Former Forbes editor, journalist Zack O’Malley Greenburg, compiled a list of the top 10 highest earners in hip hop in 2021. The list included your usual suspects — Jay-Z, Diddy, and Kanye West — along with Drake, Doja Cat, DJ Khaled, and several others. Jay-Z topped the list at $450M while Ye was behind him at $250M and Diddy at $75M, while Drizzy, Wiz Khalifa, and Travis Scott held the #4, #5, and #6 spots respectively.
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One inclusion to the list that some were surprised to see was Tech N9ne. The underground legend rounded out the 10th spot in a tie between himself, Birdman, and Doja Cat with $25M. He took to Instagram where he reacted to the news, somewhat surprised that his hustle was as lucrative as some of the biggest stars of 2021. “When You’re just working with your head down minding your business and you pop up on someone’s list!” Tech wrote on IG.
Tech N9ne has not only built an incredible discography since 1999 that includes 22 full-length albums. Along with his catalog and his die-hard following, the launch of Strange Music in 1999. The label signed artists like Jay Rock, Rittz, MURS, and more over the years.
Despite not being the most commercially accessible rapper, his last album, Asin9ne boasted appearances from some of the biggest names in pop culture, from Lil Wayne to Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson, who dropped bars on “Face Off.”
Check Tech N9ne’s post below.