Forbes’ Hip-Hop Cash Kings By the Numbers

Record sales may be on a steady decline, but rap stars still command big bucks. Five years ago, Forbes Magazine published its inaugural Hip-Hop Cash Kings list—a compilation of the rappers, producers and rap executives who'd made the most money in the previous year. The list has since been published annual and has sort of of become an barometer for rap's biggest ballers. Jay-Z reigned supreme in 2007 and has had a strong grip on the top spot. Though he's been crowned Cash King the most time, Hov doesn't hold the record for the most lucrative year. 50 Cent earned that distinction after raking in a whopping $150 million in 2008. A large part of Fif's earnings came from Coca Cola buying Glaceau, Vitamin Water's parent company. Similarly, Dr. Dre made beaucoup bucks ($110 million) after HTC bought a 51 percent stake in his Beats By Dre company last year. There are plenty of numbers to break down. Here, XXL breaks Hip-Hop Cash Kings By the Numbers. —Carl Chery (@cchery)