Zack O'Malley Greenburg's Blog, page 71

Unlocking The Wu-Tang Clan’s Secret Album In Morocco

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Walking west from the center of the centuries-old Jemaa El Fna square in Marrakesh, Morocco, the crowds start to thin as the snake charmers and spice merchants give way to modern boulevards clogged with old Mercedes taxis, fume-spewing mopeds and the occasional donkey. The Royal Mansour hotel rises in the distance—a destination packed with wares rarer than any in the old market—in particular, the hand-carved, silver-and-nickel box that...

Once Upon A Time In Marrakech: The Wu-Tang Saga Continues

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In late March, FORBES broke the story that the Wu-Tang Clan had recorded an album in secret over the past six years, a project separate from their long awaited 20th anniversary album, A Better Tomorrow.

More surprising, however, was Wu-Tang’s distribution plan, spearheaded by the record’s producer, Tarik “Cilvaringz” Azzougarh. Rather than committing to a traditional major label rollout, the group will only release one copy of The Wu – O...

Will Beats By Dr. Dre Follow Spotify Toward An IPO?

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Click for full photo gallery: Cash Kings 2012: Hip-Hop's 20 Top Earners

Of hip-hop’s five wealthiest artists, Andre “Dr. Dre” Young’s fortune is growing the fastest, soaring nearly 60% to $550 million over the past year. The boost came almost entirely from Beats By Dr. Dre, which he cofounded with Interscope chief Jimmy Iovine in 2008—and an even bigger payday could be in the offing.

Last month, Beats announced the appointment of chief financial officer An De...

Diddy’s Net Worth: $700 Million In 2014

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Click for full photo gallery: The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists 2014

Sean “Diddy” Combs is a member of this year’s Forbes Five–a list of the wealthiest hip-hop acts that appeared in the May 5th, 2014 issue of FORBES magazine. Though they’ve all had successful careers in music, it’s their outside business ventures that were most instrumental in creating their fortunes.

Name:

Sean “Diddy” Combs

Age:

44

Estimated Net Worth:

$700 million

Source:

Music, Spirits, Clothing, Media, Start...

Dr. Dre’s Net Worth: $550 Million in 2014

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Click for full photo gallery: The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists 2014

Andre “Dr. Dre” Young is a member of this year’sForbes Five–a list of the wealthiest hip-hop acts that appeared in the May 5th, 2014 issue of FORBES magazine. Though they’ve all had successful careers in music, it’s their outside business ventures that were most instrumental in creating their fortunes.

Name:

Andre “Dr. Dre” Young

Age:

49

Estimated Net Worth:

$550 million

Source:

Music, Technology

Summary:

The Cali...

Jay Z’s Net Worth: $520 Million in 2014

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Click for full photo gallery: The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists 2014

Shawn “Jay Z” Carter is a member of this year’sForbes Five–a list of the wealthiest hip-hop acts that appeared in the May 5th, 2014 issue of FORBES magazine. Though they’ve all had successful careers in music, it’s their outside business ventures that were most instrumental in creating their fortunes.

Name:

Shawn “Jay Z” Carter

Age:

44

Estimated Net Worth:

$520 million

Source:

Music, Spirits, Clothing, Sports, S...

Birdman’s Net Worth: $160 Million in 2014

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Click for full photo gallery: The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists 2014

Bryan “Birdman” Williams is a member of this year’sForbes Five–a list of the wealthiest hip-hop acts that appeared in the May 5th, 2014 issue of FORBES magazine. Though they’ve all had successful careers in music, it’s their outside business ventures that were most instrumental in creating their fortunes.

Name:

Bryan “Birdman” Williams

Age:

45

Estimated Net Worth:

$160 million

Source:

Music, Spirits, Clothing

Sum...

50 Cent’s Net Worth: $140 Million in 2014

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Click for full photo gallery: The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists 2014

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is a member of this year’sForbes Five–a list of the wealthiest hip-hop acts that appeared in the May 5th, 2014 issue of FORBES magazine. Though they’ve all had successful careers in music, it’s their outside business ventures that were most instrumental in creating their fortunes.

Name:

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson

Age:

38

Estimated Net Worth:

$140 million

Source:

Music, Beverages, Technolog...

Forbes Five Hip-Hop Richlist 2014: Aftermath & Analysis

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Click for full photo gallery: The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists 2014

Sean “Diddy” Combs topped the latest edition of the Forbes Five list of hip-hop’s wealthiest acts with a fortune of $700 million, and in a little over 24 hours since the story’s launch, commentary has been rolling in from all around the internet.

Outlets fromBillboardto Perez Hiltonhave weighed in; even Diddy himself shared the news. All in all, there didn’t seem to be much surprise over the fact that he...

The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop’s Wealthiest Artists 2014

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Click for full photo gallery: The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists 2014

Back in 2007, Sean “Diddy” Combs teamed with Jay Z and 50 Cent to create a song titled “I Get Money: Forbes 1-2-3 Billion Dollar Remix.” Less than a decade later, rappers are closing in on ten-figure fortunes, and he’s the nearest of the bunch.

Diddy leads the pack with an estimated fortune of $700 million, an increase of $120 million over his net worth last year. The change comes largely from the additio...