Top 40 Underdog

Melbourne artist Lithe will return home in February 2026, presenting the Australian leg of his global Euphoria Tour, a run that precedes his largest North American shows to date. The announcement follows the release of his debut album Euphoria, a record that confirms his profile as one of Australia's most progressive voices in R&B, hip-hop and atmospheric trap production.

Netflix will present Sean Combs: The Reckoning on 2 December, a four-part documentary series chronicling the rise and fall of Sean “Diddy” Combs, a figure whose influence shaped mainstream hip-hop for more than three decades. The series arrives during a period in which Combs is serving a federal sentence following his conviction for two counts of transportation for purposes of prostitution, a ruling delivered in July and followed by a sentence of 50 months and a fine of $500,000.

Pras Michel, a founding force behind The Fugees, has been sentenced to 14 years in a United States federal prison, as a long-running foreign influence case reaches its final stage. The sentence, delivered in Washington on Thursday, closes an extraordinary legal saga for the rapper who helped define 1990s hip-hop with Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean.

Real Boston Richey has returned with a decisive statement, a new single titled Mr. Pay For Sh*t, featuring streamer and comedian BenDaDonnn. The track signals the start of the rollout for Public Housing 3, the next chapter in the Tallahassee rapper's flagship series. The new release arrives after a strategic pause in output, a break that followed an intensive period where Richey issued two albums within fourteen months and scored his first Billboard Hot 100 Top 50 entry.

Konvict Kulture has introduced its newest force with the release of Ain't My Fault, the hard-hitting single from rising hip-hop artist Storye, whose mix of melodic flow, sharp bar delivery, and Southern grit positions her as one of the most exciting new voices in US rap. The track arrives with the fiery confidence of an artist ready to claim her space, using vivid honesty and emotional depth to fuel every line.

Chicago rapper G Herbo has returned to where it all began, expanding his acclaimed 2025 album Lil Herb with a new Extended Version that digs deeper into the raw hunger and honesty that established him as one of modern hip-hop's most compelling voices. Released via Machine Entertainment Group and Republic Records, Lil Herb (Extended Version) features three new songs, This N That, Hold My Hand God, and No Bap, rounding out a project already rich in reflection and resilience.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been granted a fast-tracked appeal by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, giving the disgraced hip-hop mogul an opportunity to challenge his July 2025 conviction and four-year sentence far sooner than the usual lengthy process would allow.