The hip-hop music industry is a good way to make money.
However, many musicians nowadays know that the money isn’t just with
making music anymore; it’s also with scouting for young talent,
producing music, and endorsing clothing lines and other products.
So who are the top hip-hop artists who made the most money so far this year from their music and other pursuits?
20. Lil Jon – $6 million
Before Jonathan Smith made it big in rap, he was part of a group called Lil Jon and The East Side Boyz as an international DJ. He later left the group to go solo and released his album Crunk Rock in
2010. When not performing onstage he is also into songwriting,
producing and even acting. He has also appeared in two seasons of The Celebrity Apprentice.
19. 50 Cent – $7 million
When 50 Cent first hit the streets it was to sell drugs. Fortunately he was able to leave this life behind when Eminem discovered
him and signed him up with Interscope Records. He was eventually able
to release several albums, the most successful of which was Get Rich or Die Tryin’ which
went platinum eight times. 50 Cent has also tried other ventures,
becoming a licensed boxing promoter first with TMT Promotions and SMS
Promotions.
18. Tech N9ne – $7.5 million
Aaron Dontez Yates took his stage name from the infamous
“bad buy gun” the TEC-9 semiautomatic handgun after another rapper
credited his fast Chopper-style rapping.Tech N9ne‘s music is so varied it has been featured in many films like Born 2 Race,Gang Related, Alpha Dog,
and video games Madden NFL 2006, Midnight Club: Los Angeles and EA
Sports MMA. His music was even used in an AXE body spray ad.
17. Swizz Beatz – $8.5 million
Like many rappers, Kasseem David Dean started his music
career as a DJ. At 16 he became known in the music industry after
working with rapper DMX. Swizz Beatzhas released two albums under his own label Full Surface Records; Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories and One Man Band Man. When not busy with his music he is also a creative director, fashion designer and also a painter.
16. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – $9 million
Macklemore (formerly
known as Professor Macklemore) and producer Ryan Lewis were able to
take their single “Thrift Shop” all the way to no. 1 in the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100. A second single “Can’t Hold Us” also reached no. 1 on
the Hot 100 list. It is considered a feat considering they did not have
the support of a major record label. Currently, they have jointly been
nominated World’s Best Male Artist in the World Music Awards.
15. Pharrell Williams – $9 million
When not performing onstage or writing songs, Pharrell Williams, also known just as Pharrell, produces records with his friend Chad Hugo.
Williams has produced numerous hit singles for various musicians and
has won four Grammy Awards. He is also the co-founder of the clothing
brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Clothing.
14. Kendrick Lamar – $9 million
Before releasing his first studio album in October 2012, Kendrick Lamar had already gained critical acclaim for his independent album, become a hit on the Internet and worked with Dr. Dre, Drake, Talib Kweli, Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne. Recently he was also crowned the no. 1 Hottest MC by MTV.
13. Eminem – $10 million
He is best known for hits “Stan”, “The Real Slim Shady” and
was once declared the “King of Hip-Hop”, a rare accolade for a white
man in a music industry dominated by African-Americans. He also starred
in a movie about his own biography 8 Mile and won the Academy
Award for best song, becoming the first rap artist to ever win the
award. He is currently into producing records, although he has also
announced he is set to release a studio album soon.
12. Snoop Lion – $10 million
He has changed his stage name several times now (from Snoop
Doggy Dog to Snoop Dogg to Snoop Lion) but fans will always be familiar
with his style. Snoop Lion first
appeared onstage in 1992 after he was discovered by Dr. Dre and from
then on his career has been on the rise. Always a colorful character, he
once announced he smokes as much as 80 marijuana sticks a day and says
he was actually a real pimp at one time.
11. Drake – $10.5 million
Prior to rapping, Aubrey Drake Graham actually acted in a Canadian TV seriesDegrassi and
was featured in 138 episodes in all. By 24 he had already acted in TV,
gone to art school and was ready for something new and started to make
music. His songs caught the attention Lil Wayne who invited him to tour
with him. They recorded several successful songs and several years and
albums later, Drake finally made his own name, being ranked no. 2 in
MTV’s Hottest MCs and the no.1 Rhythmic artist of 2012.
10. Pitbull – $11 million
Before releasing his first album M.I.A.M.I., Pitbull was first heard in Lil Jon’s albumKings of Crunk. However, it was not until his fifth album Planet Pit that
he finally had a song, “Give Me Everything”, reach the Billboard Hot
100. Now Pitbull has become a sensation and is sometimes referred to as
“Mr. International”. Pitbull is known for his stylish clothes, as
opposed to other rappers who dress flamboyantly or typical rapper
attire.
9. Ludacris – $12 million
Christopher Brian Bridges started rapping as early as nine
years old. He also worked as a DJ before hitting the bigtime and
releasing albums, among them Word of Moufand The Red Light District. Ludacris is also an actor and has appeared in movies like Max Payne, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Crash, Gamer, Fast Five, New Year’s Eveand Fast & Furious 6. He has also won a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Critic’s Choice Award.
8. Wiz Khalifa – $14 million
Born Cameron Jibril Thomas, Wiz Khalifa released his debut album Show and Prove in
2006 before eventually rising to become one of the most familiar
figures in hip-hop music today. He is also known for his avid use of
marijuana, claiming he spends as much as $10,000 a month on the drug. He
recently announced he will be coming up with a new album soon.
7. Lil Wayne – $16 million
There’s nothing little about Lil Wayne. The flamboyant
rapper, producer and CEO has been making it big since first signing up
with Cash Money Records in 1991 at the age of nine. However, he
announced he would retire from the music industry after he turns 35. He
has since taken up other interests, including charity work with his
non-profit One Family Foundation.
6. Kanye West – $20 million
He gained notoriety for interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech during the 2009 Video Music Awards, but by then Kanye West was
already a legend in the music industry with his hits “Love Lockdown”
and “Heartless”. Away from the stage he keeps himself busy with his
clothing line and new baby North West along with fiance Kim Kardashian.
5. Birdman – $21 million
Known for his hits “I Got That Work” in 2000 and “Hood
Rich” in 2002, Bryan Williams also worked with many other rappers to
produce many more hits including “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” and “Leather
So Soft”. Birdman is also the CEO of Cash Money Records, which signed Limp Bizkit, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj.
4. Nicki Minaj – $29 million
Famous for her fast and accented style of rapping, Nicki
Minaj is no pushover, holding the record as the first female solo artist
to have seven singles simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100. She also
has a ton of endorsements to her name including Pepsi, Adidas and Mac
Cosmetics.
3. Dr. Dre – $40 million
Andre Rommel Young started his career as a club DJ before
he started rapping. Now he is one of the most recognized hip-hop artists
in the world. With Jimmy Iovine and Luke Wood, he also founded Beats Electronics, now also one of the most recognized headphones manufacturers in the world.
2. Jay Z – $43 million
He started his career in 1986 but has moved up from selling
his CDs from the back of his car to owning his own record and clothing
labels. Jay Z is also known for his vocal support of President Barack Obama and has given money to charity, including Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
1. Diddy – $50 million
Sean Combs in real life, Diddy’s debut album in 1997 No Way Out was
certified seven times platinum. Since then he has made a name for
himself not just as a rapper, but also as an actor, record producer and
entrepreneur. His biggest earnings currently come from his share as
Ciroc vodka developer and his Enyce clothing line.
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