What is Remy Ma's Net Worth?
Remy Ma is a Grammy-nominated American rapper and actress who has a net worth of $4 million. Remy Ma is a Grammy-nominated rapper and songwriter known for her gritty lyricism, powerful delivery, and resilience in the male-dominated world of hip-hop. She rose to prominence as a member of Terror Squad, the rap collective led by Fat Joe. Her breakout moment came with a standout verse on the 2004 hit "Lean Back," which catapulted her into the mainstream.
In 2006, she released her debut solo album "There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story," featuring the singles "Conceited" and "Whuteva." The album was well-received and established her as one of the strongest voices among female MCs at the time. Her career was derailed in 2008 when she was sentenced to prison on assault charges, serving six years before her 2014 release.
Remy made a powerful comeback, reuniting with Fat Joe for the 2016 hit "All the Way Up," which earned multiple Grammy nominations and reaffirmed her status in the rap world. She later sparked headlines with the diss track "ShETHER," aimed at Nicki Minaj. She joined the cast of the VH1 reality series "Love & Hip Hop: New York" in 2015. She also guest-starred on "Empire" in 2017 and "Queen of the South" in 2018, and she hosted the late-night talk show "State of the Culture" from 2018 to 2019. In 2018, Ma and her husband, rapper Papoose, starred on the three-episode "Love & Hip Hop: New York" spin-off "Remy & Papoose: Meet the Mackies."
Early Life
Remy Ma was born Reminisce Smith on May 30, 1980, in The Bronx, New York City. She grew up in a family that abused drugs, and she began taking care of her siblings at a young age and wrote poetry about her life in the Castle Hill Projects. Remy eventually caught the attention of rapper Big Pun, who became her mentor after having a meeting and a freestyle session with her. Using the name Remy Martin, she appeared on Big Pun's 2000 album "Yeeeah Baby," performing on the tracks "You Was Wrong" and "Ms. Martin."
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Career
After Big Pun died of a heart attack in early 2000, Fat Joe signed Remy to his label, Terror Squad Entertainment (an imprint of Universal and SRC), and she joined his hip-hop collective Terror Squad. She performed on the 2004 Terror Squad album "True Story," and the single "Lean Back" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and Hot Rap Songs charts. The single was certified Gold, and it earned Ma a Grammy nomination. Remy released the album "There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story" on February 7, 2006, and it peaked at #33 on the Billboard 200 chart, #2 on the Top Rap Albums chart, and #7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album featured the singles "Whuteva," "Conceited (There's Something About Remy)," and "Feels So Good" (featuring Ne-Yo). She was unhappy with how Universal was promoting the album, which led to a rift between Remy and Fat Joe. Ma left Universal, and she parted ways with the Terror Squad.
In February 2007, Remy revealed that she was working on her follow-up, "PunisHer," and had teamed up with rappers Jacki-O and Shawnna to form the female rap supergroup 3Sum and would be making a collaboration album with them. However, Ma had to put her plans on hold after being incarcerated for the July 2007 shooting of Makeda Barnes-Joseph. She released the mixtapes "The BX Files" (2007) and "Shesus Khryst" (2007) while awaiting her trial, and the 2008 mixtape "Blasremy" was released while she was in prison. Two months after Remy was released from prison in 2014, she put out another mixtape, "I'm Around," followed by the compilation album "Remy on the Rocks" in April 2015. Remy and Papoose began starring on "Love & Hip Hop: New York" during the show's sixth season in 2015, and they also appeared in the specials "Remy & Papoose: A Merry Mackie Holiday," "The Love Edition," and "Dirty Little Secrets." On February 10, 2017, Ma and Fat Joe released the collaboration album "Plata O Plomo," and the single "All the Way Up" was certified 2× Platinum and earned two Grammy nominations. In August 2017, Remy opened Conceited, a women's clothing store, in Raleigh, North Carolina, and in November, she released the single "Wake Me Up," which featured Lil' Kim. In 2018, she released three more singles, "Melanin Magic" (featuring Chris Brown), "Company" (featuring A Boogie wit da Hoodie), and "New Thang" (with French Montana).
(Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Essence)
Awards and Nominations
Remy Ma has been nominated for three Grammys: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Lean Back" in 2005 and Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for "All the Way Up" in 2016. "All The Way Up" also earned her two Soul Train Music Awards (Best Collaboration and the Rhythm & Bars Award) and a BET Hip Hop Award for Best Collabo, Duo or Group, as well as nominations for Best Hip-Hop Video and the People's Champ Award. Remy has received seven BET Award nominations, winning Best Female Hip-Hop Artist in 2005 and 2017.
Personal Life
Remy Ma married fellow rapper Shamele Mackie, better known as Papoose, while incarcerated in 2008. After her release in 2014, the couple held a formal wedding ceremony on December 17, 2015, at the Aria Wedding and Banquet facility in Connecticut. They welcomed their daughter, Reminisce Mackenzie, on December 14, 2018. Remy also has a son named Jayson, born in 2000 from a previous relationship, and is stepmother to Papoose's three children from earlier relationships: Dejanae, Shamele, and Destiny.
In 2018, she launched a clothing line called The Remy Ma Collection, with proceeds intended to support the Remy Ma Foundation, an organization aimed at assisting formerly incarcerated women.
In 2025, Remy publicly confirmed she was finalizing a divorce from Papoose. During an Instagram Live session, she expressed frustration at delays in the legal process and stated she wanted "nothing," including child support or assistance, from her estranged husband. She also addressed public comments made by Papoose's new partner, boxer Claressa Shields, saying she was ready to cover the divorce costs herself to bring the situation to a close.
Legal Problems
In July 2007, Remy Ma turned herself in to police after a confrontation outside Manhattan's Pizza Bar resulted in the shooting of Makeda Barnes-Joseph, who had allegedly stolen $3,000 from her. Remy was convicted in March 2008 of assault, illegal weapon possession, and attempted coercion. Barnes-Joseph later filed an $80 million civil lawsuit, citing multiple surgeries stemming from the attack.
While incarcerated, Remy married Papoose by phone after he was banned from visiting for six months when caught attempting to smuggle a key into the prison. She was released from the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility on August 1, 2014, after serving six years of an eight-year sentence.
In May 2019, she turned herself in again after being accused by "Love & Hip Hop" co-star Brittney Taylor of assault. The charges were dropped in December due to lack of evidence.