Who Killed Rap Music?
For the first time in more than 35 years, rap music disappeared from the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 40. The timing has sparked an unusual question: Could changes in government funding and cultural influence have anything to do with shifting music trends?
On America Now with Ben Swann, Ben examines the relationship between government influence, entertainment, record labels and the music industry. The discussion explores the CIA’s documented Cold War cultural programs, the promotion of modern art, allegations about the music industry’s relationship with private prisons, and the growing power of algorithms to shape what audiences hear.
Could the rise and decline of musical genres be influenced by institutions beyond the record labels? Or are changes in Billboard rankings better explained by consumer preferences, streaming habits, chart methodology and new music releases?
Ben Swann examines the history, the theories and the unanswered questions about who shapes American culture.
