Rapper Ludacris runs his own show

Ludacris removes his shades as he awaits his lunch at the restaurant in the posh Mandarin Oriental Hotel. He concedes he is a little tired with a concert at the nearby Verizon Center just a few hours away, but he really doesn't have time for rest. The Atlanta rapper also known as Chris Bridges is a busy man.

The Grammy-winning, platinum-selling artist has his hands full promoting his star-studded new album, Battle of the Sexes, out today, while also touring with the Black Eyed Peas and collaborating on current hits by Justin Bieber (Baby), Raheem DeVaughn (Bulletproof) and Taio Cruz (Break Your Heart). On the side, he's juggling a slew of charity and business ventures, including his Disturbing Tha Peace record label and a popular Atlanta restaurant. Parenthood and a thriving acting career also vie for his attention.

"I know I'm working hard, but it's hard for me to think about all I'm doing because I'm constantly on the move," says Ludacris, 32. "How do I do it? I take it one minute at a time. I've got a great team of people around me, I designate my time intelligently, and I'm a great multitasker."

He's also passionate about applying creative tweaks to his latest projects. On Battle, he enlists several female artists to engage him in lyrical conversations on gender. That novel concept initially was hatched for a duet with former DTP labelmate Shawnna, but it was broadened to include a range of female and male artists.

"Hip-hop is such a male-dominated industry," says Ludacris, who has been criticized for less-than-flattering references to women in his lyrics. "There's a female voice that's sometimes kind of missing."

His collaborators welcomed the opportunity to fire back.

"Guys and girls have been having this battle of the sexes from the beginning of time," says newcomer Nicki Manaj, who rhymes on the song My Chick Bad. "So when you put that to the music, it's fun."

Says Eve, who has heard on a remix of the same song: "This is a great concept. I wish I'd thought of it."

Another track, Hey Ho with Lil' Kim, addresses the double standards of promiscuity. Can't Live With You, featuring his cousin Monica, deals with a couple in an edgy though loving relationship, and B.O.T.S. Radio finds him and Shawnna giving callers advice on love.

He doesn't have a counterpart on the current club banger How Low, which went No. 1 on USA TODAY's urban airplay chart and has sold 1.2 million downloads, but it has inspired numerous remixes featuring Ciara and Pitbull, Rick Ross and Twista, and Flo Rida. "Everybody is sending me verses, which is flattering," he says. "We have so many versions of that song it's ridiculous."

Chuck Creekmur of music news site AllHipHop.com says Battle is continued evidence of Ludacris' musical growth after six hit albums and 14 top-10 R&B singles. He has sold more than 14 million albums in the USA.

"He's a real artist who commits to a concept and seeing it through," Creekmur says. "A lot of artists string together a bunch of songs and call it an album."

Ludacris, who got his start in the late 1990s at an Atlanta radio station as DJ Chris Lova Lova, was known as a brash party animal when he made his debut in 2000 with Back for the First Time. But in recent years, he has varied his themes to keep his music fresh. The still playful but more mature The Red Light District came out in 2004 and was followed by the somewhat darker Release Therapy two years later.

"He could have easily fallen victim to some of the traps other artists fall into by trying to stay the same," Creekmur says. "He's grown from kind of cartoonish rapper to a grown-up hip-hop artist. He's very lyrical, but some people forget that because of some of his more pop songs."

Building respect

That's a misconception Ludacris set out to change with 2008's Theater of the Mind, which went gold but was his first album to fall short of selling 1 million copies. It coincidentally came out at a time when he was getting notices as an actor. He calls the cinematically themed opus his favorite album to date.

"With that album, I set out to be respected as a lyricist," Ludacris says. "I feel like I accomplished that because even though I had sold a lot of records, people didn't start calling me a lyricist until after Theater of the Mind came out. I just love to re-invent and challenge myself to do things that I haven't done."

He applies that drive to all his projects. He was already a connoisseur of fine spirits when he was approached two years ago by the venerable French/Norwegian winery Birkedal Hartmann about bringing a new Cognac brand, Conjure, to the USA in a 50/50 venture. He didn't want to simply lend his name to the product's marketing, so he learned everything he could about the company and the process, then went to Europe to see it firsthand.

"We wanted somebody who would be really involved," says Kim Birkedal Hartmann, fourth-generation owner of the Cognac, France-based company established in 1887. "We just didn't want any endorsement deal. It was fascinating to see how interested he was. He wanted to know everything, and our master blender helped him select and blend the Cognacs he wanted."

Ludacris proudly declares that the custom-made liquor "tastes like luxury."

Forging such partnerships is one of the rapper's fortes. He got into business with San Francisco chef Chris Yeo, whose Straits restaurants serve spicy Singaporean cuisine, three years ago after meeting him at a charitable dinner. Straits Atlanta, which opened in April 2008, is now one of the city's more popular upscale restaurants. This year, he signed on with MTV to host and executive produce the Sprite Step Off, a documentary-style series that aired in February and followed step teams from three fraternities and three sororities competing for $100,000 in scholarships.

"I just treat people the way I want to be treated, and I respect my elders," he says. "Relationships are extremely important. Whether it's making records or in business, if we combine our efforts, intelligence and resources, there is no limit to the things we can do."

But time does limit the things he can do, and he has put his film career on hold until he finishes his tour in mid-April. He says his next role may be in the fifth installment of The Fast and The Furious franchise (he was in the first sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious), which is still in development. His acting résumé includes Max Payne, RocknRolla, Fred Claus and Gamer and TV's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and he won a Screen Actors Guild outstanding cast award for Crash and was nominated for another with Hustle & Flow. He says he has been careful not to accept stereotypically thuggish "rapper" roles and even thought of turning down Hustle & Flow until producer John Singleton convinced him that the down-and-out rapper he portrayed differed greatly from his own personality.

"As it turned out, I'm glad that I did do it," he says. "But I definitely want to continue to take roles that people would not expect me to take."

Parenthood in the picture

His face lights up when asked about his role as a parent. He calls his daughter, Karma, 8, "my best friend."

"She rolls with me," he says. "Whenever I'm at the restaurant, she's there trying to help out the servers and she gets paid for that. And whenever I'm acting, she'll come on set and root me on. I'll bring her to some of my shows — the clean ones I do at festivals where there are other kids. She's my road dog and she loves it."

He says he won't be slowing down in the foreseeable future. He already has decided on Ludaversal— a play on Universal Records, DTP's parent company — as the title for his next album, which he says could arrive by year's end. In the meantime, he's ready for any other opportunities that come his way.

"It's just the rush that I get from working toward a goal and really loving what I do," he says. "I love it so much it's almost a crime, because not everybody is so blessed. I will keep going until I can't do any more."

Lil Wayne's Jail Time: All Part Of The Plan

Today, a New York judge told the rapper Lil Wayne he can't postpone going to jail past March 2nd. He's a star whose influence reaches well beyond the hip-hop world. He's been in a Nike commercial with LeBron James, interviewed by Katie Couric. Even President Obama's mentioned his name—a few times. And he may even represent a new model for rappers who get sent to jail.

It's no secret that you can gain credibility as a rapper by having a pedigree in the pen, which is sort of sad. Lil Wayne was busted for having a gun — a mundane offense in the world of hip-hop. At this point, people have grown accustomed to the idea of a rapper going to jail.

But Wayne is different because, while his music is down and dirty, there's always been instruction to his rapping. There's an element of uplift in all the criming and rhyming. For example, in "The Profit," which he recorded with Fat Joe, he follows a verse of braggadocio with the words, "Stop hating and get your money on."

The fact of the matter is, it's easy to be down in the dumps about being broke, and to hate on other people — to be jealous. But if you really focus on getting your career and your life straight, there isn't a lot to stop you. I don't think a lot of rappers today take the time to tell you to move forward with your life.

Part of what has made Lil Wayne's success so striking is the way it's coincided with the fracturing of the media. While we've all been Twittering and Facebooking, he's been a monster on the mixtape circuit. You don't have to own a single Lil Wayne song to have his voice in your head. He's been on dozens of other artists' recordings and mixtapes. They keep him current in a way that transcends traditional media.

He's had an amazing run-up to lockup. He's been part of the "We Are the World" remix for Haiti. There was his performance at the Grammys less than two weeks ago: He brought down the house with Eminem and Drake, one of the young artists on Wayne's label. People didn't even notice that Kanye West wasn't there; it was that big a hit.

Where going to jail once represented part of a rapper's persona, for Wayne it's part of a business plan. He has a label, Young Money Entertainment, that's going to keep him front and center while he's in jail. They are moving from their headquarters in New Orleans to New York, to be close to him while he's at Rikers Island. He's already recorded an album's worth of material. It's a rock album, so it represents his big venture into crossing over even more.

His label has made every effort to make it seem like he isn't gone while he's actually gone. When he gets out, he may be bigger than he was when he left.

Fifth Man Charged In G-Unit Beating

A fifth man has been charged with assaulting a Canadian promoter last weekend, which resulted in the arrest of G-Unit, member Lloyd Banks.

Police have charged 26-year-old Rahim Visram, of Kitchener, with theft over $5000, for allegedly stealing the group’s performance fee.

Banks, born Christopher Lloyd, has been in custody since early Saturday morning (January 9), after he and three other men were charged with beating and robbing booking agent Chris Hines in a local hotel room.

The men were reportedly involved in a dispute over the fee Banks was to receive after a performance at Club NV.

Banks has posted $50,000 bail and was held by immigration officials, reportedly because he failed to disclose his criminal record to border officials prior to entering the country.

Banks and three other associates have all been charged with aggravated assault, forcible confinement and robbery.

The rapper’s associated Tyrell Cooper, 24 and Sean McGee, 31, were both released yesterday after posting $25,000 bail, while Nicholas Sloane, 25, remained jailed.

Rahim Visram is due back in court on March 24 to answer the charges

#Snoop Dogg’s Album Launch to Become Reality TV on #Ustream

In some ways, Ustream can be considered reality TV. Anyone with a webcam and an Internet connection can broadcast his life to the world. Celebrities, professionals and wannabe Web stars have all turned to the medium to try their hand at producing their version of reality TV.

The Internet network’s latest venture, Ustream All Access, is now upping the reality factor with hours of live footage of big-name celebrities and athletes streamed to the site throughout the day.

The Ustream All Access reality series kicked off on December 1 with Will.i.am, but tomorrow cameras will follow Snoop Dogg on the day his new album, Malice N Wonderland, hits stores. Viewers can tune into Snoop’s channel to watch an unfiltered stream of the rapper as he attends events and interviews in Los Angeles.

Unlike the reality content you see on your television, however, the Ustream All Access series will feature only unedited footage. Depending on the celebrity, the unfiltered broadcasts could make for must-see-Web-TV. What we can expect from Snoop Dogg is anybody’s guess, and that appears to be the main draw.

Ustream’s approach to reality TV is certainly an interesting one, and given that their debut broadcast with Will.i.am attracted 255,000 viewers, we anticipate it being a big hit with viewers.

#50 Cent Symbolizes the Impending Live Video Explosion

Some of the recent numbers being put up by live video events on the Web are giving TV a run for its money. Take for example the New Moon Premiere, which attracted 3 million viewers in total, a U2 concert on YouTube that reached 10 million, and the red carpet event for This Is It, which saw 1.8 million tune in.

Today, we have yet another big number to share, this time from last night’s Ustream premiere of 50 Cent’s movie “Before I Self Destruct.” In total, more than 255,000 users watched at least part of the 90 minute screening, which included the hip hop mogul answering questions live from fans.

Although not as huge as some of the other events, it’s perhaps more significant. As opposed to debuting the movie on MTV, VH1, or BET, 50 took to the Web and reached an audience of comparable scale to what he might have found on TV. Granted, he’ll still use other mediums for promotion, but in light of his numbers and those of others, expect a lot more events like the Self Destruct premiere in the near future.

That’s not to say the Internet is going to be as destructive to television as it’s been to print media, but we’re certainly starting to see it emerge as a strong compliment, if not competitor, to more traditional means of video distribution. We knew this was coming, but a combination of bandwidth proliferation and integration with social sites seems to be pushing live video to a tipping point. And where 50 goes, the money typically follows.

#Kelis Gets Paid!

Contributor : HipHopBlog

 

Kelis must be on Cloud Nine right now. Just one day removed from giving birth to a healthy baby boy, L.A. Superior Court Judge Louis Meisinger has ordered former husband Nas to pay her nearly $44,000 in monthly support for the near future.

The sparring musicians have been going back and forth over support payments for several months, with Kelis, whose full name is Kelis Rogers, insisting that Nas hasn't paid many of the bills associated with the pregnancy. The rapper's attorney told the judge that his client has paid $30,000 in expenses and the former couple's health insurance has been maintained.

A hearing on whether the payments should be changed will be heard on September 8.

Meisinger rejected an earlier offer from Nas' side of a one-time payment of $20,000, saying more money per month would be needed to maintain Kelis' lifestyle. The judge also told Rogers' attorney that the singer has 30 days to return to the couple's L.A. house or not.

The judge also ordered Nas to pay $45,000 for Rogers' attorney fees.

The Queens rapper had better get to touring, making a new album or sumthin', 'cuz these bills are gonna start eating at his pocket with the quickness.

#The Game strikes #Jay-Z

 

Contributor : HipHopBlog

The war of words between Jay-Z and The Game is only heating up. With the ball now in his court after Hove called him a "groupie," the Cali rapper goes to the hole.

"If Jay responds with a song," Game told radio station 103 Jams, "it'll be on his album because he's a pretty smart dude, witty, and he knows it'll benefit him more to put it on The Blueprint, if and when he does, just be on the lookout for "400 Bars" ...I'm a really put my pen on the paper and really strike a match."

The Game adds, "He just old and bitter and when anybody say my name in a rap, I'm gonna lock in...My fans expect me to respond and I ain't lost a rap beef to date...He just really needs to sit his old ass down somewhere and let the new n*ggas make money."

Damn, son. Tell us how you really feel!

Oh, and he most definitely does with this last bit. "He knows if he goes to war with me, it's gonna be never-ending," Game insists. "From Joe Budden to Memphis Bleek to Ras Kas to Yukmouth to G-Unit as a staff, record label and group, I'm a one-man army man. I will tear you down. They will stop wearing Roc-A-Wear clothing."

#Hip-Hop Home Improvement

 

When it comes to renovations, whimsical desires aren't always the best investment.

 

Rapper 50 Cent knows a thing or two about money management. The Queens native pulled in $170 million over the past two years--more than any other hip-hop artist--thanks to sales from his G-Unit empire and a lucrative investment in VitaminWater. But 50 has at least one high-priced weakness: home improvement.

In 2003, the rapper paid $4.7 million for a 19-bedroom, 35-bathroom, 50,000-square-foot home in Farmington, Conn. He then dished out $10 million for renovations including an entertainment system with 3,000 programmed movies, an ATV track and a room dedicated solely to shoes. But when it came time to sell, those amenities failed to spark interest. Fifty put the manse on the market for $18.5 million in 2007. It didn't sell for two years and was finally taken off in early June.

"Hip-hop artists are a little excessive with the things that they purchase," admits Fifty. "But to give you an example of how small the purchase of the Connecticut mansion was for me, 'In da Club,' as a single, generated more money than I paid for that property."

The average home price in the U.S. is down 17% from a year ago, according to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors, and having an ATV track in the backyard isn't enough to make a home immune to market forces. Fifty isn't the only one to take a hit. Overly ambitious building plans have come back to haunt other big names like rapper Wyclef Jean and producer Scott Storch, who once made more than some of this year's richest Hip-Hop Cash Kings.

"These young fellas over-improve," says Michele Kolsky, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker in Fort Lee, N.J. "If they go over the top and add all these bells and whistles, their home may not appeal to prospective buyers. When they're ready to move on to the next place, they're wondering why the agent can't sell it."

Florida native T-Pain begs to differ. The rapper-singer-producer ranks No. 9 on this year's list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings and is one of a handful who've made a profit by improving and flipping properties. His first was a 10,000-square-foot home in Atlanta, purchased for $1.325 million in 2006. It featured five bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms and "Club Nappy Boy" in the basement for entertaining his guests. He has since sold that house for $3.8 million and bought a new $3.2 million pad in Atlanta.

 

T-Pain credits his profits to architectural creativity.

"There are a lot of artists that have huge houses," T-Pain said. "I'm just really creative when it comes to mine. I'll go in a traditional house and put secret doors and Scooby-Doo turnarounds--there are stupid things that I do to make mine worth more than theirs."

Our No. 1 Cash King, Jay-Z, has elected to invest in land instead of Scooby-Doo turnarounds. The rapper-turned-businessman purchased a two-acre plot of land in Scarsdale, N.Y. where the median sale price is $912,000. There is a downturn here--the median price dipped 7% from last year, according to Trulia.com--but it's less than the national average. Jay-Z and his wife, Beyoncé Knowles, reportedly paid $7 million for the land and construction is underway--a sound investment, according to Brenda Maher, manager of the Sotheby's Westchester-Scarsdale brokerage.

"Scarsdale is a vibrant and beautiful town with a strong sense of community," she says. "It has always drawn notable and influential people who, like all residents, appreciate the proximity to Manhattan and Westchester County Airport, along with the top-notch school system. It's a great place to live."

Even the extravagant T-Pain, who always needs more garage space for his collection of 32 cars, tempers his home improvement tendencies with a bit of caution.

"You always have to be prepared for anything in this business," T-Pain said of his fellow artists. "I can say I will be one of Forbes' Cash Kings in 2010, but no one knows what's going to happen tomorrow."

Top 20 Earners in #Hip Hop For 2009

The past year has been even crueler to rap than it's been to Wall Street. Over the past 12 months, hip-hop's top 20 earners banked $300 million, down 40% from a year ago. The culprit: declining record sales and the disappearance of the mega-deals that once enriched hip-hop stars and corporate executives alike. Still, rising stars like Akon and T-Pain continue to brighten the hip-hop firmament, finding ever more creative ways to make money.

How We Get the Numbers

The Forbes Hip-Hop Cash Kings list includes male recording artists whose work is primarily classified as hip-hop or rap. Their female counterparts can be found on our Cash Queens of Music list. Earnings estimates, which include income from record sales, digital downloads, touring, films, TV shows, endorsements, books and other entertainment ventures, are calculated between June 2008 and June 2009. Management, agent and attorney fees are not deducted.

In order to determine our list, we interviewed numerous sources within the music industry--including lawyers, media buyers and many of the artists themselves. We also conducted research via Billboard, Pollstar, Nielsen SoundScan and the Recording Industry Association of America, among others.

 

 

 

20. Jay "Young Jeezy" Jenkins

$6 million, tie

Prescient rapper released album The Recession last September; the record debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, sold a quarter million copies in its first week and earned Jeezy a Grammy nomination. Has appeared on hit songs by other artists including fellow Cash King Akon. Earned publicity for his feud with Bill O'Reilly over his performance at a concert celebrating Obama's inauguration.

 

20. Jayceon "The Game" Taylor

$6 million, tie

Not to be confused with the Harvard-Yale football game, hip-hop's The Game released LAX, his third studio album, last August. The record has sold nearly 750,000 copies to date. Outside of music, he plugs Skechers, Kangol and British apparel outfit Lonsdale. Film credits include a role in low-budget action flick Waist Deep

20. William "Rick Ross" Roberts

$6 million, tie

Rotund rapper took his name from infamous drug trafficker Ricky Ross, lost street cred when it was revealed that he once worked as a corrections officer. No matter: This year, Ross beefed with 50 Cent; released his third album, Deeper Than Rap, which sold nearly 200,000 copies in its first week; and made his Cash Kings debut

20. Tramar "Flo Rida" Dillard

$6 million, tie

Cash Kings newcomer splashed onto the scene by rapping about Apple Bottom jeans and Reeboks in last year's hit "Get Low" featuring T-Pain. Followed up with album R.O.O.T.S., which included chart-topper "Right Round," sampled from the 1980s classic by Dead or Alive. No truth to the rumor that he's being sued by the state of Florida for trademark infringement.

 

 

18. Antwan "Big Boi" Patton

$7 million, tie

Member of Georgia duo Outkast, one of the most musically innovative and commercially successful hip-hop acts in history. Their six studio albums have collectively sold over 20 million units. Big Boi spent the past year finishing up solo album Sir Luscious Leftfoot, due out this fall.

18. Andre "Andre 3000" Benjamin

$7 million, tie

Other half of Outkast is also working on a solo album, but spent more time recently furthering his acting career with a role in the summer blockbuster Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Launched his Benjamin Bixby clothing line last year. Has a penchant for cars and speed: He was busted for doing 109 miles per hour in his Porsche earlier this spring.

 

 

14. Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean

$8 million, tie

Bronx-born prodigy got his start as a producer at age 16, penning the catchy "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" for DMX. Piled up a massive production catalog working with other artists from Busta Rhymes to Jay-Z. Last year's solo debut One Man Band Man underwhelmed, but side gigs keep him afloat--appeared in ads for the Gap and owns a stake in trendy toy company Kidrobot. Pending divorce from singer Mashonda and reported relationship with Alicia Keys have made him a tabloid favorite.

 

 

14. Clifford "T.I." Harris

$8 million, tie

Self-crowned "King of the South" co-founded Grand Hustle Records in 2001 to distribute his mix tapes. In recent years, became a cross-platform star, appearing in films including American Gangster (2007) alongside Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington. Bump in the road: Nabbed on machine-gun charges last year. Started serving a one-year sentence in May--but not before earning a nice chunk of change from his latest album, Paper Trail.

14. William "will.i.am" Adams

$8 million, tie

Discovered in the early 1990s by Eazy-E of NWA fame, will.i.am became a household name in recent years due to his success as part of the Black Eyed Peas. Singer-rapper-producer now focuses on solo work in and outside music, including roles in recent films Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Outspoken Obama supporter performed at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last fall.

14. Lonnie "Common" Lynn, Jr.

$8 million, tie

Chicago native is one of hip-hop's most socially conscious artists, supporting PETA and speaking out against the use of homophobic rap lyrics. Album Finding Forever, released in 2007, was nominated for three Grammys. Last year's follow-up, Universal Mind Control, sold 250,000 albums. Endorses Lincoln's Navigator, plugs Microsoft's Zune. Substantial film experience includes roles in Smokin' Aces (2007), Wanted (2008) and Terminator: Salvation (2009)

13. Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges

$10 million

"Mouth of the South" known as much for his raunchy lyrics as for his public spats with the likes of Bill O'Reilly and Oprah Winfrey. Parlayed musical success into a number of substantial acting roles, including an appearance in Crash, which won the 2005 Oscar for Best Picture. Also one of hip-hop's most consistent performers--his first five solo albums all went platinum. His sixth, Theater of the Mind, was released in November; though it has sold about 700,000 copies so far, still has a chance at 1 million.

12. Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus

$11 million

Lanky rapper parlayed pimpish image into mainstream fame. Once the embodiment of West Coast gangster rap, revealed a softer side in his reality-TV show Father Hood, now in its second year. Filmed taking care of family pets, teaching his kids about the birds and bees, and managing household matters. Last year's album Ego Trippin sold half a million copies worldwide; his next, due out this year, is rumored to include a track entitled "Snoop Dogg Millionaire.

11. Andre "Dr. Dre" Young

$13 million

Served as executive producer for Eminem's highly-anticipated album Relapse, which sold over a million U.S. copies in its first month. Legendary rapper-producer is also one of hip-hop's savviest. Unlike many who sell the rights to their songs, Dr. Dre hangs on to most of his; still collects royalties on multiplatinum albums like 1992 classic The Chronic, which sold nearly 10 million copies worldwide.

10. Marshall "Eminem" Mathers

$14 million

Controversial rhymester rapped his way back onto the scene this year with the release of Relapse, his first album in five years. The record, which details Eminem's battle with drug addiction, hit stores on May 15 and sold over a million copies in its first month. Sold 75 million records in his career; 1999 debut album The Slim Shady LP has been certified five-times platinum. Detroit native was recently voted best rapper alive in a poll by Vibe magazine.

9. Faheem "T-Pain" Najm

$15 million

Circus-themed album Thr33 Ringz debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's chart and has sold nearly 700,000 copies to date. Dreadlocked star also cashed in on a slew of guest appearances, including Flo Rida's "Low" and Kanye West's Grammy-winner "Good Life" last year. Nominated for three more Grammys in 2009. Appearance on Saturday Night Live digital short "On a Boat" became an Internet sensation, earning over 30 million YouTube views. Hip-hop's Jay Leno owns 32 cars, including the first Rolls Royce Phantom convertible sold in the U.S.

8. Pharrell Williams

$16 million

Versatile star made his name penning hits for rappers and pop artists alike as part of popular production duo The Neptunes. Recently produced songs for Busta Rhymes and Jadakiss. Now fronts the funk-rock band N*E*R*D and is said to be an avid Star Trek fan. A geek with exquisite taste, Williams designs sunglasses for Louis Vuitton and owns apparel lines Ice Cream and Billionaire Boys Club. Reportedly owns a solid gold BlackBerry.

7. Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley

$17 million

Hip-hop super-producer continues to churn out tracks at a frenetic pace; catalog of classic hits include Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'" and Ludacris' "Roll Out." More recently, produced pop songs for the likes of Madonna and Chris Cornell. Second solo album Shock Value went platinum shortly after its release in 2007; follow-up is scheduled for later this year. Hollywood beckons: Timba is reportedly set to produce the soundtrack to Simon Cowell's rumored Saturday Night Fever remake.

6. Dwayne "Lil Wayne" Carter

$18 million

Started hip-hop career as a teenager with group Hot Boys, blossomed into a mainstream celebrity with hits like "Tha Block is Hot" and "Lollipop." This year, pulled in an estimated $10 million from his 65-show mega-tour alone; latest album, Tha Carter III, went platinum in its opening week. Follow-up Tha Carter IV said to be in the works. Also starred alongside Forrest Whitaker in the film Hurricane Season, due out later this year. Longtime buddy Birdman reportedly gave Lil Wayne $1 million in cash for his 26th birthday in October.

4. Aliaune "Akon" Thiam

$20 million, tie

Split childhood between Senegal and the U.S., gained worldwide fame with 2004 hit "Locked Up." Since then, has become one of hip-hop's most versatile artists--one of few to make more money this year than last. Can thank diversification: writes, sings, raps and produces; makes lucrative guest appearances on other artists' songs and tours frequently. Other business ventures include Konvict Clothing and Konvict Music, a label that boasts pop princess Lady Gaga.

4. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson

$20 million, tie

Last year's highest-earning hip-hop star has seen annual pay fall from $150 million to $20 million. Reason: a $100 million windfall from the sale of VitaminWater parent Glacéau to Coca-Cola last year. Steep drop in earnings makes him look like a crashing bank stock, but Queens-born rapper might survive future stress tests better than most: His portfolio includes popular G-Unit clothing line and record label, plus films, videogames and a slew of platinum albums. Launched cologne for Macy's in June. Fourth album, Before I Self Destruct, is set for release later this year.

3. Kanye West

$25 million

Stayed atop the hip-hop charts with the release of his fourth album, 808s and Heartbreak. Though not as well-received as his prior effort, the multiplatinum Graduation, experimental oeuvre sold nearly 2 million copies. Last year's "Glow in the Dark" tour included a stop in his native Chicago to headline the music festival Lollapalooza. Moonlights as a shoe designer, recently crafting a successful limited-run Nike line called the Air Yeezy; designed another shoe line for Louis Vuitton, due out this summer.

2. Sean "Diddy" Combs

$30 million

Dapper don of hip-hop continues his decade-long run of good fortune. Diversified Diddy brings in cash from clothing line Sean John, record label Bad Boy, premium vodka Ciroc and reality TV shows Making the Band and Run's House. With over 1 million followers and an abundance of exuberant posts, Diddy is among the most prolific of hip-hop's Twitterati.

1. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter

$35 million

Reclaimed his crown as the top Hip-Hop Cash King despite taking a steep pay cut from the $82 million he brought in a year ago. The reason? That figure was inflated by a top-heavy 10-year, $150 million deal he signed with Live Nation last April. Still had a good year: wrapped up a huge an international tour, made a groundbreaking appearance at the U.K.'s Glastonbury Festival and honeymooned with new wife Beyoncé. Owns a stake in pro basketball's New Jersey Nets and New York's 40/40 nightclub.