Hot 97 (WQHT) New York morning personality and Apple Music Beats 1 anchor host Ebro Darden has been appointed Apple Music’s global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B. In Ebro’s newly designated role, which he started Jan 2nd, Ebro will manage a team of hip-hop and R&B editors in developing editorial strategies for artists, albums and song releases in the U.S. and globally.
Based in New York, Ebro will continue to host his Hot 97 morning show, Ebro in the Morning. He will also continue to showcase the latest hip-hop music, news and issues on his own show via Apple Music’s global live stream Beats 1.
Prior to Darden’s appointment, Carl Chery served as Apple Music’s head of artist curation with a specific focus on hip-hop and R&B before moving to Spotify April 2018.
In announcing Darden’s expanded role at Apple Music, Apple Music’s global director of editorial, Rachel Newman, tells Billboard, “We’re excited that Ebro is joining us in a full-time capacity. Having dedicated his life and career to hip-hop, R&B and pop music, he has so much to offer. One of Ebro’s most defining characteristics is that he has great ears for where R&B and hip-hop are transcending and evolving to beyond even the borders of the U.S. He’ll obviously take a leadership position for us not just in hip-hop and R&B but also in the communities where the music is made, which is also exciting and something unique to Ebro.”
Outlining his immediate goals, Ebro explains, “First things first is making sure that we’re firing on all cylinders in the best way possible, helping consumers find the music that they love and also helping artists connect with consumers in a real way. Once I learn about what’s needed to achieve that, it will be about looking ahead and figuring out ways to serve the communities where hip-hop and R&B music is made. Black music comes from the community. This is music made by people living real lives and artists speaking on behalf of those real lives.”
“If we’re doing our job,” Darden continues, “we’ll be able to get down at the community level and connect with people to not only help artists service their communities but help those communities thrive. This is a global position as well. So, as we build this out, I’ll be doing the same thing I want to do in America in the U.K., Africa, India, Japan, Brazil and other countries. I’ll be wherever R&B and hip-hop are being consumed and working to create communication amongst communities around the world through Apple Music — making sure that black music is getting recognized and developing the next superstars.”
Ebro initially joined Apple Music in 2015 as an anchor host of the company’s Beats 1 global live stream alongside Zane Lowe and Julie Adenuga while simultaneously launching his own influential show on the streaming service.
Darden’s tenure at Hot 97 includes a four-year term as the station’s music director from 2003-2007. Promoted to program director in 2007, Darden helmed that post until 2014. During the period between 2008-2013, he also served as VP of programming for Hot 97 parent Emmis Communications’ New York City properties.
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