S. Samuel
Rap moguls Diddy, Jay Z and Dr. Dre once again reign supreme atop the Forbes "World's Highest Paid Hip Hop Artists" list of the year with close contenders coming in the form of Nicki Minaj and Birdman.
Diddy’s worth at $50 million gave him a $7 million edge over close pal Jay Z.
Hip-hop’s net worth king claims his first annual earnings crown thanks mostly to the success of Ciroc vodka. Other ingredients in his cash cocktail: record label Bad Boy, clothing line Sean John and, soon, cable channel Revolt. Lost his hyphen but gained double-digit millions from lucrative live shows, Armand de Brignac champagne, D’Ussé cognac, Roc Nation label/management firm and other ventures. Last year’s Cash King slips two spots, no longer boosted by a nine-figure payout for selling part of Beats by Dr. Dre in 2011. But he’s still cashing in on the ubiquitous headphones, expanding the company he founded with Interscope chief Jimmy Iovine to include a long-awaited streaming music service. (Forbes)
The Top 20 consists of some first-timers like West Coast rapper Kendrick Lamar.
1. Diddy ($50 million) 2. Jay Z ($43 million) 3. Dr. Dre ($40 million) 4. Nicki Minaj ($29 million) 5. Birdman ($21 million) 6. Kanye West ($20 million) 7. Lil Wayne ($16 million) 8. Wiz Khalifa ($14 million) 9. Ludacris ($12 million) 10. Drake ($10.5 million) 11. Snoop Lion ($10 million, tie) 12. Eminem ($10 million, tie) 14. Kendrick Lamar ($9 million, tie) 14. Pharrell Williams ($9 million, tie) 14. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ($9 million, tie) 17. Swizz Beatz ($8.5 million) 18. Tech N9ne ($7.5 million) 19. 50 Cent ($7 million) 20. Lil Jon ($6 million, tie) (HHNM)
Coincidentally, Jay Z and wife Beyoncé Knowles-Carter recently landed atop the highest-paid couples list for this year.
Jay Z and Beyonce Knowles are so much more than just the first couple of hip-hop: They’re a combination of two of the savviest businesspeople in entertainment. They made more than any other celebrity couple this year with an estimated $95 million in earnings between June 2012 and June 2013. Both are musicians at the top of their games, with multiple hits under their belts. Jay Z’s recent Watch the Throne album went platinum and launched a world tour that brought in $1.4 million per night in America. Knowles, who took a short break when her daughter Blue Ivy was born in January last year, was back with a vengeance this year with her Mrs. Carter world tour, which grossed an average $2 million per night. (Forbes)
Recently, Jay ranked in the top three of Celebrity Net Worth’s “20 Richest Rappers Alive Today” list.
#20 Rick Ross – Net Worth $25 Million #19 Tie between T-Pain and T.I – Net Worth $30 Million #18 Nelly – Net Worth $55 Million #17 Busta Rhymes – Net Worth $60 Million #16 Ludacris – Net Worth $65 Million #15 Beastie Boys – Net Worth $75 Million Each #14 Timbaland – Net Worth $75 Million #13 Pharrell Williams – Net Worth $77.5 Million #12 Tie between LL Cool J and Akon – Net Worth $80 Million #11 Kanye West – Net Worth $90 Million #10 Lil Wayne – Net Worth $95 Million #9 Ice Cube – Net Worth $100 Million #8 Snoop Dogg – Net Worth $110 Million #7 Birdman – Net Worth $115 Million #6 Eminem – Net Worth $120 Million #5 50 Cent – Net Worth $250 Million #4 Dr. Dre – Net Worth $260 Million #3 Master P – Net Worth $350 Million #2 Jay-Z – Net Worth $475 Million #1 Diddy – Net Worth $500 Million (Celebrity Net Worth)
