10 Business Moves That Pushed Hip Hop Culture

When hip hop stepped up and became a business.

Money Matters - They’re at the top of their game and the top of Forbes magazine’s most recent rankings of the 10 highest-earning NBA players. While last year’s lockout and shortened NBA season ate in to players’ paychecks, the following 10 ballers still managed to rake in the dough in terms of total earnings (salary, plus endorsements) this past season.—Britt Middleton (Photo: Mark Scott/Getty Images)
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Run DMC - Members of the rap group RUN-DMC (left to right) Darryl McDaniels (DMC), Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay) and Joseph Simmons (DJ Run) formed a camaraderie due to being from Queens. They used that bond to then make headlines and cause noise within the hip hop industry.  (Photo: GERARDO SOMOZA/Landov)50 Cent x Vitamin Water - When 50 Cent announced that he was teaming up with Vitamin Water to form his Formula 50 drink, Vitamin Water was an "exclusive" beverage found in health food stores in specific communities. But 50 invested in the brand and both his career and Vitamin Water’s skyrocketed, eventually earning the G-Unit boss a cool $100 million, after taxes.(Photo: Glaceau/Vitamin Water)

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Cash Rules Everything Around Me - Hip hop and money enjoy an uncanny union, with the celebration of success being a part of the culture since "Rapper's Delight." Of course, in order for a culture to maintain itself, it has to be profitable. But in no genre of music have artists made moves more profitable or innovative than the following 10. (Photo: Mark Scott/Getty Images)

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