Balendra (Balen) Shah’s first Facebook post in 2012 was a rap song about his school days. In many other YouTube videos, a younger beardless Shah raps in expletives-ridden X-rated perfornances.

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 ...

The little man remembered every word and commanded the stage. By Angel Diaz I’m not crying, you’re crying. During a recent school talent show, first-grader Juju decided to perform a rap classic, and ...

Pooh Shiesty’s first attempt at writing a “First Day Out” song came while he was still locked up. During his three-year bid in USP Canaan in Pennsylvania, he wrote raps whenever he could—using scraps ...

In a year that had no rap songs in the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 40 for the first time since 1990, rap thrived in so many other ways. This list of the 25 best rap albums of 2025 includes grand ...

Recently, in casual conversations, I’ve been asked for my opinion about the October report that “No Rap Songs Are in the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 40 for the First Time Since 1990” more so than my ...

Billboard‘s recent rule changes sparked a concerned discussion after they resulted in a two-week absence of rap music in the Hot 100 chart’s top 40 for the first time in almost three decades. “Is ...

Megan Thee Stallion’s new single, “Lover Girl,” debuted at No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 This marks the first rap song in two weeks to enter the chart’s Top 40 The achievement ends the first drought ...

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.

The latest Billboard Hot 100 chart is unlike any other one in recent memory. According to the outlet, for the first time in 35 years, there are no rap songs in the chart’s Top 40. The update comes as ...

For the first time in more than 35 years, no rap songs appear in the Billboard Hot 100's top 40. The streak came to an end on the chart dated Oct. 25, 2025, following the fall of Kendrick Lamar and ...