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# Who Are The World’s 20 Richest Hip-Hop Stars?
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/who-are-the-worlds-20-richest-hip-hop-stars/
- Published: 2012-09-05T13:39:54.000Z
- Updated: 2012-09-05T13:39:54.000Z
- Description: Hip-hop has been synonymous with entrepreneurship since its inception – from the 70s and 80s with pioneers like Jazzy Jay and Grandmaster Flash laying the foundation to what would become. Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2012/09/who-are-the-worlds-20-richest-hip-hop-stars.html]
- Author: admin
- Tags: Live & Ticketing, Major Labels, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 10:49

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Hip-hop has been synonymous with  
**entrepreneurship** since its inception – from the 70s and 80s with pioneers like  
Jazzy Jay and Grandmaster Flash laying the foundation to what would become a  
massive worldwide phenomenon, to today’s hip-hop moguls whose influence can be  
felt in countless consumer products and all across pop culture. It comes as no  
surprise then, nor could it be any more fitting, that today’s top earning  
hip-hop stars continue the tradition of entrepreneurship to witness  
**extraordinary high yearly earnings**.

  
Topping [Forbes](http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2012/09/05/cash-kings-2012-hip-hops-top-earners/?ref=hypebot.com)’ list of the top cash kings in  
hip-hop was **Dr. Dre**, and anyone  
who’s ever walked down a city street for more than five minutes can guess why. With  
$110 million in pretax earnings, Dre soars past the others on the list by  
earning the bulk of his income from his deal with Jimmy Iovine and the *Beats by Dre* line of headphones. While  
his Detox album is still yet to be released, he continues to see royalties from  
*The Chronic* and *2001*, as well as past projects and production credits.

At $45 million in pretax earnings, **Sean “Diddy” Combs** continues to kick it  
comfortably among music’s highest earners, thanks largely in part to a share of  
profits from Diageo’s Ciroc vodka. Right behind Combs is **Jay-Z**, who saw more than half of his annual income from non-music  
ventures including ownership stakes in the cosmetics companies Carol’s  
Daughter, the Brooklyn Nets and a joint venture with battery maker Duracell. Jay-Z’s  
Budweiser-sponsored *Made In America* event  
last weekend in Philadelphia also brought in $38 million.

**Kayne West** comes in fourth place with $35 million in pretax earnings, stemming  
largely from his *Watch the Throne* album  
with Jay-Z and the massive tour that came to support it. **Lil Wayne** follows behind West at $27 million.  
While his latest album, *Tha Carter IV*, sold  
one million copies during the first week of its release, the rapper has also  
seen income from his new clothing line *Trukfit* and partnership with Mountain  
Dew. Wayne is joined up in the ranks by labelmates **Drake** and **Nicki Minaj**, who  
earned $20.5 million and $15.5 million respectively – stemming largely form  
their new albums, huge tours and product endorsements with Kodak and Pepsi. Cash  
Money co-founder **Bryan “Birdman” Williams**  
rests comfortably between Drake and Minaj at seventh on the list $20 million in  
pretax earning

This  
year’s top 20 earners in hip-hop (complete list below) brought in **a combined $415 million**, stemming  
largely from leveraging their personal brands and their audience demographics  
for major product endorsement deals. Touring also continues to be a large  
factor, as it is for musicians of any genre nowadays. At the end of the day, the entrepreneurial spirit that brought hip-hop to prominence over the past three decades continues to flow through these cash kings and queens.

### **The 20 Richest Hip-hop Stars:**

1\. Dr. Dre @ $110 million   
2\. Diddy @ $45 million   
3\. Jay-Z @ $38 million   
4\. Kanye West @ $35 million   
5\. Lil Wayne @ $27 million   
6\. Drake @ $20.5 million   
7\. Bryan "Birdman" Williams @ $20 million   
8\. Nicki Minaj @ $15.5 million   
9\. Eminem @ $15 million   
10\. Ludacris @ $12 million   
11\. Pitbull @ $9.5 million   
12\. Rick Ross @ $9 million (tied)   
12\. Wiz Khalifa @ $9 million (tied)   
14\. Snoop Lion @ $8.5 million   
15\. 50 Cent @ $7.5 million   
16\. Swizz Beatz @ $7 million (tied)   
16\. Pharrell Williams @ $7 million (tied)   
16\. Young Jeezy @ $7 million (tied)   
19\. Mac Miller @ $6.5 million   
20\. Akon @ $6 million (tied)   
20\. Timbaland @ $6 million (tied)   
20\. Tech N9ne @ $6 million (tied)

—

***Hisham Dahud*** *is a Senior Analyst for Hypebot.com. Additionally, he is the head of Business Development for [Fame House](http://famehouse.net/?ref=hypebot.com) and an [independent musician](https://soundcloud.com/hishamdahud?ref=hypebot.com). Follow him on Twitter: [@HishamDahud](http://twitter.com/hishamdahud?ref=hypebot.com)*