Nicki Minaj became the first female to grace FORBES' Hip-Hop Cash Kings last year, pulling in $6.5 million, enough to land the No. 15 spot on the annual accounting of rap's top earners. Expect her bulging bank account to grow even more in 2012 following a massive deal she recently signed with Pepsi.

According to Derek Jackson, the Glu agency chief who brokered the agreement, Minaj will become the face of a new Pepsi beverage nearing its debut. He said the pact, which includes a commercial filmed in South America last month (pixely footage has already leaked on YouTube), is a multimillion-dollar deal.