South Florida’s residential market for rappers is banging, yo.
In the past four years, famous hip-hop stars have dropped serious loot buying luxury homes on Miami-Dade County’s waterfront and in the western fringes of Broward County. From Sean “P Diddy” Combs doubling down on mansions in Miami Beach’s Star Island to Rick Ross and Trippie Redd acquiring multimillion-dollar cribs in Southwest Ranches, rappers are vying against hedge fund managers, tech bros and other celebrities for luxury homes in South Florida’s seller’s market.
P. Diddy, founder of Bad Boy Entertainment, led the rap pack with a $35 million purchase of Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s “guest house” on Miami Beach’s Star Island in September. Entities with ties to Combs Enterprises, P. Diddy’s investment holdings company, and Tri Star Sports and Entertainment bought the nearly 8,000-square-foot estate at 1 Star Island Drive.
The six-bedroom, eight-and-a-half-bathroom house is immediately adjacent to a 19,676-square-foot mansion Combs bought for $14.5 million in 2003, records show. The 1.3-acre lot has 240 feet of water frontage, a pool and spa, and a dock.
1 Star-Island, Miami Beach (Zillow)
Orli Rudolph with Coldwell Banker, who represented rap music producer DJ Khaled when he bought a Miami Beach waterfront house four years ago, said dealing with rappers is the same as selling a house to a top executive of an internet company.
“With Khaled, it was a long process finding the right property,” Rudolph said. “He is very specific, and he knows what he wants. It was a matter of finding a gem.”
Her Grammy Award winning client’s residential jewel is a 13,000-square-foot compound with a five-bedroom main house and a four-bedroom guest house at 4609 Pine Tree Drive in Miami Beach’s Mid-Beach neighborhood. DJ Khaled, real name Khaled Mohamed Khaled, paid $21.7 million in 2018 for the 1-acre compound with 105 feet of waterfront and a private dock, records show.
Completed in 2016, DJ Khaled’s kingdom features an elevator and safe room in the two-story main house, while the backyard features an 80-foot-long swimming pool and a gazebo with a kitchen and fireplace. DJ Khaled regularly collaborates with Canadian rapper Drake, most recently on the hit singles, “Popstar” and “Greece.” Last year, DJ Khaled got into the fashion game, collaborating on a collection of menswear with Dolce & Gabbana.
Proximity to nightlife action and luxury shopping destinations are among the reasons some hip-hop personalities like DJ Khaled gravitate to Miami Beach, Rudolph said. “They’re close to Bal Harbour and the Design District,” she said. “For the most part, they want a big, modern home on the waterfront.”
4609 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach (Zillow)
Lil Wayne dropped $16.7 million in 2018 for a seven-bedroom waterfront mansion built by developer Laurent Harrari at 6480 Allison Road. It has a great room with 22-foot ceilings and a movie theater with suede wall coverings. Lil Wayne, real name Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., started his career in 1995 as a 12-year-old rapper for Cash Money Records. He later won five Grammy Awards and put out 13 albums. Days before he left office in January 2021, then-President Donald Trump granted Lil Wayne a presidential pardon for a felony gun conviction.
Completed in 2017, the lavish 10,632-square-foot crash pad is in Miami Beach’s wealthy enclave of Allison Island, where Shlomi and Lior Ben-Shmuel, the former owners of Swiss Watch International, and Linda Lambert, the widow of Eastdil Secured founder Ben Lambert, have also purchased homes in recent years.
6840 Allison Road, Miami Beach (Zillow)
About two-and-a-half miles north, rapper Lil Pump paid $4.6 million for a three-story house with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms at 1510 Bay Drive in Miami Beach. Lil Pump, real name Gazzy Garcia, is a Miami native whose hits include “Gucci Gang,” “Butterfly Doors” and “Racks on Racks.”
Originally built in 1940, Lil Pump’s renovated 4,935-square-foot home features a rooftop terrace on the third floor; a custom Italian kitchen, bathroom vanities and closets; and an Ipe wood pool deck and cabana.
1510 Bay Drive, Miami Beach (Zillow)
Some rappers are finding refuge in the outskirts of Broward County. For instance, Kodak Black — another hip-hop artist to score a Trump presidential pardon — paid $1.8 million in February for a 6,506-square-foot house with five bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms at 10031 Vestal Place in Coral Springs.
Kodak Black, real name Bill Kapri, and whose hit songs include “ZeZe,” “Transportin’” and “Tunnel Vision,” bought a large lot in a 105-home gated community where each section ends in a cul de sac, according to a Zillow listing. The property features a screened porch with an outdoor kitchen and a 45-foot-long heated pool with a hot tub. The master bedroom suite on the second floor has a fireplace, two walk-in closets, bonus room and a sauna.
10031 Vestal Place, Coral Springs (Zillow)
Rappers are also posting up in Southwest Ranches, where professional sports athletes and Hollywood star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have homes. “Southwest Ranches is very secluded,” Rudolph said. “You can get tremendous, beautiful homes with tons of acreage. If you want a lot of land and privacy, you go to Southwest Ranches.”
Rick Ross, the Miami native who founded Maybach Music Group and who owns several Wingstop restaurants, paid $3.5 million last year for an 8,675-square-foot house previously owned by retired NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire. Sitting on 2.35-acres, the home is fitting for a boss like Rick Ross, real name William Leonard Roberts II. It has six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a garage for nine cars. It features a fitness/yoga room, a movie room, an indoor bar with a pool table, a summer kitchen and a master closet with a chandelier.
16800 Berkshire Court, Southwest Ranches (Zillow)
Trippie Redd, real name Michael Lamar White II, is a rising hip-hop star who was also drawn to Southwest Ranches. This month, Trippie Redd bought a two-story, 18,923-square-foot mansion for $7.5 million. The Ohio rapper’s new palace has nine bedrooms, 11 and a half bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen, two offices, an indoor basketball court with exercise area, a wine cellar and an eight-car garage, according to Realtor.com.
5600 Southwest 136th Avenue, Southwest Ranches (Redfin)
As more rappers find their way to South Florida, luxury home developers should consider building houses equipped with recording studios, Rudolph said. “If they have a studio in their home, it doesn’t matter where they live,” she said. “That might make it more intriguing for artists looking for homes in South Florida.”