hip hop

Jay-Z Hip-Hop's Top Earner at $35 Million

Filed under: Wealth

You gotta hand it to Jay-Z. Despite taking a 57% pay cut -- down from $82 million in 2008 to $35 million in 2009 -- he's still the Hip-Hop Cash King, according to Forbes. (Cash Queens, aka the women, can be found on their own list, which focuses on all women in music, not just in the hip-hop genre.) Diddy squeaks in as the #2 cash king, with $30 million, and Kanye West is #3 with $25 million. Both of these gents also are down several million from last year.

Many of the artists on the Hip-Hop Cash Kings list earn a good chunk of their income through licensing and endorsements, but gone, at least for as long as the economy is uncertain, are one-time mega deals in the $100 million-plus range. This is what knocked 50 Cent out of first place in 2008 down to #4 this year, with "only" $20 million.

In Pictures: Hip-Hop's 20 Top Earners

Tags: cash kings, CashKings, Forbes, hip hop, hip-hop, HipHop, Jay Z, Jay-Z, JayZ, wealth

Hip Hop Crown Jewels Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

Remember the necklace shown above? Well now it can be yours along with a number of other items of mega-bling from the hip hop world.On October 1, Phillips de Pury & Co. is holding the Hip Hop's Crown Jewels auction which will feature around 50 iconic pieces worn by hip hop luminaries such as 50 Cent, Biz Markie, MC Lyte, Kanye West and the late Notorious B.I.G and Tupac Shakur. Major pieces include Missy Elliot's diamond, black diamond and gold turntable ring, Biz Markie's black and white diamond headphones pendant, Sean "Diddy" Combs diamond and platinum bracelet, Pharrell Williams' pave diamond Gucci link necklace, Slick Rick's multicolor diamond-set eye patch and of course Lil' Jon's famous diamond and yellow diamond "Crunk Ain't Dead" pendant which weighs nearly 12 pounds and boasts 3,756 round-cut white diamonds total set in 18K yellow and white gold. A portion of proceeds from the sale will benefit Russell Simmons' Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, the Hip Hop Summit Action Network and the Diamond Empowerment Fund.

[via Fashion Week Daily]

Gallery: Hip Hop Crown Jewels