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The Numbers Don’t Lie And They’re INSANE

Listen up, Barbz, because we’re about to break down exactly why Onika Tanya Maraj Petty the woman you know and love as Nicki Minaj is STILL sitting on the throne as the richest woman in hip-hop history. With an estimated net worth ranging between $150 million to $190.5 million depending on who’s counting, Nicki isn’t just winning she’s lapping the competition.

Let’s put this in perspective real quick. Cardi B, who’s been having an absolutely phenomenal run herself, is sitting at around $80 101.6 million. Queen Latifah, a Hollywood powerhouse who’s been in the game for DECADES, has $88.9 million. Missy Elliott, a five time Grammy winner and certified LEGEND, has $63.5 million. And Megan Thee Stallion, one of the hottest rappers in the game right now, is at $38.1 million.

But Nicki? She’s playing a different game entirely. She’s not just the richest female rapper she’s in a category by herself, and the gap between her and everyone else is MASSIVE.

The Pink Friday 2 World Tour: Rewriting History One Arena at a Time

If you want to understand why Nicki Minaj is untouchable right now, we need to talk about what she just did with The Pink Friday 2 World Tour. This wasn’t just a tour this was a STATEMENT. A declaration. A whole entire flex that reminded everyone why she’s the Queen of Rap.

The numbers? ABSOLUTELY STAGGERING. The tour grossed over $108.9 million from 788,124 tickets sold across 70 shows. Let me repeat that $108.9 MILLION. That makes it the highest grossing concert tour by a female rapper in HISTORY and the fourth highest grossing tour by a rapper or hip hop artist EVER. She’s sitting up there with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Jay Z. That’s the company she’s keeping.

The North American leg alone brought in $67 million from 439,000 tickets, making it the highest grossing and best selling rap tour by a woman in Billboard Boxscore history. When she kicked off the tour on March 1, 2024, in Oakland, California, she pulled in $2.3 million from 14,000 tickets in ONE NIGHT. The tour averaged just under $2 million per show nearly TRIPLE what her 2012 Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour did ($776,000) and her 2015 16 Pinkprint Tour ($657,000).

Madison Square Garden the single highest grossing show of the entire tour. The Brooklyn Barclays Center shows on April 4 and May 1? Combined they brought in $4.3 million with 28,100 tickets sold. The NYC area alone contributed $9.3 million to her pockets with over 54,000 tickets sold. That’s just FOUR shows in the New York area.

Bumping Doja Cat Off The Record Books

Here’s where it gets even MORE satisfying for the Barbz. Just five months before Nicki’s tour kicked off, Doja Cat had set the record for highest grossing female rap tour with $37.3 million for The Scarlet Tour. That was impressive! But then Nicki came through and nearly TRIPLED that figure. She didn’t just break the record she absolutely OBLITERATED it and left no question about who runs this.

And it wasn’t just about the money. This tour became a cultural phenomenon. The Barbz created “Gag City,” an entire AI generated world that took over social media. The tour featured eight costume and wig changes to showcase Nicki’s famous alter egos. The setlist was a perfect blend of new hits from Pink Friday 2 like “FTCU,” “Everybody,” and the platinum certified “Super Freaky Girl” (which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100), mixed with classics like “Anaconda,” “Super Bass,” “Starships,” and “Chun Li.“

Critics were blown away. Reviews praised her dominance, the spectacle of the show, and how she proved she’s “resurrected herself” after a period of controversy.

Climbing The All Time Ranks

In November 2023, Billboard published a list of the highest grossing rap artists of all time, and Nicki came in at No. 20 the ONLY woman on the list. After the Pink Friday 2 World Tour wrapped? She jumped to No. 11. With her career grosses now sitting at over $93.9 million and 911,000 tickets before this tour, she’s now well over $100 million and 1 million tickets sold in her career. That’s LEGENDARY status.

For the first time in Billboard Boxscore history, four female rappers landed among the year’s top 100 touring artists in 2024 Nicki Minaj (No. 30), Doja Cat (No. 61), Missy Elliott (No. 70), and Megan Thee Stallion (No. 76). And Nicki led the pack by a MILE. Together, these four women grossed a combined $227.8 million from 1.7 million tickets across 148 shows and Nicki accounted for nearly HALF of that total by herself.

The Business Empire Beyond Music

But here’s the thing that separates Nicki from everyone else she’s not JUST a rapper. She’s a businesswoman. A mogul. Someone who told Vogue,

“I never saw myself as just a rapper, I’ve always seen myself as a mogul.”

Her income streams are DIVERSE:

Touring: Obviously, with tours that gross over $100 million, this is a massive revenue source.

Guest Verses: Want Nicki on your track? That’ll be $500,000, thank you very much. That’s DOUBLE what she charged in 2014 ($250,000). And here’s the kicker songs with Nicki’s features perform 46% better than other tracks on the same albums. She’s not just expensive she’s WORTH IT.

Brand Partnerships: Nicki has worked with MAJOR brands including Pepsi, Mattel (yes, she literally had her own Barbie), Adidas, and more.

Pink Friday Nails: Her beauty line that taps into her massive fanbase.

Fashion Collaborations: Multiple fashion deals that keep the money flowing.

Music Royalties: With hits like “Anaconda,” “Super Bass,” “Starships,” “Moment 4 Life,” “Beez in the Trap,“ “Chun Li,” “Barbie Tingz,” and “Megatron,” plus her four studio albums (Pink Friday, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, The Pinkprint, Queen, and Pink Friday 2), the streaming royalties alone are massive.

Social Media Influence: With 280 million followers across platforms, Nicki is the most followed rapper WORLDWIDE. That kind of reach translates directly to money because her engaged fans are 30% more likely to buy merchandise and concert tickets.

The Young Money Come Up

Let’s not forget how Nicki got here. Born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1982, she moved to Queens, New York, with her family when she was five. She was raised by her grandmother in a household with 11 cousins. After years of grinding, she caught the attention of Lil Wayne, who signed her to Young Money.

Nicki has always credited Wayne for her success. “I can’t even imagine my career, um, my creative spirit without Wayne,” she told Interview in 2011. “I credit him with a lot of what I do. Prior to him, no one relevant in hip hop really gave me that support.”

Her career skyrocketed with features on Young Money’s “BedRock” and Kanye West’s “Monster” (a verse that’s STILL talked about as one of the greatest guest verses of all time), followed by her debut album Pink Friday in 2010.

The Album That Started 2024 With A BANG

Pink Friday 2 wasn’t just an album it was a STATEMENT. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, earning 228,000 album equivalent units in its first week (with 92,000 coming from pure album sales). It became Nicki’s third #1 album, breaking her tie with Foxy Brown for the female rap artist with the most #1 albums.

The album sold 25,000 vinyl copies in its first week the largest vinyl sales week for a female rap album in HISTORY. It was certified platinum by the RIAA in March 2024 for moving a million units. It was the best selling female rap album of both 2023 AND 2024 in the US.

The album won the BET Hip Hop Award for Album of the Year, making Pink Friday 2 the first album by a solo woman to win that award.

The Competition Is Watching (And Sweating)

While Nicki is sitting comfortably at the top, the rest of the female rap game is THRIVING too, and that’s beautiful to see. But let’s be clear about the hierarchy:

Cardi B ($80 101.6 million): She’s had an incredible run since “Bodak Yellow” changed the game. With brand deals including Balenciaga, McDonald’s, and her Whipshots alcoholic whipped cream brand, plus a Netflix rom com, Cardi’s financial portfolio is impressive. But she’s still got about $50 70 million to go before she can touch Nicki.

Queen Latifah ($88.9 million): A pioneer who’s evolved into a Hollywood powerhouse with hit albums, acting roles, and a production company. Her influence spans music, acting, and business.

Missy Elliott ($63.5 million): A five time Grammy winner and absolute ICON of creativity and innovation. As a producer and songwriter, Missy has contributed so much to music and fashion.

Lizzo ($40 50.8 million): With tracks like “Truth Hurts” and “About Damn Time,” plus her Yitty shapewear line, Lizzo has established herself across multiple industries.

Megan Thee Stallion ($30 38.1 million): Known for “Savage” and “Hot Girl Summer,” Megan’s got a dynamic stage presence, strong business acumen, and her new Hot Girl Fit wellness brand.

Bhad Bhabie ($25 31.75 million): From “Cash Me Outside” meme to rapper and social media mogul, fueled by music sales, OnlyFans content, and brand endorsements.

Iggy Azalea ($15 19.05 million): The Australian rapper found fame with “Fancy” and “Black Widow,” selling over 50 million records.

Why Nicki’s Legacy Is UNTOUCHABLE

Here’s what makes Nicki Minaj so special she came into a male dominated industry and didn’t just survive she DOMINATED. She paved the way for EVERY female rapper who came after her. Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Ice Spice, Saweetie, Latto they all owe a debt to what Nicki did.

She proved that female rappers could headline sold out arena tours. She proved they could demand half a million dollars for a verse. She proved they could build business empires. She proved they could stay relevant for over a DECADE.

Nicki told Billboard in 2014 about The Pinkprint,

“I was thinking If I really wanted to, I could go back in and make another pop song like that to sell but I’m choosing not to do it. I’m choosing to get back to my essence and feed the core hip hop fan. I feel like I need this because it’s just a more powerful platform for me… Even when I’m on stage performing my rap songs, it’s more organic.”

That’s the mindset of someone who’s not just chasing money she’s building a LEGACY.

The Personal Life Piece

Nicki married her high school sweetheart Kenneth Petty in 2019, and they share a five year old son together. While their relationship has faced public scrutiny due to Petty’s past legal issues (he’s a registered sex offender in New York and spent time in jail for attempted rape and manslaughter), Nicki has stood by her partner. Petty’s net worth is about half a million dollars a stark contrast to Nicki’s $150 million empire.

The Bottom Line

So when people ask “Is Nicki Minaj still the richest woman in hip hop?” the answer is a resounding YES. She’s not just the richest she’s in a completely different stratosphere. With a net worth between $150 190.5 million, record breaking tours, massive streaming numbers, lucrative brand deals, and a legacy that will last forever, Nicki has cemented herself as not just the Queen of Rap, but as one of the most successful entertainers of this generation.

She’s shown that longevity, consistency, and smart business moves will ALWAYS win. She’s proved that female rappers can compete with and sometimes SURPASS their male counterparts in every metric that matters.

The crown is secure. The throne is solid. And Onika Tanya Maraj Petty isn’t going ANYWHERE.

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“My happiness doesn’t come from money or fame. My happiness comes from seeing life without struggle.” —

Nicki Minaj