Remy Ma, born Reminisce Kioni Smith on May 30, 1980, in the Castle Hill Projects of the Bronx, New York, is a Grammy-nominated rapper with a net worth of $4 million as of May 2025. Her journey from a troubled childhood to hip-hop stardom is a story of resilience, raw talent, and reinvention.
Growing up in a household plagued by drug abuse, Remy found solace in poetry, which eventually evolved into rap. Her big break came when the late rapper Big Pun, impressed by her freestyle skills, took her under his wing. She made her debut on his 2000 album Yeeeah Baby under the name Remy Martin, featuring on tracks like You Was Wrong and Ms. Martin. After Pun’s death, Fat Joe stepped in, signing her to his Terror Squad collective, where she became a standout member. Her verse on the 2004 hit Lean Back catapulted her to fame, earning her first Grammy nomination and a permanent spot in hip-hop history.
Inside Rapper Remy Ma’s $4 Million Net Worth as of 2025
In 2006, Remy released her debut solo album, There’s Something About Remy: Based on a True Story, which peaked at number 33 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Top Rap Albums chart. The album featured hits like Conceited and Whuteva, solidifying her reputation as one of the fiercest female MCs in the game. However, her career hit a major roadblock in 2008 when she was sentenced to eight years in prison for assault, illegal weapon possession, and attempted coercion after shooting Makeda Barnes-Joseph outside a Manhattan nightclub.
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Remy maintained the shooting was accidental, but she served six years at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, where she continued to release mixtapes like Blasremy and The BX Files. Behind bars, she married fellow rapper Papoose in 2008, though their wedding plans were initially foiled when he was caught trying to smuggle a skeleton key into the prison.
🔥Remy Ma snapped 👏🏾 and Mary J. Blige got another one with this new song ‘Gone Forever’. They both look great too! pic.twitter.com/NfNaiN9C29
— VINCENT (@Vince_Aries) January 11, 2024
After her release in 2014, Remy staged a triumphant comeback. She dropped the mixtape I’m Around and reunited with Fat Joe for the 2016 smash All the Way Up, which went double platinum and earned two Grammy nominations. The track also won her two Soul Train Music Awards and a BET Hip Hop Award for Best Collabo. That same year, she joined the cast of Love & Hip Hop: New York, bringing her personal life—including her relationship with Papoose—into the spotlight.
The couple starred in spin-offs like Remy & Papoose: Meet the Mackies and A Merry Mackie Holiday, further boosting her income and public profile. In 2017, she and Fat Joe released the collaborative album Plata O Plomo, which debuted at number 44 on the Billboard 200. Though it underperformed commercially, critics praised it as a gritty return to form.
Beyond music, Remy expanded her empire with savvy business moves. In 2017, she opened Conceited, a women’s clothing boutique in Raleigh, North Carolina, followed by The Remy Ma Collection in 2018, a fashion line that supports formerly incarcerated women through her foundation. She also ventured into acting, with guest roles on Empire and Queen of the South, and hosted the talk show State of the Culture from 2018 to 2019.
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In 2022, she launched Chrome 23, an all-female battle rap league designed to give women in hip-hop a platform to shine. The league’s first tournament, Queens Get the Money, was a hit, and its 2023 co-ed event featuring Hitman Holla vs. Eazy the Block Captain racked up 3 million YouTube views in nine months.
Remy Ma is expecting her first child with husband Papoose! Congrats to the beautiful couple! 👶 pic.twitter.com/NvpSHEBIbE
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 3, 2018
Remy’s personal life has been as dramatic as her career. She and Papoose welcomed their daughter, Reminisce Mackenzie, in 2018, blending their family with Remy’s son Jayson and Papoose’s three children from previous relationships. But by 2025, their marriage unraveled in a very public feud. Remy accused Papoose of having an affair with boxer Claressa Shields, sparking a social media war. During an Instagram Live session, Remy claimed she wanted nothing from Papoose in the divorce, not even child support, and vowed to cover the legal costs herself to expedite the process. The scandal made headlines, but it hasn’t dented her net worth, which remains steady at $4 million thanks to her diverse income streams.
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Financially, Remy stays ahead of the game. She earns between $60,000 and $82,000 monthly from Instagram sponsorships alone, thanks to her 11 million followers. YouTube adds another $1,200 to $1,500 per month, while her music royalties, reality TV checks, and fashion ventures keep the cash flowing. Even with the divorce drama, she’s focused on the future, teasing new music and potential TV projects for 2025. From the Bronx projects to Grammy nominations, prison time to platinum records, Remy Ma’s story is one of relentless hustle. And at 44, she’s far from done.
