ENTERTAINMENT
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SEAN “DIDDY’ COMBS TO DELIVER HOWARD UNIVERSITY
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
WASHINGTON, DC - Not long after Howard University confirmed Sean
“Diddy” Combs as its next commencement speaker, a slew of mixed emotions
and views from students, alumni, and friends of the university filled the
social media airways. Some people have applauded the university for finally
solidifying a relationship with a longtime unofficial alumnus, while others
questioned Diddy’s caliber as a role model for this year’s graduates.
Sean “Diddy” Combs (a.k.a. Puff Daddy) will deliver the 146th commencement
address at Howard University on Saturday, May 10, 2014 and receive
an honorary doctorate in humanities at the convocation. Diddy has been
compared to the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Jobs — all
entrepreneurs who dropped out of school, became widely successful, and were
later asked to speak at their alma mater’s commencement. After two years as
a business major, Diddy left Howard in 1990 to intern at Uptown Records and
kick-start his music career in New York. Today, he is the world’s highest-paid
hip-hop artist with an estimated net worth of $700 million.
HIP-HOP’S WEALTHIEST ARTISTS 2014
Speaking of Sean “Diddy” Combs…back in 2007, he 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, Forbes.com is reporting that rappers are closing in
on ten-figure fortunes, and Combs is the nearest of the bunch.
Here are the rappers Forbes has dubbed the Forbes Five:
1. Sean “Diddy” Combs ($700 million)
Diddy keeps his crown yet another year, pushing
ever closer to the billion-dollar mark thanks mostly to
non-musical ventures. His newly-launched Revolt TV
provides him with a majority equity stake that could
one day make him hip-hop’s first billionaire.
The artist formerly known as P. Diddy has plenty of
other ventures, including a deal with Diageo’s Ciroc
that entitles him to eight-figure annual payouts and a
nine-figure windfall of the brand is ever sold.
2. Andre “Dr. Dre” Young ($550 million)
The California-bred superproducer leapfrogs Jay Z
on this year’s list, fueled by the runaway success of
Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, which he cofounded
with record executive Jimmy Iovine in 2008. With
a whopping 65% market share of the premium
headphone market and a recent $500 million infusion
from Carlyle Group, Beats’ value is soaring toward $2
billion.
3. Shawn “Jay Z” Carter ($520 million)
Megadeals like his $204 million Rocawear sale in 2007
and his $150 million pact with Live Nation in 2008
provide Jay Z’s fortune with firm footing. But the bulk
of its growth this year comes from new ventures.
Jay Z’s Roc Nation is worth a healthy nine figures
itself thanks to the addition of Roc Nation Sports, which gets a single-digit
percentage cut of pacts like baseball player Robinson Cano’s $240 million
monster agreement
4. Bryan “Birdman” Williams ($160 million)
Birdman’s number would be over $300 million if he
didn’t share his fortune with brother Ronald “Slim”
Williams, with whom he cofounded Cash Money
Records two decades ago. Cash Money continues to
grow with a roster that includes Drake, Nicki Minaj,
Lil Wayne and even Paris Hilton. Birdman has also
diversified with Cash Money Content, GT Vodka and
the YMCMB clothing line.
5. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson ($140 million)
One of the most successful rappers of the past
decade, 50 actually owes most of his fortune to his
$100 million haul from the sale of VitaminWater in
2007. Now he’s trying to recapture that magic with
companies like SMS Audio and SK Energy. In the
meantime, he’ll reboot his music career by taking
his G-Unit Records independent and releasing new
album Animal Ambition.
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