King of hip hop: Dr Dre earned $620 million before taxes thanks to the sale of Beats headphones to Apple for $3 billion
With $620 million in estimated
pre-tax earnings, veteran rapper and record producer Dr. Dre
topped Forbes list as the highest paid hip hop artist, ousting
Sean 'Puff Daddy' Combs from the top spot.
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
released on Tuesday.
Much of the 49-year-old's earnings this year came thanks to
the $3 billion sale to Apple of the Beats high-end headphone
company he founded with music executive Jimmy Iovine and other
financial ventures, including cognac and vodka brands.
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Combs, 44, tied for second place with Jay Z, 44, with $60
million, 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.
Drake, 27, came in fourth with $33 million with takings from
his album 'Nothing Was the Same,' an endorsement deal with
sportswear firm Nike and a concert tour.
Grammy-winning duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis rounded out the
top five with $32 million.
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. The earnings were calculated based on data from
Pollstar, RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and
Nielsen SoundScan.
Newcomers: Rappers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have broken into the top five with $32 million
Cashing it: Rapper Drake is said to have made a surprising $33m thanks to his music and a deal with Nike 
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