Earlier this year, we learned Jay-Z had overtaken Diddy to be crowned the richest person in hip-hop thanks to a change in both of their net worths.

Now, we have further insight into how this came to be as Forbes has released its list of who in hip-hop made the most money in 2017-2018.

The list, which is devised from data and expert interviews concerning artists' income from touring, sales, streaming, endorsements and other business ventures, contains some surprises. These include Nas' debut in the ranking, despite his first studio album being released 24 years ago. Diddy's yearly earnings have slipped, leaving him in second place for the first time in three years, but for Kendrick Lamar, the past year has been his most lucrative yet.

While the list is diverse in terms of age, it's certainly not when it comes to gender. Not one woman – not even Nicki Minaj or Cardi B – makes the list. With both having released albums over the past few months, hopefully next year's list will contain a tad more diversity.

Scroll through the gallery to see just how much the 20 highest-earning hip-hop acts amassed over the past year.