Are we finally ready to accept that rappers today are way richer than those in the 90s

[The Devil's Advocate]

Who can’t tour one year later??

42 Dugg will be touring in 2025 he’s only getting bigger

And yes 42 Dugg has made more $ than a lot of y’all 90’s favorites

Not every rapper was Jay Z. Jay was built different and he went the mogul route from jump.

Read the OP. It does not say a lot. It definitely says “our fav rappers”

Baby and Slim were robbing their artists blind to make that much money; and Master P's net worth didn't reach its peak until like the late 2000s.

The average rapper now is absolutely out-earning the average rapper back then.

That I would agree with. Avg now def makes more. But super star vs super star? Hell nah. Them 90s dudes on top was getting millionsssssss. Only dude getting money like them is Drake and he don’t have movies and a big clothing line or a successful label with other artists also going platinum.

I mean even now I say that. Drake had J Prince and son, Motown, Wayne, baby, slim AND universal all taking pieces out his checks. How was he making more than Wayne? And won just won his lawsuit for 51 million. That’s just his money. Not even what he made off Nicki and drake and tyga and shyt.

 

[Cryptocurrency Scarface]

Streaming is convenient

CDs are tangible longevity assets


If I want to quickly update myself with an artist’s catalogue I’ll stream

if I want hiphop history and to support the artist I will buy physical

buying digital is also good who knows when an artist may have their albums

taken down for offending the wrong people

look at Wiley and YG

 

[Awesome Wells]

The average rapper now is absolutely out-earning the average rapper back then.

Definitely not.

Kevin Liles spoke about this a couple years back. He said, "rappers today have to work much harder than old school artists, for much less market share and way less net income". There are way more artists today, and way less money being doled out by labels. Labels are spending next to nothing on development, promotion, marketing, album creation, etc. But they're also locking up artists in high volume deals, where artists are currently making way less than ever on their actual deals.

Producers can't even charge what they used to anymore because the game is so overly-saturated now. People are selling beats for literally $100 online. Exclusive rights. In the 90's, producers were charging $100K-$200K per track. And labels would kindly pay that because the returns were hefty. That's why rappers have to sell mad merchandise now just to break even in their deals, because they're not seeing profit.

Revenue in the music industry is down almost 70% since the late 90's. These rappers today spend a lot of time appearing to have bread, but most of them are in the kind of debt that no one would ever want to see. So when profits are down 70% for the entire industry, these labels are going to come up with ways to not just save money, but also to make as much as possible on the backs of their rosters. And that's why the 360 works so well. A lot of these dudes are broke and pretending be rich and labels are barely keeping the lights on with the money they're ripping from every dollar these artists make.

 

[JustCKing]

Baby and Slim were robbing their artists blind to make that much money; and Master P's net worth didn't reach its peak until like the late 2000s.

The average rapper now is absolutely out-earning the average rapper back then.

Never said the average rapper now wasn't out earning the average rapper in the 90's. That should be happening, but I don't see how this is even a topic of debate. They aren't out earning many of the 90's fans and that was my point.

 

[OHSNAP!]

Baby and Slim were robbing their artists blind to make that much money; and Master P's net worth didn't reach its peak until like the late 2000s.

The average rapper now is absolutely out-earning the average rapper back then.

No Limit Records (aka P) was worth OVER THREE HUNDRED MILLY in 1999! Without No Limit Films, Sports etc.

Master P Snags Top Ten On Annual Forbes List (1998)

THEY’RE UNDER 40 – AND WORTH GAZILLIONS – COMPUTER AGE MOGULS TOP FORBES LIST (1999)

Gtfoh with today's derp junkie generation

 

[OHSNAP!]

2 post

 

[Evil Grandson]

OP pretty much says that your average rapper today makes more than most our favorite rapper's from the 90's. That's the problem. It is far more accurate to state that the average rapper today makes more than the average rapper from the 90's. That would be accurate.

Also the myth that there is more money in rap now than in the 90's needs to stop. Labels invested way more in rap in the 90's from videos to production to marketing and promotion. We won't see an era like that again.

They make more money now than your favorites from back then. Rappers werent making money off rap like that. None of them were that rich off rap. Biggie was being robbed, pac was nearly broke, cube literally said not that much money in rap in comparison to entertainment. The list goes on.




You had to invest more back then to make MORE money because rap was a child back then. There's more accessibility and popularity now along with less money needed to be spent to promote an artist due to the era we in. Rappers make more now by far. You can be indie and be richer than most if not every rapper from the 90s. There are rappers right now caking off music before being signed and promoted by a major label

 

[Evil Grandson]

No Limit Records (aka P) was worth OVER TWO HUNDRED MILLY in 1999! Without No Limit Films, Sports etc.

Master P Snags Top Ten On Annual Forbes List

Gtfoh with today's derp junkie generation

No limit being worth 200 million doesnt mean master p was worth 200 million

 

[OHSNAP!]

No limit being worth 200 million doesnt mean master p was worth 200 million

NL = P
Completely
THEY’RE UNDER 40 – AND WORTH GAZILLIONS – COMPUTER AGE MOGULS TOP FORBES LIST

 

[JustCKing]

They make more money now than your favorites from back then. Rappers werent making money off rap like that. None of them were that rich off rap. Biggie was being robbed, pac was nearly broke, cube literally said not that much money in rap in comparison to entertainment. The list goes on.




You had to invest more back then to make MORE money because rap was a child back then. There's more accessibility and popularity now along with less money needed to be spent to promote an artist due to the era we in. Rappers make more now by far. You can be indie and be richer than most if not every rapper from the 90s. There are rappers right now caking off music before being signed and promoted by a major label

All this is speculation. If Biggie was being robbed of millions as you guys are arguing here, it speaks volumes of him still being worth $10 million BEFORE he passed. He was only active for five years breh. He had million dollar videos, crazy samples (which often cost a grip).

Rap was not necessarily a child in the 90's. Producers were making upwards a 100K for ONE track. Hype Williams had million dollar videos. Artists were simply handed labels just because. Missy Elliott was given a record label just to drop an album. That's crazy. And she wasn't the only one.

 

[ISO]

Cause he's not in that space, very few Rap artist are in the space especially in this country.

Uzi will be there and I hate that lil nikka

Travis Scott is another

 

[frush11]

Uzi will be there and I hate that lil nikka

Travis Scott is another

I dont hate him or any off these lil nikkas. But very few of em are in that space. Where they can tour big arenas long after their primes.

 

[Awesome Wells]

All this is speculation. If Biggie was being robbed of millions as you guys are arguing here, it speaks volumes of him still being worth $10 million BEFORE he passed. He was only active for five years breh. He had million dollar videos, crazy samples (which often cost a grip).

Rap was not necessarily a child in the 90's. Producers were making upwards a 100K for ONE track. Hype Williams had million dollar videos. Artists were simply handed labels just because. Missy Elliott was given a record label just to drop an album. That's crazy. And she wasn't the only one.

Exactly.

Russell Simmons gave Erick Sermon a million dollars for his first solo just off the strength of him bringing them Redman and being on the label, in EPMD. Not an advance. A million dollar signing bonus! That's how much paper was being thrown around back then. Erick wasn't making hit albums, and had houses that he owned in ATL, NY and LA. You could be on a major back then, not sell a ton of records and still be rich. Today, you have to be one of the biggest artists out just to break even, lol.

 

[SAINT]

Old heads get so when they have to deal with reality.

face it, all these dudes like 20-25 and probably spend more in jewelry than what them 90 rappers were saving up. Someone like Polo G would look at Method mans bank account from the 90’s like “that’s it nikka ? Damn “

 

[Mike the Executioner]

Exactly.

Russell Simmons gave Erick Sermon a million dollars for his first solo just off the strength of him bringing them Redman and being on the label, in EPMD. Not an advance. A million dollar signing bonus! That's how much paper was being thrown around back then. Erick wasn't making hit albums, and had houses that he owned in ATL, NY and LA. You could be on a major back then, not sell a ton of records and still be rich. Today, you have to be one of the biggest artists out just to break even, lol.

Is it true that DMX was given $1 million just to record Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood in a month?

And it's interesting you mentioned artists back then being rich even without major hits. I know Gang Starr had a lot of money and they didn't even earn a gold album until Moment of Truth. But at the same time, wasn't Q-Tip still living with his mother after The Low End Theory came out? I don't know how much money Tribe was making back then.