Editor’s Note: This article is a sponsored post by viagogo.
November is Hip-Hop History Month, and as we mark 51 years of the genre’s legacy (revisit our extensive 50th anniversary celebration here), a new study from viagogo has arrived highlighting how hip-hop continues to elevate Black artists on a global scale.
According to ticket sales data collected by viagogo, 19 of the 25 highest-selling Black live performers of 2024 are either hip-hop or hip-hop-adjacent acts.
Travis Scott — whose record-breaking “Circus Maximus Tour” earned over $150 million before wrapping last month — tops the list as the Black artist with the most ticket sales of the year, with the top five rounded out by Usher, Akon, Bryson Tiller, and Ne-Yo. Also placing in the top 25 are Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, PartyNextDoor, Childish Gambino, Nas, and more.
Minaj, who lands at No. 8 in the global ranking, leads the charge as the highest-selling Black female artist of the year thanks to her “Pink Friday 2 World Tour,” which earned over $100 million across 70-plus shows. Trailing her are Janet Jackson (who placed 15th), Doja Cat (19th), and SZA (21st), as well as artists who aren’t conventionally considered hip-hop, like RAYE (17th) and Mariah Carey (20th).
In addition to the global ranking, viagogo compiled a list solely focusing on the ticket sales data of Black female artists, which was also dominated by hip-hop acts like Missy Elliot, Megan Thee Stallion, Sexxy Red, Kari Faux, and more. The top 10 was rounded out by Anitta, Gladys Knight, Tems, and Olivia Dean.
The viagogo study also shed light onto the growing popularity of Black artists from the UK, like the rap duo D-Block Europe, who placed 14th on the global ranking and top the list of the highest-selling Black UK artists. Behind them at No. 2 is the pop singer RAYE, followed by hip-hop acts like Nines, Rizzle Kicks, and Dizzee Rascal, as well as newcomers like Rimzee, K-Trap, Nemzzz, and Clavish, who all appear in the top 30.
Beyond ticket sales, viagogo also collected data on the most searched-for artists across 2024, revealing Usher to be the most popular Black artist of the year, followed by Chris Brown, Travis Scott, Akon, and Bryson Tiller.
As for artists who aren’t typically considered hip-hop, acts like Lenny Kravitz, Gladys Knight, Boyz II Men, Maxwell, and more placed in the top 25 global ranking for ticket sales.
The viagogo study was compiled in October 2024 to commemorate the UK’s Black History Month. The data was collected between October 7th and 11th, drawn from the platform’s top 8,000 global artists since January 2024. It arrives as the latest insights from the resale giant, following reports regarding the cost of unsold concert tickets in the UK and a study that found that two out of five concert-goers in the UK plan to attend concerts alone.
For more, check out the upcoming hip-hop shows on viagogo, or its American sister company, StubHub.
Top 5 Most Searched Global Black Artists on viagogo (based on page views)
01. Usher
02. Chris Brown
03. Travis Scott
04. Akon
05. Bryson Tiller
Top 30 Highest Selling Global Black Artists on viagogo in 2024
01. Travis Scott
02. Usher
03. Akon
04. Bryson Tiller
05. Ne-Yo
06. Lenny Kravitz
07. Chris Brown
08. Nicki Minaj
09. PartyNextDoor
10. Childish Gambino
11. Nas
12. Burna Boy
13. The Weeknd
14. D-Block Europe
15. Janet Jackson
16. Rod Wave
17. Raye
18. Nines
19. Doja Cat
20. Mariah Carey
21. SZA
22. Anitta
23. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie
24. Gladys Knight
25. Boyz II Men
26.Maxwell
27. Tems
28. Olivia Dean
29. Black Coffee
30. Jason Derulo
Top 25 Highest Selling Global Black Female Artists on viagogo in 2024
01. Nicki Minaj
02. Janet Jackson
03. Raye
04. Doja Cat
05. Mariah Carey
06. SZA
07. Anitta
08. Gladys Knight
09. Tems
10. Olivia Dean
11. Dionne Warwick
12. Megan Thee Stallion
13. Missy Elliott
14. Tyla
15. Jhene Aiko
16. Sexxy Red
17. Jorja Smith
18. Gloria Gaynor
19. Cat Burns
20. Beverley Knight
21. Gabrielle
22. Chaka Khan
23. Mary J Blige
24. Kari Faux
25. CeCe Winans
Top 30 Highest-Selling Black British Acts on viagogo in 2024
01. D-Block Europe
02. Raye
03. Nines
04. Olivia Dean
05. Craig David
06. Jorja Smith
07. Cat Burns
08. PinkPantheress
09. Beverley Knight
10. Rizzle Kicks
11. Gabrielle
12. Michael Kiwanuka
13. Dizzee Rascal
14. Ezra Collective
15. Seal
16. Sampha
17. DJ Spoony
18. Rimzee
19. K-Trap
20. Nia Archives
21. Griff
22. Trevor Nelson
23. The Compozers
24. English Teacher
25. Greentea Peng
26. Nemzzz
27. Lianne La Havas
28. Yussef Dayes
29. Sade
30. Clavish
