Hip Hop's Top Earners

Cash Kings 2011: Hip-Hop’s Top Earners

1. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, $37 million

Hip-hop’s reigning Cash King continues to reap the benefits of a 10-year $150 million Live Nation deal, as well as stakes in the New Jersey Nets, the 40/40 Club chain, ad firm Translation and others. This year marked the first time he out-earned wife Beyonce since their marriage in 2008.

2. Sean “Diddy” Combs, $35 million

Music now accounts for less than 20% of earnings for the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy, thanks to big stakes in clothing lines Sean John and Enyce, record label Bad Boy and marketing firm Blue Flame. But it’s his Ciroc vodka deal that led FORBES to estimate his net worth at $475 million this winter.

3. Kanye West, $16 million

The self-proclaimed Louis Vuitton Don returns to the top three for the first time since 2009. His new album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, hit stores in November, earned critical raves and quickly went platinum. His follow-up, Jay-Z collaboration Watch the Throne, debuted on August 8th.

4. Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter, $15 million (tie)

The lyricist reportedly wrote his first song at age 8 and signed a record deal with Cash Money a year later. Today he’s one of rap’s richest, despite serving eight months in jail last year. His latest release, I Am Not A Human Being, made him the first artist since Tupac Shakur to have a No. 1 album while incarcerated.

4. Bryan “Birdman” Williams, $15 million (tie)

The Cash Money chief continues to rake in cash from the label he cofounded, home to fellow Cash Kings Lil Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj. Excluded from previous lists because we deemed him more executive than rapper, Birdman was included this year because most of his peers now have a similar job description. 

6. Marshall “Eminem” Mathers, $14 million (tie)

Eminem doesn’t tour as much as many rappers and his outside business interests are limited, but music alone was enough to blast him back into the upper reaches of the list this year. His album Recovery sold 5.7 million copies worldwide and earned 10 Gramm nominations. Normally non-commercial, he added to his coffers with Super Bowl spots for Lipton and Chrysler.

6. Dr. Dre  – $14 million (tie)
6. Snoop Dogg  – $14 million (tie)
9. Akon – $13 million
10. Ludacris – $12 million
11. Wiz Khalifa  – $11 million (tie)
11. Drake – $11 million (tie)
13. Pharrell Williams – $10 million
14. Timbaland – $7 million
15. Swizz Beatz  – $6.5 million (tie)
15. Nicki Minaj  – $6.5 million (tie)
17. Rick Ross  – $6 million (tie)
17. 50 Cent  – $6 million (tie)
17. Pitbull  – $6 million
20. T-Pain  – $5 million (tie)
20. B.o.B  – $5 million (tie)

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