Forbes has published its annual Cash Kings list and one name is really sticking out from the others.
Dr. Dre was, by some distance, the biggest earner in the hip hop game this year after banking a staggering $620m (€482m) this year alone - more than the rest of the top twenty combined.
The source of his bank manager's glee is mostly down to Dre selling his share of Beats to Apple in a massive deal a few months back and Forbes estimate that his income is the highest ever earned by a musician in a single year (at least as long as they've been tracking it).
To illustrate the massive gap in wealth, Jay Z and Diddy finished in joint second place by taking in $60m (€46m) - mere peanuts when compared to Dr. Dre.
A new album, a massive tour and a deal with Nike saw Canadian rapper Drake settle in to the fourth spot with $33m (€25m) while Macklemore & Ryan Lewis completed the top five thanks, in no small part, to their seemingly unending touring over the summer.
How is the list put together? The numbers are generated by combining record sales, publishing deals, merchandise sales, as well as touring and endorsement figures but doesn’t include any outgoing fees for managers, lawyers and so forth.
That list in full:
1. Dr. Dre – $620m
2. Jay Z – $60m
2. Diddy – $60m
4. Drake – $33m
5. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – $32m
6. Kanye West – $30m
7. Birdman – $24m
8. Lil Wayne – $23m
9. Pharrell Williams – $22m
10. Eminem – $18m
11. Nicki Minaj – $14m
12. Wiz Khalifa – $13m
13. Pitbull – $12m
14. Snoop Dogg – $10m
15. Kendrick Lamar – $9m
16. Ludacris – $8m
16. Tech N9ne – $8m
16. Swizz Beatz – $8m
16. 50 Cent – $8m
20. Rick Ross – $7m
20. J. Cole – $7m
20. DJ Khaled – $7m
20. Lil Jon – $7m
20. Mac Miller – $7m
