It wasn’t that long ago that hip hop was thought of a fad that would pass. But it didn’t, and not only has it defied the odds by sticking around, but it has built a culture that transcends the music and influences people around the world. With that in mind, Forbes has just released their list of the top earners in Hop Hop for 2008. The dudes on this list have created some serious wealth for themselves and countless others. From a genre and subculture that people ridiculed and scorned, to the top of the world, hip hop has come a long way.

On a side note, being ridiculed, scorned and having the mainstream American media bash you at every turn sounds an awfully lot like something else we are all a part of…

Check out the list of the top hip hop earners after the jump.

[Forbes]

1. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson: $150 million
2. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter: $82 million
3. Sean “Diddy” Combs: $35 million
4. Kanye West: $30 million
5. Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley: $22 million
6. Pharrell Williams: $20 million
7. Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean: $17 million
8. Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus: $16 million
9. André “Dr. Dre” Young: $15 million
10. Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges: $14 million
11. Clifford “T.I.” Harris: $13 million (tie)
11. Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter: $13 million (tie)
12. Marshall “Eminem” Mathers: $12 million (tie)
12. Lonnie “Common” Lynn Jr.: $12 million (tie)
12. Aliaune “Akon” Thiam: $12 million (tie)
13. Jermaine Dupri: $11 million (tie)
13. Jonathan “Lil Jon” Smith: $11 million (tie)
14. OutKast: $10 million (tie)
14. Hakeem “Chamillionaire” Seriki: $10 million (tie)
14. Jayceon “The Game” Taylor: $10 million (tie)