Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, NBA YoungBoy, Cardi B, Rod Wave, Doechii, Grandmaster Flash, J. Cole, and Clipse
Photographs by Maria Rojas; Xavier Scott Marshall; Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, 2; Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images; Patrick Downs/“Los Angeles Times”/Getty Images; Paul Natkin/Getty Images; Amy Sussman/Getty Images; Joseph Okpako/WireImage; Prince Williams/WireImage; Paras Griffin/Getty Images
The rules have changed, but hip-hop stands as tall as ever
June 9, 2026
Depending on who you ask, hip-hop has been dying for nearly as long as it’s been alive. Some purists say the art form kicked the bucket when record labels took control in the 1980s and turned a South Bronx creation into big business. It allegedly croaked when G-funk eclipsed boom-bap in the ’90s, when New York ceded ground to Atlanta in the 2000s, and when vibes began to trump bars in the late 2010s. The talking point resurfaced in October, when no rap song appeared in the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 40, snapping a 35-year streak.
