Forbes' list of Hip-Hop's Top 20 Highest Earners was just released, with names you would expect, like Jay-Z and Diddy topping the list. Artists and entrepreneurs like Carter and Combs have been on their game for a while, so these multimillion-dollar earnings come as no surprise. But some names are new and even shocking:
1. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter - $63M
2. Sean "Diddy" Combs - $30M
3. Aliuane "Akon" Thiam - $21M
4. Dwayne "Lil Wayne" Carter - $20M
5. Andre "Dr. Dre" Young - $17M
6. Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges - $16M
7. Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus - $15M
8. Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley - $14M
9. Pharrell Williams - $13M
10. Kanye West - $12M
11. Aubrey "Drake" Graham - $10M
12. Clifford "T.I." Harris - $9M (tie)
12. Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean - $9M (tie)
14. Marshall "Eminem" Mathers - $8M (tie)
14. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson - $8M (tie)
14. Jay "Young Jeezy" Jenkins - $8M (tie)
17. Lonnie "Common" Lynn Jr. - $7M
18. DeAndre "Soulja Boy" Way - $6M (tie)
18. Faheem "T-Pain" Najm - $6M (tie)
20. Jonathan "Lil Jon" Smith - $5M (tie)
20. Radric "Gucci Mane" Davis - $5M (tie)
20. William "Rick Ross" Roberts - $5M (tie)
Which is more shocking: that Gucci Mane made $5 million in the past 12 months or that Drake's first name is Aubrey? However you spin it, these two artists appearing on Forbes' list marks a significant achievement. As relative newcomers who don't have the entrenched fan base of most of the other stars, Gucci Mane and Drake have competed successfully against even megastars like Eminem.
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Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Through an interactive readers survey, Blackvoices.com polled our audience to find out who was sexiest hip-hop stars of all time. Check out who made the list -- and who's #1.
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Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Through an interactive readers survey, Blackvoices.com polled our audience to find out who was sexiest hip-hop stars of all time. Check out who made the list -- and who's #1.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Will Smith
When Will Smith arrived on the music scene with songs like 'Parents Just Don't Understand' and 'Summertime,' he was an awkward, skinny Philly teen. But the Grammy Award-winning rapper successfully transitioned into one of the most successful black Hollywood stars with roles in action flicks such as 'Independence Day' and 'Bad Boys.' Now, he's one of the sexiest rapper-turned-actors around. And it's not only because of his big bank, either.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Andre 3000
Like Prince, Jimi Hendrix and Bootsy Collins, OutKast rapper Andre 3000's fashion style is anything but safe. At the height of his career, he was rocking loud colors, kilts and long, blond wigs, but even then he managed to pull R&B sensation Erykah Badu as his girlfriend and the two had a beautiful son, Seven. The 'Hey Ya' rapper opened up his heart on the breakthrough album 'The Love Below' and he continues to tug the heart strings of hip-hop lovers and beyond.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
YoYo
She might have been affiliated with Ice Cube and the West Coast gangsta rap movement, but with YoYo's light-brown eyes and caramel complexion, there's no second-guessing that she's a true lady. The Los Angeles native was known for songs about female empowerment and making a case against sexism, but her beauty cast her in a league of her own among so many of her female rap counterparts of the '90s, who preferred a rough and tumble image.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Drake
Sure, he might have gotten his start as an awkward teen on the Nickelodeon show 'Degrassi: The Next Generation,' but Drake, born Aubrey Graham, is the new hot rapper to watch. With his lovable smile and songs like 'Best I Ever Had' and 'Every Girl,' this half-Jewish pretty boy is sure to continue winning the hearts of America.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Common
Common won the hearts of women everywhere when he showed his vulnerable side on 'The Light' with then-girlfriend Erykah Badu. Then, he teamed up with her on 'Love of My Life,' cementing this Chi-town native as an introspective and talented MC. Also notable is his recent acting role as a buff NBA player in the film 'Just Wright,' in which one bare-chest push up scene surely didn't cause him to lose any fans.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Darryl McDaniel
As a member of hip-hop's pioneering group, Run-DMC, Darryl "DMC" McDaniel might have been a devastating microphone controller, but he was a cutie back in the day. Always rocking his sparkly clean Adidas, gold chain and signature black hat, with tight Lee jeans, DMC was a superfresh rapper who still made time to raise a little hell and hold down arena stages with the biggest rock stars of the '80s, most notably Aerosmith.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Bow Wow
He may still be referred to as Lil' Bow Wow by many, but Bow Wow has always been a teen heartthrob. Some of his superstar girlfriends have included Angela Simmons and Ciara, as well as countless video vixens. He may not have grown much, but Snoop Dogg's protégé is one of the younger generations' big-name rappers.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Honorable Mention: Kool Moe Dee
Though he had a penchant for peculiarly colored leather outfits (and matching pillbox hats) during his 1980s heyday, the tough-talking rapper -- legally known as Mohandas Dewes -- wore it all so well. With 'How You Like Me Now,' he brought sophisticated grace to the Afrocentric vibe that was commonplace in the burgeoning Harlem hip-hop scene in 1987.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Nas
Always reflective and intellectually sound, Nas' sex appeal is his pensive attitude and thoughtful lyrics. The Queensbridge rapper has never veered away from showing his soft-spoken self, but he always knows when to bring out the ammunition.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
What could be the secret to their success? Indeed, how have many of these men managed to make millions of dollars year after year despite the downward trend in music sales and the fickle nature of hip-hop audiences? The key might be a basic lesson that should always be applied by every investor and, if possible, business owner: diversification. Hip-Hop stars, probably more than any other group of entertainers, are the least risk averse and are willing to try their hand at any project that could be lucrative. From Queen Latifah to Diddy, top earning hip hop stars are quick to parlay their names in the realms of movies, fashion, beauty, television, wine, energy drinks, business books, liquor, soft drinks, personal appearances, sunglasses, and restaurants, just to name a few.
Most high earners in hip hop are able to develop multiple streams of income, which not only lead to huge sums of cash, but also enable them to remain financially stable if some sources of income dry up. This ability to try out many types of business ventures without shame, worrying too much about being qualified, or caring at all about being judged, all in the spirit of fun, is a great business trait that high earning hip-hop stars exemplify. People in almost any profession from all walks of life can fruitfully apply this money lesson. Hip-hop's highest earners also know how to get out of a business that is failing without remorse. Stars like Eve and Busta Rhymes have abandoned ailing clothing lines, for example, then fearlessly moved on with their careers.
The top 20 highest earning artists in hip-hop have taken a lot of well-deserved flack for promoting negative values in our community. But for once, let's give credit where credit is due. Forbes' list of Hip-Hop's Top 20 Highest Earners includes some of the smartest and hardest working businessmen in America today. The hustle, creativity, and productivity of these high earning hip-hop stars cannot be denied. Let's hope that as role models they are able to convey these qualities to today's youth.
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By: VL Williamson on 8/20/2010 12:46AM
The first two are punk ass house niggas who have done little (substantially) to help others who look like them. YEA I SAID IT... PUNK AS HOUSE NIGGAS...WHO CAN'T RAP.
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By: rasfanta on 8/20/2010 11:02AM
I agree. Unemployment is double-triple in our community what it is in their community. I don't know why the black people with money and power don't do more to help the people at home. They are suppose to be in the ear of these politicians, getting more jobs for the young males in the community, better opportunities for affordable housing, more equitable distribution of education dollars. This is why the jews have such control. They take care of their own, first. They take from you and take care of their own. These black business owners like, Russell Simmons, Jay-Z, P-Diddy are not demanding that the people partake of the benefits of collaboration; that the people get some of the action (and I don't mean subprime loans). Good returns, honest returns. Oprah and Serina went to Africa to set up schools. Now I know they need it more than we do in america, but we are the protocal children of africa. Africa's responsibility in our enslavement has not been discussed. We need to take care of our people in america, first. It is our people who feel the sting of racism everyday of our lives, here. Check out that article the other day about the meeting between LeBron and a jewish rabbi. The jews are always in our face when it comes to money and talent. It is time to put them in their place.
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By: Charles Jackson on 8/20/2010 4:56PM
wut about birdman?? and his 2million dollar bugahatti??
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By: darrell eason on 8/21/2010 12:24AM
This is to Alexis Stodghill, if you can't see something wrong with two men putting their penis's in each others rectum, there is something wrong with you.
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By: kai on 8/21/2010 2:23PM
To the idiot above, in one aspect you are right as a good many Black women need to take hold of their Black children, teach them about God, put their Black asses in church, raise them correctly as many of us are getting sick and tired of seeing Black youth make the news because they are too dumb to see that by shooting their black brothers, they are in effect wiping out their race of people, doing no less than what white slave owners did to Blacks. Where did the common sense go? Blacks have suffered more than any other race of people because of Jim Crow laws, discrimination, and racism, but there is no excuse in this world when these idiot thugs most all raised by Black women go out shooting innocent kids, babies and now even the elderly are not safe according to the latest news story reporting an 80 yr. old Black man who was murdered in cold blood from a stray bullet shot by none other than your average everyday black thug!
BLACK WOMEN take hold of your Black children and get your freakin Black kids in check less we all wind up losing our sons to your street thug kids who weren't raised with an ounce of common sense to understand that you don't wipe out your own race of people and second, you teach your Black children that by killing innocent people, that makes them no better than their Wte slave masters! Third, you teach your Black children that they should Never make the prisons that have been built for them their Homes!
A wise old man once said! A "Man" and I emphasize the word Man, Always protects his women and children at all cost! Yet we see in the news daily young women and young babies being killed by stray bullets. Black women you are the primary source of the problem. Black men need to take care of their children. If you want to be called men, then do what it is a Man is supposed to do. No matter how hard life gets, there is no excuse for so many Black children to be raised without daddies in the picture. A woman can never ever, teach a young boy to become a man! It takes a man to do that!
Getting back to the subject on hand, we were taught to help the poor and those in need, therefore people like Sean Puggy, TI, Kanye West etc do have an obligation to help others thus should it not be their own people who have been discriminated against for so long. Theres an old proverb that reads "To Whom much is given, much is expected" Are they their brother's keeper? as it has been written "Yes" Every Black Man has an obligation to help their Black youth and to give back to the Black communities who supported them. When one makes it out of impoverishment and rises to the top, you extend a helping hand to lift the next one out. Its called...Humbleness, its called being Blessed and passing that Blessing along to the next person! By helping one Black and he or she in turn helps the next Black, one by one you lift yourselves out of poverty. Wake up Black people and stop following what your Wte counterparts do as their path and destination has already been prophesized and less you want to go down the same path, its time to wake up and smell the coffee as they say! When you as Blacks raise your children right, then they will Do whats right!
With the exception of JZ as he did help establish the "Water for Life" program to help those poor people in many parts throughout Africa, the rest of the names on the millionaires list above are not worth the dirt under their shoes. As its not about Me, Me, Me anymore because its too late in the day, later than you think, its about what have you done to help your own Black brothers and sisters, Gods First Born!!!!
Whether or not any of us will be here tomorrow, the next day etc., you don't want to be judged that you had a Chance to Do something Good today!
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By: ELLE on 8/21/2010 4:51PM
Why give money to HBCU's?!?! What a waste. Last thing we need is more "black greeks"(oxymoron) graduating and only helping out other "black greeks". Most of these people didn't go to college. Why would they give money to colleges when they don't believe in that system?? Plus, most college age black kids have their priorities and values screwed up. HBCU's are good for partying and sex.
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By: capple1029 on 8/22/2010 1:18PM
What does it profit a man to gain the whole wide world and lose his soul!!
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By: Jade black on 8/23/2010 1:11PM
I think that many of you are being to harsh. If you do your reaserch you'll find that many of these people give back. Jay and Diddy are always giving back. As far as the person who says white people do more for blacks, this statement is not true. You don't have to be a celeb to contribute, but there are many who do. From Bill Cosby to 50 cent. I'm not even a 50 fan and I know that he's given back. Stop hating on yourselves and realize that there are just as many black folk in America that cares as there are the ones that don't. Stop giving eerybody else credit and give yourself credit. Once again, before you comment do the research and you'll be surprised.
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By: darrell eason on 8/24/2010 12:10PM
@Alexis Stodghill, First of all, please don't put words in my mouth or judge my actions. I was addressing the behavior, not any one human being. Second of all, how sad you and so many like you have brought into to the lie that people are born that way. Hogwash, it is a choice just like pedophilia is a choice, I have been on both sides of the fence, and I chose women. And the majority is not always right, just remember that there was a time when people thought black people were only one fifth a human being. Did that make it right? Of course not, white women are taught from birth that black man will rape them (another majority) is that right? You are operating from emotion not logic. Talk to a geneticist and they will tell you there is no such thing as a homosexual gene.
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