Photos: The Top 12 Wealthiest Kings And Queens Of Hip-Hop

Hip-hop lyrics are often about "making it big" with little or nothing to work with. Most hip-hop artists have gone from rags to riches through their music. In the spirit of Forbes' recent list of the top 5 wealthiest hip-hop artists, here is an extended list of hip-hop icons that mastered the art and struck gold.

1)  Missy Elliott (Melissa Arnette Elliott)
Net Worth: $50 million

The Pass Go: Missy made the majority of her fortune from music. She is the only female to have 6 albums certified platinum by the RIAA. She also founded the record label The Goldmind, Inc.

2) Queen Latifah (Dana Elaine Owens)

Net Worth: $50 million
The Pass Go: Often called hip-hop's first lady, Queen Latifah made serious waves on the music scene. The now-Cover Girl model has also made colossal inroads in music, television, and artistic management with her company Flavor Unit.

3) Rihanna (Robyn Rihanna Fenty)
Net Worth: $90 million
The Pass Go: Rihanna's 7 studio albums and constant touring keep her soaring high financially. She is also the face of Vita Coco.

4) Kanye West
Net Worth: $120 million
The Pass Go: Kanye made a bundle when he designed shoe lines for Nike and Louis Vuitton. He also branched off into the fast-food business with his chain of Fatburger restaurants. He has just released a new album, Yeezus.

5) 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson)
Net Worth: $140 million
The Pass Go: A big haul came from his sale of VitaminWater in 2007, but his own business G-Unit has made 50 Cent a brand in his own right. He also made some money on his video game Bulletproof and the movie based on his album Get Rich or Die Tryin', which he starred in.

6) Birdman (Bryan Williams)
Net Worth: $160 million
The Pass Go: Birdman cofounded Cash Money Records two decades ago with his brother Slim (Ronald Williams). Cash Money Records features artists such as Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Paris Hilton. He also came out with a line of Birdman-branded shoes.

7) Dr. Dre (Andre Young)
Net Worth: $550 million
The Pass Go: While he has cooled it on the music side of things, Dre's success erupted when he cofounded the Beats by Dr. Dre headphones with record executive Jimmy Iovine in 2008. He owns 65% of the market share.

8) J Lo (Jennifer Lopez)
Net Worth: $250 million
The Pass Go: Her stint on American Idol had her earning a $12 million salary. When she left the show, she replaced the earnings with a tour that grossed $1 million per night. She also started lifestyle clothing brand J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez.

9) Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter
Net Worth: $350 million
The Pass Go: Beyoncé's stint as brand ambassador for Pepsi earned her a large sum, but her work with H&M and her world tour also earned her a few mill.

10) Jay Z (Shawn Carter)

Net Worth: $520 million
The Pass Go: A megadeal with Rocawear and a pact with Live Nation granted Jay Z a hefty fortune. He recently signed a deal with Samsung, opened up a sports agency, and has an album on the way, so we can expect this number to rise.

11) Eminem (Marshall Bruce Mathers III)
Net Worth: $180 million
The Pass Go: Eminem's multi-millionaire status is due to the fact that he is consistently one of the world's best-selling rappers. He was the best-selling artist of the 2000s and as of March he was named the sixth best overall selling artist in the United States. His other ventures include opening his own record label, Shady Records, and he starred in the drama film 8 Mile.

12) P. Diddy (Sean Combs)

Net Worth: $700 million
The Pass Go: P. Diddy is the wealthiest person in the hip-hop business. He founded his fortune mostly through non-musical ventures. Between his 50% share in Ciroc vodka, his Sean John clothing line, and his tv channel Revolt TV (which gives him a majority equity stake), this man will be rolling in dough 'til foeva, f'sho.