**For clarity, rap and hip-hop are used interchangeably throughout the article, as both represent the same space in music charts.** Additionally, in mid-September 2025, only four hip-hop songs were on ...

Nasir Jones is a storyteller. He makes that clear on “Illmatic,” an introspective and poetic album that set the foundation for rap music. With a smooth flow and contemplative lyrics over jazz-heavy ...

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 ...

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.

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What's going on with rap? After celebrating 50 years of legacy in 2023 with marquee moments like the Hip Hop 50 multi-headliner concert at Yankee Stadium, plus Kendrick Lamar's historic run – capped ...

Hip-hop has been super volatile over the last couple of years. Given all the questions swirling around the genre during its 50th decade—who are the new stars? Where are the hit records? Is hip-hop on ...