On Tuesday, Forbes released its 2015 Hip-Hop Cash Kings list. Diddy, Jay Z, Drake, Dr. Dre and Pharrell Williams round out this year's top five.
Diddy undisputedly took the number one spot, bringing in $60 million over the past year. The hip-hop mogul reportedly earned more than any other hip-hop act in the world. The bulk of Diddy's earnings come from Ciroc vodka, but he's had a hand in several other ventures, including TV network Revolt, clothing line Sean John and alkaline water brand Aquahydrate.
Jay Z trails closely behind his New York counterpart, earning $56 million. The "Tom Ford" rapper/businessman saw profit from his joint concert with wife Beyoncé, his entertainment company Roc Nation and Armand de Brignac champagne.
Drake came in at number three, a placement the business magazine called "the best Cash Kings finish of his career." He earned $39.5 million in 2015. During the outlet's scoring period, he performed 50 shows, averaging $1 million nightly. His platinum-selling release If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late as well as endorsements for Sprite and Nike brought in big bucks for the Toronto rapper. Last year, he was featured on the list at number four.
“That’s pretty much my objective every year,” he previously said of making the Forbes list. “Other than making good music.”
Dr. Dre dropped down three spots after making history with 2014's $620 million, the highest annual payday of any musician ever. The major payout followed Apple’s $3 billion Beats buy. This year, Dr. Dre made $33 million. It is noted that the West Coast legend exec-produced biopic Straight Outta Compton and released his long-awaited third album. Both projects will definitely impact next year's rankings.
The film reportedly brought in an estimated $157.5 million in the U.S. and Canada, making F. Gary Gray the highest-grossing black director of a single film in domestic sales.
Pharrell Williams rounds out the top five with $32 million. He saw earnings from touring, music and his role as a judge on The Voice. The "Happy" artist also cashed out from his Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream clothing lines.
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