DURBAN - Forbes has just released their list of the World's Highest-Paid Hip-Hop Acts for 2018 and Jay-Z has topped the list.
Diddy who held the number one spot for three years in a row dropped to number two, while Kendrick Lamar, Drake and J. Cole completed the top five.
Nas made his debut on the Forbes list due to his interest in startups and the sale of Ring to Amazon for reportedly more than $1 billion.
Here is a look at the top 10 World's Highest-Paid Hip-Hop Acts for 2018:
1. Jay-Z: $76,5 million
Jay-Z is a multi-faceted mogul that released an album called 4:44 in 2017 and in 2018 the rapper will be launching for the first time an album with his wife Beyoncé called Everything is Love. Jay-Z and Beyoncé will also be going on tour.
Jay-Z. Photo: Facebook
2. Diddy: $64 million
After holding the top spot for three years in a row Diddy slipped to number two. The rapper has a beverage empire that includes Ciroc vodka, DeLeon tequila and Aquahydrate alkaline water. He also a record producer and an entrepreneur.
Diddy. Photo: Facebook
3. Kendrick Lamar: $58 million
Kendrick Lamar made his highest earnings this past year from packing arenas on his solo tour and as the headliner TDE: The Championship Tour. He also has deals with Nike and American Express.
Kendrick Lamar. Photo: Facebook
4. Drake: $47 million
Drake is the world's most consumed musician of any genre with 5 billion streams in the past year. The Canadian rapper will also be joining Migos on their Aubrey and the Three Amigos Tour.
Drake. Photo: Facebook
5. J. Cole: $35,5 million
J. Cole's newest album KOD topped the charts after it released in April 2018. With the release of his album, the rapper scored 2 billion streaming spins over the past 12 months.
His tour also gave him six figures per stop giving the rapper his total annual earnings total yet.
J. Cole. Photo: Facebook
6. Dr Dre: $35 million (tie)
Dr Dre is still collecting from his landmark deal with Apple and his large back catalogue. He is also working on a Marvin Gaye biopic and has reportedly secured the rights to use the legendary singer's name.
Dr Dre. Photo: Facebook
7. Nas: $35 million (tie)
Nas made bank due to his investment in Ring, the virtual doorbell company that Amazon bought for $1,1 billion earlier this year. He also collected through his touring, streaming and Hennessey endorsement.
Nas. Photo: Facebook
8. Pitbull: $32 million
Pitbull who is also known as Mr Worldwide is living up to his nickname as he makes six figures per stop on his tour.
Pitbull. Photo: Facebook
9. Future: $30 million
Future had more than 3 billion streams during the Forbes scoring period and he also has endorsement deals with Reebok and StubHub.
Future. Photo: Facebook
10. Kanye West: $27,5 million
Although Kanye West has been dealing with some controversies including the cancellation of his tour he continues to make money with his double digit millions deal with Adidas.
Kanye West. Photo: Facebook