Dr. Dre tops Forbes’ list as highest-paid musician

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Despite the consistent flow of music in 2010-2011, there is still no Detox, but Dr. Dre has finally climbed the top of the mountain. For years, the top of the hip hop earnings list was Jay-Z, Diddy, and protege/part-time rival, 50 Cent. However, Dr. Dre would come out on top on the latest Forbes’ list.

Instead of releasing an album this year, Dr. Dre watched the sales of his Beats by Dre headphones skyrocket. While his headphones flew off the shelves, Dr. Dre also watched his investment in Kendrick Lamar pay off. Kendrick Lamar released his highly-anticipated debut album, to which Dr. Dre appeared on “The Recipe.”

Topping Forbes’ calculations, Dr. Dre is the highest-paid musician with $110 million, with Rihanna at $53 million, Diddy at $45 million, Beyonce at $48 million, Jay-Z at $38 million, and then Kanye West at $22 million. Selling a 51% stake of Beats to HTC for $300 million, early this year, put Dr. Dre over the top.