No rap in Billboard Top 40 — What it really means

Sean
Nov 7
3 min read

Here’s the gist: the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated October 25, 2025 contained no songs labeled as rap in its Top 40 — the first time that’s happened since February 1990. That 35-year streak ended after Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s long-running single “Luther” was ruled recurrent under Billboard’s revised eligibility rules and dropped off the Hot 100.

Take a breath — this is shocking as a headline, but the real story is a little more procedural and a lot more interesting.

No rap in Billboard Top 40 — the short, sharp truth

This moment looks like a gut punch because charts are shorthand for cultural power. But what actually happened was a collision: new chart rules + an album wave + timing. Billboard’s updated recurrent policy accelerated the removal of older tracks that fall below certain positions after set numbers of weeks; “Luther,” which had been on the chart for many months, met that cutoff and was removed. At the same time a major pop album pushed multiple songs into the Top 40 at once — a streaming-era effect that shrinks the available slots for every other single, rap included.

Let’s be honest: charts are competitive. When a superstar drops an album and every track gets streaming traction, the Top 40 can look like owned real estate for a week or two. That’s what happened. It’s not that rap stopped being culturally vital — it still fuels playlists, festivals, fashion and conversation — it just temporarily didn’t appear inside that specific, narrow list we call the Top 40.

Why this matters, and why it doesn’t mean rap is “over”

Charts matter because they’re visible proof of reach. But they’re not the whole picture. Rap’s influence today is porous: it bleeds into pop, R&B, country and global Afrobeats crossovers. A pop-charting song might carry a trap beat or a rap cadence and be labeled “pop,” not “rap,” on the ledger — so the phrase “no rap in the Top 40” can hide how much hip-hop is actually shaping what people are listening to.

The bigger lesson is structural. With faster recurrent cutoffs, slow-burn rap singles — the ones that grow via TikTok, playlists and word-of-mouth over months — risk being removed before they reach their natural peak. Labels and artists may need to change tactics: tighter, faster promotional windows; staggered single releases; or leaning into album strategies that place artists in different kinds of charts.

Where the blame — and opportunity — really sits

Blame the rules? Partly. Billboard adjusted its recurrent policy to make room for new hits and reduce “stagnation” on the Hot 100. That decision has clear consequences: long-running hits get the boot sooner. Blame streaming-era album strategies? Also partly. One week’s album flood can displace multiple singles across genres. But don’t blame creativity. 2025 has been a strong year for rap releases — high-profile albums, sold-out tours, viral singles and cultural moments. The absence from this Top 40 snapshot doesn’t erase that.

And here’s the opportunity: the conversation about what counts as a “hit” is overdue. Is a Top 40 slot the only valid measure? No. Touring revenue, streaming catalogue growth, playlist dominance, sync placements, social virality and cultural impact — those things matter, often more to artists’ livelihoods than a weekly chart position.

Quick takeaways for artists, teams and fans

Release strategy matters more than ever — think short, punchy campaigns that peak fast.
Don’t conflate chart label with cultural clout — rap can dominate culture without sitting inside a single list.
Watch the next few charts: if rap snaps back into the Top 40 quickly, this will be a technical blip. If not, it signals a longer dance between genre labelling, platform mechanics and listening habits.

Final line (because we like to end with clarity)

The Top 40 going rap-free is a headline that will make people talk — and talk they should. But take a wider look: the genre is not gone. It’s evolving. Charts are changing. And rap’s next chapter will be written across stages, feeds, playlists and cultures — sometimes inside the Top 40, sometimes not.

Either way - even though there is no rap in Billboard Top 40, hip-hop’s story is far from finished.