From MC to Mogul: How Rappers Built Power Beyond the Mic

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Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era

with Chad and Big Absoloot - Gen X Talking Hip Hop

23 episodes

3 days ago

Grown Man Bars is where two Gen X MCs turned opinionated Uncs break down rap culture with no filter. Chad, your resident rap nerd, with Big Absoloot, your OG's OG dive into Golden Era storytelling, lyricism, GOAT debates, classic producers, and the moments that shaped hip hop. From Slick Rick to Scarface, Nas to J. Cole, DJ Premier to RZA. Old rap and new hip hop. If you came up on mixtapes, Tims, and bars that mattered, this is your spot for real hip hop talk. We'll bring you up-to-date on the new hip hop trends, the ones our gen cares about, and hit you with hip hop from the best era ever.

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From MC to Mogul: How Rappers Built Power Beyond the Mic

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era

40 minutes 43 seconds

2 weeks ago

From MC to Mogul: How Rappers Built Power Beyond the Mic

Hip hop has always celebrated success —
but what happens after the rap career peaks?

In this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and Big Absoloot break down the 9 rappers who successfully transitioned from artists to moguls, ranking them based on business impact, longevity, ownership, and cultural power — not record sales alone.

This episode explores:

Why Jay-Z redefined what winning after rap looks like
How Dr. Dre built infrastructure, not just hits
Ice Cube’s shift from artist to executive decision-maker
Will Smith’s early escape from being boxed in
50 Cent’s mastery of attention and intellectual property
The quiet dominance of LL Cool J and Queen Latifah
And how Snoop Dogg turned personality into a business model

We also dig into:

Why the DMV doesn’t get the credit it deserves in hip hop history
What separates entertainers from builders
And why some artists stay rich while others stay famous

This isn’t gossip.
It’s grown-man conversation about money, power, and legacy.

🎧 Listen, then build your own Top 5.00:00 Introduction to Mogul Rappers02:26 Common: From Rapper to Actor and Intellectual05:32 Snoop Dogg: The Coolest Brand in Hip Hop10:52 LL Cool J: The Master of Longevity13:36 Queen Latifah: Breaking Barriers in Entertainment16:59 Will Smith: The Fresh Prince of Hollywood20:40 Ice Cube: The Visionary Entrepreneur22:58 50 Cent: The Emperor of Petty27:21 Dr. Dre: The Sound Architect29:48 Jay-Z: Rap's First Billionaire33:13 The DMV: Hip Hop's Hidden Gem36:36 Top 5 Hip Hop Legends39:21 Final Thoughts and Viewer Interaction