Why I love radio

Growing up in a time when there was no Spotify and Apple music. The only source for new music was going to a record bar to buy CDs or cassettes. If you could not buy, the only other option was to listen to the radio waiting for the top 20 charts of the current trending songs. This was my first encounter with radio and instantly fell in love with music.

When I was in middle school my favourite radio station was KQBT 93.7 an urban contemporary radio station in Houston, Texas. Listening to the presenters of the various shows introducing new songs and giving us exclusive information on the artists, made them seem like entertainment Gods keeping me and my family glued to the radio. It made me feel like the show hosts were part of our family.

20 years later radio is still my first love. Over the years presenters have come and gone but the well-curated music and beaks keep me entertained. The main reason why radio has been a consistent part of my life is all the modern-day platforms like Spotify, Apple music and tidal rely on algorithms, stats and sometimes paid promotion without a personal relationship and at times require you to manually search for a song or playlist.

During my long drives, my current favourite station is 97.1 FM, Hot 97. Home to the legendary Funkmaster Flex, His radio show embodies everything I would like to own or be in radio. A self-titled show that involves a combination of DJ mixes, artist freestyles and a well-curated playlist of classic 90s music.