Diddy, Drake & Beyonce Are Three Of The Highest Paid Musicians Of 2017

BYAron A.9.2K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Scott Gries/Getty Images
Makin' money moves.

It's been quite the year for hip hop. It was finally identified as the most consumed genre in America and made helped break a few records along the way. So it should come as no surprise that hip hop has dominated the top earning spots on Forbes' highest paid musicians list of 2017. They publication recently released their annual list and some of hip hop & R&B's most revered artists of this year landed on the top spots.

According to Forbes, Diddy, Beyonce and Drake claim the top three spots while The Weeknd came in at number four. Diddy had his best year so far, income wise, with $130 million before taxes. Much of that credited to his Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour, Ciroc and the estimated $70 million he earned by selling a third of Sean John clothing. As the only other artist to make nine figures this year, Queen Bey came in with $105 million, which they say is due to the Formation World Tour. Although it wrapped up in 2016,  it still ended up on her calendar and she made $250 million off it alone. Drake comes in at third with $94 million, largely due to his highly successful "Boy Meets World" Tour.

The Weeknd came $2 million short of Drake in earnings, making $92 million which they say is predominantly due to his Live Nation advance from touring.

Along them, Jay-Z hit number 19 on the list, making $42 million which ties him with Celine Dion. 

Overall, it's been a good year for hip hop and clearly, it's been getting people paid out here.


Forbes Highest Paid

Diddy, Drake & Beyonce Are Three Of The Highest Paid Musicians Of 2017
About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
...