Hip Hop’s High Earners

Forbes magazine released their annual list of the 20 top earners in Hip Hop last year. With combined earnings of over $220 million in the top ten alone, it’s plain to see that the global economic meltdown and the changes in the way we purchase our music (why buy an album when you can download the few tracks you actually like) did little to stifle their ability to rake in the almighty dollar.

As we reported in this post on high earning supermodels, the key to longevity is simple. Diversify! Why do one thing when you can do 5?



1. Jay Z

Shawn Carter brought home $63 million last year thanks to his album The Blueprint 3 and subsequent tour, investment in nightclub 40/40 and his stake in the New Jersey Nets basketball team. He boasted in hit Oh My God ‘What you call money, I pay more in taxes’ – he wasn’t kidding! Only our number 2 earned more than his tax bill! Still, he can’t get too big for his boots – wifey Beyonce earned more than him with $87 million.
Their joint income is just more than the GDP of Kiribati, a small island in the Pacific.

2. Diddy (or Puffy or P Diddy or whichever moniker he’s using now)

Sean John made a respectable $30 million thanks to his clothing line, Bad Boy Records and album Last Train to Paris. Movie appearances mean that figure stands to rise in 2011.

3. Akon - $21M

Senegalese-American Aliuane Thiam pulled in $21m from Konvict Clothing, his Pepsi soccer ad campaign and record label Kon Live which is home to cash cow Lady Gaga. Touring was a money spinner as will be new album Stadium Music.

4. Lil Wayne

Not even prison could stop Dwayne Carter. Before being sentenced in March he released album Rebirth, toured and made various guest appearances. Will be able to spend his $20 million soon.

5. Dr Dre

Despite not putting out any new material in 2010, Andre Young still earned $17 million from rights to classics like The Chronic, his Beats by Dr Dre headphones and executive producing Eminem’s The Recovery.







Looks like hip hop is one area that brown skinned men are successfully monopolising. And monetising!

See the full list here.

UK Chart Roundup: Major Britney Spears Fail

Weaveney Spears got her wig handed to hear in a Trenta-sized frappuccino cup today when Bruno Mars' "Grenade" spent a second week atop the UK chart while new singles from Adele, Diddy - Dirty Money and Wretch 32 all debuted higher than "Hold It Against Me" (#6). Here in the States the song is currently #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Initially Sony didn't have the Weaved One's latest slated for release in the UK until the end of February. The label then rushed "Hold It Against Me" onto UK iTunes after it topped the digital download store's charts in 17 other countries. Oops!...Maybe They Should Have Waited Until Wigney Was Available For In-Person Promotion After All (Again)

Here are how Extensionney's lead singles off her studio album's have charted so far in the UK:

* "...Baby One More Time" (#1)
* "Oops!...I Did It Again" (#1)
* "I'm A Slave 4 U" (#4)
* "Me Against The Music" (#2)
* "Gimme More" (#3)
* "Womanizer" (#3)
* "Hold It Against Me" (#6)

At least Weaveney can breathe a sigh of relief over not doing disastrous as Avril Lavigne, who hobbles into the chart at #29 with "What The Hell" like a knock-kneed hooker whose left foot was blown off by a land mine while her right one is permanently wrapped around her neck.

Speaking of which, here's the "What The Hell Video," which leaked this weekend:



Nice cameo by Mama Lavigne at 1:57. And I'll take the boyfriend if you don't want him, Av.

The U.K. Top 10:

1. "Grenade" - Bruno Mars *2 weeks*
2. "Rolling In The Deep" - Adele *new*
3. "Do It Like A Dude" - Jessie J
4. "Coming Home" - Diddy - Dirty Money feat. Skylar Grey *new*
5. "Traktor" - Wretch 32 feat. L *new*  
6. "Hold It Against Me" - Britney Spears *new*
7. "What's My Name" - Rihanna feat. Drake
8. "Like You Like" - Aggro Santos *new*
9. "Lights On" - Katy B feat. Ms. Dynamite
10. "Eyes Wide Shut" - JLS feat. Tinie Tempah  

Chart Rigger turned 6 this week. Fill out the fun pop blogiversary questionnaire.