5. Neptunes, $155 Million
Making their name known to the world through numerous productions, the Neptunes duo has managed to amass their fortune to staggering figures. In 2006, their estimated net worth came in at $155 Million. Aside from production money,they have stakes in fashion with one of the most expensive urban fashion lines, BBC (Billionaire Boy Club. They also run their own label, Star Trek, which features artists such as Snoop Dogg, Slim Thug, and Robyn Thicke.
4. Damon Dash, $200 Million
At number 4 we have what may come as a surprise to many of you. However, former Rocafella Exec Dame Dash, has been making big moves in the last couple of years. In 2004, Dash sold his stake in Roc-A-Fella records to Def Jam records for $10 million. He then founded the Damon Dash Music Group with the senior record company. Dash also had a stake in the million dollar a year, Rocawear clothing line; which he sold to Jay Z for $30 Million. Dash’s other businesses include America Magazine, Armadale Vodka, Dash Management, PRO-KEDS, Team Roc, Tiret Watches, the Rachel Roy Clothing Line, an investment in New York nightclub The Plumm, and Dash/DiBella Boxing. His estimated net worth for 2006 came in at $200 Million.
3. Russell Simmons, $325 Million
Co-Founder of what’s no doubt the worlds most famous Hip Hop music label, Def Jam Records, Russell Simmons comes in at number 3 with a net worth of $325 Million. After selling his stake in the record company for $100 million to Universal Music Group in 1999, Simmons launched numerous projects including, Def Poetry Jam, Def Comedy Jam, a management company, a clothing company called Phat Farm, a movie production house, a magazine, and an advertising agency. He also partnered up with a financial institution and released a line of re-loadable Visa debit cards.
2. Jay Z, $340 Million
At number 2 we have the current president and CEO of the aforementioned Def Jam Records and the Roc-A-Fella empire. In 2006, Jay z’s estimated net worth came in at $340 Million. Aside from his multi platinum records selling career, Jay Z has stakes in numerous businesses. His multi-million dollar company, Roc-a-fella, is home to some of raps most famous names and it’s made up of Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc-La-Familia, Roc-A-Fella Films and Rocawear. He also Co-owns the upscale sports bar, The 40/40 club which started in New York City and has since expanded to Atlantic City, NJ. Future plans will see 40/40 Clubs in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Singapore. Roc-A-Fella also distributes Armadale, a Scottish vodka, in the U.S.
Jay-Z is also working as a co-brand director for Budweiser Select, collaborating with the company on strategic marketing programs and creative ad development. He will be providing direction on brand programs and ads that appear on TV, radio, print, and high-profile events.
He is currently a minority owner of the New Jersey Nets and is the face of many products through sponsor deals.
1. P. Diddy $346 Million
P. Diddy, Diddy, Puff Daddy, Poppa diddy pop, he migh’ve been going through an identity crisis over the years; but I’ll tell you one thing is certain. Sean “Diddy” Combs is the richest man in hip hop. In 2006 his net worth was estimated at a mind blowing $346 Million. Wether it’s tv productions, movie productions, clothing lines, music, or colognes, Diddy will market it and make millions off it.
Diddy presides over a media empire that includes the record label Bad Boy Records, the clothing lines Sean John and Sean by Sean Combs, a movie production company, and two restaurants. He has taken the roles of recording executive, performer, producer of MTV’s “Making the Band,” writer, arranger, clothing designer, and Broadway actor.
In 2006, Diddy’s signature “Unforgivable” men’s cologne, became the top selling fragrance of ‘06 averaging sales between $1.3 million and $1.5 million per week. Fragrances typically sell $650,000 per week.
Honorable Mentions:
R.Kelly’s net worth for 2006 came in at $150 Million, however, since he’s more R&B than hip hop, he was left out. Janet Jackson also came in at $150 Million, but she was left out because she’s pop.
Kanye West should be showing up on one of these lists soon. He has a line of movies coming out and his Touch The Sky tour grossed $16.9 Million last year.
Master P Didn’t make the list simply because he’s just not that rich. Lets not forget he filed for bankruptcy a few years back.
Will Smith is more of an actor than a rapper, he isn’t in hip hop enough to be considered.
For those of you who were wondering who the richest man in the music industry is, The Beatles’ Sir Paul McCartney, is worth $3 ‘Billion’ dollars.
COMMENTS
damn 3 billion? must be nice to be a Beatle.
how can will not b on the list? he has how many multy platnum albums? and hes in the top 10 most sold rap records in rap/hip hop history i think that kid might even got a diamond album...fuckin thizz u beezys
The top two were easy to predict.Russell better have a pre-nup or Kimora's taking half that cash and Sir Paul McCartney didn't have a pre-nup, so that one leg chicks is taking half of his money.
just out of curiousity though, does anyone know Will Smith's estimated Net worth?
2 pounds is his net worth he cant rap to save his mammas life lol
Will Smith is worth at minimum,$170 million.
the same thing i put from the begining. in the same order. interesting!!!!!!!!!
"In 2006, Jay z’s estimated net worth came in at $340 Million."
"Current president and CEO of the aforementioned Def Jam Records and the Roc-A-Fella empire"
"He also Co-owns the upscale sports bar, The 40/40 club which started in New York City and has since expanded to Atlantic City, NJ."
"Currently a minority owner of the New Jersey Nets and is the face of many products through sponsor deals."
And Then He Has His Record Sales For Kingdom Come He Like 2x Platinum ??
Now If That Aint BAAAAALLIN !!
Someone Please Tell Me What Is.Compare Hov And Jim Jones.Jim Jones Himself Is Not Even BAAAALIN !! As He Says Him And The Dips Are.
I Wonder How Much The Dips Made.Like I Just Want To See LMFAO
Man I read in jet jay was at 4 hundred mill and some change, like 412 or something....but I'm sure different sources are going to report different things. Regardless he def ballin. 3 billion for paul mcartney.....that's crazy. That jus shows were peoples priorities are, teachers and make 43,000, and rappers grossing like 10 million ..lmao....
what about weezy and birdman they gotta have some dough
Hov can give each member in dip set 10-20 million n still be in the top 10 list...... BALLINNN
it's cats out there gettin they paper up!!...it's crazy how niccaz done used da rap game 2 come up..
Damn... that's a lot of bread Hov.... I say Hov cause we already knew Russell and Puff had bread... I knew Dame had some too, The neptunes surprised me.... but damn... Jay was worth $34o Mill when this article was printed... he's just secured a deal with GMC (car company)... they have a new color called "Jay-Z blue"... I swear! lol. So he's paid for them using is name, for him appearing at all of the car shows unveiling that color (he's already appeared in Detroit and Europe's shows) and he's also paid everytime they produce a car in that color... the amounts are undicolsed as of yet but DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMN that's BALLIN'!
Round 4.
Hov wins again
who said will smith has only 147 mill...dumbass...movie industry dont work like music if ice cube can hav all dat money and 1/2 of his movies flop and will smith 1 or 2 movie flop...it meanst dat will got more money than diddy....and all of them.
yea will is past them. trust
top 3 were obvious, niggas goin at J can only wish that when they "get as old" as J they got that kinda money, my guess is that Jenny Jones gonna be one of the washed up ol niggas in a few years broke as fuck talkin bout "Im still baaaallliinnnn right??" fuck outta here, do yo thang J...
i knew wack ass jay z can't b #1, i knew it!!!! if it really was bout rappin top ten, then it would read. 10}methodman&redman 9}black ty 8}jeezy 7}trick daddy 6}diddy 5}nas 4}jay z 3}2pac 2}ti 1}dr dre. i don't care whut ya'll say but thats my list!! lolol!!
Doct P, what the fuck or you talking about?No one said Will Smith was worth $146 million.According to fortune magazine, Will Smith was worth $188 million as of 2004.He has made two movies since then, at 20 million a movie so his estimated networth would be $228 million dollars(this,not including any other venture he might have).Dude really find reading hard.lmao
i knew wack ass jay z can't b #1, i knew it!!!! if it really was bout rappin top ten, then it would read. 10}methodman&redman 9}black ty 8}jeezy 7}trick daddy 6}diddy 5}nas 4}jay z 3}2pac 2}ti 1}dr dre. i don't care whut ya'll say but thats my list!! lolol!!
This has to be dumbest paragraph I have read in weeks, I can't stop laughing at it.
It's Diddy baby =p, wtf... I don't like the guy, but I can't hate.... not surprised he made number 1, no surprise at all. The pretty boys always make the best, especially when they got hot ass dead rappers they can free load off of.
Who was on that proactiv first? Diddy not Kelly Clarkson haha, Diddy will do anything for cheeze.
michael jackson owns the beatles publishing
WHO THE HECK MENTIONED LIL WAYNE AND BABY ON THIS LIST....LOL.......AND MICAEL JACKSON SOLD THOSE RIGHTS TO THE BEATLES PUBLISHING IF IM NOT MISTAKEN...BUT GOOD POINT JBUTTA
LOST SOUL.....how can ou mention dr. dre as best rapper???? you at least have to mention someone who WRITES all of their OWN music....lol. I respect your opinions, but damn its well known dre aint write alot of his stuff.
damn imma tell u no one saw the neptunes comin or dash but they are for sure BAAAAAWWWWWWWLIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNN when u got that much paper why even give a fuck
Who ever said somethin about weezy and baby needs to go to f**kin sleep. Them ni**as aint got money like they say they do. Diddy will make it rain all over them Ni**as. Nelly Probably got more money than them.
fukin hell, just imagine i 2pac was still alive, he'd easily be worth a $1 billlion!!!
thug 4 life
I know my nigga Will Smith got cake at least 350 mill (he got movies, DVD slaes, albums, producation company etc...). PHILLY STAND UP. I don't bout Pac being a billionare but he would be up there if he was alive.
Pac would be no where near a billion dollars,Maybe a $100 million.
hay if Pac&Biggie was a live they both would be on the list. Them boyz was hustler of America. Not only the ghetto. dont forget world wide.
You can only make assumptionas to where big an pac would be at on this list ... They were different cats then the now day rap entrepreneur ....
they were more street then anything... who knows maybe they would have changed right along with the game like now days...or would they have just did their thing on wax an thats it...
its a question no one can answer...
EVIL DRE u gotta b kinding me....jamie foxx gets 20-25 mill for 1 movie....and dats after Ray...so it means dat Will...proly ask 30 mill...so yeah will smith got more money than all of those niggaz...will has fucking action figures....video games sample....record company and so much more and remember he's married to who....yeah so everything she gets its his...so do ur ressearch bfo postin comments
look at the list for a second....realise something....all them niggaz dint get all their money by rapping so BIg and Pac had to be doing something else besides rapping to get dat much money rappers dont make money buisness man make money...look at Em nigga made so much money over 2pac head...weezy and baby...dipset....snoop...all of them got money but not 60 mill but remember 10 million is still alot
Ain't none of them niggas fuckin with Bill Cosby money. Philly stand up. LOL
Doct P, you're figures are off, Jamie Foxx doesn't get anywhere near $20-25 million per movie.He only got $10 million for Miami Vice, Colin Farell made more than him.They had the story in the New York post about about Jamie Foxxs complaining about getting less than Colin Farell, so they bump his pay up to $10 million, which means he was getting less than that at first.And Jamie Foxx couldn't have gotten that much money for dreamgirls, because it was a small budget movie, with Both Eddie Murphy and Beyouce taking pay cut to get it made.And according to the July 3,2006 issue of Forbes magazine, Will Smith only makes $20 million a movie.
Good thing Russell had DMX or there wouldn't even be a Def Jam! I think you owe half that cash to X Simmons!
so evil dre how much movies did will smith done all combine....take dat number and times 20 + dvd and so many other shit...movies make so much money look at cube...look at cubes movies they cant compare with will and cube got dat much money so will gotta hav more than dat and plus his wife money...think about it
LIKE I SAID WILL PROLLY GOT LIKE 350 MILL.
Fuck that i'm bout to pass Jay and Puff next year, i got like $338 million. lol
who cares about whos the richest....sad materialistic world we live in.
Wat u doing in this discussion if u ain't talkin bout money Notorious? The topic is the top 5 richest.
"Will Smith only makes $20 million a movie."
lol, that's fuckin' hallarious... damn, just when you thought 20 mill was a lot. LOL
diddy is the best outa erbodii so anybody that dont like my boii is wack @s hell!!!!
yer well ok dude but diddy don't deserve it he only made it big from b.i.g and then went on to make party records which most of them r shit jay deserves 2 be were he is tho DIDDY'S 2 CUMERCIAL
and ok i can respect the coments on r kelly and janet jackson but will smith is hip hop enuf 2 b in the list unless his cash reli dosent mach as much as the otha dudes in the list.
I know im not the only one that saw that lost soul mentioned Blacy Ty aka tyrese as in the top ten best rappers?! wdf is that! i mean sure he can rap better then everyone on dipset but c'mon man he shouldn't even make the top 100! if black ty is in the top ten then im the greatest rapper alive, how about that., and my nigga jay needs to make a mix tap real quick and make 10m easy so he can get pass diddy. or he can just make aan album saying HOv on all the tracks with 15 or 16 different dre beats. He would probally still go plat. just for being HOV
Dudes really know how to take things out of context.I never said 20 million was chump change, I only corrected a person who stated Will Smith makes 30 million a movie.And he didn't make 20 million for all his movie.He made far less than 20 million for "Ali", but that was more of a pet project he did to try and win a Oscar.He has done 15 live action movies,three of them he got paid less than a million dollars,"Where the Day Takes You","Made in America",and "Six Degrees of Separation".He also didn't get paid anywhere near 20 million for "Bad Boys",or "Independence Day".And I doubt Will Smith gets anything from the DVD sells of movies he starred in, but if he does, it's only a small percentage. He's a rich dude,but he's nowhere near Jay-Z or Puffy in overall wealth.
fuck that will smith nigga half ass backwards rapper naw fuck dat he aint even aloud to be called a rapper that nigga a ryhmer.
Dr. Dre has been a regular on Rolling Stone Magazine's Annual 50 Richest Rock Stars list since its first installment in 2001. In 2001 he earned $51.9 million U.S., including $35 million from the sale of 30% of his share of Aftermath records to parent label Interscope.
In Rolling Stone's 2004 list, it was reported that Dr. Dre charges a "Friends and Family" rate of $75,000 for artists affliated with him. On top of the flat fees, he earns an additional 5% production royalty and label profits for Aftermath artists.
For outside work, his rate is considerably higher. Rolling Stone reported that he earned $2 Million for his work on the hit Mary J. Blige song "A Family Affair" in 2001, and that he earns roughly $250,000 per track for co-production on songs such as Gwen Stefani's "Rich Girl" (see references for details). His personal wealth is estimated by the website panachereport.com to exceed $150 million (see references for details).
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O'Shea Jackson (born June 15, 1969 in Los Angeles, California), is a rapper, actor and film director, who has legally adopted his stage name, Ice Cube. Regarded as one of the greatest hip hop artists,[1][2] he began his career as a founding member of the famously controversial rap group N.W.A., and later launched a successful solo career in music and cinema. From the mid-90s onwards, Cube focused on acting, and his musical output has slowed down considerably. He remains one of the most visible West Coast rappers, having helped originate gangsta rap. He is particularly well-known for his incendiary raps on political and racial topics (such as the treatment of blacks in the United States). He is also one of the richest people in the hip hop industry with an estimated net worth of $145 million.
so why are dr. dre and cube not in the list ?
Lets see, why are Dr.Dre and Ice Cube not on this list.Maybe, because this is the top 5 richest and if you were smart enough to look at the list, you would notice that Ice Cube's net worth of $145 and Dr.Dre's $150 million did not exceed the fifth entry of the Neptunes with $155 Million.
Top 10 Richest in Hip Hop
so where can i find number 6 till 10 ??
Yo I told niggas Master P was fuckin BROKE
View the entire list below.
1. P. Diddy, $346 Million
2. Jay-Z, $340 Million
3. Russell Simmons, $325 Million
4. Damon Dash, $200 Million
5. Neptunes, $155 Million
6 Dr. Dre, $150 Million
7. Ice Cube, $145 Million
8. Eminem, $110 Million
9. 50 Cent, $100 Million
10. Nelly, $60 Million
10. (Tie) Jermaine Dupri, $60 Million
wow where is dr.dre and eminem
how comes raven symone aint up there, she worth 400 mil!
oh mah bad she aint hip hop, but still. i don think anybody knew that about her. she a mini oprhah.
no disrespect evil dre, tupac mother said he died a broke man, she stated that on a documentary on everything, yea they have money now because he selling cd's and they have the museum, dont get me wrong he is one of the best rappers to ever walk this earth besides biggie, but he would of had to get out the shyt he was in to have any paper, and will smith do have more money than jammie will has been nonminatted for grammies not just a grammy. and the girl who stated that dr.dre was one of the best rapper, get serious he probably make some raw beats. to come to my conclusion cassidy , fablous, lil wayne, are all raw
damn atleast the mentioend janet jackson fine ass..the female doing it..she can get my strap-word:.
WHO SAID WIZY AINT A BALLER GET REAL U MUST BE LIVING IN A FUCKED UP FANTACY U SHOULD ASKE FIRSTB B4 U SPIT THAT SHIT OUT.I BET U SHULD GET HELP 4 LIFE DAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWG
Nick Cannon is up there too!!!! He wuz getting $250,000 for every episode he was producing on nickelodeon.
And he was 17!!!!!!!
I think the first Hip Hop artist to reach a billion is gon be Jay H.O.V.A!!!!!
50 cent's number one now..shit 500 million with that vitamin water..they sold it 2 coca-cola company for 4.6 billion and he got 400 million!!i dont think anyone can catch up 2 him
wayne and baby ain't got money like these ballaz what wayne got he ain't on no commerials, he has no clothing line, movie no artist under him or around him makin money come on get ur facts str8 jay is the richest respected rapper dem nikkaz ain't ballin
Damn thats real hustlin fa real if will smith cant be up there can ice cube