5. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. (2017)
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 28: Recording artist Kendrick Lamar accepts the Best Rap Album award for ‘Damn’ onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)
Even for Kendrick Lamar’s humble and melancholic personality, he’s still established himself as one of the most in-demand touring artists. While he most recently proved this with the Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers tour, Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. was his most commercially successful record to date. Featuring bangers such as “DNA” and “Humble,” his fourth studio album was his most expensive-sounding project. Lamar explored his journey from the streets of Compton to the limelight on the project. He’s keenly aware of his faults in a record that, similar to Tyler, the Creator’s Igor, was sequenced as a perfect thematic loop. DAMN.’s success was inevitably reflected in the project’s tour, which grossed over $40 million in North America alone.
