Over the years, many hip-hop or rap fans have seen Kanye West and Jay-Z build their careers together. While their friendship began with Ye producing beats for the man who became known as The Greatest Rapper Alive, they eventually began collaborating. The duo gave the world iconic tracks like ‘N***as in Paris’ and ‘Run This Town’. However, that was back in the early 2000s.

Now that so much time has passed and the 46-year-old is considered a GOAT by many, fans cannot help but wonder which rapper from the once-beloved duo made it. From their net worth to their award show wins, let us take a look at where they both stand today.

Rap Royalty Rivalry: Kanye West and Jay-Z’s Career Showdown

Kanye West and Jay-Z may have taken their musical careers to new heights together. However, they both took rather different career paths. Although they managed to stay friends throughout their journeys, the rappers did run into a few issues with their friendship. It all began when Ye was at the peak of his unhinged social media tweeting era. With the ‘Graduation’ rapper getting branded as controversial, it was not only their friendship that ended up taking a hit.

Kanye West vs Jay-Z’s net worth

In the early 2000s, Jay-Z was said to have had a net worth of $58 million. With the rapper starting his career in the mid-90s, he had a head start on Kanye West. However, now that both stars have seen the highs and lows of fame, the difference in their net worth is still startling. In 2016, the 54-year-old rapper became a billionaire, and he has only gone up from there. As of 2024, it was revealed that he had a net worth of $2.5 billion.

However, the case with Ye is rather different. Although he also ended up on the list of billionaires, thanks to his collaboration with Adidas, his status has recently changed. In a Forbes article, it was revealed that the ‘Good Morning’ artist had dropped down to a net worth of only $400 million. The sudden nosedive might have occurred because of his canceled Yeezy agreement with the shoe brand.

With such a huge difference between their net worth, it proved that ‘The Story of O.J.’ rapper knew how to handle his finances and business investments better. However, let us see which rapper has seen more musical accomplishments.

Kanye West vs Jay-Z: Who has more Grammy awards?

Jay-Z and Kanye West might not be dominating the music industry the way they used to. However, they have set records that people are yet to break. One of those records was set at the Grammy’s. After years of being in the spotlight, both rappers have won the awards 24 times each. While both of them share the same number of Grammy awards, the ‘Watch the Throne’ artist broke another record and left the 46-year-old behind.

As of 2022, the “Godfather of Rap” has received 88 Grammy nominations, making him the only music artist with that many. While most of the world might expect Ye to be the second most nominated artist, that title ended up going to the rapper’s wife, Beyoncé. She has 79 nominations, whereas the ‘Gold Digger’ rapper has 75. However, that could change when he decides to drop ‘Vultures’.

Who has sold more albums, Kanye West or Jay-Z?

In the course of music history, Kanye West and Jay-Z have both left quite an impact on the industry. From putting out absolute bangers to creating various fan bases all over the world, they have done it all. However, while both Ye and the 54-year-old have sold a lot of albums, only one of them can be crowned the winner. Although it was a rather close call, the 46-year-old took the lead with 160 million records sold worldwide.

However, Jay-Z is not too far behind with 140 million records sold. Both rappers are considered best-selling artists with the insane amount of sales they have managed to make. Ye’s best-selling album was his 2007 ‘Graduation’, which has sold over 7 million records so far. For the ‘APESH*T’ rapper, it was his 1998 album, ‘Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life’. The album has sold over 6 million copies, just a million under Ye’s figure.

While Ye might have outsold the 56-year-old, they both did once again go head to head during the Billboard battles of the 2000s.

Kanye West vs Jay-Z: Who has more Billboard hits?

Back in the early 2000s, Jay-Z ruled the Billboard charts with his various hit songs and albums. However, the game-gaming rapper ended up with a total of only 105 tracks on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Meanwhile, his friend/rival, Kanye West, has managed to land 141 of his songs on the list since his debut. Although there is a chance that number could go higher.

With the father of four set to release a collaborative album with Ty Dolla $ign, ‘Vultures,’ fans could see Ye take over the music scene once again. However, the rapper will have to set a release date for the album first.

Who do you think has the better rapping career, Kanye West or Jay-Z? Let us know in the comments below.