Billboard Hot 100 viewed on a mobile device. (Adobe Stock)
Hip-hop has turned down the volume in the charts—for the first time in over 35 years, the Billboard Hot 100 did not hold a spot for a single rap song, while many publications are reigniting the conversations of commercial stress, creative stunts, and less support from the culture. There are other factors that could be attributed to this billboard drought.
“One of the factors is that some of the very established stars of rap and hip-hop are speaking to their constituents-they’re speaking to their niche,” music business Professor Darryl Tookes said. “They’re saying we need to talk about my struggles, we need to talk about global issues, we need to talk about mental health;I think that’s one of the factors.”
Professor Darryl Tookes’ debut single “Lifeguard” hit the charts and reached number three on the 1989 Billboard charts.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s collab record “Luther” spent 13 weeks on Billboard Hot 100 at the number one spot. After falling off the Hot 100 on Oct. 25, 2025, there were no rap songs in the chart’s top 40. According to Billboard, the last time that there were zero rap songs in the Top 40 of the Hot 100 was February 1990. The song at the time was Biz Markie’s hit “Just a Friend,” which climbed to no. 41 on the charts, then next week jumped to no. 29.
The two-week drought of no rap songs in the Top 40 spots would come to an end when Megan Thee Stallion’s single “Lover Girl” debuted at no. 38 on the Nov. 8 Hot 100. While this ends the absence of rap on the chart, this still leaves many with questions as to why no rap song was able to find a place in the top 40 spots.
