If you’re a fan of Hip-Hop and had a working internet connection for the past year, I’m sure you’ve come into contact with the narrative “Hip-Hop is dead” in instagram comments sections, Reddit threads, and even CNN. Hip-Hop, more specifically rap music, has been said to be dying after Billboard posted this article in October of 2025, stating that the Billboard Top 40 is without a single rap song for the first time since 1990. Now because of the way our Music-Industrial-Complex is set up, once Billboard says it, surely it is LAW– and of course media platforms such as Complex, SayCheeseTV and whoever else is building a following off of Tekashi 6ix9ine clips, took that story and ran with it. Fans added in their discourse, other media outlets chimed in, and even rappers within the industry touched on the topic, and so the internet had a new thing to argue over: is Hip-Hop really dying?
I’m here to tell you, of course not. As a matter of fact I think Hip-Hop is stronger than ever right now, or at least strongest it’s been in the past 5-6 years. There is a potential that those online claiming Hip-Hop to be dead are a part of a loud minority, but let’s take a look at why they are saying those things to begin with.
For starters is the Billboard discourse. For a long time, possibly since the birth of Hip-Hop, rap music hasn’t always played well with the larger music industry and academy art-critique world. Fans and artists have often had disputes over Grammy award winners (see 2014 best rap album nominees and winner), Pitchfork and Genius (formerly RAPgenius) reviews of music and song lyrics, and even online critics like Anthony Fantano (who has been confronted online by rappers from Joey Bada$$ to Drake). I think a lot of this comes from the friction between rap, coming from a very black and brown, poor - middle class POV, and the classism that comes with fine art critique and whiteness. To quote JPEGMAFIA
“It's a trip oh, you mad you not Grammy picked? (Grammy picked)
You're still sad, you not on some lists (on some lists)
What the hip-hop hell is this? (B*tch)
Huh, Malcolm ain't die for this sh*t (uh-uh)”
I think this sentiment is one shared by many artists and many fans, even if those same people do in fact revere the Grammy awards and Billboard rankings. So of course when news breaks that there’s NO rap songs on the top 40 for the first time in decades, fans and musicians alike may truly acknowledge that as an indicator of the genre falling off.
One reason people have cited for this fall-off is Drake not having put out any new music during the year of 2025 (even though he literally did…lol). Now while I don’t agree with this take, I do think there is something to look at there. I do personally think that the feud between Kendrick and Drake revitalized many rappers, as many felt that the beef was not just about 2 rappers but about genuine artistry vs industry produced artistry. I saw tons of new music coming about even in NYC’s underground (which I’ll touch on later). I believe that the plethora of new music led to a splitting of the general listener base of rap music, which in turn prevented any one track from truly becoming “the year’s most popular song(s).”
I’d also say that this is a clear example of the way culture and media is moving in general. Because of the Internet, celebrity mono-culture is dying, for better or for worse. We only have so much time in a day, and people are spending that time engaging with a much more diversified range of musicians, even within the same genre.
Denzel Curry even chimed in–twice, about how commercial rap is dead and he’s here for it. He went on to say that there’s a disconnect between the older and newer generations. He further elaborated in a conversation with Ebro saying that now Hip-Hop is going back to its honest essence, something he’s really passionate about.
In my opinion, last year was Hip-Hop’s healthiest year in a whiiiile. We got SO many new rap albums: Let God Sort Em Out from Clipse, MUSIC from Playboi Carti, Alfredo 2 from Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist, Lonely At The Top from Joey Bada$$, Star Line from Chance the Rapper, the list goes on and on. It was my first time since 2018/2019 that I listened to as much new rap from artists I don’t usually listen to, but that’s just me personally.
And while we know folks are mostly speaking about rap music when they say Hip-Hop, we gotta come correct and say Hip-Hop in all its forms is UP right now. We’re in a renaissance: there’s a new DJ every week, every hour, the Olympics put breaking on the MAP, and homies of the mag like JstKev are throwing jams all the time. Shout-out Living Proof Magazine too, all the work they’re doing documenting and cementing Hip-Hop culture from the late 90s til now. Graff is back UP and I feel like we’re in a boom with that as well, with names like ZOOT, NOTICE, XSM and LNE Crew going stupid out in the streets right now.
Lots of friends and peers felt the same about rap and Hip-Hop, too. One person I photographed for 20XX Fits said “rap music won’t die, it’s just going back underground right now, but that’s the roots.” His favorite album of the year so far was Alfredo 2, and we got a moment to really connect about a genre we both were big fans of, sharing our faves from the LP. That community factor is what Hip-Hop is truly about, and last year I got to connect with strangers and friends alike over our shared love for rap music. Speaking of the bubbling underground, we got some dope new work from LIFEOFTHOM, Mizaiah, Count Draco, BERNO, and tons more. The scene is really coming together in a real way here in NYC. Hear what some artists had to say about the topic of Hip-Hop “dying.”
What are your thoughts on the narrative that “Hip-Hop is dead” or “dying”?
BERNO: I don’t feel it can ever be dead or dying so to speak because the world is constantly in chaos and as a black man, it’s like every time we make 10 steps forward something happens and we’re back to square one. It’s like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman did all that work in vain because nothing seems to change but that’s also a blessing in disguise because that pain, hurt and struggle can be put into music and give it a powerful meaning. So, in hindsight it can never die because there’s always something to talk about.
LIFEOFTHOM: Hip-Hop isn’t dying …. The mainstream of it is, but Hip-Hop was never supposed to be a thing that technically turned into a money pit that an excess of just anyone could buy into or emulate …. It’s a space for black individuals to confide in who felt misunderstood and done wrong by standards of the world.
Shane, The Shaman: I disgrace wholeheartedly with that way of thinking. The fact that it comes from both prominent voices in Hip-Hop and those who have no idea what Hip-Hop is also hurts the cause. Hip-hop could never die because the people never die, the way the people feel will always need a visual. I’m on the side of Hip-Hop that says it’s returning to its roots, so yeah, I guess you could call it a “weird” space right now. Transition periods always have a strange feeling to them. Lyricism is at a premium now. You not coming with it, it’s getting spotted and thrown to the side. That puts the onus on us as those who partake in it and have something to offer, to show the pride we have in what we offer. Show that we care, speak our truths.
What do you think about Hip-Hop’s underground in relation to the overall rap industry?
BERNO: Hmmm… underground rap is always going to have that touch that you can’t find anywhere else but the overall rap industry follows formulas and trends [that] come from the underground so honestly it’s not that different to be honest– but the underground is way more experimental [than] overall rap is. Sidebar: I feel like rappers tend to copy each other’s flows, cadences, and vocal tones bar for bar. I would like to see people actually being themselves which is definitely what I plan to do with my release ‘High Vibration’ and the other tracks I plan to release in the near future.
LIFEOFTHOM: HipHop’s underground is the true grounds of what this culture and sport is. It’s more real, more diverse and it’s not so technical. It's a world where artists truly find themselves and connect with others and really create without this industry influence of sorts and stuff. Essentially it’s where the real shit is @ !!!
Shane, the Shaman: So let's go back to when streaming kicked off. That allowed listeners of "niche" MC's to show love and give their favorites who they've gatekept more visibility. It's wavy, honestly. We as consumers learned a lot about the industry that our favorites took part in and it feels like we said "nah, whoever else coming up not gonna go through all that." And with that, the internet started helping MC's blow up. The so-called underground merged with the mainstream. But at the same time, algorithms are crafted in a way that makes someone/something seem bigger than what it is. Just like the industry, the algorithm gotta push whatever is gonna generate looks or whatever, and that's how they generate revenue. It's all about making money. But shoutout the underground lords who get that extra look- getting invited to Roc Nation Brunches and making Obama's list, getting co-signs from those in the mainstream. The way the door swings is always cool to see.
