15 Richest Female Rappers

We all know there are many more male rappers than female, but that doesn’t mean that the ladies aren’t making money!

There are women that have made millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions based off their rap career. Here are the riches female rappers in the world.

Saweetie – $4 million

Saweetie, born Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper, has been a notable name in the music industry since 2016. She might have the lowest net worth of the rappers on our list, but $4 million is still impressive.

She comes from a family of music industry professionals. Her cousin is a music producer, and her uncle is MC Hammer. Her music career began by posting short raps on social media to gain traction.

Saweetie posted raps on YouTube, which is how her manager found her in the first place. “High Maintenance” is one of the most popular raps she put out, and it was all freestyles, showing her talent.

She's released several singles, EPs, and other raps online, pushing her further in the industry. Her career is just starting, but she's been nominated for several music awards and has won a few.

Her money comes solely from making music, performing, and music videos, but we're sure she'll have more business ventures at some point.

Trina – $6 million

Katrina Laverne Taylor, better known by her stage name Trina, is one of the longest-running female rappers. She first started gaining recognition in the industry in 1988 when she was featured on one of Trick Daddy's singles.

With a net worth of $6 million, Trina makes her money by making music, videos, and live performances. While she started getting noticed in 1988, it wasn't until 2000 that she released her debut album, “Da Baddest Btch,” which really put her on the map.

Since 2000, she's released seven other full-length albums, has won several music awards, and has reached 33 on the US Billboard 200 and 11 on the Top R&B Albums chart. Besides her music, Trina makes her fortune through other avenues.

Other ways she makes money besides music royalties are brand deals, endorsements, and from being the brand ambassador for NYAK Cognac. It's suspected that her net worth will only continue to rise as she remains one of the most consistent female rappers.

MIA – $6 million

With a $6 million net worth, we have rapper Mathangi Arulpragasam MBE. You probably know her professionally as MIA. If you can't think of a song by MIA off the top of your head, we guarantee you know her most famous song, “Paper Planes.”

The song has more than 253 million views on YouTube, and even though it came out in 2007, it's still a widely used song and earning the rapper royalties. She released her second album, which happens to be her best-selling album under Interscope Labels. It has a whopping 559,000 sales.

Throughout her rap career, she's released several other albums and singles, contributing to her high net worth. She's earned various certifications, such as Gold from RIAA, Silver from the British Phonographic Industry, and Platinum from Music Canada.

MIA continues to make music and earn a high income from her music, music videos, and performances. The rapper is known to spend her money lavishly but also quietly donates to several charities.

Doja Cat – $8 million

Even those who aren't huge fans of rap music will know who Doja Cat is. Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, better known as Doja Cat, has become almost an overnight sensation thanks to the success of her music and the exposure it was getting on TikTok.

Doja Cat has been making and releasing music since 2012, mainly on SoundCloud. Despite her commitment to her music, it wasn't until 2019 that her career took off, and those outside of the rap genre started recognizing her songs.

Doja's most successful album, Hot Pink, is also her most known album that came out in 2019 and showcased her sound moving away from R&B to a more rap and pop genre. Her newest album, Planet Her, debuted at the number two spot on the Billboard 200 and has since sold almost two million copies.

Her music has more than three million sales in the United States and the United Kingdom, respectively. With how popular Doja Cat has become in recent years, her net worth of $8 million will only keep growing as she puts out more music, performs, and takes on brand deals.

Megan Thee Stallion – $10 million

Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, better known as Megan Thee Stallion, has a substantial net worth of about $10 million. While she makes most of her income from creating music, music videos, and performance, she also brings in money with brand collaborations and business deals.

Her debut solo album, Good News, is her best-selling album. It moved over 100,000 album-equivalent units within the first seven days of its release. She has several EPs that hold some of her most famous songs, like “Savage” from her EP Suga.

Even when the COVID-19 Pandemic shut the world down, she gained traction for her music on TikTok, where creators made videos dancing to her songs.

The rapper has since had remixes with other best-selling artists like Beyonce, allowing some of her songs to peak at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Besides her music, she became a brand ambassador with Revlon in 2020 and partnered with Nike Running Club in 2022.

She spends her money on high-end fashion, cars, vacations, and more. With her success, we're sure we'll see her net worth increase.

Cheryl James, aka Salt – $14 million

You've probably heard of the famous rap duo, Salt-N-Pepa. Cheryl James is half of that duo and is better recognized as Salt. She has a $14 million net worth and has greatly succeeded in the music industry.

Her success with her rap partner has sales of over seven million copies worldwide. Besides her success while working at Salt-N-Pepa, she's made several appearances throughout the years, contributing to her high net worth.

She appeared on several shows, mainly VH1's inaugural Hip Hop Honors Program. She and her partner were able to release five albums as of 2023.

As many rappers do, Cheryl James is known to live a lavish lifestyle. You can see her flaunting high-end brands like Versace, Gucci, and more on social media platforms. Even though she's left the music industry behind, she's still one of the wealthiest female rappers worldwide.

Iggy Azalea – $15 million

Iggy Azalea, born Amethyst Amelia Kelly, is an Australian-born rapper who makes most of her money from her rap career. She's currently worth around $15 million and is still a prominent figure in the music industry, so we'll likely see her raking in more money.

Her Songs “Pusy” and “Two Times” originally put her on the map. These songs cemented her as an unprecedented act in hip-hop. She produced her debut mixtape independently before signing a record deal with Grand Hustle Label.

Iggy Azalea's first debut studio album came in 2014. The New Classic sold more than 52,000 copies in the first week in the US. Her debut album eventually became the highest-charting rap album from a female since the release of Pink Friday by Nicki Minaj.

She has released three full-length albums, five EPs, and over a dozen singles, contributing to her success as a rapper. Besides rapping, she makes a decent amount of money from her OnlyFans account and spends her money lavishly, like many other rappers.

Sandra Denton, aka Pepa – $15 million

We can't talk about Salt without Pepa. The other half of Salt-N-Pepa, Sandra Denton, has an estimated net worth of $15 million.

Much like Cheryl James, Sandra Denton has had significant success in the music industry thanks to her time in the music group, Salt-N-Pepa. Her millions come from their album sales, performances, and other things related to making rap music.

They make a lot of money by touring around the country and globally. Much like Cheryl James, Sandra Denton decided she was ready to leave the music industry.

Despite leaving, she still earns royalties from her music and has appeared as a supporting cast member in the hip-hop reality show, Growing Up Hip Hop.

Lil Kim – $18 million

Lil Kim had a tough upbringing but used her hardships and now has a net worth of $18 million. She's a famous rapper and reality TV personality from Brooklyn, New York.

She released her first solo album in 1996, and it appeared on the Billboard 200 in the 11th spot. After the success of her first album, she started releasing more studio albums every few years, contributing to her high income.

Her fourth studio album came out while she was in federal prison, proving nothing would stop her from furthering her career. Besides making music, music videos, and performing live, she makes her income from reality TV.

Before she went to prison, BET released a show, “Lil' Kim: Countdown to Prison,” which showcased the rapper's life before she reported for her sentence. Later in her career, she continued producing music and appeared on “Dancing With the Stars.”

Bhad Bhabie – $20 million

Danielle Bregoli is a rich female rapper. Better known by her stage name, Bhad Bhabie, you probably recognize her from an episode of Dr. Phil in 2016.

She's the girl who said, “Catch me outside, how 'bout dat?” but now she's turned her exposure into a successful rap career.

She's written songs with other famous artists such as Charli XCX, Grace Chatto, Jack Patterson, and Ryan-Alan. Bhad Bhabie released her song “These Heaux,” which appeared on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the youngest female rapper ever to have a song on that chart.

She only has one mixtape, but over 20 singles have allowed her wealth to grow. She makes most of her money from music, making music videos and appearances.

Lizzo – $40 million

Melissa Vivianne Jefferson, known worldwide as Lizzo, is one of the most popular female rappers who is known for blending genres. She has a net worth of $40 million, but it will only rise as she continues to be one of the most successful rappers.

She released her first album in 2013 but didn't gain the traction and fame she has until 2019. One of the most famous songs, “Truth Hurts,” was on her album in 2017 but didn't chart until 2019 when the movie, Someone Great, featured the main characters blaring and singing the song.

Since then, her success has skyrocketed. She's released several songs and albums, won three Grammy awards, and has peaked on the US Billboard 200 chart at the number two spot.

It's no secret that Lizzo's rap and singing career is where she makes the majority of her fortune, but since she's so popular, she has a few other business ventures that bring in money. She partnered with Fabletics, called Yitty, featuring shapewear for all body types.

She spends her money on lavish things, specifically her collection of expensive cars like her Range Rover Velar and Bentley Bentayga.

Missy Elliot – $50 million

Missy Elliot is one of the most well-known female rappers of the last few decades. Born Melissa Arnette Elliot, Missy has made a name for herself in the music and entertainment industry, earning her a net worth of $50 million.

She started as a member of the R&B group Sista before branching out on her own. Her best-selling album was her second one, Da Real World, selling more than six million copies worldwide.

Upon the release of her fourth album, Under Construction, it earned the title of the best-selling female rap album in the United States.

She's earned numerous awards and accolades, like being the “Queen of Rap” and the “First Lady of Hip Hop.”

She's been a source of inspiration for many other female rappers and artists, and most of her fortune comes from her music career. Still, she's made appearances outside the music industry, which also earns her millions.

Queen Latifa – $70 million

Dana Elaine Ownes, known worldwide as Queen Latifah, has a massive net worth of $70 million. While most people recognize her as an actress in several films, she's also a great musician and rapper.

One of her most successful albums is her fifth one, The Dana Owens Album, which was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Throughout her music career, she's dabbled in rap, jazz, R&N, and a combination of the three. Her rap career ended in the 1980s, but that doesn't mean she's not one of the most famous and most wealthy female rappers. 

Besides her several successful albums, she makes millions by acting in various movies and TV shows. She's gone on to host talk shows, have brand deals, and much more that earn her a high net worth.

Cardi B – $80 million

Coming in as the second richest female rapper is Cardi B. She has a fortune of $80 million as of now, but we're optimistic it will only continue to grow. She earns money through her successful music career and other business ventures.

Rapping and making music is her number one source of income. She's had albums go triple platinum, which means she made history as a female rapper with the longest-charting album.

She has several hits, but one of her most recent ones, “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, has been streamed millions of times.

She's one of the best-selling female artists of the digital age, with more than 51 million digital single sales. Many of her songs have been on the Billboard Hot 100; some even peaked at the number-one spot.

Cardi B had a difficult upbringing and didn't have much, so now she spends her money on things she wants, like her four different properties, helping her family while maintaining a realistic budget.

Nicki Minaj – $150 million

Nicki Minah is the wealthiest female rapper worldwide. She has a net worth of $150, earning her the number one spot on this list. Even if you're not a huge rap fan, everyone knows who Nicki Minaj is.

She's had a long stint in the music industry, releasing hits like “Super Bass,” “Anaconda,” and much more. She's a self-proclaimed Barbie who enjoys spending her fortune on the finer things in life.

Her debut album, Pink Friday, was her most successful album, which came out in 2010. It sold 375,000 copies in the first week and eventually went on to go platinum three times. In 2011, this album won the AMA for Favorite Rap/Hip Hop album.

After releasing her first studio album, she only saw her fame and success rise. Her following albums were just as, if not more popular, allowing her to rake in the money. Throughout her career, she's won over 300 awards and has been nominated almost 600 times in several categories.

Nicki Minaj also earns money through brand collaborations and promotions. She's the MaxiBet global ambassador and creative director and has several other brand deals. She spends her money on high-end fashion, cars, and other luxury items.

Richest Female Rappers, Final Thoughts

How much female rappers make will only continue to rise as they make music people enjoy and branch off into other financial endeavors. As the two richest female rappers, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B are sure only to be skimming the surface of how much they can earn throughout their careers.