Having taken in
And the list’s No. 2 wasn’t even close. Just
But if there is a takeaway from this year’s Cash King crop, it’s that business as usual in the rap world means leveraging one’s creativity into a mode of undisguised commerciality that’s created an abiding business model for the music industry.
Hip-hop’s heavy hitters seem to realize that to make it in today’s troubled economy — marked by a tumble in both the concert business and recorded music sales — brand-building is as important as mike control. The most notable among them — Jay-Z, you can raise your hand here — have parlayed their charisma and marketing ingenuity to become one-man conglomerates.
To wit: The biggest share of Jigga Man’s
Diddy, meanwhile, has taken to referring to himself as “”Ciroc Obama”” for his lucrative deal with
Hot-lanta rapper Ludacris (the No. 6 Cash King this year with
Contrast that to No.14 on the list, Eminem. Forbes calls him “”a relative pauper”” because of his lack of outside business ventures and decision not to tour.
As Ice-T pointed out in 1987, rhyme pays. Turns out brand-building pays a whole lot more.