Jay-Z Tops Forbes' 2009 Richest Rappers List

Jay-Z has dethroned last year's Hip-Hop Cash King, 50 Cent, to snag the title for the 2nd time. According to Forbes, the Brooklyn hip-hop mogul raked in a whopping $35 million between June 2008 and June 2009.

Forbes' 2009 Hip-Hop Cash Kings list is remarkably identical to the 2008 lineup. Diddy comes it at #2 with $30 million. Kanye West checks in at #3 with $25 million. 50 Cent and Akon round up the Top 5 with $20 million apiece.
Check out the list in its entirety:
Forbes' 2009 Hip-Hop Cash Kings

1. Jay-Z - 35 Million
2. Diddy - 30 Million
3. Kanye West - 25 Million
4. 50 Cent - 20 Million
5. Akon - 20 Million
6. Lil Wayne - 18 Million
7. Timbaland - 17 Million
8. Pharrell - 16 Million
9. T-Pain - 15 Million
10. Eminem - 14 Million
11. Dr.Dre - 13 Million
12. Snoop Dogg - 11 Million
13. Ludacris - 10 Million
14. Common - 8 Million
15. Will.I.Am - 8 Million
16. T.I. - 8 Million
17. Swizz Beatz - 8 Million
18. Andre 3000 - 7 Million
19. Big Boi- 7 Million
20. Flo-Rida - 6 Million
21. Rick Ross - 6 Million
22. The Game - 6 Million
23. Young Jeezy- 6 Million

After attending the NBA Draft in June, Jay-Z threw a party at his 40/40 Club in midtown Manhattan, carousing into the wee hours of the morning with the likes of LeBron James and Spike Lee. Not bad for a guy who took a 57% pay cut this year.

The Brooklyn-born rapper pulled in an estimated $35 million over the past 12 months, topping our annual list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings. It's far from the $82 million he made last year, but more than enough to reclaim the crown from 2008's monarch, 50 Cent. The Queens native drops to fourth place with $20 million, down from $150 million a year ago.

In Pictures: Hip Hop's 20 Top Earners

Both rappers had a hard time living up to prior yearly totals fattened by one-time mega-deals. For 50, it was a $100 million windfall from the sale of his stake in VitaminWater parent Glacéau to Coca-Cola ( KO - news - people ); for Jay-Z, a front-loaded $150 million deal with concert promoter Live Nation ( LYV - news - people ).

"The timing of Jay's deal couldn't have been more perfect," says singer-songwriter-producer Akon, fourth on this year's list. "Those numbers aren't going to be flying around anymore."

Last year, the top 20 Hip-Hop Cash Kings made $500 million; this year they made $300 million, a 40% drop. 50 Cent's VitaminWater stake was responsible for one-fifth of the total take last year. Its absence accounts for half of hip-hop's year-over-year decline. Similarly, concert promoters have stopped pursing big "360" deals like the one signed by Jay-Z and LiveNation last year. "Those deals are pretty much done for now," says Chris White, an entertainment analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities.