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The Senegalese-American singer-songwriter-producer extraordinaire caked up on a string of international concerts from Australia to Zimbabwe, a lucrative World Cup spot with Pepsi, a host of business ventures and hit song “I Just Had Sex,” which has garnered over 115 million YouTube views since its December debut. (Read more: “Akon’s Recession-Proof Tune”).
Cash Kings: Hip-...The success of hip-hop’s top earners shows just how powerful the genre has become as a commercial force. Led by Jay-Z and Diddy, the top 20 on our list combined to earn $271 million, taking home cash from live shows, recorded music, endorsements and a wide range of other entrepreneurial ventures.
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1. Shawn "Jay-Z"...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. For more on the business of hip-hop, check out Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner to Corner Office.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
2. Sean "Diddy" ...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.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
3. Kanye West, $...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.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. Dwayne "Lil W...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.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. Bryan "Birdma...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.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
6. Marshall "Emi...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 Grammy nominations. Normally non-commercial, he added to his coffers with Super Bowl spots for Lipton and Chrysler.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
6. Andre "Dr. Dr...The man who launched the careers of fellow Cash Kings including Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent keeps bringing in cash—namely from producer fees and Beats by Dre, his lucrative headphone venture with Interscope chief Jimmy Iovine.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
6. Calvin "Snoop...The ageless wonder of the West Coast turned in another strong year, boosted by new album Doggumentary, heavy touring and endorsements with companies from Metro PCS to Pepsi Max. Icing on the proverbial cake: A verse on Katy Perry’s smash hit “California Gurls.”
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
9. Aliuane "Akon...The Senegalese-American singer-songwriter-producer extraordinaire caked up on a string of international concerts from Australia to Zimbabwe, a lucrative World Cup spot with Pepsi, a host of business ventures and hit song “I Just Had Sex,” which has garnered over 115 million YouTube views since its December debut. (Read more: “Akon’s Recession-Proof Tune”).
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
10. Christopher ...The self-proclaimed Mouth of the South makes money from much more than just music. This year, he earned big on movie roles including "Fast Five," "No Strings Attached" and "New Year’s Eve," as well as endorsements with Tag body spray and Trojan condoms. He also struck partnership deals to launch Soul By Ludacris headphones and a cognac called Conjure.
