Hot 97 is one of the most iconic radio stations in hip hop. Known for being at the center of the New York hip hop culture, it plays the latest hip-hop and R&B music and features popular personalities like Funkmaster Flex, DJ Ebro and Angie Martinez. The station also hosts industry leading events and interviews. The staff at the station are a mix of hip hop veterans and young bloods. They have an impressive knowledge of the hip hop scene and are eager to share their expertise with their listeners.
The show is an unscripted reality series that chronicles the lives of the staff at New York’s legendary hip-hop radio station Hot 97. When the station’s VP of programming, Ebro Darden, announces that their off-the-mic antics are being captured for TV, the gang, which includes the venerable deejays Angie Martinez and Funkmaster Flex as well as morning-show hosts Laura Stylez and Peter Rosenberg, realize they have a lot to live up to.
While the cast does a solid job at bringing their off-the-air personas to the screen, some of the show’s running gags are a bit too predictable and tired. That said, it’s hard not to love a show that makes its deejays compete for the highest number of Twitter followers or reveals just how much the crew at Hot 97 really enjoys cracking up their family and friends at Memorial Day barbecues.
In addition to revealing the inner workings of the infamous radio station, the episode featured guest performances from an impressive roster of hip-hop stars. The first to take the stage was Kendrick Lamar, who got the crowd clapping and shouting “I’m not afraid of no ghost” while performing his classics Blacker the Berry, mAAd City and Alright. Next up was Chris Brown, who thanked his fans for enduring his 10-year career of trials and tribulations before urging them to stay loyal. Then came Fabolous, who kept the party going with his deep roster of East Coast throwbacks including Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes and Styles P.
Pete Rock also put on a great performance. He played his hits like D’Evils, Run and Wildflower. He was joined by special guests like Q-Tip and Questlove. It was amazing seeing them all on stage together. The mix was great and they all showed off their crazy turntable skills. It was definitely worth watching the entire episode to see that. hot 97