Hip-Hop’s 20 Biggest Earners For 2008
Source: Forbes
1. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson: $150 million
2. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter: $82 million
3. Sean “Diddy” Combs: $35 million
4. Kanye West: $30 million
5. Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley: $22 million
6. Pharrell Williams: $20 million
7. Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean: $17 million
8. Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus: $16 million
9. André “Dr. Dre” Young: $15 million
10. Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges: $14 million
11. Clifford “T.I.” Harris: $13 million (tie)
11. Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter: $13 million (tie)
12. Marshall “Eminem” Mathers: $12 million (tie)
12. Lonnie “Common” Lynn Jr.: $12 million (tie)
12. Aliaune “Akon” Thiam: $12 million (tie)
13. Jermaine Dupri: $11 million (tie)
13. Jonathan “Lil Jon” Smith: $11 million (tie)
14. OutKast: $10 million (tie)
14. Hakeem “Chamillionaire” Seriki: $10 million (tie)
14. Jayceon “The Game” Taylor: $10 million (tie)
Some names on the list are definitely surprising, Lil Jon made 11 million, Chamillionaire 10? Damn I need a new hustle…
Props Pro Hip Hop
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August 18th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Damn 50 caking tought jay would b on top
Fuck that gay-ass first shit.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:16 am
I agree wit the brother above me, I thought Jay would be on top. THis nigga 50 is wayyyy ahead of niggas.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Vitamin water, ladies and gentlemen.
I’m surprised to see The Game, Chamillionaire and Lil John on here, but thats whats up. What recession? Its not showing in music. Big ups to Common. He making that movie money now.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:20 am
What? Jay has a 150 Live Nation deal! Didn’t they account that? Hell no, that ain’t true! Jay should be on top not 50 Cent!
August 18th, 2008 at 8:21 am
that vitamin water threw fifty over the top
i have a feeling tho he gonna go from top 10 to not mentioned at all next year..
August 18th, 2008 at 8:22 am
live nation deal was WORTH 150 …he did not GET 150 LIQIUID CASH…
50 had the vitimin deal worth over 300 MILLION
curtttttttttisssssssssssss
August 18th, 2008 at 8:23 am
50 cent making them moves. Jay-Z made $82M thats sick. Hmm i wonder how much money BABY making aka pimping off of lil wayne.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:24 am
50 earned almost twice jayZ and over 4 times what diddy did…CURTTTTTTTTTTTTISSS
August 18th, 2008 at 8:31 am
em made 12mill doing what exactly?
August 18th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Dre dre and Eminem still eating off of 50, 50 probably still eating off the games album sales that vitamin water deal threw him over the top i dont think that live nation deal is added to that… I though wayne would have made more than that.. we will see how he does next year after the sales for his album and him touring… how in the hell did lil john make 11 mil what has he been producing?
August 18th, 2008 at 8:44 am
^^^^ Man I was thinkin the same damn thing.. What exactly did Lil Jon do this year?… Somebody, Anybody… ????/
August 18th, 2008 at 8:44 am
“Hmm i wonder how much money BABY making aka pimping off of lil wayne.”
Carter 3 CD is credited to “Young Money” Imprint. so guess who’s caking from that? Wayne.
Carter 2 wasn’t like that tho. This one wayne owns the publishing.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Snoop Dogg album flopped n he still caking? damn.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:45 am
god dam 50
August 18th, 2008 at 8:49 am
ok this is not adding up. That vitamin water thing happened almost 2 years ago. What is 50 making money off of? G-Unit is done(clothes, albums, etc). I thought lil wayne would be a little higher since he’s everywhere. And where did Chamillionaire come from. What has he done.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Def counted from last year. Bcuz even if Jay’s live nation deal didn’t giv him 150 mil, he still got madd other stuff goin on that would put him over 50. Roc Nation!!!
http://www.bombinmagazine.com
http://www.myspace.com/bombinmagazine
August 18th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Had no idea Common was making that much
August 18th, 2008 at 9:06 am
how is the game on there?
August 18th, 2008 at 9:10 am
LOL FUCK ALL YALL 50 SAYS.. DUDE AINT EVEN GOTTA DROP A ALBUM AND SMASHING FIGGAS .. THATS A BOSS FOR REAL ..
August 18th, 2008 at 9:16 am
LoL.. Niggaz talkin that south shyt.. But when you look at things closely.. You gotta look all the way to the bottom of the top 10 to see a south nigga… N when you look @ the Top 10 its filled with New Yorkers.. A Couple Californians and a couple Virginian…
Just thought I would point that out.. No hate or disrespect to anybody… Take it how you like..
August 18th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.
Although I thought timbaland would be slightly higher with all the singles he was involved with
August 18th, 2008 at 9:21 am
DONT GET IT TWISTED, THIS IS A YEARLY AVERAGE, JAY-Z IS STILL THE CLOSEST TO A BILLIONAIR AND 50 SAID IT HIMSELF, IM TRYING TO GET ON HOVS LEVEL OF WEALTHYNESS.. 50 DONT GET ME WRONG IS MAKING DOE, BUT INVESTMENT WISE AND ACTUALL ON HAND CASH JAY-Z IS IN THE 980 MILLION MARK, EVEN 50 STATED THAT JAY-Z WILL BE THE ONLY RAPPER EVER TO HIT A BILLION DOLLARS.. EVERYTHING UNDER THAT IS JUST FLASH NOW BUT NO GROWTH LATER TO JAY-Z KEEP IN MIND JIGGA GOT NIGGAS TO STEP THEIR BUSINESS GAME UP .. RESPECT THAT NIGGA
August 18th, 2008 at 9:30 am
“LoL.. Niggaz talkin that south shyt.. But when you look at things closely.. You gotta look all the way to the bottom of the top 10 to see a south nigga… N when you look @ the Top 10 its filled with New Yorkers.. A Couple Californians and a couple Virginian…
Just thought I would point that out.. No hate or disrespect to anybody… Take it how you like..”
cuz its always diddy, jay and 50 that make money in NY. been like that for years…everyother rapper in NY works at Mickey Ds.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:42 am
What does this have to do with NY and the South?
But for the guy talkin dat fly NY S%&t, count how many south artists are on this list, and then count how many NY artists are up there…… Besides the same big three (which two are old money), who else from NY gettin money?
August 18th, 2008 at 9:48 am
……….. And Virginia is the south so make sure you tally them up with the south. Even if you dont tho, the south still has more people gettin money. The top three may be gettin MAJOR money but thats three out of a billion rappers in NY.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:51 am
I agree w/ # 19 plus doesn’t matter if they say jigga # 2 on forbes b/c u add 82 mill + marrying Beyonce = # 1.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Common is the big surprise to me!
Fif is a beast at that pace he’ll become richer than hov.
I can’t believe i’m commenting on other people’s money! smh
August 18th, 2008 at 9:52 am
shit im just happy that all these niggas are cake’n some of of these rappers i like some i think are grade A trash but these are niggas that came from nothing so stop hate’n bitch ass niggas and just be happy a nigga made it
August 18th, 2008 at 9:54 am
::Watches all the dudes get wet in their panties about other people’s money::
What have you done in YOUR life lately?
August 18th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Cmon 757 stop taking it soo personal… Im in VA right now.. VA is borderline north and south.. Its right on the cusp.. Northern VA can be considered north… Southern VA could be looked @ as south.. It was just an observation…
N just cuz Jay, Diddy, and Fif are always on the list dont discredit that fact that they are getting money.. You cant take them out of the discussion cuz they been doing it for X amount of years.. That nigga Jay has made more money in the past 5 years than he has made at any point in his career prior.. So you cant take that dude out of the discussion..
N to clarify.. I aint a south hater.. I fuck wit Ross, Jeezy, etc.. I even fuck wit Soulja Boy.. Cuz that young nigga is gettin paid.. I wouldnt buy an album but I respect him.. I just notice NYC gets a lot of slack on the blogs.. BUt when the numbers come out.. Niggaz is makin 6x more then the niggaz who is “supposed” to be runnin rap… N thats if we talkin money.. Talent is a whole other subject that we dont even wanna get into…
August 18th, 2008 at 9:58 am
damn niggas is gettin mad cuz jay z dont got 50 money
nobody is fuckin wit 50’s paper
NOBODY
August 18th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Eminem didn’t do shit all year, and he still caked up, thanks to 50… how the fuck did game make 10 mil.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:03 am
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA
YEEEEH NIGGAAZZ
FEELS GOOD!!!
FIF ON TOP FUCKERS!!! MAYN WHO DA FUCK SAID NEXT YR HE WONT BE MENTIONED? BCZ TOS DIDNT SELL..U DUM FUCK??
AND PEOPLE THE 150MIL HE MADE IS NOT!! OFF VITAMIN WATER..DNT U FUCKERS KNOW THAT THE NIGGA’S IN A MOVIE WITH NIC CAGE, ANOTHER WITH ROBERT DE NIRO, AL PACINO
DA NIGGA GET AN ADV CHEQUE FOR ALL THAT IF U GET WAT IMEAN..AND AFTER MOVIE SALES HE GETS ANOTHER CHEQ..I KNOW HOW MUSIC INDUSTRY AND HOLLYWOOD WORKS …GET UR INFO RIGHT DUMMIES!!
NOW STOP HATIN..APPRECIATE ALL THESE NIGGAS MAKIN MONEY..I REALLY LOVE IT
PEACE
August 18th, 2008 at 10:05 am
games on der and his album styll hasnt dropped… wat if his album droppped… wer wuld he b on da list
August 18th, 2008 at 10:08 am
oooh snappp
GAMES ON THE LIST..ENOGUH LOVE BRO!!
BUT I FEEL SORRY FOR DUDE CZ HE GOT EVERYNIGGA ON HIS POCKETS..CURTIS, JIMMY HENCH, JIMMY IOVIN, DRE, FAT CAT OR WHATEVER HIS NAMS IS…
SO I DNT THINK THOSE 10MIL GO STR8 IN HIS MOUTH..HOWEVER STILL GOOD 2C HE MAKES MONEY AFTER ALL CONTROVERSY
August 18th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Emm HOlla
You sure sound like a “south hater.” Imma call a spade a spade! But come on Cuzzo, the money that the top three are making aint even comin from rap, so just because they are at the top, doesnt mean that they are the ones really running rap as you suggest. It means they are the people EARNING THE MOST MONEY who just so happen to be involved with rap/hip hop!! Even though the others on the list may have endeavors outside of rap, I am pretty sure the majority of their money came directly from rap. (Shows, Albums, Production, Guest appearances, etc.) And like I say, majority of those on the list are from where?
& Im not even going to address the Virginia thing. Im born and raised. You a transplant.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:14 am
@ djyan
he giving you a cut tho? DAMN! all over the niggas dick n shit
August 18th, 2008 at 10:16 am
co-sign #28 Yall can hate all you want on 50 Cent but watch the mony pile up. 50 Cent is a smarter businesss man than Jay-Z plus he takes care of his artists. CURTISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!
August 18th, 2008 at 10:27 am
damn lil’ wayne is getting RAPED….self proclaimed best rapper alive and he not even in the top 10….smh
August 18th, 2008 at 10:35 am
50 is all the way at the top while the game is all the way at the bottle lol…50 cent made 150mill while the game made 10mill lol…Keep hatin on 50 and watch the money pile up more lol…50 ain’t even got to put out an album are anything just sit their and chill and dude would still be banking…lol Also the reason why i didn’t feel sorry for the TOSalbum flopping.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:41 am
“damn lil’ wayne is getting RAPED….self proclaimed best rapper alive and he not even in the top 10….smh”
? the fuck that has got to do with money?
50’s vitamin water deal got nothing to do with him being a good rapper..
August 18th, 2008 at 10:41 am
they didnt count that 150 million jay made, just like last year they didnt count 50 cent 90 million vitamin water deal. if the deal is made after a deadline then you dont count it. that 150 will be used for next years list. the same shit happened to 50 last year.
i need me some money like this.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:46 am
How in the hell did the game killed g-unit lol dude ain’t nowhere at the top. He couldn’t even pass kanye west’ chamillionair’ common’ lil wayne’ or t.i.’ damn dud should be ashame. The only thing the game killed his himself and that money wise hopefully his LAX album can help his 14 feature ass out…lol at the game
August 18th, 2008 at 10:52 am
lil wayne gettin whipped smh… 50, jayz and diddy are all global entitys…. Thats why their money is so strong… Most of these south artists are just local thats why their money looks weak in comparison…..
Quote jay-z “im a lil wayne gettin whipped smh… 50, jayz and diddy are all global entitys…. Thats why their money is so strong… Most of these south artists are just local thats why their money looks weak in comparison…..
Quote jay-z “im not a businessman im a Business mayn”.. That goes for 50 to…
What about Ricky MIAMI 5.0. Ross, according to him he made 100mil of white lol…
August 18th, 2008 at 10:54 am
There are mad ppl on the list who surprised me, like Em, Chamillionaire and the Game. 50 is really what’s up right now. And all yall need to stop countin’ shit that wasn’t accounted for cause if you sayin that Jay did the LiveNation deal 50 is also doing the Myspace Records deal with $150 mil again that is not mentioned so wait til next year to make your comments. This is just a perfect example of why G-Unit, Diddy and Jay-Z ain’t goin anywhere. You can hate on their music or what not but as long as you have that much money you can drop as many albums and mixtapes as you want. P.S. Game should just shut the hell up just based on these figures and also on the fact that 50 is still eatin’ off the money he makes and is about 2 make from his album.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:56 am
ice cube should be on ther he makes movies and he has a cd coming out rawfootege august 19 and he is a LEGEND!!!!!!
August 18th, 2008 at 10:59 am
yall gettin it twisted hov did not pocket 150 mill….the deal includes distribution n videos..n all the other expenses….plus that deal is bout t be dead….damn yaa where yall been at….im jus glad t see black people makin that kinda fetti…damn fif is a cash cow…wooow…im proud of these dudes they inspire me to grind harder…
August 18th, 2008 at 11:07 am
[In 50 Cent's Voice]
Yeah Nigga..
“Curtis Billionaire Muthafucker Jackson”
Yall Haterz Gone Really Be Mad When That Nigga Sells Thisis50.com for 300Mil To Myspace..That Time Is Coming Soon..They Already Over 300,000 Strong Since January..
That Nigga Jay-Z Need To Step His Online Game Up..
August 18th, 2008 at 11:10 am
50 got $100 million from vitamin water alone when they sold majority of stock to Coca-Cola which he had alot of money invested in. Jay Z got $150 from live nation but they only gave him 30 up front and deferred the rest over 6yrs but I think he lost that deal because he has’nt sealed that deal because he failed to produce his acts for the music part of the deal.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:12 am
HA HA…AND THEY SAID HIP HOP WAS DEAD!!!!
CHAMILLIONAIRE NEEDS TO TELL THEM OTHER CATS HOW HE CAKIN LIKE THAT WITH NO MUSIC OUT RIGHT NOW.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:13 am
The Game’s last album came out 2006…he was no where in 2007…so making 10 mil is a lot of money….and for the record he did kill GUNIT…where is Banks and YoYo’s name at???? those are the members of that group…..
August 18th, 2008 at 11:21 am
The Business Of Hip-Hop
The 50 Cent Machine
Zack O’Malley Greenburg
Forbes.com
Hip-Hop’s 20 Biggest Earners, 2008
Inside The 50 Cent Machine
Video:
50 Cent: Future Billionaire
Bringing Back Hip Hop’s Glory
Dugg on Forbes.com
Top 20 Hip-Hop’s Cash Kings 2008
Hip-Hop’s Cash Kings 2008 – Forbes.com
China Southern Locomotive shares rise in IPO debut – Forbes.
Learning How To Learn
Visit The Forbes.com Digg Channel
When it comes to records, 50 Cent knows what it takes to go platinum. But in a mine shaft thousands of feet below the surface of South Africa, he’s got metal, not vinyl, on his mind.
Last May, 50 paid a visit to billionaire mining baron Patrice Motsepe in South Africa. Flanked by select members of their respective entourages, the unlikely duo descended into a subterranean trove of platinum, palladium and iridium, growing like moss on the earth’s warm innards. A spectacular backdrop for a bling-drenched music video, to be sure.
But 50 was there for other business: to forge a joint venture with Motsepe that could soon bring him an equity stake in the mine–and 50 Cent-branded platinum to the world.
“Things that people wouldn’t actually expect me to be involved in,” 50 muses a few weeks later, reminiscing on his trip. “I’ve got a diverse portfolio.”
In Pictures: Inside The 50 Cent Machine
Here, in the comfort of a midtown Manhattan office, just miles from the Queens, N.Y., streets where 50 once dealt cocaine, the glowering rapper whose lyrics are often punctuated with gunshots is nowhere to be found. In his place is Curtis Jackson, businessman. Less gangster, more Gordon Gekko, he ticks through the contents of his portfolio: stocks, bonds, real estate, investment pools, all carefully monitored by brokers at Goldman Sachs (nyse: GS – news – people ) and Morgan Stanley (nyse: MS – news – people ).
Over the past 12 months, 50 has added $150 million to his substantial coffers. He hawks clothing, sneakers, videogames, movies, ringtones and flavored water. His earnings were nearly twice as much as last year’s hip-hop cash king, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, and over four times the sum garnered by Sean “Diddy” Combs, who ranked third for the second year in a row. After topping Forbes’ inaugural Cash Kings list, the trio released a modified version of 50’s “I Get Money” called “The Forbes 1-2-3 Remix.”
Diversification is crucial for rappers. Record sales are declining, new media are playing havoc with the music industry, and it seems unlikely that hip-hop acts will ever lure stadiums of deep-pocketed baby boomers with the ease exhibited by geriatric rockers such as the Rolling Stones and the Police.
Perhaps as a hedge, Jay-Z signed a 10-year, $150 million deal with concert promoter Live Nation (nyse: LYV – news – people ) in April. Kanye West headlined the traditionally rock-focused music festival Lollapalooza in Chicago earlier this month. 50 is looking to secure his own long-term relevance with deals like the one currently in the works with Motsepe.
“The financials of the music business have changed to the point that we have to find ways to make money in other places,” says Barry Williams, 50’s circumspect brand manager. “I didn’t think six years ago when we started trying to sell music that we’d be selling VitaminWater and shoes and clothes. Now we’re moving into other directions, and four or five years from now, it’s exciting to think about us looking at natural resources and raw materials and other businesses.”
50’s first mega-deal was completed a year ago. He snagged $100 million when Coca-Cola (nyse: KO – news – people ) bought Glacéau, VitaminWater’s parent company, for $4.1 billion. The rapper had received a stake in Glacéau as compensation for peddling the “Formula 50″ VitaminWater flavor. He’d continued to add to his holdings as the years went on. Although observers praised 50’s financial foresight as soon as the deal was announced, he was far from satisfied.
“People were talking about how much money I made, but I was focused on the fact that $4.1 billion was made,” says 50. “I think I can do a bigger deal in the future.”
Looking one step ahead of the business has always one of 50’s trademark traits. He grew up rough in Jamaica, Queens, in the midst of the 1980s crack epidemic. His mother, a drug dealer, was murdered when he was 8; soon after, he began running cocaine for his uncles. He realized he could make more money by charging a markup in the neighborhood of 25%. This precocious business sense earned him plenty of dollars–and three arrests–by age 19. He avoided jail time by agreeing to attend a six-month, military-style boot camp in upstate New York.
Returning to Queens, the fledgling rapper scored a $65,000 deal with Columbia Records. But in 2000 his past caught up with him. Days before his first album, Power of the Dollar, was set to hit stores, 50 was shot nine times and left for dead in front of his grandmother’s house. Columbia dropped him, and the record was never released, though it has since been heavily bootlegged. Undeterred, he returned to the studio as soon as he recovered from his wounds. He started churning out “mix tapes,” which are informally circulated at parties, and soon he had become an underground rap sensation.
The tapes earned him a following–and a big break. In 2002 star rapper Marshall “Eminem” Mathers heard his driver playing one of 50’s songs. Eminem was so impressed with the music that he invited 50 to Los Angeles to meet with him and producer Andre “Dr. Dre” Young. Within days, they signed 50 to a million-dollar deal for five albums.
But from the start, 50’s career was more about business than music. He spent his first $300,000 registering the “50 Cent” and “G-Unit” trademarks; in 2003 he brought on veteran talent manager Chris Lighty to head up his business entourage. Today, Lighty is part of an informal board of directors for brand 50 Cent. The team helps 50 sort through endorsement offers, brainstorm new ideas and operate his businesses.
At the top of that pyramid is 50 himself. Ask any of his associates what sets him apart, and they’ll all tell you it’s his fiendish work ethic. In a recent 24-hour span, he started by filming scenes for Streets of Blood from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. (He will star in the flick, due out next year, alongside Val Kilmer and Sharon Stone.) He then went straight to the mobile recording studio he keeps on set and worked on his new album for four to five hours. After snagging a few hours of sleep, he went right back to the studio.
“I don’t think he’ll ever stop working,” says Laurie Dobbins, chief operating officer of Lighty’s company, Violator Management. “He’s got the work ethic of a robot. I think he works 24 hours a day.”
50 will always be a performer. While he spent the daytime hours of his Africa tour kibitzing with the likes of Motsepe and Nelson Mandela, nights brought concerts–and crowds upwards of 100,000. He watched as his music broke the language barriers between scores of local dialects. He says the rush he gets from performing is the reason he doesn’t need drugs. But don’t be confused about where his priorities lie.
“Closing a deal,” he says, “is a bigger deal.”
August 18th, 2008 at 11:37 am
50 been #1 on Hip Hop’s Forbes for about 3 consistent years, even when he didn’t drop no album in 04, HE WAS STILL #2 And Jay Z was #1 barely, and he didn’t DROP NO ALBUMS THAT YEAR
ever since THAT 50 BEEN #1 on Hip Hop’s Forbes List
50 has made more money in Hip Hop and outside of Hip Hop is less time than JAY Z. 50 just made it big in 03, Jay been in the game since about 96.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:47 am
50 BEING ON TOP HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH VITAMIN WATER HE GOT A CHECK FOR THAT LAST YEAR AND THATS WHY HE WAS NUMBER 1 LAST YEAR!!
August 18th, 2008 at 11:48 am
AND JAYZ’S LIVE NATION DEAL IS “WORTH” 100 MILL BUT THAT DONT MEAN HELL MAKE 100 MILL
August 18th, 2008 at 11:52 am
You dudes is some groopie girls braggin about some rapper makin more money than another rapper like you seein that money! Im glad these guys makin money… hopefully some of that doe will make its way to the less fortunate like some of yall. What I want to see is the money being made by the entire music industry to see where hip-hop artists paper falls in with pop, rock, and country music artists. It is great to see that you can come from nothin and make that type of money thanks to hip-hop. Real talk should also do a article on the careers and money people have made that are not artists but bacame lawyers, writers, designers, etc… because of hip-hop. This thing is bigger than the artist but people like older black leaders dont recognize like they should! Corporate thuggin is the new millennium motto! Holla!
August 18th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Jay did good though, but just not as good as 50 CENT for the past 3 years.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:56 am
i thought kanye and wayne would be a little higher cause they both had great years….as for 50…bleh he’s business savy not surprise he on top.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:58 am
50 #1 by a long shot
Who do you think opened the door for 50 to be able to do what he’s doing now in such a short period of time? HOV AND DIDDY that’s who! The same way that Russell opened the door for them. Respect
August 18th, 2008 at 11:59 am
lil wayne need to go kill his self. He aint got no milli.. A milli a milli. His money going to birdman retirement fund.
August 18th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
50 got the money, but Hov got the money, power and R-E-S-P-E-C-T. lol
August 18th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
if anything CASH MONEY opened the door for 50 by allowing the man TO GO ON TOUR WITH HIM
AND IF ANYTHING DRE OPENED THE DOOR, HE DIDN’T GET SIGNED IN NEW YORK
Jay and Diddy did well, I love to see that. 50’s business savvy is impressive and that’s why he’s #1
“CALL ME FORBES.COM” JAY Z
I think we should be calling 50 that since he’s been #1 3 YEARS STR8
August 18th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
#1 CURTIS!!!! u can call him a bitch, his music aint the same whatever! THAT NIGGA GETS $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ FORREAL!
August 18th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
@ 43. Co-sign people say G-Unit dead and The Game says he destoryed them but look where The Game is Eminem hasn’t put out an album since 06 yet his tied in 12th. That must be embrassing for The Game to be below Chamillionaire.
For all the 50 haters like he always says he always win, its not just the water deal its getting paid from whatever The Game sells, think his got another game coming out aswell and I think a couple of movies he done this year aswell.
Damn Eminem in 12th and hasn’t put out a album since 06 Lol Damn The Game needs to keep quiet because his just about fucking with Chamillionaire & Outkast 14th LMAO The Game lost.
August 18th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FASiCrDri0k&feature=related
Rule number one don’t go against the grain
Rule number two give respect where respect due
Rule number three if you get knocked play games and say names
(gun click sound) the 45 will tear you out the frame
Its like the rich get richer and the poor don’t get fuckin thing
Don’t mean nothin changed but the things my money bring
My style will leave you aggy like them cats in jail
who peoples got plenty money actin like they ain’t got bail
I feel for you niggas gettin shot while I’m sayin this rhyme
Or niggas in the mess hall gettin shot on shallow lines
An old timer schooled me don’t burn bridges my friend
Imagine the G-Dub close and yo ass gotta swim
I watch the fifth melt a nigga melt a nigga of the sidewalk of New York
Me and shorty saw from afar and had a talk
He said I told em if he came around I’d clap him, I gave him my word
Look at his head its still shakin he had alot of nerve
(chorus)
(Jadakiss sample: If it wasn’t for the flow
I’d probably have to double Back bubble crack)
(Jay-Z sample: yea yea I’m a hustler)
3x
(chorus)
Yo when the fed come in the game loyalty is limited
Hardcore niggas start actin feminine
With the feds you do eighty five percent of your time
Duke you get ten you’ll damn near do nine
Hate a liar more than I hate a thief
A thief is only after my salary a liar is after my reality
The streets I know’em like my ABC’s
Stay away from the D’s and stack ya cheese
Try to see three hundred g’s fore you see three hundred z’s
Tree top to feel the breeze co connect for key’s
Yo bitches sexin me take me to ecstacy
Once I nut (ahh oh shit) I don’t want ‘em next to me
If its on mother fucker believe I’m gonna ride
I’m the type to swallow my blood fore I swallow my pride
Letters on my shirt read DKNY
Got grimy niggas runnin with me from BKNY
(Chorus)
They say I don’t sound like a killer well how a killer sound
I bet I grab a foe pound and back that ass down
See many men live baby and many men die
Many men get drunk puff lah and stay high
Here’s a jewel love you enemies and hate your friends
Your enemies remain the same friends always change
I don’t quit that theres more that one way to skin a cat
You can get him in the face dog or down his back
All bullshit aside now its time to be honest
I fear no man for death is all thats promised
I got niggas standin in line waitin to hear me spit
From eighty six to ninety six the game went from sugar to shit
This for you niggas in the background dyin to shine
I hate you like fiends who ask for a dime for nine
Don’t nothin change in the game but faces and names
Skate to wait to date and the jake
August 18th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
homie you messed up lyrics to a classic 50 cent song
“don’t nothing change in this game but faces and names
mistake the wait ya dating the jake”
get that money Fif….dude’s hustle is matched by very few as far as hip hop is concerned
he’s the next Russell
August 18th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
yo hahahaha 50’s album flopped and homie still makes the most gwap
August 18th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Damnnn http://youtube.com/watch?v=jqimvs4eCbk
August 18th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I see you LUDA and TI, a town love on there
50 I see you homie ATL got love for you, come down do a show homie! LUDA make it happen……
August 18th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
50 cent dickryders are a special breed. These mothafuckas rejoice when the nigga makes money like they have a stake in the 50cent enterprise. Like above and beyond congratulating him, they quoting lyrics, typing in caps and celebrating.
50 is still a rapper, and as far as rap goes, he has fallen off.
50cent fans are the very definition of stans LMAO
August 18th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
@Number 60, Lil Wayne’s money goes to his bank account, you idiot. That’s why his name is on Forbes not Universal, not Baby, just WAYNE. Check Carter 3 credits and see who the publishing is accredited to….Wayne.
All this before he has even gone on tour and these numbers are before his album release. Take note.
August 18th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
pointless checking this now with 5 months left in the year…
August 18th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Wow 50 on top of Shawn and Sean?????? LOL
August 18th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
All this NY vs South talk is gettin annoying. So what if its only Jay, 50 and Puff gettin the money in NY? You see over on the West its only Snoop, Game and Dre gettin the money for Cali. Why u aint hate on them. While these niggaz is colaborating in the studio they laughing at us cuz we keep feedin into the crap makin them more rich. Wake up people and just be happy for them. By the way Swizz made some doe this year too. Fuck haters!
August 18th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
YESS Jay has a 150 MILLION LIVE NATION deal but it doesnt go into affect until his DEF JAM contract runs out so they CANNOT account 4 dat money.
i kno 50 is prolly happy as hell….curtis and jim jones are obsessed w/ beating HOV at suttin
CONGRATS 2 ALL
August 18th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
YESS Jay has a 150 MILLION LIVE NATION deal but it doesnt go into affect until his DEF JAM contract runs out so they CANNOT account 4 dat money.
i kno 50 is prolly happy as hell….curtis and jim jones are obsessed w/ beating HOV at suttin
CONGRATS 2 ALL
August 18th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Damn, NY is Running this Money Shit! Yall southern niggas might SELL MORE RINGTONES THAN US LOL, But Diddy, Jay & Fif was the Top 3 on this List Last year, and and they Made a Quater Billion Combined!
August 18th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
U ALREADY NO WAHT IT IS BOY GUNIT NIGGAS I NO U MAD I NO U SICK NOW NIGGAS HOW DOES HE KEEP WININNG LOL YALL NIGGAS NEED TO GET TOGETHER AND MAKE A WE R THE WORLD RECORD GET EM 50 U NO WHAT IT IS AND FOR THE NIGGAS WHO SAY GAYME BODY THE UNIT 50 MONEY IS BANKS AND YAYO MONEY IF HE LENT BUCK 250 THOUSANSD AND HE BARLY NEW HIM WHAT U THINK HIS LONG TIME FRIENS WHO BEEN IN GUNIT SINCE THE BEGINING U DIONT THINKS THEY CAKING FUCKING IDIOT PLEASE LAX GO PLATIUNM SO BANKS AND YAYO CAN GET A NEW CAR LOL IM LAUGHIN STRAIGHT TO THE BANK WITH THIS
August 18th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
50 gets money
NY>>>>>>>>>>
August 18th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
78..
How U Take It Back Like That..These Niggas Dont Know Shit Bout That..
50 Cent- Be A Gentleman (Jay-Z Diss)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLZM2qZzEkc
———————————————————–
70..
Lmao..
Get Ur Panties Out A Bunch..We Already Know U Work For This Site And Hate 50..Lil Wayne Gotta Lotta Work Ta Do Boi..How Tha Fuck Can A Stupid Nigga Be Ur Favorite Rapper?
50 Haterz Stay Losin..My Nigga Run This Shit..U See It Cupcake..
August 18th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Lol….wow 50 can literally by niggas…no wonder Lil Wee-Z wanted no part of son….CURTIS hahahaha
August 18th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
NY Still on top….B
August 18th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Thats great to see cats making good money. The ruth is yeall need to stop sitting around and arguing whos the better millionaire. Niether 50, Jay or puff is up here reading yall cock sucking comments.Nod your head at the news and move on. Figure out how you will make it to the top of somebodys list.
August 18th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
That is truly fucking amazing these are men with no college degrees imagie if they had finished college but still kept thier independant way of thinking.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
100 MILLION OF 50′S MONEY CAME FRO VITAMIN WATER. HE WON’T MAKE THAT MUCH NEXT YEAR.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
im surprised to see Common on the list! way to go homie
August 18th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
50 by a landslide!! Common has been doing a good job getting that actor money!! *_*
August 18th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Man I don’t see Yayo Buck and Banks and they stay throwing shots at Game. I can see 50 talking bout Game but Banks and Yayo should keep their mouth shut and get on the grind and stop eating off 50.
August 18th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
50 made jay and diddy take a backseat….Jay almost at 50s level but cosign dude who say 50 did it in less time
50 made way more than Jay
August 18th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
CCCCCCCUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
August 18th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Jay and Diddy got the real bread and it will continue. Id rather have that than to not even been recognized in the industry you came up in as even being relevant. Im not a hater just telling the truth i know most ppl will agree…Ive #1 i never rocked g-unit, but have copped rocawear and sean john #2 wud grab any fuckin thing in the store before i grab a vitiamin water cuz the shit aint all that #3 never bout his music but have burned copies (curtis was trash) #4 ive never been to thisis50.com…no reason to. So yeah he getting money but who really goes out on purpose to get dis nigga 50 shit… 50 go on tour down south he aint gon have shit poppin like Hov erybody break bread for Hov. Diddy got niggas watchin tv and shit,and smelling good lol…im at the office Ive got on a pair on sean jean slacks and not cuz they sean john, but because they hot. 50 is lame if he equaled an average joe…just my opinion
August 18th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
y’all are corny for arguing over who make the most money.. 1st thing it ain’t yours and them dudes ain’t planning to share it with y’all.
all y’all yelling CURTIS are losers… 50 is a great businessman and i’m not taking nothing from that but y’all act like he’s gonna make 150 mill a year for the rest of his life. he still ain’t making oprah dollars, am i right? he made money when vitamin water was bought out by coca-cola…
this is a list made from june ‘07 to june ‘08… so kill that weezy’s getting raped… him and chamillionaire basically made that off of mixtapes and appearances on others songs. and nooo i’m not the biggest wayne fan (definitely don’t think he’s the best rapper alive)
artists make more money off touring and appearances then on album sales b/c they gotta pay for videos, promotion, etc… people don’t make money just off album so you can go plat and still not be the richest dude in the world (where’s soulja boy???, he sold alot of albums, ringtones, etc) and no i’m not a SB fan but i also don’t think he killed hip hop, maybe the internet did?!?
so, stop arguing and writing lyrics down… it’s not gonna change the numbers… just figure out how to inflate your own paper. study these dudes, perhaps… and stop ready to bang for your favorite rapper!!!
August 18th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
also, i don’t know if y’all know this but according to Forbes 2Pac made almost 15 mill and he been dead for like 10 years
August 18th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Hey, REALITY CHECK for all you so-called hip-hop “fans”….
WHO FUCKING CARES????? WHY Y’ALL SO WORRIED ABOUT THE NEXT MAN’S POCKET???? WORRY BOUT YOU AND YOURS…..
August 18th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
50 CENT ALL DAY EVERYDAY
DONTHATE!
August 18th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
this is not real all them numbers are not true your a moron if you really belive it
August 18th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
yeah that is good for these brothers and all but back to the real world bithches i see there is 95 comments about these dudes money but not one person got off topic for just a second and mention the bitch ass faggot going around choking out people’s grandmothers in bklyn huh realtalk new york needs to talk about things of this nature more often there is a recession out here captain dickheads wake up
August 18th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
“The Unit never lose cuz we always win”
50 wins again!!!
Gayme Stans go cop that LAX so 50 can make some money and Banks and yayo can buy a new Car lol
August 18th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
that vitamin water deal made a big difference didnt it
he better have another ace up his sleeve for this years numbers
jayz live nation deal was worth 150 but it wasnt 150 up front cash so he’ll be just fine next yr also. and i doubt that mary j tour is accounted for yet either
and kanye killed niggas wit that glow in the dark tour which just ended so those numbers aint in yet either. those will be 09 numbers.
the crazy thing is look at the list and see who’s making money for others on that list, u can tell 50 got madd money outside of shady/aftermath, u can tell common got sum cake outside of g.o.o.d. music.
moral of the story is, get ur fuckin hustle on, 1 job aint nearly enuff, start networking early
August 18th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Damn. NY stay makin that bread. They make about as much money as everyone else combined.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Really Tho, Who Gives a Fuck Who Made The Most Money? Lol@Yall Mafuccaz Arguin Over 50 And Jay’s Money ..All These Niggaz Makin Alot Of Money, Even Chamillionaire Is On The List..Thats Wassup You Can’t Hate That.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
HAV SUM RESPECT YALL RELLY HAV NO FUCKN IDEA HOW HARD 50 PUTS DOWN HIS GRIND, HE EAT SLEEP N BREATHE DAT SHYT 24/7/365 TAK NOTES!!!!
August 18th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
OH SHIT! 50’s NUMBER ONE! Hi haters.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
where em get money frm and why aint birdman on this list slim? somebody this list is obvisouly ONLY estimates
August 18th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
50 stay making power moves, Jay and Diddy not too far from 50 though, glad to see they stay on the hustle
Once again 50 #1
August 18th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
congrats to all the people getting money.
super congrats to all the people getting that “quiet money” on the low.
August 19th, 2008 at 2:04 am
All ya’ll dude’s talking about 50’s money being longer than Jay’s or him being a better business man need to do some research. 50 may have made more money THIS year, but not any other year and DAMN SURE not overall! 50’s net worth according to Forbes is AT LEAST 250-300 mill behind Jay’s. I’m not knocking either one and neither should ya’ll because BOTH of them have longer pockets then any of else will ever see. All I’m saying is know what you talk before you speak.
August 19th, 2008 at 2:15 am
*any of us (what the f*ck was I typing? LOL!)
August 19th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Too funny too see all hater on 50cent ahah,he own the rap game soooooooo far.You are all jalous because is the richest nigga in rap game.And you still dont understand why some names are surprisding,all of these guy are buisness mens ! Some guys in list dont move their asses and earned more money than LilWayne,probably the most active rapper of the moment,even his “Millie” record selling dont push him on the top10 of the list.They eanred more money by buisness than by music,this list proves it.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
woah, and I thought Fiddy fell the fuck off. I’d be right. His music is garbage now. But the man sure knows his finance. Obviously.
August 19th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
50 cent should change his name to 150 mil,Igot money money igot ,i guess! The game got his money from hollywood , I dont know what the fuck little jon did but fuck it ,dolla dolla bill yall
August 20th, 2008 at 4:02 am
lol @ the fake mathematicians mad that they ain’t realize jay’s 150 million deal is divided by 10(years) unlike 50’s!!!
Glad to see a few names I ain’t expect… and where’s baby if him and his brother are the real one cakin off lil wayne’s sales?
I hope these dudes watch their expenses though… a few mill don’t go as far as it use to!!!
lol @ 22 tryin to justify jigga mans apparent lost (why y’all mad at Curtis?)
lol @ the dude tryin to make it nort vs. south but tryin to say VA is borderline… YOU CRAZY!!!! Do your research on the mason-dixon line!!! At the least once you touch del/md you’re in the south buddy!!!
This sh!t is hilarious how serious folks are about this sh!t yet how uninformed they are!!!
Sometimes you folks really need to check the link and practice your reading and comprehension skills!!!
August 21st, 2008 at 1:42 am
hahaha,yeah 50!!As much as niggaz hate u,u still getting dat dough!Al of dose hu want Jayz at de top,fuck yall,he dont deserve it,next year he’l be 3,cos Em is coming thru,look he’s still in top 20 n he aint did shit,Mr Curtis u r de flippin man
August 24th, 2008 at 2:05 am
Yall dudes are really sad on here…TYPING CCCCUUUURRRRTTTIIISSS….C’mon man 50 is a Business Guru but he not FUCKING WIT JAY’S MONEY….
YALL FAIL TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS ONE YEAR…50 BEAT JAY THIS YEAR…EVEN IF 50 BEAT JAY 5 YEARS IN A ROW…IT WOULD STILL BE A CHALLENGE TO CATCH JAY…DO YOU THINK A COUPLE YEARS AT NUMBER TWO AFFECTS JAYS BANK ACCOUNT?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!
IF YALL REALLY WANNA SEE WHO IS CAKIN…GO CHECK THEY BANK ACCOUNTS…..AND YOU WILL SEE CRAZY 0′z IN JAYS ACCOUNT
JAY WINS BY A LANDSLIDE….CLOSEST [[[[BILLIONAIRE]]]] IN THE RAP GAME AND THATS FACT
BUT NO HATIN EITHER WAY….BIG UPS TO JAY AND CURTIS