Rap music just vanished from the Billboard Top 40 for the first time in 35 years

"Rap music is still all over the top 40; it's just not being made by rappers," Stereogum's Tom Breihan observed in a column published Thursday, Oct. 30. This article originally published at Rap music ...

No Rap Songs in the Top 40 for First Time in 35 Years: Kendrick Lamar and SZA's 'Luther' Exits Billboard Hot 100

The last time no rap songs lingered in the top 40 slots was the first week of February in 1990, when Biz Markie ’s hit “Just a Friend” had just climbed to No. 41. The next week it jumped to No. 29.

Here's What The Alchemist Has to Say About No Rap Songs Being in Hot 100 Top 40 for First Time Since 1990

The Alchemist has added his two cents on the topic that had Rap Twitter in a frenzy this week.
The FADER

No rap songs are on the Billboard Top 40 for the first time in 35 years

The Billboard Hot 100 has no rap songs in the top 40 for the first time in 35 years after Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "luther" was removed under new rules.
Uproxx

Elliott Wilson Picks The Best Hip-Hop Songs And Albums Of 2025 So Far

We live in the Dot era. After demolishing rap rival Drake last year, Kendrick Lamar’s victory lap has dominated 2025 and the current hip-hop landscape. Super Bowl performance. More Grammy wins. “Not ...

For The First Time in 35 Years, There Are No Rap Songs in the Hot 100 Top 40

For the first time, Billboard's Hot 100 Top 40 doesn't feature a single rap song. Is this due to changing listener preferences or recent rule changes?