Every year Forbes comes out with a list of all of the highest-earning hip-hop game changers in the world. This year, not surprisingly, the rap titan staples, such as Jay Z, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Birdman, and Kanye West are on the list.
Dr. Dre (pictured) has secured the No. 1 spot on the list of those who lined their pockets with the most gold this year. In 2006, when Dr. Dre debated whether he should launch a sneaker line and instead opted for the Dr. Dre Beats line, who would have guessed he gave birth to a mint?
Two years later in 2008, Dr. Dre teamed up with Interscope Records Chief Jimmy Iovine and a handful of other partners to launch Beats By Dr. Dre, which sold more than half of the country’s premium headphones. Earlier this year, Dr. Dre sold his golden venture to Apple for a reported $3 billion.
Sharing the No. 2 spot are rap moguls Jay Z (pictured above) and Diddy, each with a tidy $60 million nest egg. As one of the world’s best-selling recording artists of all time, Jay Z is a true example of someone who can turn a dream into a dollar. Besides being a multi-Grammy winning artist and having uber-successful album sales, Jay’s businesses are diverse and each one has proven itself to be a lucrative venture. Among a few of the 44-year-old mega-entrepreneur’s business holdings are an upscale wildly popular New York City nightclub, real estate development companies, an independent record label, sports agency, as well as countless other investments.
Diddy (pictured) has also proven himself to be a savvy businessman. Besides being the ambassador of Ciroc Vodka and reportedly receiving a huge payday from its sales, Diddy also acts and is still involved with music production. The mega-multi-tasker owns clothing line Sean John, which has been around since 1997, and acquired Enyce designs from Liz Claiborne back in 2008. The Grammy winner also boasts a successful fragrance line and most recently launched Revolt V, a television network that also has a film-production branch.
Check out who else made the hot Forbes list this year:
1. Dr. Dre – $620 million
2. Jay Z – $60 million
2. Diddy – $60 million
4. Drake – $33 million
5. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – $32 million
6. Kanye West – $30 million
7. Birdman – $24 million
8. Lil Wayne – $23 million
9. Pharrell Williams – $22 million
10. Eminem – $18 million
11. Nicki Minaj – $14 million
12. Wiz Khalifa – $13 million
13. Pitbull – $12 million
14. Snoop Dogg – $10 million
15. Kendrick Lamar – $9 million
16. Ludacris – $8 million
16. Tech N9ne – $8 million
16. Swizz Beatz – $8 million
16. 50 Cent – $8 million
20. Rick Ross – $7 million
20. J. Cole – $7 million
