For the first time in over 30 years, there’s not been a single hip-hop song sits in the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 30 — Is this a shocking moment for Hip-Hop genre that’s has been the dominate genre in the Billboard charts since the 1990s?
So what’s the reason behind this?
The drop follows Billboard’s recent rule changes, which remove older “recurrent” hits faster — affecting tracks like Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther.” But it’s not just the rules: hip-hop’s streaming dominance has cooled, and there’s been a lull in major breakout releases while pop and country surge.
Still, this doesn’t mark hip-hop’s decline — more likely a pause. The genre has always evolved in cycles, and with new projects on the horizon from heavyweights like Drake, Kendrick, and Travis Scott, rap’s next chart wave may not be far off.
So, is the current sound of Hip-Hop generally on the decline overall? Are Hip-Hop fans in need of something new?
