DIDDY named "Wealthiest Hip-Hop Artists" 2013

Renowned financial publication Forbes is once again going to ignite widespread debate with the new release of its "The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists" list.

While rap mogul Dr. Dre is known for his Beats By Dre headphones ventures, he fell behind fellow hip-hop veterans Jay-Z and Diddy on the rundown.

Sean "Diddy" Combs rose to mainstream fame in the late 1990s rapping about his desire for Benjamins, otherwise known as $100 bills. A decade and a half later, he might need to consider some larger denominations--McKinleys, Clevelands and Madisons, perhaps--to express his wealth. Diddy ranks No. 1 on this year's Forbes Five, our list of hip-hop's wealthiest artists, with an estimated net worth of $580 million. The bulk of the Bad Boy Records founder's wealth comes from non-musical ventures, namely his deal with Diageo's Ciroc. The agreement entitles him to eight-figure annual payouts and a nine-figure windfall if the brand is ever sold--and Ciroc's value has never been higher.

Interestingly enough, Cash Money's Birdman and 50 Cent's combined wealth still fall short of matching Dr. Dre's.

1: Diddy, $580 M 2: Jay-Z $475M 3: Dr Dre $350M 4: Birdman $150M 5: 50 Cent $125M Birdman: The New Orleans native cofounded Cash Money Records two decades ago with his brother Ronald "Slim" Williams (Birdman's net worth would be well over $200 million if his ownership in the label wasn't shared). 50 Cent: Now he's trying to replicate the latter feat with companies like SMS Audio, his answer to Dr. Dre's Beats, and SK Energy, which has its sights set on category leader 5-Hour Energy.