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The removal of Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "luther" from the Billboard Hot 100 chart has reignited the heated debate of rap's decline in 2025. The conversations are unsurprising when this is the first time in over 35 years that there's not a single rap song in the Top 40. Its eviction (and I use that word deliberately) from the Hot 100 is a direct result of Billboard's newest Top 40 rule changes, which states that songs need to reach a certain chart position after a number of weeks, or it'll get booted.The exit of "luther" reignites the contentious debate of rap's commercial decline in 2025. While this theory is supported by specific, quantifiable metrics that are viewed separately, are these commercial stress points accurate indicators of creative exhaustion or cultural failure?To clarify, t...

Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts have wrapped up their first solo concert in Hong Kong. Comprised of three-time rap battle champion R-Shitei and 2019 DMC World DJ Champion DJ Matsunaga, the pairing is a deadly combination of two masters in their respective fields. The stage in Hong Kong’s Kitty Woo Stadium didn't host a mere concert; it ignited an eclectic hip-hop carnival. Despite the intimate, packed venue and the inevitable language barrier, the energy within the concert hall was electric right from the start. Kicking off the show with "22nd year of junior high school," the opening track of their latest album, LEGION, the duo set an immediate standard for a high-octane night.The intensity immediately ramped up as they launched into a succession of high-energy tracks, moving seamlessly f...

The last time Oasis graced a Japanese stage was at Fuji Rock Festival in July 2009. That performance at Naeba Ski Resort was a monumental, high-energy spectacle that reaffirmed the band's legendary status, even if their internal dynamic was strained. Liam and Noel Gallagher’s sibling rivalry was at a fever pitch, and every journalist and fan knew this. Barely a month later, a catastrophic fight erupted backstage before their headline set at Paris's Rock en Seine. The gig was canceled at the eleventh hour, and the simmering tension finally boiled over, solidifying the worst possible outcome: Oasis was officially finished.16 long years followed. The Gallagher brothers pursued successful, separate careers, while any talk of an Oasis reunion was swiftly and often acrimoniously dismissed by Lia...

As the week comes to a close, we’re rounding up the most notable music-related headlines – new releases, live performances, tour announcements, merch drops, fashion campaigns, footwear collaborations, and more.Doechii's School of Superstardom at Madison Square Garden Theater View this post on InstagramA post shared by Hypetrak (@hypetrak) Doubling back on her debut mixtape – as a Grammy-winner, nonetheless – for a masterclass in storytelling.Billie Eilish x Air Jordan 15 View this post on Instagram A post shared by HYPEBEAST (@hypebeast) Our Air Jordan queen. While the colorway seems to draw design influence from her most recent HIT ME HARD AND SOFT tour imagery – dominated by orange and blue shades – the latest Billie Eilish x Air Jordan 15 comes etched with When We All Fall Asl...

The excitement for the CHAINSAW MAN – THE MOVIE: REZE ARC film is palpable as it heads toward its US premiere this week. The movie's musical foundation rests on two new theme songs produced by Kenshi Yonezu: "IRIS OUT" and "JANE DOE," with the latter being Yonezu’s first collaboration with Hikaru Utada, cementing a historic moment where two of Japan’s most influential singer-songwriters of the modern generation creatively collide.Yonezu is no stranger to the franchise; his previous track for the CHAINSAW MAN anime, "KICK BACK," was a global smash and achieved the first-ever RIAA Platinum certification for a Japanese-language song. For the film, he consciously anchored the new music in the manga’s thematic duality. He noted that the brilliance of the series lies in its rare ability to weave...

GOT7 member and solo artist BamBam is currently charting an independent course, a journey that has led to his distinct solo sound and a major collaboration with Pharrell Williams' JOOPITER auction house. The rapper describes his creative evolution as resisting a single genre, maintaining a recognizable style that is unequivocally his own.He is expanding his influence through collaborations, including an upcoming JOOPITER auction with mentor Pharrell Williams. BamBam, who sees himself as bridging his two "hometowns" of Korea and Thailand. BamBam spoke with Hypebeast in an exclusive converation during his JOOPITER exhibit, where he revealed some of his most memorable artifacts ahead of the auction. Titled, BamBam: From the Stage and Beyond, the auction coincides with the release of his first...