DJ and professor Davey D along with KEXP’s Gabriel Teodros discuss how consolidation and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 hid independent and more conscious hip hop artists from the mainstream eye.
DJ and professor Davey D along with KEXP’s Gabriel Teodros discuss how consolidation and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 drove out small, independent and Black-owned radio stations. The resulting centralized playlists hid more independent and socially conscious hip hop artists from the mainstream eye.
“It’s the same five artists over and over again. What do they talk about? They talk about money, sex and things that are dehumanizing. What does that mean when white America is learning about Black humanity through this very narrow lens that only a few executives that are not from the culture are painting? It becomes an attack,” Teodros says.
Finding good new music can be a full time job, so let KEXP help! In Our Headphones brings you five song recommendations every Monday, straight from KEXP’s DJs and Music Directors. Join hosts Janice Headley and Isabel Khalili on this never-ending journey of music discovery.
Host Emily Fox and KEXP’s editorial team talk with artists about the stories behind their songs and the experiences that inform their work. Through each conversation, we uncover the humanity behind the music, allowing us to hear it in a whole new way.
