LIST OF FORBES TOP HIP HOP EARNERS OF 2013

Diddy tops Forbes' Cash Kings 2013: The
World's 20 Highest-Paid Hip-Hop Artists, with
estimated earnings of $50 million thanks to
income generated from Ciroc vodka, Bad Boy
Entertainment and the Sean John clothing line
among his other businesses, according to
forbes. This is the first time Diddy has topped
the list, the site says. Jay Z is #2 on the list,
with estimated earnings of $43 million. Jigga
earned double-digit millions from his concerts
and his Roc Nation label and management
company. The majority of Dr. Dre's $40 million
in estimated earnings comes from his
headphones line, good for #3 on the list, one
spot better than Nicki Minaj, who earned an
estimated $29 million and remains the only
female on the list. The Cash Kings list counts
pretax earnings for all living artists whose
work is primarily classified as hip-hop or rap,
as per forbes.com. The site says it considers
income from touring, record sales, publishing,
merchandise sales, endorsements and other
ventures, though management, agent and
attorney fees are not deducted from the tally.
Earnings for the Cash Kings are counted from
June 2012 to June 2013 and are based on data
from Pollstar, the Recording Industry
Association of America and Nielsen SoundScan,
and from interviews with numerous managers,
lawyers, record executives and some of the
artists themselves, forbes.com says. Forbes'
Cash Kings 2012 list was also topped by Dr.
Dre, Diddy and Jay-Z, but in that order. Dr. Dre
held the top spot on the 2012 list with an
estimated $110 million in pretax earnings
thanks to the sale of his Beats By Dr. Dre
headphones to handset maker HTC, which paid
$300 million for a 51 percent stake in the
company in 2011. In 2012, Diddy scored the
#2 spot with $45 million in earnings due to
profits from Diageo's Ciroc vodka, while Jay Z
was #3 with $38 million thanks to investments
in Carol's Daughter and the Brooklyn Nets,
among other ventures.
The full Forbes' Cash Kings 2013: The
World's 20 Highest-Paid Hip-Hop Artists is
as follows:
1. Diddy ($50 million)
2. Jay Z ($43 million)
3. Dr. Dre ($40 million)
4. Nicki Minaj ($29 million)
5. Birdman ($21 million)
6. Kanye West ($20 million)
7. Lil Wayne ($16 million)
8. Wiz Khalifa ($14 million)
9. Ludacris ($12 million)
10. Pitbull ($11 million)
11. Drake ($10.5 million)
12. Snoop Lion ($10 million, tie)
12. Eminem ($10 million, tie)
14. Kendrick Lamar ($9 million, tie)
14. Pharrell Williams ($9 million, tie)
14. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ($9 million, tie)
17. Swizz Beatz ($8.5 million)
18. Tech N9ne ($7.5 million)
19. 50 Cent ($7 million)
20. Lil Jon ($6 million, tie)
20. Rick Ross ($6 million, tie)
20. Mac Miller ($6 million, tie)
20. Young Jeezy ($6 million, tie)
20. Questlove ($6 million, tie)