Dr Dre ‘Beats’ rap competition to become richest man in hip-hop

Rapper and producer Dr Dre has ousted Sean “Diddy” Combs as the top earning hip hop artist, making $620m (£378.8m) before tax in the last year. Forbes said Dre’s estimated annual earnings for the 12 months between June 2013 and 2014 are the highest of any musician in any genre it has ever evaluated, and more than the combined takings of the other 24 names on the hip hop list. In May Dre, 49, joined Apple after the $3bn acquisition of Beats Electronics was completed. The deal for the headphone and music streaming company is the most expensive acquisition in Apple’s 38-year history.

If you get a hip-hop artist who can establish a name and a basis of fame and wealth and then they’re smart enough to .. make sorties into other parts of the culture .. that seems a typical American story.

Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University in New York state

Combs, 44, tied for second place with Jay-Z, also 44, with $60m (£36m), with earnings from drinks, clothing and television deals. Jay-Z, who toured with his wife, Beyonce, for the first time with their On The Run concerts, pulled in money from lucrative performances, his latest album and his Roc Nation entertainment empire, which assured him a place in the top five. Forbes compiled the list by looking at income from record sales, publishing, merchandise sales, tours and endorsement deals and talking to managers, agents, lawyers and some of the artists.

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