Rap in 2025 was all about experimentation. From the year’s first runaway hit, NBA player-turned-musician Gelo’s single “Tweaker,” to the maximalist ecclesiastics of Playboi Carti’s Music, or even in ...

We should address the elephant in the room: hip-hop did not have a strong year on the charts. In fact, rap music had its worst showing in years. Back in October, it made headlines when—for the first ...

Every year, we’re told that hip-hop is in crisis. But if you ask us, it feels like there’s too much heat to keep up with. What’s lost on the chart-watchers lamenting rap’s mainstream lull is that the ...

The nominees for Best Rap Song at the 2026 Grammys are in. Grammy SZN has officially commenced. On Friday (Nov. 7), The Recording Academy revealed all the nominees for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.

For the first time in more than three decades, not a single rap song ranks among the 40 most popular tracks in America. Last week’s Billboard Hot 100 marked the end of a remarkable 35-year streak, ...

For the first time since 1990, the Top 40 of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart is completely devoid of any hip-hop and/or rap songs. “No rap songs appear in the top 40 on the Hot 100 for the first time since ...

Yesterday, Billboard deputy editor and Stereogum buddy Andrew Unterberger published a piece with some confusing implications: On last week's Billboard Hot 100, there were no rap songs in the top 40.

For the first time in more than 35 years, no rap songs appear in the Billboard Hot 100's top 40. The streak came to an end on the chart dated Oct. 25, 2025, following the fall of Kendrick Lamar and ...

For the first time since February 1990 — over 35 years — the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 40 contained zero rap songs on the chart dated October 25, 2025 The removal of Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “luther,” ...

The highest-ranked rap song is Cardi B's "Safe" at number 44. Yes, you’ve read that correctly. There are no rap songs listed in the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. This has not occurred since 1990, ...