The game is to be told and sold. Check out the Top 8 Reasons Why Rappers Make Better Business Men.

From Digital Music News:

Think hip-hop’s dead?  Think again: it’s the 3rd largest genre – ahead of pop, and behind rock and country.  And, it accounts for more than 1 out of every 10 dollars spent on recorded music, according to the latest S&P Media and Entertainment report (double that if you count Urban/R&B).  The monetary staying power of this genre simply cannot be ignored, but why?  Take a few lessons from the adolescent of major musical genres…

1. Guest Appearances Make 1+1=3…

One of rap’s best-selling albums of 2010 – Drake’s Thank Me Later – has more cameos than a Tarantino film.  Guest appearances are one of the greatest positive feedback loops in music, not to mention an unparalleled artist development pathway that no other genre has fully taken advantage of.

There are no less than seven platinum-selling artists and one developing artist – Nicki Minaj – on Thank Me Later.  Marketing literature calls this “brand alliances,” and for two well-established artists, this is an easy way to share fans and cross-sell content.  For a developing act, pairing with a big rapper is arguably more effective than an expensive and risky traditional radio campaign…  Click here to read the full story.  Also, in case you missed it, check out this interview with billionaire Warren Buffet and Jay-Z (who is predicted to become hip-hop’s first billionaire).