Friday 29 March 2013

Hip-Hop’s Wealthiest Artists 2013


When this question pops up, we all scream Jay Z but according to Forbes, this is not the case. P. Diddy rakes in the most cash now. He rules the rest. Young Hova, Jay Z sits secure in 2nd place. This year, Dr Dre has cruised into the party with his custom headphone, Beats. Coasting just below him is Birdman, whose record company boasts of world-beaters flushing in the papers. And lowest on the money-rungs is 50 Cents, who’s been around for quite a while on our gaming consoles, and music stereos. So here’s a breakdown of their earning sheets:

1. – $580 million: A huge part of The Bad Boy Records founder’s wealth streams in from non-musical ventures, namely his contract with Diageo’s Ciroc. The deal rakes in an eight-figure annual payout and a nine-figure windfall if the brand is ever sold—and Ciroc’s value is at its highest right now.
 2. Jay Z - $475 million: He’s got the money-tap flowing with cash from megadeals like his $204 million Rocawear sale in 2007 and his $150 million pact with Live Nation the following year. He maintains his stakes in Roc Nation, Carol’s Daughter, the Brooklyn Nets and, more significantly, the Barclays Center itself. And he keeps sinking new money-wells by adding new partnerships with the likes of Duracell, Budweiser and Bacardi’s D’ussé Cognac.
 3. Dr Dre – $350 million: He owes it to his Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. A year after selling 51% of the company to handset maker HTC for $300 million in August 2011, Dre and his partners bought back half of the half they sold in 2012—and their investment continues to skyrocket in value due to Beats’ whopping 65% market share of the premium ($99 and up) headphone market.
 4. Bryan “Birdman” Williams - $150 million: Sailing smoothly on his Cash Money/Young Money empire. His ensigns includes Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne (the latter crossed the $100 million threshold for the first time this year, by our estimates, but remains just outside the top five). Birdman also recently launched a YMCMB clothing line and a spirit called GT Vodka.


5. 50 Cent – $125 million: The bulk of his fortune came from heavy sales of his music, merchandise, video games and books in the wake of his smash debut Get Rich or Die Tryin’- and particularly from his payout for the sale of his stake in VitaminWater parent Glacéau to Coca-Cola in 2007.

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