If you enjoy rap music, there are numerous radio stations dedicated to it. One such Atlanta station is V-103 which features Rickey Smiley’s morning show along with various hip hop artists.
Meruelo Media, the owner of this station, was established as a minority-owned entity in 1986 and claims that hip hop lives there.
V-103
V-103, an Atlanta radio station that plays various genres of music – hip hop and R&B music, gospel, sports news analysis. Owned by Meruelo Media with strong presences on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube; DJ Snoopadelic hosts several podcasts regularly for V-103.
Station is available in Atlanta via FM and HD Radio; HD format features urban contemporary. Website offers live stream and users can tune-in via computers, smartphones, or tablets; playlist includes current and classic R&B, soul, hip-hop music. In addition, slow jams are hosted each Sunday afternoon and weekday evening on this station.
Current morning team members include Big Tigger and Jazzy McBee, both hired in 2013. Ms. Pat was added in 2022 but left earlier this year due to an apparent disagreement between herself and producer Charlamagne.
Tigger’s ratings took a significant hit after Ms. Pat departed, falling to 11th overall and 10th among 25-54 year-olds in the latest ratings book. Additionally, its ranking lagged far behind that of Steve Harvey’s syndicated morning show on Majic and Frank Ski’s morning show on Kiss.
Entercom’s subsidiary station is popularly referred to as Atlanta’s Big Station or “The People’s Station,” previously titled V-103 (WVEE). Their slogan changed in 2003 from V-103 (WVEE) to Atlanta’s Home for R&B before recently changing back simply “V-103.” They have received awards from the City of Atlanta, Georgia State Capitol and House and Senate for their outstanding community outreach work.
Wild 94.9
Wild 94.9 is the Bay Area radio station for those who enjoy listening to rap music, featuring a full lineup of artists to keep you entertained and other genres of music broadcast, along with celebrity interviews. Owned by Meruelo Media and with its tagline being “Where Hip-Hop Lives,” its website also provides access to artist news and videos.
At the Winter Wild Jam concert hosted by WBRZ Radio Station, some of hip-hop music’s hottest names took to the stage. SoMo, from Republic Records artist, opened with an energetic cover of Ginuwine’s “Pony,” setting an intimate and sensual R&B tone for the night ahead. Ariana Grande then delivered an exceptional set that included songs from her Yours Truly album as well as one designed to get everyone feeling festive during this festive holiday season.
J. Cole was the final act of the evening, taking to the stage with his band and backup singers for an impressive and emotionally charged performance that featured songs from Born Sinner album as well as hits from Born Sinner sequel. When J. Cole began singing the chorus of his hit track “Crooked Smile,” fans went wild!
Streetz 94.5
Streetz 94.5 is a hip-hop radio station focused on Atlanta-native rappers’ music, such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J Cole’s hits, plus those by newcomers to the genre such as newcomer Tobey Mafia and rising talent Yung Joc. Additionally it also provides entertaining talk shows and artist interviews while featuring live morning takeovers with fast-paced Yung Joc making it easy for listeners to stay abreast of breaking news and events.
Meruelo Media established this station in 1986. Known for its hip-hop and R&B content, The Breakfast Club morning show remains popular on Twitter, YouTube, radio software programs as well as streaming live on their website.
WWSZ (1420 AM), licensed to Decatur, Georgia, serves the Atlanta metropolitan area. Owned and operated by JDJ Communications LLC, it broadcasts an urban music format known as Streetz 94.5 (branded Atlanta’s New Hip Hop Station). Simulcast FM translator station W233BF also brands itself Streetz 94.5 on air; thus competing against WHTA and WVEE-FM stations in its market.
V-103 hosts one of the country’s most beloved rap radio shows with Jody Williams and Yung Joc as hosts and co-hosts, featuring an eclectic blend of hip-hop, R&B, exclusive comedy and hip-hop radio that appeals to multiple audiences – earning awards and nominations along the way! In addition to music news analysis V-103 also specializes in sports news analysis.
Power 105.1
New York City is currently witnessing an intense competition among hip-hop stations for listeners’ loyalty, with major financial ramifications and potential national influence at stake if one station prevails over another. Already this battle has claimed several prominent names – and according to Nielson ratings Hot 97 seems to be losing ground quickly.
Current Radio is an urban contemporary station anchored by DJ Envy and Angela Yee on morning show and Charlamagne tha God during afternoon drive. Reaching one in 10 New York residents each week, it is owned by iHeartMedia–the parent company of Clear Channel–and has been broadcast since 1967 under its original name of WRFM (WR FM). Program Director Marlin Taylor created its initial format that featured instrumental pieces by artists such as Mantovani, Ferrante & Teicher and Hollyridge Strings among others.
Hot 97 emerged as New York City’s hip-hop powerhouse in 1993, propelled by Wu Tang Clan and speciality DJ Funkmaster Flex shows. By late 1997 it had become the dominant urban radio station, hosting Summer Jam concerts across New York State while making many of its personalities household names.
Due to digital streaming and social media, radio can find it increasingly challenging to remain relevant in today’s marketplace. Listeners today want the stories behind songs – rather than hearing Big Sean’s latest single for 500th time!
IHeartMedia’s “Power 105.1” WWPR took on this challenge head on when they reached a million weekly listeners with their new urban contemporary format in May 1998. At first, Power had previously played contemporary hits and adult R&B that heavily borrowed from WQHT’s programming; over time however, Power has gained notoriety as Hot 97’s most serious competitor, gradually shifting focus from new talent development towards established stars of hip-hop culture.
The Box
Although one of the more recent radio stations for rap music, Radio Brooklyn stands out as one of the strongest in New York City area. Broadcasting urban contemporary and hip hop music from their Hudson Square studio, DJs interview top artists regularly providing listeners with pop culture updates. Furthermore, live streams can also be found online and mobile apps.
Cameron Diaz and James Marsden star as Norma and Arthur Lewis, two happy married parents living a seemingly ideal existence in suburban Virginia. However, when an anonymous visitor appears with an envelope bearing an unexpected announcement in which there’s a button marked “death”, their lives take an unexpected turn.
The Box is a sci-fi thriller based on Richard Matheson’s short story of the same name. While its premise is intriguing, but ultimately fails to make much sense of itself; too similar to Donnie Darko in many respects – which was an odd yet captivating film; ultimately not offering enough suspense or thrills to justify watching this one in theaters.
Roddy Ricch’s track, entitled Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, is an ode to his past as a gangster in Compton, California. It features catchy instrumental with an orchestral hit at its opening note; lyrics examine hip-hop’s conflict between social justice and braggadocio impulses in hip-hop culture; it references NBA star Vince Carter’s famous dunks while TikTok memes focused on its instrumental’s distinctive squeaking sounding instrumental. It served as second single from debut album Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial.