George Clinton – $1.8 million
Greatest Hits: Can’t C Me, Loopzilla, You’re Thinkin’ Right
George Clinton, a former Motown songwriter, is renowned for writing and recording various hit songs for indie Detroit soul labels. He formed The Parliaments and later renamed Parliament and Funkadelic as his own band. Clinton was renowned for his distinctive psychedelic rock and electro-funk style in the years after that. He inspired rap music, writing the song “Can’t C Me.” by Tupac. For artists including Ice Cube, Outkast, Redman, Wu-Tang Clan, and more, he also wrote “Bop Gun.”
Isaac Hayes – $12 million
Greatest Hits: Soul Man
The key force behind Stax Records was Isaac Hayes. He excelled as a session musician before becoming a solo artist. He was born in Tennessee, where he wrote and sang “Soul Man,” one of the most influential soul songs. He has written many successful film songs. He composed the score for Shaft, which earned him an Oscar Award for composing. He won the most prestigious Oscar as the third African American man.