Rap Absent From Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 First Time Since 1990 After Kendrick Lamar's 'Luther' Removal

Kendrick Lamar and SZA's hit "Luther," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 13 weeks, was recently removed from the chart due to a new recurrent rule implemented by Billboard. This rule mandates that songs falling below No. 25 after 26 weeks on the chart are classified as recurrent and removed, causing "Luther" to exit at No. 38 in its 46th week. Consequently, for the first time since 1990, no rap songs occupy the Top 40 of the Hot 100, ending a historic 35-year streak for the genre. While rap's market share has decreased from nearly 30% in 2020 to around 24% in 2025, several rap songs remain just outside the Top 40, such as YoungBoy Never Broke Again's "Shot Callin." Despite the absence of rap in the top rankings, artists like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Olivia Dean dominate the chart, reflecting a shift in genre representation amid evolving chart rules and music trends.