With a mind blowing 3.314 million listeners a week and a history synonymous with Hip Hop itself, Hot 97 has undoubtedly served as the backbone for every act and trend to rise from the genre.
From their hand in introducing The Fugees‘ ‘Killing Me Softly’ to defining what has become today’s sound, the Emmis owned station has no doubt been the ‘promised land’ for many up & comers over the years. Up & comers, which included Biggie Smalls, Eminem, Jay Z, Nicki Minaj, Aaliyah, Drake & Nas.
So, as to celebrate the entity, That Grape Juice caught up with its radio programer Ebro Darden for a lengthy interview on a number issues, including the decline of R&B, Frank Ocean‘s controversial letter and the ever debated, ‘payola culture’.
Check it out below…
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