Forbes ranks the richest rappers: Jay-Z tops the list

Kanye West experienced one of the bigger drops, going from third place in 2009 all the way down to 10th...

Aug 18, 2010

Forbes has once again taken time from covering entrepreneurs who work with short-term CDs and gold-backed bonds to cover those who work with 12-track CDs and gold teeth. And again, Jay-Z has topped the business magazine’s annual list of highest-earning hip-hop stars, raking in an impressive $63 million over the past year. That’s over twice as much as his nearest competition, Diddy, and $28 million more than he made last year.

Kanye West experienced one of the bigger drops, going from third place in 2009 all the way down to 10th, right behind Pharrell (the only other artist in the Top 20 who uses his real name). Kanye’s drop could be a result of VMA backlash and his subsequent laying-low, but with a new album coming up, it’s hard to imagine that his estimated $12 million won’t increase soon

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