It’s one thing to listen to your favorite artist in the car. It’s a whole different experience to see them live (hopefully as close as possible). Hip-hop shows have upgraded from the lone rapper on stage moving from side to side and become a full-blown production with pyrotechnics and flying objects (that don’t get stuck like Chris Brown.)
These five rap superstars have not only created a whole new world to support their newest projects but earned a big bag because of it. Below, we broke down the five biggest-earning rap tours.
#5 ‘The Final Lap Tour’ by 50 Cent – $105 million
Forever Internet troll and “Candy Shop” owner 50 Cent celebrated the 20th anniversary of his 2003 debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin, with a tour starting in July 2023. He shared his accomplishments with the world, performing at 83 shows from Cleveland to Paris. Along with playing classics like “In Da Club” and “Many Men,” the show had plenty of iconic moments for fans to repost.
Eminem joined one of his best friends on stage in Detroit to perform their songs “Crack A Bottle” and “Patiently Waiting” (fun fact: Eminen signed 50 Cent to Shady Records before the album dropped). He made kids’ dreams come true at the meet-and-greets and accomplished some impressive magic tricks on stage—they did not involve his “magic stick.” His quick changes blew up online (because we still can’t figure out exactly how he did that) as fans gave the rapper his flowers.
“Man the 50 era in the early 2000s was truly underappreciated,” TikTok user Joe Valdez said in a November 2023 post.
#4 ‘The Pink Friday 2 Tour’ by Nicki Minaj – $108 million
Her first tour in five years, Nicki Minaj, started the Pink Friday 2 Tour in March 2024 to support her newest album of the same name, which dropped in 2023. Including her Reloaded leg, Minaj and her openers, including BIA and Tyga, did 79 shows in cities such as New Orleans and Austin. Along with “The Harajuku Barbie” performing some of her biggest hits like “Roman’s Revenge” and her verse on Ye’s “Monster,” she had plenty of viral moments when she wasn’t spitting on the mic.
She met with fans outside of her hotel in Manchester after her show was canceled due to her arrest in Amsterdam for alleged “soft drug” possession. A clip of her mistaking her photographer for someone inappropriately trying to film her blew up on social media (she has since apologized for the mistake). The visuals brought “Gag City” to life while also paying tribute to Minaj’s alter egos throughout the years. The Barbs will always stick beside their queen and promote the tour and the fun they had across social media platforms.
“I remember seeing her in a little hole-in-the-wall club in Philly when this dropped. Sis came a long way,” TikTok user Shana said in an October 2024 post.
#3 ‘The Big Steppers Tour’ by Kendrick Lamar – $110.8 million
The tour was a celebration of K. Dot’s 2022 album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. Lamar, along with his openers, Baby Keem (Lamar’s actual cousin) and Tanna Leone (a recent pgLang signee), visited 65 cities, including Vancouver and Boston, starting in July 2022. The tour sold a total of 929,000 tickets for 73 shows.
Lamar gave fans a show to remember, getting into his Beethoven bag to play the intro to “HUMBLE” on the piano. He performed “Family Ties” with Baby Keem, proving just how legendary a duo they are by going back and forth on ad-libs alone. His five-star dancers left everything on the stage, and Lamar shared a sweet moment with a young fan named Kendrick that left a lasting impression on the internet. When it comes to a Kendrick show, people are willing to do anything to be able to experience his energy live.
“Will sell one of my kidneys to go to a Kendrick concert,” TikTok user al said in a February 2023 post.
#2 ‘The Circus Maximus Tour’ by Travis Scott – $154 million
On The Circus Maximus Tour, Scott took fans to his version of Utopia. Starting with 28 cities in October 2023, La Flame decided he wasn’t done sharing his rage. He added 11 more dates before the tour started in September 2023 and then added 11 more on top of the already updated trek in November 2023. Teezo Touchdown served as the opener for the first leg, and then artists like Veeze and Babyface Ray were included as openers for the second leg.
Scott is known for his wild stage antics and stage set-up, which this time featured flying dystopian heads and plenty of pyrotechnics. Some lucky fans got to hear “FE!N” up to ten times in a row, depending on the city they were in. The shows were so lit that they caused seismic events and were even mistaken for earthquakes, like his July 2024 show in Milan with 80,000 ragers in attendance.
It reportedly sold 1.5 million tickets to date for 73 shows, setting the record for the biggest rap tour of 2024 and 2023 based on tickets sold. In February 2024, it had already grossed $154 million dollars in revenue, which might be doubled by the time the tour wraps at the end of this year.
“I mean this is hip hop history right there. WOW,” TikTok user KATHARINA said in a July 2024 post.
#1 ‘It’s All A Blur Tour’ by Drake – $320.5 million
Despite all of the recent drama with K. Dot, Drake is still known to put on record-breaking shows. Along with his co-headliner, 21 Savage, the tour supported their collab album Her Loss (released in 2022) and Drake’s solo album For All the Dogs (released in 2023). The wildly popular tour started in July 2023 and brought the duo across North America for 80 sold-out arena dates in cities like Chicago and Montreal, selling over 1 million tickers.
The tour had plenty of stand-out moments from his walk-outs with celebs like Bronny and Lebron James (this didn’t age well), the appearance of young Drake to Meek Mill performing “Dreams and Nightmares” in Philly (and solidifying that their former beef is dead).
Fans threw their numerous bras on stage, and Drake made it rain on the crowd, giving out trips, Birkins, and thousands of dollars to fans in attendance. With its special effects and showing love for his classics, fans agree that this was one of Drake’s best tours yet.
“I haven’t lived until I’ve seen drake,” TikTok user pearl said in a July 2023 post