August 16, 2007 at 04:13:00 PM | more stories by this author
Business magazine lists top 20 earners in the rap game, with Diddy, Timbaland, and Dr. Dre rounding out the top five.
Hip-hop record sales might be in the toilet, but its cash kings are still raking in the dough through a variety of revenue streams.
Forbes unveiled its annual list of hip-hop "Cash Kings," the top 20 earners in the rap game, with rapper, Def Jam honcho, and businessman Jay-Z bringing in $34 million in 2006 and beating out 50 Cent's $32 million for the top slot.
In addition to record sales and tour earnings, Jay-Z--real name Shawn Carter--takes home a sizable salary for his exec role at Def Jam and also has endorsement deals with blue chip advertisers, such as Budweiser, Hewlett-Packard, and General Motors. He will likely find himself at or near the top of the list next year as well, as he pocketed $204 million from the March 2007 sale of his Rocawear fashion label.
50 Cent--whose forthcoming album, Curtis, hits stores Sept. 11--garnered most of his income from his G-Unit record label and a variety of video game, book, and movie ventures. He also has an undisclosed investment in Glaceau Vitamin Water, which is being acquired by the Coca-Cola Company for $4.1 billion.
The rest of the top 10 includes both artists who have dominated hip-hop music of late, as well as a few who have been quiet in recent years.
With his Sean John clothing label, a cologne, a producer of MTV's , and an artist, Diddy earned $28 million and ranked third on the list. Super-producer Timbaland, the man behind two of the biggest albums of 2006 in Justin Timberlake's Futuresex/Lovesounds and Nelly Furtado's Loose, took fourth with $21 million.
Dr. Dre and Eminem, two of the most dominant figures in hip-hop over the past 10 years, were very quiet in 2006 but still brought in $20 million and $18 million, respectively. Fellow Dre protégé, Snoop Dogg earned $17 million and took the seventh spot. Kanye West was No. 8 with $17 million followed by producers Pharrell Williams and Scott Storch, both of whom also earned $17 million.
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Forbes "Cash Kings" Top 20:
1. Jay-Z - $34 million
2. 50 Cent - $32 million
3. Diddy - $18 million
4. Timbaland - $21 million
5. Dr. Dre - $20 million
6. Eminem - $18 million
7. Snoop Dogg - $17 million
7. Kanye West - $17 million
7. Pharrell Williams - $17 million
7. Scott Storch - $17 million
11. Ludacris - $16 million
11. T.I. - 16 million
13. Outkast - $14 million
13. Lil Jon - $14 million
15. Ice Cube - $13 million
16. Jermaine Dupri - $12 million
16. Swizz Beatz - $12 million
18. Chamillionaire - $11 million
18. The Game - $11 million
20. Yung Joc - $10 million





7 Comments
Oldest First | Newest FirstI wonder if rappers make more money than Rock stars. Even though I don't think so.