Hip-hop, like any other popular music genre, has long been defined by eras. The most popular young rappers of each generation reside at the forefront of the genre. After their reigns are over, they step back for the next generation to come through with their fresh, unique sounds.

Young rap groups like Run-D.M.C, Public Enemy and N.W.A. brought hip-hop as a genre to the American mainstream in the ’80s, while rappers like 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Nas and Snoop Dogg revolutionized production in hip-hop songs to closer mimic what we hear today, making it one of the most popular genres in the world throughout the ’90s.

In the 2000s, artists like Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Kanye West and Eminem continued to diversify what the hip-hop sound could look like outside of the gangsta-rap blueprint of the ’90s, and in the 2010s, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator, Travis Scott and many others continued that trend of innovation.

So, this poses the question — who are the faces of this new generation? Who makes up the new group of artists spearheading the 2020s?

Well, it’s still the same as the 2010s: Drake, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator, Travis Scott and many other titans of the previous decade.

In comparison to other genres, hip-hop has recently struggled to push new artists to global stardom. There’s a new “it” pop girl every week, it feels like country music is more popular now than it’s ever been, Latine artists are far more global and K-pop is now dominating the Hot 100 — with fictional bands in a Netflix-animated movie of all things.

However, hip-hop, which once seemed to dominate charts, has grown somewhat stagnant in recent years, and most of the large-scale relevance it does end up garnering comes from the old guard — not any kind of new talent that’s really grabbing audiences.

When audiences anticipate a new release, it’s usually because it involves the same people who were the big thing 10 or more years ago. The beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar was arguably the biggest moment in the genre thus far in the decade, and it involved two veterans who’ve both been in the game for nearly 20 years.

Looking at the top 15 biggest first-week sales of hip-hop albums in the 2020s, 12 are from either Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Kanye West, Tyler, The Creator or Eminem — all artists that debuted in 2011 or earlier.

So, why is this the case? Why is the metaphorical “hip-hop torch” not being passed?

There are a myriad of reasons for this, but it comes down to three things: an absence of storytelling, creativity and — most importantly — a captivating individuality in many of these new artists.

In the social media era, most younger hip-hop artists seem to be making music that aims to prioritize catchy songs that capture audience attention for a single moment rather than putting conscious effort into constructing an artistic image and a story that’s compelling — something that’s always been essential in music.

Say what you will about Drake, but there’s never been a rapper with an image like his. There’s a reason that we all know the “Drake the type of guy” memes: his trademark cheesy — but catchy — bars and hooks, and the reputation he’s garnered for being the artist who makes music for heartbroken men.

We know Nicki for her iconic alter-egos and versatility, Travis Scott for the rave-like energy in his songs, and Kendrick for his unique sound and one-of-a-kind storytelling. These artists have all created both celebrity personas and art that has stood the test of time. It’s the reason they’ve stayed at the top of their games for so long.

Not to sound like the bitter old-head uncle who won’t stop reminiscing at your family cookout, but many of the newer rappers are lacking in at least one of these departments.

People like NBA YoungBoy and Playboi Carti have their trademark sounds, hits and captivating images to pull audiences in, but their artistry lacks the polish and consistency of their predecessors — the appeal is their “rawness,” something that will only get you so far in the mainstream.

Somebody like Doechii has the artistic polish, distinctive quirky tone and character to captivate listeners, but lacks the hits and catchy songs. Don Toliver has a unique sound, hits and creativity, but is largely uninteresting in terms of his actual persona.

And I don’t want to hear anybody mention JID as an exception to the “new era” — that man is 34.

As the years have gone by, the products we get grow less inspired. If I hear something like “EVIL J0RDAN” or “Slime Belief” at a club, I’ll still turn up like everybody else; however, it’s important to realize that’s all many of these songs will ever be — club songs — when hip-hop used to be the best at getting people on their feet and more.

An argument can be made that Kanye West and Drake were the world’s biggest artists in the 2000s and 2010s, respectively. But in 2025, there is no rapper under the age of 31 who is bigger than Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eillish or even — and I hate to say it — Morgan Wallen.

People underestimate how much a fan’s ability to connect with and see themselves in their favorite artists impacts their affinity for them: You talk to your uncles, they’ll tell you that their favorite rappers changed their lives back in the day.

Hip-hop was my No. 2 most-listened-to genre last year behind R&B — many of the younger rappers dominated my playlist, but I don’t think any of them had that kind of transcendent impact that the best in music can have. If we want hip-hop to continue its dominance past our childhood legends, we need to regain that spark.

Kailen Hicks is a junior writing about current trends, conflicts and discourse around music in his column “Noteworthy Noise,” which runs every other Wednesday.