From Diddy to Indie, Musicians Making Money Beyond Music Posted by Ru Porter on 10/10/13 | Filed under Opinion, Your Favorite Rapper Is Poor

Thanks to the internet, its becoming increasingly difficult for rappers to make a living off rap alone; so much that they need to have multiple revenue streams in order to survive, and remain relevant in the industry. To do so, they turn to their side hustles as a means for paying the bills, and surprisingly some artists are so skilled in other areas besides music, that I sometimes wish they would quit the game altogether. So when I found out that 2 Chainz’s "B.O.A.T.S. II" comes with a personal cookbook filled with recipes that look like they could be served at four star restaurants, I thought to myself, “why doesn’t Tity Boy just drop the mic already and become a full-time chef?” and thus an idea came about for this article. Below are some artists who make far more money off outside ventures than their actual music:

Diddy

Aside from being an accomplished music mogul with his own cable network, REVOLT TV, which launched on Time Warner Cable among other service providers, Combs is also a pretty damn good actor; evident in films like "Get Him To The Greek", which did very well at the box office, not to mention the fact that he won an academy award for his documentary "Undefeated" in 2012. But it’s really his incredible ability to sell products that landed a lucrative endorsement deal with the wine and spirit conglomerate Diageo that helped him amass a $580 million-dollar net worth.  Why else would he top Forbes’ list of Hip-Cash Kings every year? It’s certainly not because of music, as Sean hasn’t released anything since "Last Train To Paris"; and with good reason considering only 100,000 copies were sold.

Jay Z

A real Jay fan would argue that his verses have been subpar lately (see: "Pound Cake"), but when you’re raking in so much cash from liquor to music festivals and even mobile phone endorsements, I can understand why he’s on to the next. Just check this out.

Ludacris

Christopher Bridges’ album sales have seen a steady decline since his fourth major release, "Red Light District", in 2004, earning double-platinum certification, while "Release Therapy" barely reached the 1.5 million mark; and that's probably why he decided to take acting seriously, since he reportedly earns 10 million per film. The "Fast and Furious" movie franchise has been the highest-grossing films in Universal Pictures’ 100+ year history, and that's why "Fast 7" is already being filmed, thanks in large part to 6’s $500 million in ticket sales, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Swizz Beatz

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Kasseem Dean’s verses aren’t the greatest, but some of his talents are worth mentioning – specifically his artwork, as well as his affinity for sneakers. What’s even more impressive though, is his ability to combine both of those interests, and revive the Reebok Classics brand. Prior to his appointment as Creative Director at the footwear company, the last time I personally bought a pair of Reebok’s was back when 50 Cent had his G-Unit line in 2003. And although Swizz’s paintings aren’t for sale yet, he has been collaborating with prominent artists like Damien Hirst, whose pieces cost at least one year’s tuition at NYU, so you can imagine Swizzy’s earning potential once his portraits enter the market.

Those are the heavy hitter examples, but since Refined Hype is known for providing deeper insight into the music business through investigative journalism; and not everyone will be able to get a record deal and/or achieve mainstream success like the aforementioned, I reached out to four unsigned artists I’ve either known since college or found on Twitter, as well as some of my peers that I’ve met throughout my career to offer real-life testimonials on how to generate revenue in the music industry independently.

Co-Branding Initiatives: Because he already has a substantial following largely in part to his film placements in motion-pictures like "Skyline" and "Stomp The Yard 2" (which he obtained by uploading tracks to a free music library called Music Dealers), EDM/Pop artist Mr. Robotic was able to pen a theme song for Berry Chill Frozen Yogurt in his native Chicago, after declaring his love for the dessert shop on his social media channels; which also led to another opportunity with a local startup company known as Greater Than Coconut Water in 2010, where he was allowed to perform at their launch party and was provided free product samples. For more on Mr. Robotic's side hustles, click here.

Music Licensing: New Jersey R&B singer/songwriter Joella Deville has found ways to make a living by submitting her dance records to music supervisors who negotiate deals with major cable network shows including Lifetime’s “Dance Moms” and Bravo’s “Married To The Medicine”, while underground rappers like Greg Gates has gotten placements in video game developer 4MM Games’ "Def Jam Rapstar" – the first ever hip-hop karaoke simulation, where fans are able to rhyme along with music videos from every era, courtesy of voice recognition technology that analyzes pitch; tone; and flow patterns that help you score points – through Cherry Lane Music Publishing.

Local Performances & National Talent Shows: Before Newington Connecticut’s Michael Minelli inked a deal with Ray Allen as a solo artist (yes, the Miami Heat shooting guard has a label) Minelli was performing at small venues statewide, with his former dance group E3, when he decided to audition for national talent shows such as MTV’s "Best Dance Crew", "America’s Got Talent" and "Amateur Night at The Apollo Theater" (where he ended up winning $25,000 after bodying the competition and becoming Super Top Dog Champions in 2008). As a result, he garnered attention from concert and nightclub promoters, which allowed him to open up for major acts (including Mike Posner) and receive a percentage of ticket sales at the door.

Roundtable Discussions & Event Hosting: Let’s say you’re and upcoming writer trying to stay afloat between freelancing gigs. Music journalist Quinton “Q The Question” Hatfield, formerly of HipHopDX.com, actively participates in media panel discussions at schools and universities, while blogger Lowkey, our colleague at YouHeardThatNew.com, hosts a bevy of music-related events like mixtape release parties and listening sessions, which pay more than I’ve ever made penning articles.

Here’s to hoping you find a way to get paid while chasing your dreams….