It’s been a minute—actually, four years—since we last heard from Kendrick Lamar. With the exception of his original music for Black Panther, the reclusive rapper has left us hanging ever since the release of his critically acclaimed 2017 album Damn.
But the wait is almost over. At the end of August, Lamar launched a new website announcing that his final album with his longtime label TDE is forthcoming. No pressure or anything, but we expect nothing less than a masterpiece from the man who boasts 13 Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, an Academy Award nomination, and many more accolades. Until the new project drops, let’s take a look at Kendrick Lamar’s net worth and some of his biggest achievements to date.
Kendrick Lamar Makes Over $1 Million Per Concert
Lamar might extoll the virtue of being humble, but his tour revenue gives him every reason to brag. According to Forbes, the rapper commanded a cool million bucks per show in 2017. The larger the venue, the better—take his 2018 London show at the O2 Arena, which sold 34,877 tickets and grossed $3.2 million.
He also took the number 25 spot in Pollstar’s 2017 list of Top 200 North American Tours. It’s quite a feat when you consider his earliest days of performing. In 2017, he told Billboard that his first live concert was his own.
“When I went on tour with The Game [and Jay Rock, in 2006]—that was my first show,” said Lamar. “That shit cost money. Gas money. Me being on stage is me fulfilling two different things—performing and getting to enjoy it like the people enjoying it.”
Kendrick Lamar Has Had Many Endorsement Deals Over The Years
As one of the most talented rappers of our generation, Lamar is a no-brainer for representing top brands. His endorsement deals are endless. In 2013, he starred in ads for Beats by Dre—the headphone company that was purchased by Apple the following year for $3.2 billion. (And Lamar’s track in this 90-second commercial generated so much buzz that eight years later, fans are still asking if it will make the cut on a future album.)
The following year, the rapper was named Reebok’s new brand ambassador. His first collaboration was an updated version of the brand’s popular Ventilator in “day glo” colorways. In 2016, he released three variations on the brand’s Club C model.
The following year, he surprised fans by posting a photo of himself in a pair of Nike Cortez kicks. His sudden loyalty to the swoosh led to multiple collabs, the most recent release being 2019’s Kendrick Lamar x Nike React Element 55.
But perhaps the most unexpected deal for the Compton native was with American Express. In 2016, the credit card giant released a series of commercials co-starring Lamar and Shaquille O’Neal. Fans were puzzled by the sight of K.Dot sniffing handmade soaps, but you can’t blame the man for scooping up some extra money.
He Made His Acting Debut In 2018
Lamar’s skills as an actor aren’t limited to credit card commercials. In 2018, he made his scripted TV acting debut on the 50 Cent-produced Starz series Power. The episode featured Lamar as a drug-addicted character named Laces. He committed to the role, presenting himself as completely disheveled and delivering lines with a tic.
“He was so chill, like very cool, very humble,” series creator and producer Courtney Kemp told the Associated Press. “He’s very kind of quiet and thorough and methodical. He had prepared so much. He was ready.”
Despite being easy-going, the first-time actor still managed to intimidate cast members.
“I felt like I didn’t want to disturb him because I knew this was a big moment for him,” said Power star Larenz Tate. “I didn’t want to throw that off because I would’ve been more into the Kendrick dynamic than what he’s doing on the show at that moment.”
Lamar Launched His Company pgLang In 2020
In March 2020, Lamar and his longtime collaborator Dave Free launched pgLang, “a new multi-lingual, at service company.” Details about the venture are vague, but the homepage of its website currently reads, “Our community speaks different languages and breaks formats for the curious.”
To date, pgLang has produced a series of short films for Calvin Klein. Each is directed by Free and features familiar faces like Travis Bennett (Dave, Loiter Squad) and Baby Keem (Lamar’s cousin).
“Lamar and Free’s new purpose at pgLang embodies something deeply personal to them,” read an official statement (via Hypebeast). “pgLang is at service to creators and projects that selflessly speak with, and for, the shared experiences that connect us all.”
“In this overstimulated time, we are focused on cultivating raw expression from grassroots partnerships,” said Free.
Lamar mysteriously added, “Selfless. Reset.”
What Is Kendrick Lamar’s Net Worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Lamar has an estimated net worth of $75 million.
In 2017, he was featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30. He reportedly earned $78.5 million between 2012 and 2017, and $30 million in 2017 alone. But Lamar made a point to say that his business decisions are always carefully considered.
“I have to have … 100% creative control on how I want the proceeds to go, and the look and the creative process, and actually what it’s saying, rather than just putting a name and a price tag on it,” he said. “Because, at the end of the day, you want something that’s further than the right now and the moment.”
He added, “So anything that I do as far as branding I have to have that sense of awareness and knowing that it’s just not a price tag.”
Just because Lamar is sitting on a fortune doesn’t mean he blows it on frivolous things. For instance, he recently listed a 4-bedroom home in Eastvale, California for $800,000. He purchased the property in 2014 for $523,400.
And in 2017, he purchased his sister a Toyota Camry as a high school graduation gift for his sister. Social media users criticized the rapper for not choosing something flashier or more expensive, but others praised him for choosing a sensible ride and staying down to earth.
Lamar isn’t even braggadocios about his bling. Unlike fellow rappers who drip in diamonds and gold, Lamar relied on sterling silver jewelry from Brooklyn designer Martine Ali for his Damn. tour, music videos, and NBA commercial appearances. Ali’s pieces sell on her website for relatively modest prices ($200 for a bracelet, $285 for a chain).
A $2.65 million Calabasas home he purchased in 2018 is the most extravagant purchase we know of. And Lamar didn’t even buy it for himself—the word is it serves as a home for his parents, sister, and her two children.