George Clinton – $1.8 million
Greatest Hits: Can’t C Me, Loopzilla, You’re Thinkin’ Right
George Clinton, a former Motown songwriter, is known for writing and recording several hit songs for indie Detroit soul labels. He formed The Parliaments, and his own band later renamed Parliament and Funkadelic. In the years after that, Clinton was known for his distinctive psychedelic rock and electro-funk style. He inspired rap music, writing Tupac’s song “Can’t C Me.” He also wrote “Bop Gun” for artists including Ice Cube, Outkast, Redman, Wu-Tang Clan, and more. His own name, C Kunspyruhzy.
Isaac Hayes – $12 million
Greatest Hits: Soul Man
The key force behind Stax Records was Isaac Hayes. He was an in-house session musician for the label before becoming a singer-songwriter. He was born in Tennessee and wrote the song ‘Soul Man,’ which is considered one of the most influential soul songs. He wrote famous songs for movies as well. He composed the film score for Shaft, earning an Oscar for his score. He won the “competitive” Oscar as the third African-American man.