Official Charts Company Launches First UK Rap Chart

Official Charts Company (OCC), the organization that tracks music chart performance in the UK, has added an official UK rap chart. Similar to Luminate, which Billboard uses to track chart data, this new OCC chart will measure success based on sales and streams.

The details:

• BBC Radio 1Xtra will air a countdown for the UK rap chart on Kenny Allstar’s show every Friday.

• The first countdown will broadcast on November 6.

• The OCC website will publish the chart every Friday as well.

• This update follows the addition of the Homegrown Albums Chart and UK R&B chart.

What they said:

• OCC Co-MDs Becca Monahan and Chris Austin: "UK rap has become an exciting, influential and culturally significant force in British music. The launch of the Official UK Rap Chart provides a dedicated platform to celebrate the artists, tracks and movements shaping the genre today, while creating a new benchmark for success. We're delighted to be partnering with BBC Radio 1Xtra and Kenny Allstar to give fans, artists and the wider industry a definitive weekly destination for UK rap."

• Kenny Allstar: “I’m genuinely honoured and excited to be the host of the first ever Official UK Rap Chart. For me, this has been a long time coming. UK Rap has influenced mainstream music and pop culture for years, and after seeing the continued successes of artists from our scene across the Official Singles and Albums Charts, it feels like the UK Rap universe is finally getting the dedicated spotlight it deserves.”

• OCC Business Development Manager Eric Hunter: “It’s great to see the Official UK Rap Chart launch. It’s an amazing opportunity to shine a light on more artists, document the culture and give emerging talent a way to track their progress alongside their peers."