The music mogul, who’s been atop the list four of the past five years, has even worked a reference about it on one of his tracks, rapping in 2014’s Big Homie, “The only one that’s topping Forbes, I’m gettin” lonely’. Jay Z – $53.5 million (£40 million)(Evan Agostini/AP)3.
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This is the second time for the 46-year-old record producer to top Forbes’ highest-paid hip-hopper list, with a whopping $ 60 million last year. Thanks to Diddy lucrative Ciroc vodka deal and non-musical ventures, Diddy was able to rake in the dough like a bakery. The rap legend has not released an album or tour so most of that income is from his Roc Nation label and other business ventures like TIDAL Music, D’Ussé cognac and Armand de Brignac champagne.
The podium is completed by Dr. Dre, who raised $41 million dollars in the past year. Wiz Khalifa $24 million (£17.9 million)(Charles Sykes/AP)6. Dre, meanwhile, continues to pocket cash from the Apple Beats buyout and Straight Outta Compton.
Over the past 12 months the world’s top 20 hip hop artists pulled in nearly half a billion dollars between them – nothing compared to the year Dr Dre made $600 million on his own, but that was definitely an anomaly. Drizzy was in the top three previous year.
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Nicki Minaj is the only woman to feature on the rap countdown at six with $20.5 million (£15.4 million), beating the likes of Pitbull, Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar, and Bryan “Birdman” Williams, who complete the top 10.
