It’s been about nine months since hip-hop last secured a spot in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100—a surprising dry spell for a genre that usually dominates the charts. The most recent track to reach that level was “What Did I Miss?” by Drake back in July 2025. Since then, fans have started questioning what’s going on with hip-hop’s mainstream presence.
Online, the conversation has taken a competitive turn. Some users have pointed fingers at Kendrick Lamar, referencing his well-known rivalry with Drake. Critics joked that fans were so focused on that feud, they stopped supporting other artists. Others have gone as far as calling the current era disappointing, while many are now urging Drake to drop his long-awaited album, Iceman.
The situation became even more notable in October 2025 when Billboard revealed that no rap songs had made it into the top 40—something that hadn’t happened since 1990. At that time, NBA YoungBoy held the highest-ranking rap track with “Shot Callin,” which peaked at No. 44.
Drake initially kicked off the Iceman rollout with “What Did I Miss?” on July 5, 2025. The song debuted strong, reaching No. 2 on the charts, but it didn’t maintain its momentum for long, dropping out of the top 30 within weeks.
He later followed up with additional singles, including “Which One” featuring Central Cee and “Dog House,” which brought together Yeat and Julia Wolf. Even with these releases gaining attention, the official drop date for Iceman remains unconfirmed.
Still, Drake recently reassured fans that the album is on the way. During a message at the Juno Awards, where he honored Nelly Furtado for her Hall of Fame induction, he ended his speech with a simple but exciting promise: Iceman is coming soon.