Hip Hop don’t stop. And Hip-Hop artists are taking full advantage of the globalization of the genre. In fact, American rappers are making more and more money internationally.
In an article for his Trapital Dan Runcie, a media entrepreneur who built subscribers by being hyper-focused on hip-hop business and strategy noted that U.S.-based rappers are getting paid megabucks overseas.
Take Cardi B, for example. While she took home $400,000 for her performance at Bonnaroo—one of the U.S. most well-known music festivals. But she soon after earned $750,000 at European music festivals with four shows in five nights, ending the min tour with a $900,000 show at the Open Air Festival in Frauenfeld, Switzerland.
“One of the reasons that European music festivals tend to pay more is because the demand is higher. High demand translates to higher prices and more shows,” Runcie reported.
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Take Jay Z and Kanye West’s 2011 Watch the Throne tour. The two rap icons did more shows in London than in New York.
And when Nicki Minaj was faced with poor ticket sales for an American tour last year, she canceled her dates and headed to Europe to our there and there only.
“People [overseas] go to a concert to rock with the artist. Sometimes in America, everybody’s a star, everybody’s a tough critic, and everybody in the crowd’s a rapper and they can’t give love, they’re too busy [saying], ‘I should be up there,” Los Angeles rapper Ras Kass told Runcie.
But there are a few downsides for the globalization of hip hop.
“Globalization is not without its challenges. In July, Nicki Minaj pulled out of Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah World Fest to take a stand against the country’s government which criminalizes same-sex marriage and enforces gender segregation in some public areas. That same month, A$AP Rocky was detained in Sweden for nearly a month after an assault charge. Rappers who are friends of A$AP—Tyler, the Creator, ScHoolboy Q, and T.I.— have refused to perform in Sweden to show solidarity with the rapper,“ Runcie wrote.
According to Runcie, the international popularity of the genre and the overseas business opportunities force rappers to become tapped into what’s happening news-wise internationally.
“Since artists now perform in regions where the laws are different, they have to take the time to understand the market—especially if there are rules in place that may violate human rights. It’s the same role that general managers play as they launch their company in new markets. They need to study the regulatory environment to see how it impacts their growth and business model. It’s a cost that must be accounted for,” he wrote.
To further their brand, rappers are looking for on-music projects as well that will take them to an international market, such as big studio movies.
