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Drake scores new record: highest-grossing hip hop concert tour

After a boffo 2016, Drake has another accolade to add to his tally: highest-grossing hip hop concert tour.

Toronto rapper sets hip-hop record, but has yet to crack the top 10

CBC News ·
Rappers Drake, left, and Future perform in Atlanta in July. The duo's successful Summer Sixteen tour ranked among 2016's top concert tours worldwide and set a new record for highest grossing hip hop concert tour. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Atlantic Records)

After a boffo 2016, Drake has another accolade to add to his tally: highest-grossing hip hop concert tour.

The Toronto rapper's Summer Sixteen tour with American rapper Future grossed $84.3 million US from their 54 shows performed, according to international concert tour data firm Pollstar. 

The previous record was held by hip hop heavyweights Kanye West and Jay Z, whose joint Watch The Throne tour in 2011 and early 2012, earned $75 million US. 

Drake's tour hit a sour note in October, when an ankle injury forced him to postpone several concerts. However, he's set to hit the road again, this time bringing his Boy Meets World tour to Europe starting later this month.

The Pollstar touring figures emerge after a record-breaking year for the Canadian rapper, who turned 30 in October. 

His track One Dance was dubbed the song of the summer, he became Spotify's most-streamed artist, had 20 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 at one point, picked up a quartet of trophies at November's American Music Awards (after setting a new high for nominations) and was also recently named British GQ's Best Dressed Man. He made Forbes magazine's list of wealthy hip hip moguls and, thanks to his latest album Views, released in April, and most recent collaboration with Rihanna, he's also up for eight Grammys in February.

Despite the recognition, however, Drake's overall placement on the Pollstar list was just outside the top 10 (he's at 11th place). Fellow Canucks Céline Dion (10th) and Justin Bieber (6th) ranked higher, while Bruce Springsteen reigned overall for 2016.

Still the Boss: Bruce Springsteen, seen performing in Paris in July, had the year's highest-grossing concert tour overall. (Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images)

Pollstar's top 10 tours worldwide in 2016 (all figures in US dollars) 

  1. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - $268.3 million
  2. Beyoncé Knowles - $256.2 million
  3. Coldplay - $241 million
  4. Guns N' Roses - $188.4 million
  5. Adele - $167.7 million
  6. Justin Bieber - $163.3 million
  7. Paul McCartney - $110.6 million
  8. Garth Brooks - $97 milion
  9. The Rolling Stones - $90.9 million
  10. Céline Dion - $85.5 million
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