For the first time in over three decades, the Billboard Hot 100 has no rap songs in its top 40, marking a major cultural shift in the U.S. music landscape.
The drought began with the Oct. 25, 2025 chart, when Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther”, a 13-week No. 1 hit, fell off the Hot 100 following Billboard’s new chart rule updates. With its departure, the top 40 was left completely without rap representation, ending a streak that began in February 1990.
The highest-ranking rap entry that week was YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s “Shot Callin” at No. 44, followed by Cardi B’s “Safe” (featuring Kehlani) at No. 48 and BigXthaPlug’s “Hell at Night” (featuring Ella Langley) at No. 49. It was the first time since Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” briefly fell to No. 41 on Feb. 2, 1990, that the top 40 did not include a rap song , a record-breaking 35-year, 8-month, and 3-week streak.
The historic shift is partially attributed to Billboard’s revised Hot 100 methodology. Under the updated rules, descending songs that have spent more than 26 weeks on the chart and fall below No. 25 are now considered recurrent and removed from the main listing. This change affected several long-running hits, including “Luther,” which had dropped to No. 38 in its 46th week.
Part of the slowdown may stem from a transitional moment in hip-hop. Some of the genre’s biggest names are currently between projects. Drake has yet to release his long-awaited Iceman album, while Kendrick Lamar, who spent the past 18 months at the center of cultural conversations has stepped back following the success of “Luther.”
