Rap Music Joins Live Touring Boom as Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and YoungBoy NBA Pack Arenas
CHICAGO — The live music business has roared back from pandemic shutdowns with unprecedented energy, shattering records across the industry. While Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and skyrocketing ticket prices have dominated headlines, another major force is reshaping the scene: rap music is finally claiming its place at the center of the live touring boom.
A New Era for Hip-Hop on the Road
For decades, rap was the dominant genre in streaming and sales but lagged behind in live touring. That’s no longer the case. This summer, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Tyler, the Creator, GloRilla, Lil Baby, Lil Wayne, and Wu-Tang Clan have filled arenas and stadiums across the United States and beyond. Smaller venues have thrived too, hosting acts like Clipse, EST Gee, Nettspend, Xaviersobased, and Billy Woods.
The message is clear: demand for live rap is exploding, with fans eager to bring the energy of their playlists to packed arenas.
YoungBoy Never Broke Again Steps Onto the Big Stage
One of the most talked-about tours this year comes from YoungBoy Never Broke Again. Despite being one of streaming’s biggest stars, YoungBoy has rarely performed live. In September 2025, that changes as he embarks on his first-ever arena tour.
Fresh off a presidential pardon earlier this year, the 25-year-old Louisiana rapper has already seen strong ticket sales, remarkable for an artist who built his following without major radio play. For YoungBoy, this tour represents both a personal milestone and a sign of rap’s growing power in the live industry.
Record-Breaking Numbers
According to Billboard Boxscore, rap had its biggest year ever in 2024, with hip-hop acts accounting for 5.7% of the Top 100 tour grosses. That’s still a modest share compared to pop and rock, but it reflects rapid growth.
In 2025, rap has already notched a historic feat: Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Grand National Tour” grossed $256.4 million in North America, making it the highest-grossing co-headline tour in history across any genre. That milestone places Lamar in the same league as stadium giants like Eminem and Travis Scott, further proving that rap belongs at the very top tier of touring.
How Rap Stacks Up Against Rock and Pop
Even with these breakthroughs, rap still trails the long-established dominance of rock and pop on the touring circuit. In 2024, Travis Scott grossed $168.1 million across 69 shows, the largest ever for a rap artist. Impressive, yes — but Coldplay doubled that with $400.9 million from just 51 shows.
The comparison highlights both how far rap has come and how much room there is to grow. As more rap artists embrace large-scale touring, the gap is expected to shrink.
Why Rap Took Time to Break Through
Rap’s slower rise in live touring can be traced to industry bias and logistical hurdles. Promoters once hesitated to book large rap tours, citing safety concerns or doubting whether the genre could fill arenas. Historically, rap thrived in smaller clubs and festivals rather than stadiums.
But the streaming era changed everything. Platforms like Spotify and YouTube proved rap’s dominance in global listening habits. With millions of loyal fans, the question shifted from whether rap could sell tickets to how fast arenas would sell out.
Fans Are Driving the Movement
At the heart of this shift is the audience itself. Gen Z and Millennial fans, raised on digital-first platforms, see live shows as essential cultural experiences. For them, rap concerts aren’t just about music — they’re community gatherings, fashion runways, and expressions of identity.
This demographic shift has fueled rap’s touring boom and positioned it as more than just entertainment. It’s a lifestyle.
The Bigger Picture
With artists like Kendrick Lamar breaking global records and newcomers like YoungBoy NBA stepping into arenas, rap’s future on the live stage looks unstoppable. Industry experts expect more rappers to headline stadium tours, more hip-hop festivals to expand worldwide, and for rap’s share of the touring economy to continue climbing year over year.
Have you been to a rap concert this year? Share your experience in the comments below and let us know which artist delivered the best live performance. Stay tuned to ChicagoMusicGuide.com for more insights into the booming live music business.