One of the more humorous stories from this week in hip-hop: Rick Ross and his self-defined membership in the Top 5 earners in hip-hop list. The emcee was somewhat surprised that he's not in the top five according to Forbes' annual list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings and he told the magazine in a video that its rankings didn't mean anything to him.
"I'm always top five. That's in my mind," he said. "I'm just giving you my guess. I don't got no facts."
Ross is just one of many rappers that haven't appreciated Forbes' findings. Indeed, in a genre where so many claim to be the "best rapper alive"—a title determined by the respect of one's peers and fans—low rankings on anything are unacceptable, even when based on hard statistics. Diddy long held a beef against the Cash Kings list, presumably because he didn't understand the difference between yearly earnings and net worth (his earnings are up as of late, whereas his net worth has always been high). The Cash Kings list is based strictly on earnings, allowing someone like Jay Z to surpass Dr. Dre, even if the latter is worth at least twice as much thanks to holdings in Apple etc.
Regardless, Ross doesn't reach near the Top 5 in either category. He placed no. 20 on the Cash Kings list during 2013 with $6 million brought in, and no. 12 during 2012 with $9 million. His earnings will undoubtedly be up for 2014 thanks to the release of his no. 1 album Mastermind but it's still doubtful he cracks the Top 5.
Music Times looks at last year's five biggest earners as an attempt to give some moneymaking advice to Mr. Ross. If it works out, we wouldn't mind him sending us a gold version of our head on a chain.
01) Diddy ($50 million)
Diddy pulled in nearly 8.3 times as much cash as Ross during 2013 and it can't be emphasized enough that he didn't put out any new music personally. He is, however, bringing in money through Bad Boy Records, representing performers such as Janelle Monáe, French Montana and...oh yeah. The Notorious B.I.G. That's just a small portion of his check however. He also owns a TV network (REVOLT), a clothing line (Sean John) and a vodka brand (Ciroc). Ross is showing some investment interest by opening a wing restaurant chain but booze is where the real money's at.
02) Jay Z ($43 million)
Jay is one of the few emcees that will outsell Ross and we don't hold that against the latter. Royalties and whatnot make up a significant chunk of Hov's yearly income but the success of his Roc Nation label explains a lot more: J. Cole's sales have already paid off for Jay, plus the next Calvin Harris and Rihanna records will also pay dividends into his Roc Nation earnings. Consider that Roc Nation management also handles affairs for everyone from Kanye West to Shakira and boom...money. The sports management and 40/40 Club restaurants are just pet projects really. Ross handles Maybach Music's lineup but Meek Mill and Wale are not Rihanna-type draws.
03) Dr. Dre ($40 million)
The $40 million listed above is the best example of someone being worth far more than they're bringing in. Yes, Dre got a healthy paycheck thanks to his headphone sales over at Beats, as he did for royalties from N.W.A. releases and handling production for young bucks like Kendrick Lamar. His actual net worth is staggering however, nearly twice as much as anyone not named Diddy, approaching a billion dollars following Apple's acquiring of Beats. What did Dre do right? He knew the right people. Not to slight Dre but Beats never would've gotten off the ground without Jimmy Iovine. So Rozay: Rub elbows with record execs at your next party.
04) Nicki Minaj ($29 million)
Minaj is the most interesting member of 2013's Top 5 and not because she's the only female to ever crack the Top 10 of the Forbes list. Unlike the aforementioned individuals, she doesn't own any stakes in a record label or company—outside of her moscato brand, which really isn't bringing in huge dollar amounts like a headphone brand does. Much of it is thanks to her touring and actual music sales but she has one advantage on the rest of the list: a television contract. Being a judge on American Idol is about as lucrative a TV gig you can get, so Minaj's numbers might take a hit now that she's no longer affiliated. For the record: We'd love to see Ross behind the judge's table next season.
05) Birdman ($21 million)
Birdman doesn't do anything that we haven't seen already, but he does it well. His Cash Money Records lords over Young Money, which means he's getting a cut of everything put out by stars such as Lil Wayne, Drake and, yes, Minaj. That's how a guy who's never cracked the Top 10 of the Hot 100 (solo or with Big Tymers) can afford to cruise in a Bugatti.
