On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti Is hip-hop dying?
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Dec 5, 2025 Somya Krishnamurthy, a music journalist and author of Fashionkilla, dives into the current state of hip-hop, addressing the recent absence of rap songs in the Billboard Top 40. She highlights concerns over the genre's declining commercial popularity while unpacking fans' responses and cultural confusion. Somya discusses the impact of streaming on artist development and the prioritization of metrics over musical taste in the industry. The conversation also touches on challenges faced by independent artists and the loss of regional radio influence, raising questions about hip-hop's evolution.
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Metrics Over Taste In A&R
- A&R meetings increasingly prioritize streaming numbers and followers over music, live show, or artistic taste.
- Somya warns that outsourcing taste to metrics misses the qualities that make lasting stars.
Use Human Taste, Not Just Data
- Don't outsource your ears to algorithms; labels must use human judgment to sign and develop artists.
- Invest in people who love hip hop and can distinguish good from bad beyond metrics.
Culture Outlives Chart Positions
- Hip hop's cultural reach remains vast worldwide even if mainstream chart dominance fluctuates.
- Critics have long predicted hip hop's death, yet the culture endures and adapts.
