Men Lie, Women Lie: Rihanna Named The G.O.A.T. Of Digital Sales

by DG

Billboard has named Rih Rih the best digital selling artist of all time with 47.5 million digital download loads since 2005. Eminem isn’t far behind with 42.29 million. Meanwhile, Lil Wayne, Beyoncé and Kanye West all round out the top ten.

Men Lie, Women Lie: How Much Baby Money Did Jay-Z Make In The Last 5 Years?

by DG

In 2007 FORBES released the first ever Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, an annual accounting of hip-hop’s top earners. The top three on the list Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Diddy-created a song called “I Get Money (The Forbes 1-2-3 Remix)” to mark the occasion. Five years later, the same trio has amassed the most cash in the past half-decade. Jay-Z leads the pack with $251 million, thanks largely to a bevy of deals including a 10-year, $150 million pact with Live Nation (for more, see my Jay-Z biography Empire State of Mind). Next up is 50 Cent at $216 million, roughly half that sum coming from the sale of his VitaminWater stake in 2007. Diddy rounds out the top three at $158 million, boosted in recent years by his lucrative Ciroc vodka agreement.

50 Cent ft. Diddy & Jay-Z – I Get Money (Remix)

1. Jay-z 251 million

2. 50 Cent 216 million

3. Diddy 158 million

4. Kanye West 100 million

5. Timberland 81 million

6. Dr.Dre 80 million

7. Pharell 76 million

8. Snoop Dogg 73 million

9. Ludacris 68 million

10. Lil Wayne and Eminem 66 million

Full article via Forbes

News: The 54th Annual Grammy Awards Nominations

by DG


Kanye West brought in 7 nominations, followed by 6 nominations for Bruno Mars & Adele. Lil Wayne received 5 nominations while Drake, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna each got 4. The 54th Grammy Awards will be held on Feburary 12, 2012. List below.

Record Of The Year
Rolling In The Deep – Adele
Holocene – Bon Iver
Grenade – Bruno Mars
The Cave – Mumford & Sons
Firework – Katy Perry

Album Of The Year
21 – Adele
Wasting Light – Foo Fighters
Born This Way – Lady Gaga
Doo-Wops & Hooligans – Bruno Mars
Loud – Rihanna

Song Of The Year
All Of The Lights – Kanye West
The Cave – Mumford & Sons
Grenade – Bruno Mars
Holocene – Bon Iver
Rolling In The Deep – Adele

Best New Artist
Band Perry
Bon Iver
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex

Best Rap Performance
Look At Me Now – Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
Otis – Jay-Z & Kanye West
The Show Goes On – Lupe Fiasco
Moment 4 Life – Nicki Minaj & Drake
Black And Yellow – Wiz Khalifa

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Party – Beyoncé & André 3000
I’m On One – DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne
I Need A Doctor – Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey
What’s My Name? – Rihanna & Drake
Motivation – Kelly Rowland & Lil Wayne
All Of The Lights – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie

Best Rap Song
All Of The Lights – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie
Black And Yellow – Wiz Khalifa
I Need A Doctor – Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey
Look At Me Now – Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
Otis – Jay-Z & Kanye West
The Show Goes On – Lupe Fiasco

Best Rap Album
Watch The Throne – Jay-Z & Kanye West
Tha Carter IV – Lil Wayne
Lasers – Lupe Fiasco
Pink Friday – Nicki Minaj
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West

Full list @ grammy.com/nomimees

Men Lie, Women Lie: Eminem & Rihanna Reach 5x Platinum

by DG

Eminem & Rihanna recently hit the 5 million mark with their hit single “Love The Way You Lie.” I don’t know if anyone has noticed but Rihanna has had a constant hit for the last 5 years or so.

Men Lie, Women Lie: How Wiz Khalifa Made 11 Million in 1 Year

by DG

Wiz Khalifa came in #11 on the Hip-hop Forbes List and the JumpOffTv crew came through to discuss how he did it.

Men Lie, Women Lie: Jay-Z Tops Forbes 2011 Hip-hop Cash Cow List

by DG

1. Jay-Z – $37 million
2. Diddy – $35 million
3. Kanye West – $16 million
4. Lil Wayne – $15 million
4. Birdman – $15 million
6. Eminem – $14 million
6. Dr. Dre – $14 million
6. Snoop Dogg – $14 million
9. Akon – $13 million
10. Ludacris – $12 million
11. Wiz Khalifa – $11 million
11. Drake – $11 million
13. Pharrell Williams – $10 million
14. Timbaland – $7 million
15. Swizz Beatz – $6.5 million
15. Nicki Minaj – $6.5 million
17. Rick Ross – $6 million
17. 50 Cent – $6 million
17. Pitbull – $6 million
20. T-Pain – $5 million
20. B.o.B – $5 million

 

This week Jay-Z and Kanye West unveiled their long-awaited collaboration, Watch the Throne. The album’s timing and title couldn’t have been more appropriate—the Empire State of Mind rapper is hip-hop’s top earner with $37 million in the past 12 months, claiming his fourth Cash Kings crown in five years; his partner-in-rhyme ranked third.

Fueled by the tail end of his Blueprint 3 Tour and a vast portfolio of business interests, Jay-Z barely edged second-ranked Diddy—who raked in $35 million, roughly half of that total coming from a lucrative partnership with Diageo’s Ciroc vodka—but handily topped West, who earned $16 million. The duo is steaming ahead with plans for co-headlining tour starting this fall.

“Jay-Z and Kanye are hip-hop ambassadors,” says Steve Stoute, chief of branding firm Translation and author of The Tanning of America. “They bring the art form around the world, and they’ve taken production and everything to the next level. Now they’ve got a chance to grow with their global audience.”

Full Coverage: Hip-Hop Cash Kings 2011

The Watch The Throne rappers, whose album debuted around the world exclusively on Apple’s iTunes, aren’t the only ones making millions by going global. Fresh off a eight-month jail stint, Lil Wayne released a new album and performed a slew of shows from Buffalo to Vancouver, netting $15 million over the past year. That sum tied him with his mentor and label boss, Cash Money Records co-founder Birdman, for the fourth spot.

“If we ain’t number one now, we’ll be there soon,” said Birdman while discussing his billion dollar dreams with FORBES. Farther down the list, Swizz Beatz also looked to the future: “I will be #1 next year,” he wrote in an email. Wiz Khalifa—whose high earnings landed him at No. 11—seemed pleasantly surprised to learn he’d be making his Cash Kings debut. “I’m one of them?” he exclaimed. “That’s what’s up!”

 

The success of hip-hop’s top earners shows just how powerful the genre has become as a commercial force. The top 20 on our list combined to earn $271 million; 13 different artists earned $10 million or more, taking home cash from live shows, recorded music, endorsements and a wide range of other entrepreneurial ventures. The top five combined to earn $118 million in 12 months.

Next on the list is a troika of grizzled veterans—Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem—all tied for the sixth spot at $14 million. Dre’s income got a big boost from Beats by Dre, his lucrative headphone venture with Interscope chief Jimmy Iovine; Snoop cashed in on touring and endorsements from Pepsi Max, Metro PCS and others; Eminem continued to earn from his Grammy-winning album, Recovery, as well as a handful of lucrative concerts with Jay-Z at Yankee Stadium in New York and Comerica Park in Detroit.

“There are four hip-hop artists that sell hard tickets: Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye and Lil Wayne,” says Randy Phillips, chief of concert promoter AEG. “Those are the big four. In the past, it hasn’t really been a live medium … Is it changing? When you look at the business Jay and Eminem did in Yankee Stadium, I think it is.”

Read more: Why I Wrote An Unauthorized Biography of Jay-Z

Touring was one of the many revenue streams we looked at to come up with the Cash Kings list, which charts pretax earnings for all living artists whose work is primarily classified as hip-hop or rap. The estimates also include income from record sales, digital downloads, films, merchandise sales, endorsements, books and other ventures; management, agent and attorney fees are not deducted. Earnings are calculated for the period from May 2010 to May 2011 and based on data from Pollstar, Nielsen SoundScan, the RIAA and individual record labels, as well as interviews with numerous lawyers, media buyers, managers and many of the artists themselves.

This year’s list features plenty of newcomers. Besides the aforementioned Wiz Khalifa, there’s Nicki Minaj, who debuts at No. 15 with $6.5 million—making her the first female rapper ever to grace the list. Another, Atlanta-based rapper-singer-songwriter B.o.B, squeaked on with $5 million. Sandwiched between Minaj and B.o.B is an additional newbie, Pitbull, who released two albums, performed 50-plus shows and inked a seven-figure endorsement deal with Kodak.

“Pitbull is great with brands,” says Adam Kluger, chief of brand partnership firm The Kluger Agency. “Endorsements with hip-hop artists work because hip-hop artists typically set the most trends … It’s every brand’s goal to be seen in the mainstream, and hip-hop music has become mainstream music.”

Men Lie, Women Lie: The World’s 25 Highest-Paid Musicians

by DG

Beyonce and Jay will probably move into that top 5 next year with the release of their albums.

1. U2 ($195 million)
2. Bon Jovi ($125 million)
3. Elton John ($100 million)
4. Lady Gaga ($90 million)
5. Michael Buble ($70 million)
6. Paul McCartney ($67 million)
7. Black Eyed Peas ($61 million)
8. Eagles ($60 million)
9. Justin Bieber ($53 million)
10. Dave Matthews Band ($51 million)
11. Toby Keith ($50 million)
12. Usher ($46 million)
13. Taylor Swift $45 million)
14. Katy Perry ($44 million)
15. Brad Paisley ($40 million)
16. Tom Petty & the Heartbreaks ($38 million)
17. Jay-Z ($38 million)
18. AC/DC ($35 million)
18. Sean “Diddy” Combs ($35 million)
18. Beyonce ($35 million)
18. Tim McGraw ($35 million)
18. Muse ($35 million)
23. Rascal Flatts ($34 million)
24. Kenny Chesney ($30 million)
25. Rihanna ($29 million)

via Forbes

Related: Birdman Speaks About His Biggest Check, Jay-Z & More | The Decline of the Music Industry

Men Lie, Women Lie: Shawty Lo Inks a Deal With G-Unit

by DG

Shawty Lo is releasing his mixtape “B.H.F. (Bankhead Forever)” hosted by DJ Greg Street today in light of his recent signing to G-Unit.

“This is a special project for me,” Shawty Lo said in an exclusive statement to AllHipHop.com. “I worked real hard on making this one of the best mixtapes I’ve put out to date.”

With features that include 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Jim Jones, Wale, Twista, Future, Titi Boi, Roscoe Dash and Costra Nostra Chain Gang, as well as production from Zaytoven, Drumma Boy, Merci and B-Trill, Shawty Lo is ready to hit the streets with some new music.

“This is like something before the album, my new situation with G-Unit was just solidified and I got off the phone with 50 yesterday, I just signed a really large deal,” an excited Shawty Lo told AllHipHop.com.

In 2008, Bankhead rapper released his debut album, Units In the City, which spawned the hits “Dey Know,” “Foolish” and “Dunn Dunn”, placing Shawty Lo on Hip-Hop’s mainstream radar.

“Its like a new beginning and all I needed was someone behind me. 50 [Cent] is a marketing genius and I got my new thing D4L and G-Unit and we going to be working the south and the rest of the world if need be”

Standing by his music for the streets and for albums, Shawty Lo elaborated on some of his favorite songs on the project.

“’Haters’ got 50, Yayo and Roscoe Dash, my single ‘Pocahontas’ has Twista and Wale, ‘I Know’, I got Future on there, the whole mixtape jammin’. If I’m working on a song, it may be on a mixtape, but it could for a album.”

Shawty Lo is currently gearing up for his G-Unit debut and sophomore album currently titled Still Got Units.

Shawty Lo and his D4L crew exploded onto the music scene in 2005 with the hit singles, “Betcha Can’t Do it Like Me” and “Laffy Taffy,” which reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 2006

Tonight (June 10th), Shawty Lo with be hosting mixtape listening and release party in Atlanta at Tiempo Privado starting at 6 p.m.

via AHH

Video: Birdman Speaks About His Biggest Check, Jay-Z & More

by DG

Related:A Look At What Birdman Bought With His “Baby Money” | Whats Beef: Birdman Takes Shots at Jay-Z? | On the Set of “Welcome To My Hood” Video Shoot

Men Lie, Women Lie: The Decline of the Music Industry

by DG

Basically rappers don’t get paid off of album sales anymore. They get their foot in the door with music then venture outside of the industry to make money.

Men Lie, Women Lie: How the Kardashians Made 65 Mil. Last Year

by DG

That’s a lot of cake especially for not having any talent. Hit the jump below to find out how they did it.

Related: Kim Kardashian in the Studio Recording w/Dream

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Men Lie, Women Lie: Top 40 Earners in Hollywood

by DG

Hit the jump below to view the list.

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Men Lie, Women Lie: Willow Smith to Play Annie in Remake

by DG

In his latest keep-it-in-the-family move, Will Smith is exploring with Sony the potential for a remake of the musical “Annie,” with daughter Willow as the star, sources say.

Smith, who developed “The Karate Kid” starring his son Jaden, would produce through his Overbrook shingle.

While details about the “Annie” retooling are still in development stages, rapper Jay-Z, who worked with Willow on her pop hit “Whip My Hair,” is in talks to collaborate on the music.

Project reps were tight-lipped about whether the pic would be a contemporary version and whether it will include any original songs.

Sony’s summer hit “Karate Kid” made more than $350 million worldwide and likely helped pave the way for exploring new ground with the “Annie” redo.

via Variety

I’m sure the registers will be ringing soon enough.

Men Lie, Women Lie: Kanye West Has 5th Platinum LP

by DG

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy went platinum, marking Kanye’s fifth certified platinum album. Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.

Related: Nicki Minaj Goes Platinum With “Pink Friday” |  Video: 97 Seconds With Kanye West

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