Its very clear that these days musicians no longer depend on royalties, putting your hand in different endorsement is the only way to come on top. Rappers see themselves as brands now, and in any field, the best brands make the most money. So below are figures pooled from Forbes, celebritynetworth.com, and therichest.org on how 20 richest rappers make their money.
Diddy
Net Worth: $550 million
Hustles: Ownership in Bad Boy Records, Ciroc vodka, Sean John and Enyce clothing, Blue Flame marketing agency, and Revolt cable channel, with investments in various tech start-ups, along with various acting jobs, and a Beats Electronics endorsement.
Jay-Z
Net Worth: $475 million
Hustles:Ownership in Roc Nation, Rocawear, the 40/40 club, the Brooklyn Nets, Translation Advertising, The Spotted Pig, Buffalo Boss, Wings, Viddy, and Armand de Brignac’s Brut Gold (Ace of Spades champagne). Endorsements with Reebok, Hewlett-Packard, Carol’s Daughter cosmetics, Duracell PowerMat, Bacardi D’ussé, and Budweiser.
Dr. Dre
Net Worth: $270 million
Hustles:Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics ownership.
50 Cent
Net Worth: $250 million
Hustles:G-Unit Records, Vitaminwater, Street King energy shots, SMS headphones endorsement, ÜberMedia’s Über50 app, and various acting jobs.
Eminem
Net Worth: $120 million
Hustles:Shady Records owner, and endorsements with Chrysler, Lipton and G-Shock.
Birdman
Net Worth: $115 million
Hustles:Cash Money Records, Cash Money Books, and the Birdman Shoe Collection.
Snoop Dogg
Net Worth: $110 million
Hustles:Doggystyle Records, various acting jobs, and endorsements with EA Sports, Adidas, Pepsi, 7-Eleven, Serious Pimp clothing, Vybe Mobile, Norton Antivirus, TomTom navigation systems, WRFF scooters, Global Gaming League, Rich & Infamous streetwear, Chronic Candy, Chrysler, and Orbit Gum.
Ice Cube
Net Worth: $100 million
Hustles:Various acting jobs, Solo by Cube clothing, and Coors Light endorsement.
Lil Wayne
Net Worth: $95 million
Hustles:Young Money Records, Trukfit, Young Money Cards, and Mountain Dew endorsement.
Kanye West
Net Worth: $90 million
Hustles:G.O.O.D. Music, DONDA, womenswear line, and sneaker designs for Nike and Louis Vuitton.
The rest of the list from 11 to 20:
LL Cool J
Net Worth: $80 million
Pharrell
Net Worth: $77.5 million
Timbaland
Net Worth: $75 million
Swizz Beatz
Net Worth: $65 million
Ludacris
Net Worth: $65 million
Busta Rhymes
Net Worth: $60 million
Nelly
Net Worth: $55 million
Andre 3000
Net Worth: $45 million
T.I.
Net Worth: $30 million
Rick Ross
Net Worth: $25 million
