Hip-hop radio around the world
Hip-hop started at block parties, not on the radio, but radio is what carried it around the world. Today almost every country has its own rap scene and stations that play it.
From the Bronx to the airwaves
Hip-hop grew out of parties in the Bronx in New York in the early 1970s, where DJs such as DJ Kool Herc extended the drum breaks of funk records so people could dance longer. MCs began rapping over those breaks. In the 1980s, New York radio DJs started giving rap regular airtime, and hosts like Mr. Magic and later Kool DJ Red Alert and Funkmaster Flex helped make the radio mix show central to the culture.
Radio's role in hip-hop
For decades, radio was how a new rap song broke. Stations such as Hot 97 in New York and Power 106 in Los Angeles became famous for premieres, freestyles and interviews. Regional stations helped build the sounds of their own cities, from Atlanta and Houston to the Bay Area, Memphis and New Orleans. Live freestyle segments on the radio are still where many rappers prove themselves.
Hip-hop around the world
- France — one of the largest rap markets in the world, helped by stations such as Skyrock and Mouv'. See our French radio guide.
- United Kingdom — grime and UK drill developed partly on pirate radio in London. Rinse FM began as a pirate station in 1994 before becoming a licensed one. See our UK radio guide.
- Germany — German-language rap is one of the country's biggest genres. See our German radio guide.
- Africa — scenes in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal and Kenya mix rap with Afrobeats, amapiano and local languages. See our West Africa radio guide.
- Latin America — rap and reggaeton share airtime across Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico and Brazil.
- Asia — South Korea, Japan and India all have large hip-hop scenes heard on youth radio. See our South Korea radio guide.
What you'll hear
- Mix shows — DJs blending new releases and classics, usually on Friday and Saturday nights.
- Freestyles and interviews — artists rapping live in the studio.
- Old-school stations — some stations play only classic hip-hop from the 1980s and 1990s.
- R&B — many hip-hop stations also play R&B, so the two genres often share a schedule.
Listening to hip-hop on AURIDEI
- Open Hip-Hop stations on the globe → The US has the most, but you'll find hip-hop stations on every continent.
- Try voice search: say "hip hop in Atlanta", "rap from France" or a station's name such as "Hot 97".
- Use the arrows after a voice search to stay inside that city's stations.
- For the smoother side, open R&B stations →
More radio guides
Explore the globe →