Stevie G: Hip-hop lacking superstar quality

Hip-hop’s dominance in the mainstream has declined somewhat since its peak in 2020, though it’s probably still the biggest genre in the charts overall. The decline has been interesting though, and there seems to be a big vacuum out there right now.

The last time I wrote an article like this, things suddenly ignited with the Kendrick Drake beef, but even that high-profile episode masked the fact that there are far less big names driving things on in 2025.

Drake has definitely declined, but he will still be around for many years, and while Kendrick is bigger than ever, there is a huge vacuum as well. Cardi B’s first new album in many years, which just dropped, will help bridge the gap, but what’s happening in rap music, and why did so many big stars fall off?

2020 was a big peak for hip-hop, and artists such as Roddy Rich, JackBoys, Youngboy Never Broke Again, Lil Baby, Drake, Dababy, Future, Playboi Carti, 21 Savage, Metro Boomin, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B and many others were doing big numbers, as were recently deceased rappers Pop Smoke, Juice World, XXXtentacion and many more. Previous to that we enjoyed a golden era for trap, where artists like Rae Sremmurd, Travis Scott, Migos, Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert and more were all massive.

Where are we at now?

Lots of legacy artists or albums are still doing well. Drake’s catalogue will always be streamed, while Kendrick and Kanye have the catalogues that will still do well with fans of all ages. Good Kid, m.a.a.d. City by Kendrick came out nearly 15 years ago, but it’s still one of the biggest albums in the USA this week. Same goes for Take Care by Drake.

There are far fewer new albums at the top. This is a trend that is reflected in a lot of other music too, and legacy acts such as Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, Queen and others will always sell regardless of era. But when it comes to new music, there’s a lot more indie pop, country or singer songwriter stuff in the charts than rap right now, and a lot less new stars are hitting the big leagues. Is this a bad thing though?

On the underground side of things, hip-hop is thriving. Independent rap remains strong and many of the best rappers from back in the day are touring and releasing new music. Clipse have dropped arguably the best hip-hop album of the year, and are being critically acclaimed, while Common, Nas, Skepta, Freddie Gibbs and Ghostface Killah and many other elders bring the heat. Many young rappers are experimenting with other genres and also sub genres of hip-hop such as trap and drill, and much of the best music now comes from smaller marketplaces such as here or the UK or other non-American markets. There are some huge rap affiliated acts from Latin America such as Bad Bunny. An artist such as the UK’s Little Simz or Ireland’s God Knows can release a great album that is unlikely to hit the top in the States, but it doesn’t take from the fact that it remains essential art striking a chord here.

Hip-hop continues to act as a tool of defiance too, and there are many rappers speaking up about social issues. Sadly, many of the mainstream Americans are too worried about making money to speak up, and many others have come under the MAGA spell too. On the other hand, the legendary Saul Williams touches down in Cork for the Jazz festival soon, and closer to home our own Kneecap are probably better known for their activism than their music in 2025. It’s never been just about sales or chart impact. Many of the classics of the genre made negligible chart impact when they first came out. But the vacuum remains.

Lots of the best rappers from the trap era either fell off or got killed. Some left hip-hop and went country (Post Malone). Only a couple of years ago, it was the girls who were dominating rap. Glorilla, Cardi, Ice Spice, Megan and others remain, but it’s safe to say that hip-hop is lacking a bit of big-star quality in 2025. Music goes in cycles and dance and country and K-pop and reggaeton are probably more popular now, but the cycle will change, and it will be interesting to see who the next emerging rap superstar will be.