Who are the richest rappers alive today? Some of these rappers have been in the game for more than 20 years, while others are relatively new and already banking big. The moguls on this list control over $3 billion. One common theme among these richest rappers is that they all have leveraged their popularity to launch new business ventures. Many of these artists made far more money outside of hip hop than they ever did selling records. There are actually 22 artists on this list thanks to a handful of ties, we also included three bonus celebrities who are not rappers but have had a major influence on the genre. The secret to being one of the richest rappers seems to be in clothing lines, owning your own record label and investing in commercial products you sell to the mass public. So if you are planning on being a rapper or a hip hop mogul, follow the trail these men have blazed and you will be very happy and very rich!

[via cnw]

#20 Rick Ross – Net Worth $25 Million
#19 Tie between T-Pain and T.I – Net Worth $30 Million
#18 Nelly – Net Worth $55 Million
#17 Busta Rhymes – Net Worth $60 Million
#16 Ludacris – Net Worth $65 Million
#15 Beastie Boys – Net Worth $75 Million Each
#14 Timbaland – Net Worth $75 Million
#13 Pharrell Williams – Net Worth $77.5 Million
#12 Tie between LL Cool J and Akon – Net Worth $80 Million
#11 Kanye West – Net Worth $90 Million
#10 Lil Wayne – Net Worth $95 Million
#9 Ice Cube – Net Worth $100 Million
#8 Snoop Dogg – Net Worth $110 Million
#7 Birdman – Net Worth $115 Million
#6 Eminem – Net Worth $120 Million
#5 50 Cent – Net Worth $250 Million
#4 Dr. Dre – Net Worth $260 Million
#3 Master P – Net Worth $350 Million
#2 Jay-Z – Net Worth $475 Million
#1 Diddy – Net Worth $500 Million