Starting in the late ’70s, hip-hop and rap ascended through popular culture, mostly in America but also in other countries.

Then, in 1990, a breakthrough. Hip-hop and rap tracks began infiltrating the Billboard Top 40, and for the next 35 years, we saw dozens of these songs reach official hit status. By the end of the decade, hip-hop/rap had supplanted rock as the nation’s cultudral driver when it came to music. It seemed unstoppable. America would forever be a hip-hop nation.

This month, however, a surprise. For the first time since 1990, the Billboard Top 40 was devoid of any hip-hop and rap.

What happened? Does this mean it’s on the decline and on the way out? Well, no. The genres are very alive and well. Its absence has more to do with the way charts are compiled these days than t

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