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For many rap and hip-hop artists, behind all the trash talk and posturing, it's all about business. Forbes recently released its Hip Hop Cash Kings list, and the 20 big names on it racked up a total of about $300 million, despite the weak economy and the Internet revolution that is killing the CD business.

Hip-hop pays well, very well, at least for Jay-Z. Forbes reports Jay-Z racked up $63 million in the past year -- owing about $22 million in federal and state taxes, a sum greater than the total earnings of every rapper and hip-hop mogul besides second-ranked Diddy.

Sony's announced agreement to buy Michael Jackson's catalog is a good bet, but still a bet -- that Jackson's durability as an idol will outweigh fans' skepticism for buying 10 more albums' worth of songs that the even King of Pop himself might not have released.