Key Takeaways
- New Billboard chart rules removed Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “luther” from the Hot 100 after 46 weeks.
- The updated criteria contributed to rap’s absence from the Billboard Top 40 for the first time in 35 years.
- Kendrick Lamar remains a dominant force in 2025, with Grammy wins and a record-breaking Super Bowl performance.
Big changes at Billboard are shaking up records’ eligibility for the Hot 100 chart. As a result, Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s hit single “luther” exited the tracker during the Oct. 25 week, after a 46-week run. The superstar collaboration occupied the No. 1 spot for 13 weeks following its December 2024 debut.
Before the new rules took effect, “luther” had already slipped to No. 38. The Hip Hop chart decline marks the first time in 35 years that no rap songs appear in the Top 40. Biz Markie’s smash “Just a Friend” kicked off the decades-long streak of rap being represented among the top half of the coveted list when he secured the No. 29 spot in February of 1990.
The music authority announced that updated guidelines were the catalyst behind the genre’s falloff on Wednesday (Oct. 29). In the case of “luther,” it was deemed a recurrent track that slipped below No. 25 after 26 weeks on the chart. Subsequent removals will occur as follows: falling below No. 5 after 78 weeks, below No. 10 after 52 weeks, below No. 25 after 26 weeks, and below No. 50 after 20 weeks.
The highest-ranked rap songs for the week of Nov. 1 are: No. 43, “Shot Callin” by YoungBoy Never Broke Again, who also landed “What You Is” further on the chart; No. 50, “Hell At Night” by BigXthaPlug featuring Ella Langley; No. 51, “Sugar On My Tongue” by Tyler, the Creator; No. 57 “Safe” by Cardi B featuring Kehlani, which is one of three Cardi tracks ranked this week; No. 59, “wgft” by Gunna featuring Burna Boy; No. 63, “Leavin” by Rod Wave; No. 71, “Take Me Thru Dere” by Metro Boomin, Quavo, Breskii and YK NIECE and No. 76, “Maui Wowie” by Kid Cudi.
2025 is still a history-making year for Kendrick Lamar
The Compton emcee has been on a winning streak since the 2024 release of GNX, his sixth studio album. The track list includes fan favorites like “squabble up" and “peekaboo,” to name a couple. The LP was rolled out amidst the climax of Lamar’s “Not Like Us” victory in his rap battle with Drake. The ether fueled his sweep at the 2025 Grammys, where the Pulitzer Prize recipient won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. This year, he made history by headlining the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show with 133.5 million viewers and again when he became the first rapper to have three albums on the Hot 200 chart: GNX, DAMN, and good kid, m.A.A.d city.
In his Grammy speech, the “DNA” lyricist said, “This is what it’s about, man, because at the end of the day, nothing is more powerful than rap music. We are the culture; it’s gonna always stay here and live forever." And that’s a fact that can never be invalidated.