Late Friday afternoon, Billboard Senior Chart Manager, Wade Jessen, sent an announcement, detailed below, regarding the future of Christian hip-hop on the Billboard charts.
Hi, Everyone.
After soliciting feedback from the industry throughout the year, Billboard will discontinue flagging Christian Rap/Hip-Hop titles for our Gospel Albums, Gospel Digital Songs and Hot Gospel Songs charts starting next week (which is the first week of the 2015 Billboard chart year). Concurrently, all current Christian Rap/Hip-Hop titles that previously appeared on the Gospel charts will be removed from those charts.
Since Nielsen SoundScan, the CMTA and Billboard converted our Christian retail charts to point-of-sale data in 1995, most Christian Rap/Hip-Hop titles have been eligible for both Christian and Gospel album charts—and eventually, both digital genre charts and hybrid sales/airplay/streaming charts.
In an ongoing quest to make all of our charts a more meaningful and accurate reflection of the respective markets and consumers they represent, the industry urged us to reconsider eligibility for those titles on our Gospel charts, and we agree that our Christian charts are the most appropriate place for these songs and albums to compete. All Christian Rap/Hip-Hop titles will continue to be flagged for Christian Albums, Christian Digital songs and the multi-metric Hot Christian Songs.
That said, we will remain open to considering certain albums and songs by Christian Rap/Hip-Hop artists for our Gospel lists when genre-specific drivers (style, radio airplay, touring, collaborative works or other connective factors) are involved.
We appreciate your feedback on these issues, and we look forward to ongoing dialogue in the coming year.
Regards,
Wade Jessen
Senior Chart Manager, Nashville
What are your thoughts on this announcement? Let us know in the comments below!
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Awesome. Honestly Gospel is it’s own genre and has it’s own culture and that culture is the farthest thing from what CHH represents. Only thing is I don’t agree with them putting it in just Christian songs. It’s hip-hop, it should be in the Hip-hop charts.
CHH is still eligible for the Hip-hop charts. It’s just no longer eligible for Gospel charting. Prior to this decision, CHH was double-dipping in both Christian and Gospel charts.
Honestly I see it as somewhat of a diss to the genre and it’s artists. And I can’t help but think it may have something to do with the direction CHH has been going in recently that the “gospel music protectors” would probably frown upon. Now I personally have always taken issue with the separatist handling of gospel, Christian, CCM, etc music. But that’s just me.
At least they’re still Christian chart eligible.
This is due to Christian HipHop artists out selling Gospel artist and infringing upon thier chart positions. But the reality it’s still gospel. The problem is the gospel industry doesn’t want to recognize the shift in gospel music. Bottom line.
So, if anyone wants to respond (@rajparker:disqus , @rllee:disqus , @jamthehype:disqus ), why are they doing this? I browsed through the article, but I don’t think I’m grasping the message…
See Tommy’s response. Before this, CHH was charting on both the Gospel and Christian charts. No more double dipping.
Haha. “Double Dip” Social Club… Alright; got the message bro. Highly appreciated:) (Sorry for the late comment)
I think thats wack to say the least. I feel until CHH has its own genre it should stay under the Gospel umbrella. CHH is a more youthful approach to what Gospel…and particularly Urban Gospel is today. The culture of where most CHH is derived from stemmed from an Urban Gospel background and influenced from such. So why would they not want to measure it in the same context? In my opinion it is an attempt to discredit these artist and the culture in which their music represents.
Don’t forget that CHH still falls under Christian as well.
The reality is that CHH has been dominating the gospel charts this year and more traditional gospel artists and powers that be weren’t getting the chart positions that they hoped for anymore so they probably pushed to get this changed. Not necessarily a good thing… but does show how much our movement continues to grow. We’re also dominating the Christian charts and regular hip-hop charts – they can’t ignore us anymore 🙂
What’s the difference between Christian and Gospel?
Good question! Take a look at both of the charts and see what you find 🙂
Christian Hip Hop belongs where it was. Don’t be upset because it’s charting better.