If you're like many Americans you view rappers as negatively as thugs or gangsters, you're going to be surprised with the amounts of money some "gangsta rappers" are puling in.
A video recently appeared on Forbes.com which broke down the earnings situation among rappers. According to Forbes, Sean Carter (AKA Jay-Z) pulled in about $34 million last year due to his latest album, Kingdom Come, and his entrepreneurial pursuits.
According to the Associated Press, rapper 50 Cent earned roughly $32 million last year with his G-Unit record label and clothing line. 50 Cent should top the list next year as he cashes out of VitaminWater for $400 million -- a topic covered by our own Zac Bissonnette here.
Other prominent rappers on the list included Diddy ($28 million), Dr. Dre ($20 million), and Eminem ($18 million).
One has to begin wondering if rapping about the ghetto will grow old. It seems like many of the well-known rappers makes 500-10,000 times what the average American makes. Not so ghetto anymore, yo.
More Vitamin Water news
Beth Gaston Moon: High school vending machines getting more eclectic
Zac Bissonnette: PepsiCo plans a lower-calorie Gatorade
Jonathan Berr: Coke, Pepsi thirst for profits from bottled water
Zac Bissonnette: Experts doubt Snapple will satisfy Coke
Zac Bissonnette: Will Coca-Cola gulp down Snapple?
Joseph Lazzaro: Coke's catching up in the health drink segment
Zac Bissonnette: Coke swallows Vitaminwater
Zac Bissonnette: Coke wants vitamin water
Zac Bissonnette: Coke Zero is no zero, it's a big hit
Sarah Gilbert: Fuze acquisition pits Coke v. Pepsi in ritzy juice war
The richest ... rap mogul?
Posted Aug 17th 2007 4:45PM by Kevin Kelly
Filed under: Internet, Rants and raves
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-17-2007 @ 6:19PM
vern farmer said...
Sounds like the "poverty tour" worked out.
What a joke. Same old liberal bs. Do as i say, not as i live or do.
9-01-2007 @ 11:41PM
Wiseguy said...
The problem is that those " many Americans" are too narrow-minded to realize that not all rappers rap about the ghetto. But, without bias where would America be.
8-20-2007 @ 10:22AM
Robert Byngham said...
The problem with people like "wiseguy" in post #2 is he's fallen for the marketing of the record labels that own the rappers. I hate to break it to you "wiseguy" but most rappers have never seen a "ghetto" much less lived the life they pitch to people like you.
What most Americans abhor about rap is that it markets every negative value and stereotype there is to the youth of America.
As for these rappers making all this money, this article is dishonest. Something people like "wiseguy" are oblivious to is all the big money makers mentioned in the article are producers and label owners. You'll notice Slim Shady is the lowest earner mentioned, do you know why "wiseguy?" It's likely you don't so I'll tell you - Dr. Dre owns him and every cent of the 20M Dre earned probably came on the back of Eminem. Artists make very little money from the millions of albums they sell, they make their money touring and selling mechandise.
9-01-2007 @ 11:51PM
Wiseguy said...
thats what i was saying. not all rappers rap about the ghetto because alot of them never lived there, or if they did would rather not bring it up in every song. so thanks "Robert" for telling me something i already know all too well.