50 Cent comes in a close second
Jay-Z has been named the world’s richest rapper.
The rap star, whose real name is Shawn Carter, topped Forbes.com‘s Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, earning an estimated $34 million last year.
Jay-Z sold 2 million copies of his 11th studio album ‘Kingdom Come’, in 2006, and served as president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings.
In addition to his music-related endeavours, Jay-Z is part owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball team, and endorses Budweiser, General Motors and Hewlett-Packard.
50 Cent, aka Curtis Jackson, came in a close second, netting an estimated $32 million last year. The rapper has sold more than 11 million albums as well as overseeing the G-Unit record and clothing labels.
Also making top five on the list (based on last year’s earnings alone) were Diddy, Timbaland and Dr Dre, respectively.
–By our Los Angeles staff.