A 35-Year Streak Comes to an End

For the first time in 35 years, not a single rap song appears in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. The last time this occurred was February 1990, a period before hip-hop became a global cultural and commercial powerhouse.

This surprising turn of events was confirmed by People magazine and multiple music industry outlets. The moment marks a symbolic shift in the pop landscape — and perhaps a signal that the era of automatic rap chart dominance is evolving.

What Caused Rap’s Chart Absence?

According to People.com, the tipping point came when “Luther” — a collaboration between Kendrick Lamar and SZA — fell off the chart after 26 weeks.

Under Billboard’s updated chart rules, songs that spend more than six months on the Hot 100 and drop below the Top 25 are removed. This technicality ended rap’s record-breaking streak, but the deeper causes are more complex.

Why Rap Isn’t Charting Like It Used To

There are several factors behind the change:

1. Billboard’s New Chart Rules

Recent rule adjustments to maintain chart freshness mean long-standing songs cycle out faster. Many rap singles that linger below the Top 25 are now being removed earlier than before.

2. Shifting Listening Habits

Streaming remains king — but the genre mix has diversified. Pop, country, Afrobeats, and Latin music have seen explosive growth, while rap’s dominance has leveled off after peaking in the late 2010s.

3. Fewer Viral Rap Hits

The TikTok era has helped some rappers break through, but virality is unpredictable. Songs with hybrid appeal — mixing pop, R&B, and dance — are outperforming pure hip-hop records in the streaming age.

4. Genre Blending & Classification

Billboard’s genre classification system doesn’t count every song with rap verses as “rap.” Many hybrid tracks may be labeled as “pop” or “R&B,” even if they include rap features.

A Look Back: Rap’s 35-Year Reign

 

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Rap first began infiltrating the Hot 100 in the late 1980s, with acts like LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, and Public Enemy pushing the genre into the mainstream.
By the early 2000s, artists like Eminem, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, and OutKast turned hip-hop into the most commercially successful genre in America.

From Drake’s decade-long run of chart dominance to Cardi B’s breakout success and Travis Scott’s festival reign, rap has been inseparable from the Top 40 for decades — until now.

What It Means for the Future

This development doesn’t mean rap is “dead” — far from it. Instead, it signals a transitional phase in the genre’s commercial cycle.

Rap is evolving, and its artists are experimenting with new sounds, tech, and collaborations. As AI-driven music, international influences, and genre-bending hits reshape the industry, hip-hop’s next era might look very different.

For example:

• Rap tracks are gaining new traction in niche streaming charts, independent playlists, and social media discovery.

• Underground and global rap scenes (like UK drill and Nigerian hip-hop) are growing even as mainstream U.S. dominance dips.

The Global Music Shift in 2025

Rap’s chart absence coincides with the rise of genres such as:

• Afrobeats (Burna Boy, Rema, Tyla)

• Latin trap and reggaeton (Bad Bunny, Feid)

• Pop-country crossovers (Morgan Wallen, Beyoncé’s country turn)

This global blend shows how music trends now move beyond borders — and Billboard’s Top 40 is reflecting that.

Expert Take

Industry analysts suggest that rap’s presence in culture remains stronger than ever, but its mainstream chart footprint has splintered across platforms.
As veteran artists recalibrate and emerging rappers experiment with new technology, hip-hop’s next wave could return to the Top 40 with a vengeance — just in a different form.

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