50 Cent Tops Forbes' 'Hip-Hop Cash Kings' List

By Devin

/ 08.18.2008

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson wears the crown on Forbes.com’ inaugural Hip-Hop Cash Kings list of the top-earning hip-hop artists in the business last year. The Queens-bred MC tops the list, earning $150 million over the past 12 months—almost twice what No. 2-ranked Jay-Z made.

The new king of hip-hop wealth banked $100 million after taxes on one deal alone when his stake in VitaminWater was bought by Coca-Cola as part of a $4.1 billion deal. 50’s portfolio also includes G-Unit Records, films, video games, platinum albums, and a mining partnership with South African billionaire Partrice Motsepe.

See the full list below.

1. 50 Cent – $150 million
2. Jay-Z – $82 million
3. Diddy – $35 million
4. Kanye West – $30 million
5. Timbaland – $22 million
6. Pharrell Williams – $20 million
7. Swizz Beatz – $17 million
8. Snoop Dogg – $16 million
9. Dr. Dre – $15 million
10. Ludacris – $14 million
11. T.I. – $13 million (tie)
11. Lil Wayne – $13 million (tie)
12. Eminem – $12 million (tie)
12. Common – $12 million (tie)
12. Akon – $12 million (tie)
13. Jermaine Dupri – $11 million (tie)
13. Lil Jon – $11 million (tie)
14. OutKast – $10 million (tie)
14. Chamillionaire – $10 million (tie)
14. The Game – $10 million (tie)