2016 Forbes Top 5 Richest and Wealthiest Hip-Hop Artists in The World

Whenever FORBES release their list of the top Millionaires, top richest, most successful, highest paid and other similar lists, I always find it very trustworthy and easy to believe than any other publisher's in the world because of the fact that FORBES follow the same procedures used to calculate the list of the world’s billionaires to calculate them: simply by looking at their past earnings, valuing current holdings, leafing through real estate records and talking to analysts, attorneys, managers, venture capitalists and some of the moguls themselves to find the details.

Today, I will like to share with you a very interesting list which you'll also like to know more about, that's the list of the top 5 richest Hip-Hop artists in the world [2016]. Though, this article seems to be a bit off the Technology niche but we can still write and feature such an article since most of the artists even make their fortune from their Tech establishments, just like Dr. Dre's Beats by Dre which he sold to Apple Inc couple of years ago, fetching him a fortune no other musician has ever made through a sale. Well, if you are a music and Hip-hop fan, then you should be able to guess and predict some of the top five wealthiest artists yourself but if you are not, I'll say you better not guess at all because you might just end up being all wrong. Going straight to the list!

We have Birdman, Diddy, Dr. Dre, Jay Z and a new-comer on the list - Drake. Before this year, it has always been Birdman, Diddy, Dre, Jay Z and 50 Cent in the past few years but 50 Cent spent his $100 million fortune faster than expected, and last summer’s bankruptcy filing knocked him off the list. Thus, Drake moved all the way up to the 5th spot with a net worth of $60 million which he gathered from touring, music and deals with the likes of Nike, Sprite and Apple.

“That’s pretty much my objective every year,” Drake once said of having his financial achievements acknowledged by FORBES. “Other than making good music.” Still, it could take decades for Drake to ascend to the heights occupied by this year’s king: Diddy, who boasts a staggering fortune of $750 million, up slightly from last year. Without further ado, here is the list !

1. Diddy - $750 million

The bulk of his bucks come from his agreement with Diageo’s Ciroc vodka; adding to his total are stakes in his TV network Revolt, clothing line Sean John, record label Bad Boy, tequila Deleon and alkaline water Aquahydrate. Coming close to Diddy is the 2nd on the spot, the great Dr. Dre!

2. Dr. Dre - $710 million

Two years ago the super producer’s Beats By Dr. Dre sale got him the largest one-off payday of any living musician in history, and last year’s biopic Straight Outta Compton padded his coffers, too. He now sits on a nine-figure cash stash—and a jaw-dropping portfolio of Southern California real estate—that even a billionaire would envy. As DJ Khaled once put it to FORBES: “It’s safe to say headphones is a good business.” which is so true in Dr. Dre's example. No wonder other big names on the planet are already moving into the headphones business - Cristiano Ronaldo is one with his ROC.

3. Jay Z - $610 million

Jay Z ranks third in the race to $1 billion; with his net worth now standing at $610 million. The Brooklyn-born rapper boasts a broad range of holdings, but it is his Tidal streaming service that made him this year’s biggest gainer on paper. The company has had its bumps, but with 3 million paid subscribers, it’s now worth an estimated three times more than its $56 million purchase price. What a smart Tech + Business man Jay Z is!

4. Birdman - $110 million

Cash Money chief Birdman ranks fourth with $110 million, down a tick from last year due to turmoil within his empire. A huge sum of $500 million away from the 3rd-ranked Jay Z. Well, the flagship smartphone artist, Lil Wayne, has slowed his once-frenetic release pace; rumors of his departure, along with fellow top acts Drake and Nicki Minaj, continue to swirl. That said, Drake’s latest album, Views, dropped just days ago via a smorgasbord of labels including Cash Money/Young Money, and a source close to the company says all three have multiple records left on their deals so maybe this will help the chief to move his net worth higher than it is by the next time Forbes release the next list.

5. Drake - $60 million

Drake once said he planned to make $250 million by the time he was 29. With less than a year left before he turns 30, he’s still got ways to go. But the Toronto native is certainly on the right track: this year, he’s the first newcomer to crack the Forbes Five. With his latest album - VIEWS - which he just released few days ago, the Canadian is really on his way to reaching his goals and even sprinting off it in just a little period of time.

Here is the official video Forbes dropped highlighting the top five richest hip-hop artist starting from no. 5 - Drake! Enjoy it below -

This is a really wonderful list from Forbes and one of these days, a member of Forbes' list is likely to become hip-hop’s first billionaire. Diddy certainly wouldn’t mind if it’s him. “I’d be blessed to be a billionaire, hopefully someday it’ll come true and I’ll be able to do some good with it” he told FORBES in 2013. What do you think about what he said? Who is your favourite in this top 5 list? Do you think someone will pull Diddy off the 1st position anytime soon, who? Kindly drop your thoughts and contributions via the comment box towards the bottom of this page and don't forget to share this interesting article with others. You can also subscribe to our 100% FREE email update so you can get our upcoming articles directly in your mailbox, you won't miss any interesting article this way. Have a splendid day! Work hard and work smart. Hope to see you on the Forbes list someday. Good luck!