Drake Sets This Billboard Milestone For Tour Sales In Hip-Hop

BYGabriel Bras Nevares796 Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Night 1 - Show
LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 23: Recording artist Drake performs onstage at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 23, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The OVO mogul is now at the top of the game, and this accolade speaks to his longevity, consistent presence, and business acumen.

Drake's unquestionably at the top of the game commercially, and has been for many years up until this point. However, just because he keeps setting records doesn't mean his chances of breaking them get any slimmer. Moreover, the 6 God just set a new record as the highest-grossing touring rap act, according to Billboard, which means that he's made more money off of tours than any other rapper throughout his career. Other metrics exist for the highest-grossing tours, individual shows, and more, and you can bet that he's near the top of those lists, too. Yet, with over 3.9 million tickets sold and profits of approximately $473 million, the 37-year-old stands alone in all-time profits.

Furthermore, Drake's latest milestone has a few interesting facts and curiosities to it. For example, he's performed 304 shows for his tours, so this doesn't count one-off performances, guest appearances, and things of that nature. Drizzy's first tour show was on April 9, 2010 at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Philadelphia. That show grossed him and his team $191,000. For comparison, the OVO mogul's 2019 show at the O2 Arena in London, England earned him and his crew a whopping $13.5 million.

Drake Performing At Lollapalooza Chile 2023

SANTIAGO, CHILE - MARCH 18: Drake performs during day two of Lollapalooza Chile 2023 on March 18, 2023 in Santiago, Chile. (Photo by Marcelo Hernandez/Getty Images)

For those curious, Jay-Z is the runner-up in this field, with about $431 million in profits from 402 shows across his career. Other names in this list include Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Eminem, J. Cole, Tyler, The Creator, Nicki Minaj, and more. Interestingly enough, some very popular but relatively smaller artists also made the cut that might surprise you, such as $UICIDEBOY$. There's also The Black Eyed Peas, which most people don't view as part of hip-hop as much these days.

Regardless of those technicalities, Aubrey Graham's accomplishment is impressive. If you take a look at the numbers for his best-selling album, it's no wonder that he continues this dominance in every commercial field possible. Let us know in the comments whether you think he's going to fall off now... and get ready for him to beat expectations once again soon. For more news and the latest updates on Drake, stick around on HNHH.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
...