Top 10 Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists 2014

1. Sean "Diddy" Combs ($700 million)

Diddy keeps his crown yet another year, pushing ever closer to the billion-dollar mark thanks mostly to non-musical ventures. His newly-launched Revolt TV provides him with a majority equity stake that could one day make him hip-hop’s first billionaire. The artist formerly known as P. Diddy has plenty of other ventures, including a deal with Diageo’s Ciroc that entitles him to eight-figure annual payouts and a nine-figure windfall of the brand is ever sold. 

  

2. Andre "Dr. Dre" Young ($550 million)

The California-bred superproducer leapfrogs Jay Z on this year’s list, fueled by the runaway success of Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, which he cofounded with record executive Jimmy Iovine in 2008. With a whopping 65% market share of the premium headphone market and a recent $500 million infusion from Carlyle Group, Beats' value is soaring toward $2 billion.

    

3. Shawn "Jay Z" Carter ($520 million)

Megadeals like his $204 million Rocawear sale in 2007 and his $150 million pact with Live Nation in 2008 provide Jay Z’s fortune with firm footing. But the bulk of its growth this year comes from new ventures. Jay Z’s Roc Nation is worth a healthy nine figures itself thanks to the addition of Roc Nation Sports, which gets a single-digit percentage cut of pacts like Robinson Cano’s $240 million monster.
 

     

4. Bryan "Birdman" Williams ($160 million)

Birdman’s number would be over $300 million if he didn’t share his fortune with brother Ronald “Slim” Williams, with whom he cofounded Cash Money Records two decades ago. Cash Money continues to grow with a roster that includes Drake, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and even Paris Hilton; diversification is on the way with Cash Money Content, a YMCMB clothing line and GT Vodka.

   

5. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson ($140 million)

One of the most successful rappers of the past decade, 50 actually owes most of his fortune to his $100 million haul from the sale of VitaminWater in 2007. Now he’s trying to recapture that magic with companies like SMS Audio and SK Energy. In the meantime, he’ll reboot his music career by taking his G-Unit Records independent and releasing new album Animal Ambition.

  

6) Marshall Bruce Mathers III — AKA Eminem, Slim Shady

Net worth: US$190 million
Age: 41
Sideline businesses: Starred in movie 8 Mile and has made cameo appearances in television and film; has his own radio channel, Shade 45 on Sirius XM Radio.
Philanthropy: Runs the Marshall Mathers Foundation and the Eight Mile Boulevard Foundation; supports ninemillion.org and Small Steps Project; has donated more than US$200,000 to Detroit children’s charity Wolverine Human Services.
 

7) Percy Robert Miller — AKA Master P

Net worth: US$170 million
Age: 44
Sideline businesses: Of all the hip-hop moguls, Miller is the most entrepreneurial; has released a self-help book called Guaranteed Success; contracted as an NBA player on two teams; bought a real-estate company and a gas station; set up the No Limit clothing line; bought a phone-sex company; invested in car rims, fast-food franchises and book publishing and launched a sports management firm.
Philanthropy: Set up P Miller Youth Centers and his P Miller Food Foundation for the Homeless; has co-hosted an event with Michelle Obama for anti-obesity.
   

8) Kanye Omari West — AKA Yeezus

Net worth: US$110 million
Age: 36
Sideline businesses: West’s other ventures are mainly fashion lines, including collaborations with Nike, Adidas and Louis Vuitton.
Philanthropy: The Kanye West Foundation closed in 2011, reportedly due to lack of actual donations; has appeared at fundraisers and done community work for Hurricane Katrina relief and other foundations. 

9)Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr — AKA Snoop Dogg

Net worth: US$110 million
Age: 42
Sideline businesses: Launched film production company Snoopadelic Films; has appeared in many films, including The Wash and Bones; also starred in many television shows.
Philanthropy: Runs the Snoop Youth Football League to bring the game of American football to underprivileged inner-city children. 
 

10) Dwayne Michael Carter Jr — AKA Lil Wayne

Net worth: US$100 million
Age: 31
Sideline businesses: Carter has launched a clothing line, Trukfit, and dabbled in acting; he signed his first big endorsement with Pepsi’s Mountain Dew in 2012, although this was withdrawn last year after his lyrics compared a brutal racist murder to sex.
Philanthropy: Carter founded and is president of the One Family Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to youth empowerment, which paid at least US$150,000 to rebuild Harrell Park, after it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and US$200,000 to rebuild the local community centre; in 2011, Carter gave away approximately 500 turkeys to hungry families for Thanksgiving.