The Genre Gap: How to Reach Black Audiences with Rap Music

The rap genre has seen an eventful few years, filled with broken records, infamous feuds, and history-defining moments. In 2025, Kendrick Lamar became the first-ever solo rapper to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. And when Kendrick joined forces with SZA for their Grand National Tour, it became the highest-grossing hip hop tour in history, raking in $332M as of late 2025. 1 Meanwhile, beyond artists themselves, hip hop subgenres like plugg and Chicago drill continue to grow and evolve, especially on platforms like SoundCloud. With milestones like these, it comes as no surprise that hip hop is the #1 streaming audio genre in the US. 2

As you map out your campaigns for Black Music Month and beyond, here’s why music genre targeting should be your “how,” rap should be your “what,” and Black audiences should be your “who.” 

Rap reigns supreme on streaming audio 

Rap’s presence on Pandora is no shrinking violet, as the genre is the third most popular on the platform. Six of the top 10 artists on Pandora are rappers, including: Drake, Chris Brown, Jelly Roll, Bad Bunny, Lil Wayne, and Kevin Gates. And when you look at the list of Top Pandora Artists among Black listeners, rap’s presence is even larger, with their favorites including: Chris Brown, Rod Wave, GloRilla, Drake, and Future. 3

To reach fans of the most popular names in rap, here’s a glimpse of the Pandora stations you can sponsor: 

• Old School Rap: 10M listeners 

• VIP Rap: 2.5M listeners

• Hip Hop Forever: 1M listeners 

The SiriusXM Streaming Network makes genre targeting seamless and upgrades your strategy—so you’re looking for more than just basic demographics. As a form of contextual targeting, genre targeting is how you can home in on rap lovers on both Pandora and SoundCloud. 

Rewriting the rules 

Rap has long been multi-dimensional and ever-evolving, and its subgenres are increasingly in the limelight—stemming from various geographical regions. For instance, the midwest gave rise to Chicago drill, Atlanta takes credit for plugg, Washington DC is home to DMV rap, and the south is where Florida hip hop originated. Audiences continue to favor subgenres over the mainstream, with key emerging hip-hop scenes growing nearly 4x faster than commercial rap in June 2025. 4

In addition to its rising subgenres, rap is increasingly crossing over into other genres like K-pop, country, and Latin. In fact, rap and hip hop were historically instrumental in shaping the foundation of K-pop and K-rap music. We see that in full force today with collaborations like girl group TWICE and Megan Thee Stallion teaming up for the song “Strategy.” And last year, Lisa collaborated with rapper Future on the song "FXCK UP THE WORLD.” 

Rap and country is another common combo. Artist Jelly Roll doesn’t have to collaborate with other artists to prove that he bends genres; he does it on his own. Having originally started his career as a rapper, he’s since transitioned into country, with his music blending both hip hop and country elements. For brands, the fact that this genre is ever-changing is all the more proof that rap (and its listeners) isn't a monolith. From its subgenres to genre-defying collaborations and artists, rap offers plenty of ways to connect with distinct, highly engaged audiences and tap into cultural momentum. 

The modern rap listener: diverse and passionate 

The modern rap listener is just as diverse as the genre itself, and rap is your avenue to reaching Black listeners. If you’ve been underinvesting in this audience, here’s what’s at stake: Black consumers hold a significant $2.1T in spending power (and growing). 5 With the importance of music to this audience, audio is the critical medium to get in their ears (and wallets). In fact, 60% of Black listeners say music is a part of who they are, and 46% say they couldn’t get through the day without music. 6

And when it comes to hip hop fans, this passion is palpable—with music serving as both a companion and oxygen. One in two hip hop fans say they couldn't get through the day without music, and one in four hip hop fans say music makes them feel less alone. 6

When you partner with us, you can tap into our diverse audience base. Pandora reaches 9M Black listeners, while SoundCloud reaches 3.7M Black listeners, making us the go-to destination for rap-loving, diverse audiences (and the content they love). 7

Women are taking center stage in rap 

The rap genre looks vastly different than it did a decade ago. Rap is increasingly blending with other genres, and female rappers are changing the historically male-dominated landscape. In 2025, Doechii became the third woman in history to win a Grammy for Best Rap Album, following in the footsteps of Lauryn Hill and Cardi B. And after Doja Cat released the album Vie, she broke a record for being the first female rapper to write more than one solo album.

It’s here on the SiriusXM Streaming Network where we feel the after-effects of rap’s biggest moments. The week after Cardi B’s release of Am I the Drama?, we saw a +253% increase in station adds on Pandora. And after Doja Cat released her new album, we saw 2.9M spins. 3

Plus, we don’t only pay attention to established artists but predict the next household name. Female rapper Pluto is part of Pandora’s class of 2026 for Artists to Watch. While she’s up and coming, she’s already hit major career milestones like opening for Lil Baby and being named Billboard's Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month. It’s here where we help amplify the next generation of Black artists.

When your brand collaborates with female rappers, you’re not only reaching female listeners but incorporating the inclusivity that modern campaigns need. 

Pandora and Audiomack: Your gateway to rap lovers 

Pro tip: Pair your Pandora buy with Audiomack for even more reach and scale. While Pandora offers the stations and artists listeners love and unrivaled music curation, Audiomack serves as the perfect complement with its focus on rising artists and unreleased content. As one of our exclusive publisher partners, Audiomack is a heavy hitter for reaching diverse, rap-loving audiences. In fact, 75% of its audience is African American while 80% of the platform’s US streams are in the hip hop or Afrobeats/Afropop genres. 8 

Dive into the impact of Black music with SiriusXM Media 

Rap is more than a genre—it’s a cultural force that shapes conversations, identities, and movements. With 53% of Black listeners celebrating Black Music Month, and 78% of African American listeners celebrating with culturally relevant audio, it’s a can’t-miss addition to your marketing calendar. 9 Showing up authentically during these holidays isn’t just timely—it’s an opportunity to build lasting connections with a highly valuable and culturally engaged audience.

Let’s chat. 

More ways to reach Black audiences