Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud From the charts to podcasts, the state of rap in 2025
Nov 10, 2025
Jay Smooth, a hip-hop cultural critic, and Michelle Santosuosso, a music industry academic, join the conversation to explore the rise of rappers as podcasting powerhouses amidst rap's decline on the Hot 100. They dive into how streaming metrics are reshaping industry standards and why artists now prioritize numbers over traditional airtime. As they discuss the cultural shift in hip-hop, they reveal that chart absence doesn't signal decline, but rather an opportunity for creative renewal with new artists like Dochi and Saba leading the way.
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Charts No Longer Mirror Culture
- Billboard's Hot 100 top 40 briefly contained no rap for the first time in 35 years, revealing chart shifts.
- Streaming-era dynamics and huge pop albums can temporarily crowd out rap on the chart.
Streaming Algorithms Shape The Hot 100
- Streaming algorithms and massive pop album releases concentrate plays and push many other songs off the chart.
- Michelle Santosuosso explains streaming keeps listeners in comfort zones, reinforcing long chart runs for big artists.
Billboard's Point System Matters
- Billboard uses a weighted point system combining streaming, sales, and radio airplay to rank songs.
- Chart rules have changed to reflect these varied metrics, affecting placement outcomes.
