Hip hop's first billionaire? Dr Dre closes in on US$3.2 billion headphones deal with Apple

It is a long way from the rough streets of south Los Angeles to becoming the world's richest hip hop star.

But that is the path that beckons Andre Young - better known as Dr Dre - thanks to some very fashionable headphones.

The 49-year-old rapper turned producer and entrepreneur will top Forbes' hip hop rich list after striking a US$3.2 billion deal to sell to Apple the company he co-founded eight years ago, Beats Electronics.

The agreement, still to be finalised, is likely to boost his net worth to some US$800 million, according to Forbes. Some reports suggest Dre could soon become the world's first hip-hop billionaire.

The deal will put him ahead of Sean "Diddy" Combs, the previous top dog with US$700 million, as well as Jay Z, now in third place with US$520 million, followed by Bryan "Birdman" Williams on US$160 million.

"Hip hop is now central to American popular culture," Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University in New York state, said after the deal was reported on Friday.