Hip-hop is one of the most profitable genres in the US and continues to grow yearly. Although K-pop, Amapiano and other international music are becoming increasingly popular at an unbelievable pace, since its inception, rap has been a moneymaker, and, as such, MCs are now making a lot of cash from their craft.
From studio equipment to production software, audio engineering, and more, creating a song can cost a lot of money. However, the price of a track can become astronomical if you’re looking to get a beat or verse from one of hip-hop’s household names.
The price a musician charges for a guest verse always depends on how current and relevant they are. However, sometimes, they can be breathtakingly high and, in some cases, extortionate.
In 2010, without one album to her name, Nicki Minaj revealed that she was already charging $50,000 for one 16-bar verse and in 2022, West Coast veteran Snoop Dogg unveiled that his standard fee is $250,000. On average, relevant rappers demand $300,000.
Although it may be hearsay, it has been rumoured that in his prime during the early 2000s, artists had to pay upward of $1million for Eminem to feature on their songs. But in 2024, several rappers are unaffordable to your average up-and-coming lyricist.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the highest fees in the industry for a verse. One emcee who charges an unfathomable amount for a feature is 2014 Forest Hills Drive emcee J Cole. There are several different ways a rapper can invoice someone for a verse. However, J Cole currently charges $2,000 per word for collaborations.
In a 2014 interview with Complex, ahead of the release of To Pimp A Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar’s longtime manager, Dave Free, spoke about the lyricist’s average fee for a verse. While admitting it does depend on the situation, Free unveiled that it usually costs between $250k and $400k.
In 2020, Atlanta trap star Lil Baby took to social media to address his rise to fame, and, after being approached about a feature behind the scenes, the lyricist (real name Dominique Jones) tweeted, “At this point, it’s safe to say I want 100k for a feature.”
However, although it may have gone down recently when DaBaby was at the top of his game, in 20201, the rhymer took to Instagram to reveal that he valued his words at a whopping $250k to $300k for a standard 16-bar verse.
You can hear Snoop Dogg speaking about his rate for a 16-bar verse in the video below.
