On a blazingly bright morning at the end of the South By Southwest music and technology conference, Rico Nasty takes the stage at the Fader Fort in Austin as part of a panel discussion—and finds another way to increase her earnings. Clad in a swirly black-and-lime-green jumpsuit, she shows off her threads as cameras flash; after the event, she spends a few moments talking up her outfit.



“I bought it a few days ago, and I’m probably going to wear it once, and there’s going to be a lot of pictures in it,” the 21-year-old rapper says before outlining her plan to sell the jumpsuit on the peer-to-peer shopping app Depop, as she does with most of the clothing she wears in public. “We’ve made like, probably $20 thousand in the past two months.”



Born Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly in Brooklyn, Rico started rapping in high school before releasing a string of mixtapes. She signed to Atlantic Records and has yet to release her formal debut studio album, but she’s already among music’s most promising up-and-comers, earning her a spot on our list. And with more women like Rico rising up the rap charts, we’re formally changing the name of our ranking to Hip-Hop Cash Princes and Princesses.



The list, presented in full below, comprises the genre’s top ten recording artists and producers under the age of 30 in terms of future earning potential, as judged by an expert panel; no repeats are allowed. This year’s list of judges includes the late Nipsey Hussle,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2015/03/31/nipsey-hussle-independent-musics-next-mogul/#4da2eb107219" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a 2015 Cash Prince</a>&nbsp;who sent his picks just days before his tragic passing; songwriter and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/30-under-30/2019/music/#7f9b76294c40" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">30 Under 30</a>&nbsp;honoree Mickey Shiloh; and NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, who found a lot to like about Rico.



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“Rico Nasty is one of the best shooting guards in hip-hop right now,” says O’Neal, whose résumé includes careers as a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2018/07/31/how-shaq-became-the-biggest-dj-on-the-planet/#2ffbe2652252" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DJ</a>&nbsp;and rapper. “Like a shooting guard, she is able to score in many ways and adapt to the style of play.&nbsp;She is dynamic and always working on her craft, improving&nbsp;her game, updating her sound.”



First, Rico had to work her way off the bench. After moving from New York to Maryland as a child, she started rapping during her teenage years and her mother started working as her manager. For Rico’s first gig, they paid $200 to rent out a performance space, figuring they could more than double that sum by charging $20 per head for tickets. Only six people showed up.



Rico remembers reorganizing her life after that: She moved out of her mother’s house and started working to build her career from the ground up. That meant churning out mixtapes and interacting with her fans on a one-on-one basis—both on social media and in person as she tried her hand at live performances once again around Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.



“I’m bringing them out to the shows, and we’re getting our nails done and shit,” she says, recalling her first efforts to bring fans into her corner. “This is my opportunity to make these people lifelong friends, in a sense.”



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In 2017, Rico’s single “Poppin” took off on YouTube and was featured on HBO’s&nbsp;Insecure; the following year, she signed to Atlantic and released another mixtape,&nbsp;Nasty. Her pay for live shows started to climb in tandem. From her days struggling to top $100 per concert, she zoomed to an average of $7,000 per gig before snagging an estimated $35,000 guarantee for her performance at Coachella last weekend (she wouldn’t confirm the precise amount).



“Five figures,” she says coyly. “That shit feels amazing to say out loud.”



Rico still has ways to go before she gets to the level of the festival’s headliners, whose gigs fetch seven-figure guarantees. In the meantime, she’s working on other ways to extend her brand. In addition to her work with Depop, she recently launched a line of headphones with Skullcandy. And, with the marijuana accessory provider Hemper, she gets a per-unit cut on sales of Rico Nasty-branded bongs, rolling papers and air fresheners.



Says judge Mickey Shiloh of Rico: “Somebody that creates their own lane like this is bound to make waves for the long run.”



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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">Hip Hop Cash Princes: Introducing The Class Of 2019</blockquote>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">6LACK</h2>



“6LACK’s tone is completely his own,” says Shiloh. “His songwriting is also what takes his artistry to an entirely new level … it’s like everything you can’t find the words to say, he says effortlessly.”



—



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie</h2>



The Bronx-born rapper is no stranger to the Cash Princes universe, having collaborated with list of alumni including 21 Savage and Offset of Migos. He’s becoming a star in his own right: A Boogie’s second album,&nbsp;Hoodie SZN, topped the chart shortly after its December 2018 release.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bad Bunny</h2>



The trap rapper blends hip-hop with Reggaeton as seamlessly as he weaves English and Spanish lyrics into wildly popular songs like Cardi B’s “I Like It,” his first U.S. chart-topper. He now grosses more than $500,000 per tour stop.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Blueface</h2>



The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2019/02/28/can-cash-money-the-label-that-launched-drake-and-nicki-minaj-strike-platinum-again/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cash Money Records</a>&nbsp;signee rose to prominence with his smash song “Thotiana”—from his 2018 mixtape&nbsp;Famous Cryp­—which has climbed to No. 8 on the U.S. singles charts. He was a top pick from Nipsey Hussle; both stars have crossed gang lines to record with Cash Princes alum YG.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Juice Wrld</h2>



Five questions with the Chicago-born “Lucid Dreams” hip-hop star:



Forbes: What was your first job?&nbsp;“Factory job creating car parts.”



What’s the app you can’t live without?&nbsp;“Soundcloud.”



How many hours per week do you work now?&nbsp;“168.”



Worst advice you’ve received?&nbsp;“To change my style of music in order to try and be more popular.”



What is your greatest achievement?&nbsp;“I haven’t reached it yet.”



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lil Baby</h2>



The Atlanta-born emcee is already accumulating princely numbers: His 2018 debut,&nbsp;Harder Than Ever, earned gold certification for sales of more than 500,000 units. He now grosses over $70,000 per tour stop.



—



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Gunna</h2>



The Georgia native got started with the help of Cash Princes alum Young Thug, whose YSL label co-released Gunna’s studio debut&nbsp;Drip Or Drown—which soared to No. 3 on the&nbsp;Billboard&nbsp;charts—in February. His single “Drip Too Hard,” with listmate Lil Baby, earned triple-platinum certification.



—



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Russ</h2>



Five questions with the hip-hop star who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2018/12/07/at-26-hip-hop-star-russ-is-earning-15m-a-yearand-showing-how-to-succeed-in-music-now/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earned</a>&nbsp;$15 million last year:



Forbes: What was your first job?&nbsp;“Busboy.”



What’s the app you can’t live without?&nbsp;“Uber Eats.”



How many hours per week do you work?&nbsp;“168.”



Worst advice you’ve ever received?&nbsp;“Be realistic.”



What’s your greatest achievement?&nbsp;“Being in a place where I can take care of my family.”Play Video



Russ: How I Maintained Control Over My Music | 30 Under 30 2019| 3:05



—



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rico Nasty</h2>



“I’ve never heard anything like what comes out of Rico Nasty’s mouth,” says Shiloh. “She’s trap, she’s urban, but she’s also rock with hints of screamo … somebody that creates their own lane like this is bound to make waves for the long run.”



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tierra Whack</h2>



With a quirky tone and thoughtful visuals, the Philadelphia upstart made her major-label debut last year at Interscope with the critically acclaimed&nbsp;Whack World. The social-media-friendly album featured 15 one-minute songs. She earned a Grammy nomination in the Best Music Video category this year for her 2017 single “Mumbo Jumbo.”



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Methodology</h3>



Our list of Hip-Hop’s Cash Princes and Princesses ranks the genre’s top ten recording artists and producers under age 30 in terms of future earning potential. No repeats are allowed. This year, the honorees were selected by a panel of five judges: Nipsey Hussle, the late&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2015/03/31/nipsey-hussle-independent-musics-next-mogul/#4da2eb107219" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2015 Cash Prince</a>&nbsp;who sent in his picks just days ahead of his untimely passing; 30 Under 30 honoree and songwriter Mickey Shiloh; basketball legend and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2018/07/31/how-shaq-became-the-biggest-dj-on-the-planet/#2638d60c2252" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">professional DJ</a>&nbsp;Shaquille O’Neal; and&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;editors Zack O’Malley Greenburg and Natalie Robehmed.



-Zack O&#8217;Malley Greenburg; Forbes Staff

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Hip-Hop Cash Princes And Princesses: The Class Of 2019

The tattered stretch of West Slauson Avenue just off Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles isn’t the first place you’d expect to see a Cadillac Escalade roll up and deliver a Grammy-nominated musician. At the tiny strip mall on the south side of the street, storefronts include an off-brand taco joint, a Boost Mobile outlet and an accountant’s office advertising same-day tax refund advances up to $6,000.



This is where Nipsey Hussle decided to spend a recent Friday morning, and for good reason. His Marathon Clothing store, which peddles Crenshaw hoodies alongside his own music, occupies the corner of the L-shaped plaza. His history here goes back even further—in fact, it’s where he got his name.



“Before we was renting here, I was hustling in this parking lot,” says Nipsey, 33, born Ermias Asghedom. “It&#8217;s just always been a hub for local entrepreneurs.”



Change is coming to Crenshaw, and Nipsey is aiming to be on its bleeding edge: This month, Nipsey and business partner Dave Gross swooped in to pay “a couple million” for the plaza. Within 18 months or so, they’ll knock everything down and rebuild it as a six-story residential building atop a commercial plaza where a revamped Marathon store will be the anchor tenant.



In the meantime, a light rail line is rising to link Crenshaw—which, crucially, qualifies as a tax-advantaged Opportunity Zone—to Los Angeles International Airport and other key nodes of sprawling Southern California. The plaza will be among the first to benefit: There&#8217;s a brand-new train station under construction just steps away.



Nipsey may not be hip-hop&#8217;s biggest name, but he’s certainly among the genre&#8217;s most entrepreneurial. His slow-burn career started to catch fire six years ago when Nipsey offered 1,000 copies of his mixtape Crenshaw for $100 apiece—Jay-Z bought 100 copies—and rolled the profits into his label, All Money In. He released just 100 copies of a subsequent offering, Mailbox Money, with a price tag of $1,000.



“[Nipsey] was not trying to be independent just for the sake of it, but thinking about the benefits of being an independent artist,” says Chris Lyons, who has known Nipsey for several years and runs Andreessen Horowitz’s Cultural Leadership Fund, which counts Nas and Diddy as investors. “The most important thing is his ability to just see where future trends are going and not being afraid to pioneer.”



For Nipsey, the hustle started at home. He grew up down the road from the plaza, in what he calls “the worst house on the best block,” cutting grass and shining shoes to make extra cash as a kid before falling in with local gangs. Fortunately, his musical role models were entrepreneurs as well, offering a way out of a dead-end path.



Dr. Dre, from nearby Compton, built Death Row Records into one of the most influential labels in hip-hop history before eventually shifting focus to his namesake headphone line. Watching Dre from up close and moguls like Jay-Z and Diddy from afar gave Nipsey &#8220;the blueprint of what could be done with the platform of being a successful rap artist,&#8221; he says.



Nipsey started putting out mixtapes in 2005; on one of his early songs, Hussle In The House, he made sure to include a few financial lessons of his own. &#8220;Straight off the block, I sold dope to buy groceries,&#8221; he rapped. &#8220;Now it&#8217;s rap money, no advance, it&#8217;s all royalties.&#8221; Nipsey also prophetically flicked at his future Opportunity Zone gambit: &#8220;Pay taxes to these corners and put in work, it&#8217;s a policy.&#8221;



For his first music video, he wanted to do something that both represented his hometown and offered a path to earnings beyond music. Leafing through an old yearbook, he noticed a picture of local legend Darryl Strawberry in a vintage Crenshaw High School baseball jersey. Nipsey ordered a batch of throwback blue-and-yellow shirts with “Crenshaw” scripted across the front to wear in the shoot.



When the video ended up on MTV, scores of people started asking about “Crenshaw Clothing.” Nipsey had other ideas. A friend had given him a book called The 22 Immutable Laws Of Marketing, packed with Procter &amp; Gamble case studies. As Nipsey ruminated on these lessons in the context of his own journey, the word “Marathon” came to him—it had more potential, he thought, than Crenshaw, a location most people couldn’t place on a map.



Nipsey flirted with major labels, signing with Epic but leaving in 2010—with his catalog intact—after a management change left his official debut album in limbo. While continuing his prolific mixtape output, he became obsessed with the notion of social currency, prompting the release of his $100 mixtape in 2013.



“I believe that economics is based on scarcity of markets,” he told Forbes at the time. “And it’s possible to monetize your art without compromising the integrity of it for commerce.”



Meanwhile, Nipsey continued to give away other mixtapes to satiate his fans, who in turn supported him by buying concert tickets and merchandise. He turned down new record deals because the labels all seemed to want a piece of his burgeoning broader business.



He didn’t need the cash, thanks to his ancillary income and his TuneCore catalog, which was earning him monthly royalty checks in the low six figures. After a couple of years, though, Nipsey had built up a good amount of leverage. He decided to cut a deal with Atlantic that enabled him to make Victory Lap, his official major label debut.



“It&#8217;s a partnership. … I shook hands and said I wouldn&#8217;t give full details, but we’re sharing everything: profit, masters,” he says. “I was holding out for a long time for these terms.”



Nominated for Best Rap Album at this year&#8217;s Grammy Awards, the record paired his rapidly improving socioeconomic status with a career-long message of fiscal responsibility. In one verse, he blustered about Benzes and Bentleys—and touted his trust accounts alongside the &#8220;million-dollar life insurance on my flesh.&#8221;



At the same time, Nipsey was looking for other ways to expand his empire. He met Gross, a private-equity and real-estate investor, courtside at a Lakers game several years ago. (“We started drinking tequila,” says Nipsey. “By the third quarter, we was more friendly.”) They bonded over Gross’s idea for an inner-city co-working space now known as Vector90.



They eventually teamed up to buy the plaza on West Slauson, currently zoned for buildings that max out at 40 units. Nipsey and Gross are aiming for 100 units, which requires a lengthy entitlement process, so they’ve been working with the city and local council members on the details—hence the long timeline. And they’re building smart.



Buried in the tax overhaul of 2017 is a provision to encourage investment in state-designated low-income enclaves known as Opportunity Zones. Under the law, investors can shift capital gains into institutions located in these areas, where the capital is taxed at a reduced rate; new opportunity investments can grow tax-free.



There are basically no limits on the amount of money that can be plowed into an Opportunity Zone or the amount of tax that can be avoided. Is it possible the program is excessively business-friendly? Not for its ambitious goals, backers say.



&#8220;The incentive needs to be powerful enough that it can unlock large amounts of capital, aggregate that capital into funds and force the funds to invest in distressed areas,&#8221; billionaire Sean Parker told Forbes last year. &#8220;Instead of having government hand out pools of taxpayer dollars, you have savvy investors directing money into projects they think will succeed.&#8221;



Parker was part of a diverse group of Opportunity Zone proponents that included Senators Tim Scott of South Carolina, a Republican, and Cory Booker of New Jersey, a Democrat. Like Parker, they argue that bold moves are necessary to fix entrenched ills: To qualify for the program, an area must have a median household income 80% less than nearby neighborhoods&#8217; or a poverty rate of at least 20%.



Gross and Nipsey saw a perfect fit for Crenshaw.



“This is the quintessential Opportunity Zone investment,” says Gross. “The law is supposed to support ground-up entrepreneurship, giving opportunities and jobs to all communities and improving the neighborhood.”



The purchase of the plaza also marks the beginning of a coalition called Our Opportunity—led by Gross, with Nipsey as a founding partner—that will aim to team with local legends in 10 cities as part of a broader Opportunity Zone-based fund. From there, Nipsey envisions building a tax-advantaged lifestyle empire, all linking back to his music.



“The vision is to launch franchises,” says Nipsey, imagining a line of The Marathon Clothing stores, barbershops, fish markets, restaurants. “There&#8217;s such a narrative to this parking lot—that&#8217;s a part of my story as an artist.”



-Zack O&#8217;Malley Greenburg; Forbes Staff

Tag: Nipsey Hussle

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