There are lots of major changes brewing in the world of Hip Hop radio.. First we have the city of Toronto which has just gotten its first Black owned radio station. After a 12 year battle which included a letter writing campaign and petitions, Milestone Radio inc was awarded a licence and a spot on the dial. So now folks in T-Dot can peep out 93.5 FM and hear a great mixture of Hip Hop, reggae, calypso, soca, gospel and other forms of Black music.. More importantly Toronto's burgeoning Black community will finally have a representative voice on the airwaves as the station plans to launch several talk shows, open forums, talent searches and highlight urban talent presently not heard on Toronto's airwaves.. Big shout out to Aisha Wickam and the folks over at Milestone radio http://www.milestoneradio.com
While folks are celebrating in Toronto, the large Hip Hop community in Auckland, New Zealand are absolutely ecstatic about their radio station The Beat 96 FM.. The station is shaping up to be a Hip Hop community's dream station as play lots of underground Hip Hop ranging from the Bay Area's Zion I to local acts like Che-Fu and King Kapicabbage. Their hottest act right now is Dilated Peoples..The station also spends a lot of time showcasing local talent as well as educating people on Hip Hop and its elements. For example, in between songs, listeners may be treated to a minute and half long turntablist demonstration or a contest called 96 Seeking The Beat.
Auckland which is known for having the world's largest Polynesian population is off the hook when it comes to Hip Hop. With surprising is how up to date they are with regards to music. Auckland gets its music from all over the world including, London, France and Canada which are all hot hip hop spots that are all but ignored here in the US. While conversing with one of their deejays, Mike Young, I was baffled when he started naming all these foreign artist and titles that are banging. I'm still awaiting my Beat 96 playlist so I can really be up things world wide. So while you may hear a familiar cut from a group like Dilated Peoples, you will also be treated to music from perhaps a French based artist like I AM or a local cat straight from New Zealand.
The Beat 96 was inspired by 92.3 The Beat in LA which is home to the Sway & Tech Wake Up Show.. Ironically the Beat in LA which was recently sold to Radio One may be undergoing a major format change. The word is they will start being more R&B and less Hip Hop. It appears that Power 106 is clearly holding the Hip Hop position in LA. For folks who are interested in getting your music to Beat 96 in New Zealand drop them an email at mailto:beat96@radionetwork.co.nz Also for all you artist out there, they need station ID drops.. so hook them up
