S. Samuel
A week after Swizz Beatz named his top five favorite current rappers, Diddy has now unveiled the latest emcees on his radar.
Sticking to five, Diddy gave props to longtime friend Jay-Z and his fellow New York rhyme spitter, Fabolous.
“Ah man, starting five, I would have to say, Rick Ross, [Jay-Z], [Lil] Wayne,” Diddy told DJ Absolut. “I would have to throw Drake up in there. I would have to roll with Fab, I would have to roll with the home team.” (DJ Absolut)
A week prior, Swizz Beatz named his Top 5 which also included Rick Ross and Drake.
Swizz Beatz may be holed up in the studio recording his album Haute Living, but he’s still got his ears open to what’s going on in hip-hop. The hitmaker, who just dropped his Eve-assisted single “Everyday (Coolin’),” recently revealed to DJ Absolut his five favorite rappers and rookies in the game right now, giving props to some familiar faces and letting some newbies shine, including one MC who popped up twice. Find out who made Swizzy’s Haute lists. Top 5 Rappers Rick Ross Kanye West Drake Wiz Khalifa Jadakiss. (Rap-Up)
Outside of co-signs, Diddy recently made headlines for earning the top spot on Forbes‘ list of wealthiest rap artists.
When it comes to net worth, Jay-Z is number two. The top spot goes to Sean “Diddy” Combs, who tops our accounting of rap’s richest with a fortune of $475 million, fueled by his interests in Sean John clothing, Bad Boy Worldwide record label and, most significantly, his Diageo joint-venture vodka brand Ciroc. Jay-Z ranks a close second, with $450 million. Super producer/rapper Dr. Dre ranks third with $125 million, fueled by past earnings generated from his own career and by helping to launch those of Snoop Dogg and Eminem. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, a onetime Dr. Dre protege who reaped a nine-figure payday from the sale of Vitamin Water to Coca-Cola, rounds out the top five in a tie with Cash Money Records cofounder Bryan “Birdman” Williams at $100 million. (Forbes)
Despite the critical acclaim, Diddy downplayed his achievement.
“To be honest, on that list, I was on the cover of Forbes back in ’98,” Diddy explained in an interview. “I been on that list. I don’t really get caught up into the list. I think people think that I have that money actually sitting at home in the basement…It’s really like if I sold all my companies, and I take pride in [building] something as a black man that’s worth that much…To everyone calling me for a loan today, I do not have that money today! … It helps inspire people and it shows the power of hip-hop.” (MTV)
Check out some recent Diddy footage below:
