If you've watched MTV lately (or at any point in the last 15 years), you've probably noticed that hip hop videos are all about showing off designer labels, ladies with big back sides, private jets, jewelry, and, of course, expensive cars. And in these ten cases below, life actually imitates art (or is it the other way around). When it comes to having an unreal car collection, the following rappers have collections to match their music video fictional extravagances. From expensive new cars, to vintage cars, to race cars… these hip hop stars have garages that would give Jay Leno a run for his money…
P. Diddy
Puffy, er, I mean Sean Combs is a hip hop legend. His car collection has three incredibly expensive cars – a $443,000 Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, the most expensive Rolls Royce model, a $360,000 Maybach 57, and a $300,000 Lamborghini Gallardo. Diddy also has a private collection of 1958 Corvettes.
Kanye West
Kanye West does not do anything halfway, including his car collection. His latest acquisition is a gift from his wife, Kim Kardashian. She bought him a black $389,000 Lamborghini Aventador. Kanye also owns a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss and an Aston Martin DB9. And let's not forget that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian spend even more money on making their cars kidnap-proof, often having army-style features installed.
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell may have been singing his catchy song "Happy" about his car collection. He owns one of the extremely rare Ferrari Enzos. Only 400 were ever made and it is estimated that this car cost Pharrell $1 million. That, however, is not his favorite car. Pharrell loves his two Rolls Royces best — a Rolls Royce Phantom and a Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe. He also owns a $495,000 Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR and a rather pedestrian Hybrid GMC Yukon.
Jay-Z
Jay-Z, otherwise known as Shawn Carter (or Mr. Beyonce), is one of the two hip hop moguls on this list that owns an $8 million Maybach Exelero. Beyonce also gave him a $2.4 million Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport as a birthday gift to add to his truly crazy expensive car collection. In addition, Jay-Z drives a $100,000 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, a $250,000 Ferrari F430 Spider, a $408,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom, an $1.8 million Pagani Zonda, and a Maybach 62S.
Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco, who was born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, is a big fan of classic cars. Ferraris are his favorite and he has at least four – a 575M, a 465 GTA, a 400i, and a 986 Ferrari 412. Fiasco's garage is his man cave, and he knows all the details about every car that has ever been in his garage. Among his most cherished possessions are a 1967 Austin Healey 3000 MK replica and a Shelby Daytona Coupe. He also owns a Chevrolet Camaro SS, a Mercedes-Benz SL500, a Jeep Wrangler, and a 1971 Chevrolet Cheyenne CT pickup.
Funkmaster Flex
Aston George Taylor, Jr., better known to fans as Funkmaster Flex does not have quite the same taste for super expensive cars as the other rappers on our list. Flex's passion is in vintage muscle cars and he has an impressive collection including a 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS 396, a 1967 Ford Galaxie, a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro, a 1969 Chevrolet Nova, a 1969 Pontiac GTO Convertible, a 1969 Charger, a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro , a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, a 1971 Ford Torino GT, a 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass, and a 1976 Ford Torino. Of his later model cars, Funkmaster prefers his 2005 Ford Expedition and 2006 Ford Mustang.
T-Pain
T-Pain, whose birth certificate lists him as Faheem Rasheed Najm, spreads his car budget out across both expensive and vintage cars. He owns the first Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe ever made in North America—that set him back $525,000. He also has two 1963, a 1969, and a 1979 Chevy Impala. He also has a 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle, a Bugatti Veyron, a Ferrari F430, and a Cadillac Hearse. Yes, a hearse. He also drives a 1991 Chevrolet Caprice Classic, a Ford F650, a Mini Cooper, and a Scion xB.
50 Cent
Curtis Jackson, otherwise known as 50 Cent has amassed quite a car collection over the past decade. His most notable car is a $1 million Ferrari Enzo. He also owns a Ferrari F50 which originally sold for $550,000 but today can easily fetch over $1 million. He also owns a $400,000 Ferrari 599 GT Fiorano. He has not one, not two, but three Rolls Royce Phantoms in black, blue and silver. Those cost $430,000, $300,000, and $400,000 respectively. 50 Cent owns two Lamborghini Murcielago's, said to cost $200,000-$250,000 each, a $240,000 Ferrari F430, and a $110,000 Maserati. He owns a Pontiac G8 and Pontiac G6 GXP. And finally, there is his custom built Jet Car from Dream machines. Boys and their toys, right?
Birdman
Birdman, a.k.a. Bryan Williams, has a huge car collection. He owns 32 collectible cars and it is the most expensive group of cars on this list. He is the owner of an $8 million Maybach Exelero, the most expensive production car in the world, as well as a $2.1 million Bugatti Veyron, a $2 million Maybach 62S Landaulet convertible, a $755,000 Lamborghini Aventador, a Bentley Mulsanne Coupe, and a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. One of his more recent acquisitions is a new limited edition Lamborghini Veneno, worth $4.6 million. Birdman claims that he lost over 20 vehicles when hurricane Katrina hit his various homes in New Orleans back in 2005.
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is the owner of the most impressive car collection in the hip hop industry. He owns 37 rare and classic cars, which are housed in his custom-built garage in Miami. It is not the most expensive car collection amongst rappers, but it is the biggest. He owns a McLaren F1, currently estimated to be worth over $4 million, a Pagani Zonda C12, a 1957 Cadillac El Dorado Biarritz, a Ferrari 360 Spider F1, a Rolls-Royce Phantom, and a Bentley Arnage. For day to day driving he drives a Humvee and a Mercedes-Benz G-Class among others.
If money was no object, which cars would be in your collection?
