Forget the 90s gangsta image, in this day and age rappers are all about the lavish lifestyle. And when you come to think of it, if any part of the image they picture so vividly in their songs should be true, it’s much better that it would be the bling bling part as opposed to the gun-powered feuds. They’re entrepreneurs riding a few different waves cuz being a success in the music industry just isn’t enough. They can often be seen endorsing big brands – sports equipment, fashion designers, food and beverages. But that’s not all. While anyone can sign a contract to have their name associated with a perfume and simply pose for a commercial and a photo shoot, there are a certain rappers who have gone and made millions from investing. I’ve picked the three most successful ones, so here they are:
#3 50 Cent
Did you know that Curtis Jackson, a.k.a. 50 Cent, got shot 9 times and not only survived but rose to prominence? He started telling that curious life story in his debut studio album from 2003 “Get Rich or Die Tryin'” and continued exploiting it in his movie debut from 2005 bearing the same name. The rapper / producer / actor surely made a lot of money off his personal life, including too many endorsement deals, but none of it could come even close to the fortune he amassed thanks to his investor intuition. Despite the fact that he suffered heavy losses during the 2008 economic crisis, Forbes ranked his net worth at $155 million. I’ve put him at third and, consequently, last place simply because despite his investor career, in 2015 he filed for bankruptcy.
#2 Nas
Nas got in the spotlight in 1996 with his first of many smash hits, entitled “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” and he followed that visualization with an actual world takeover not only with his ten studio albums and many awards and nominations but also with his position as one of the most successful rappers turned investors. He’s cofounder of Queensbridge Venture Partners – an L.A.-based company which was started in 2014 and has already invested in over 100 tech companies. Their portfolio includes some high-profile startups, such as Dropbox, Rap Genius, Lyft, and SeatGeek. This multiplatinum-selling rap mogul and angel investor is allegedly worth $20 million.
#1 Chamillionaire
You might remember Hakeem Seriki, a.k.a. Chamillionaire, as the artist behind the highly successful single from his first album “Ridin'”. The song and the video expose problems, such as racial profiling, stereotyping, and police brutality. The song won a Grammy and the video – the Best Rap Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. Moreover, with 3.2 million sales, “Ridin'” was the best-selling ringtone in 2006. But now, over ten years later, the rapper from Houston, Texas, has shifted his focus from fighting for social justice through hip hop to investing. He has also relocated to a fitting location – the mecca of startups California. He has been investing in various companies since 2003. In 2015, he became entrepreneur-in-residence at Mark Suster’s Upfront Ventures, an investment company based in L.A. So, not only is this rapper a successful investor but he actually teaches others how to become successful investors, too.
Hello and welcome to Dow Ethics! It’s a blog about the stock market or at least that’s what I hope it’s going to be. You see, I’ve had the idea of starting a blog for quite some time now and looks like I’ve finally reached that pivotal point where intentions meet reality, so we’ll see where this all will lead us. Well, where it will lead me, actually, but if you stick around, you’ll find some useful and interesting information, I’m sure. 
Apart from stocks, I’m a fan of the hip hop culture – I have a strong preference for old-school rap – and all kinds of sports. I’m no jock but I’m not the typical bookworm, either.