I think some of you guys have it backwards in mentioning Atlanta's 97.1 Jamz--I think what they did was great. I loved streaming it.
From the 15 year period of 1985 to 2000, you had a lot of people (Black, White, or whatever) graduating or just experiencing their high school and college years, when hip-hop grew from a special offshoot of the typical heritage urban, to being THE content on that mainstream urban, then toward big pop success. (Even the mediums you heard the music on seemed in progressive flux, from cassettes, to CDs, to the first explosion of MP3s!)
That 'rise' of hip-hop popularity really didn't start cooling until 2005 or so, when rock and pure pop really started to rebound. In my mind, the biggest problem for 97.1 Jamz was it being slightly ahead of its time in focusing upon what is likely the first 'hip-hop generation' naturally built or cultivated amongst the urban music audience.
If you remember how 97.1 Jamz was musically, you know that there's no way some facet of its execution wouldn't find itself on Kiss 104.1 or other 'Classic Soul & R&B' stations. Simply put, the audience that remembers a vinyl-dominated music existence has (and is) moving toward that magical age of 55, past which no major advertiser wants to do business with you on music FM. The O'Jays and Barry White are fading way for BoyzIIMen and a still-active R. Kelly to take over.
From the 15 year period of 1985 to 2000, you had a lot of people (Black, White, or whatever) graduating or just experiencing their high school and college years, when hip-hop grew from a special offshoot of the typical heritage urban, to being THE content on that mainstream urban, then toward big pop success. (Even the mediums you heard the music on seemed in progressive flux, from cassettes, to CDs, to the first explosion of MP3s!)
That 'rise' of hip-hop popularity really didn't start cooling until 2005 or so, when rock and pure pop really started to rebound. In my mind, the biggest problem for 97.1 Jamz was it being slightly ahead of its time in focusing upon what is likely the first 'hip-hop generation' naturally built or cultivated amongst the urban music audience.
If you remember how 97.1 Jamz was musically, you know that there's no way some facet of its execution wouldn't find itself on Kiss 104.1 or other 'Classic Soul & R&B' stations. Simply put, the audience that remembers a vinyl-dominated music existence has (and is) moving toward that magical age of 55, past which no major advertiser wants to do business with you on music FM. The O'Jays and Barry White are fading way for BoyzIIMen and a still-active R. Kelly to take over.