HOT 97 Celebrates Success of the 31st Annual Summer Jam
From the Who's Next Festival Stage in the afternoon to a sold-out evening inside the arena, Summer Jam 2025 brought out the culture's biggest stars and brightest newcomers. With over 15,000 fans in attendance, the stacked main stage lineup featured A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Gunna, GloRilla, Muni Long, Asake, Ayra Starr, Ja Rule and Friends, and more, delivering unforgettable performances. The 32nd Annual Summer Jam is scheduled to return in June 2026, promising to be even bigger.
'Summer Jam 2025 was a smash hit and as part of our partnership with Afro-urban media powerhouse Trace, HOT 97 brought a new voice to the main stage with three standout African artists—underscoring the global rise of Afrobeats and reinforcing HOT 97's position as a cultural leader in music,' said Kudjo Sogadzi, EVP, HOT 97. 'With this momentum, HOT 97 is already looking ahead to Winter Fest this December in Brooklyn and an even bigger and bolder Summer Jam in 2026.'
HOT 97's digital platforms played a key role in amplifying the event's reach far beyond the arena. The station's unique HOT97 app and all major social media channels streamed a live special, Summer Jam Backstage with Miabelle, featuring real-time coverage, behind-the-scenes exclusives, and artist interviews, resulting in record-breaking engagement. Social engagement was up by over 1,000% reaching over 38 million users worldwide and on the HOT 97 web and app platform unique visitors were up nearly 80% over prior year.
'We're creating a new era of Summer Jam that lives across every screen,' said Jim Carr, SVP of Digital Product & Innovation for MediaCo. 'From livestreams on Twitch and exclusive YouTube drops to viral TikTok moments and interactive backstage chats with artists, we're connecting hip hop fans everywhere—not just in the seats, but in their feeds.'
Between sets, fans were also treated to a sneak peek of the upcoming release of HOT 97 TV, a brand-new Connected TV platform designed for fans of hip hop, R&B, Afrobeats, and all things music, lifestyle, and culture. The growth and success of video content has led to the launch of HOT 97 TV FAST Channel this summer.
'We have seen so much engagement with our social and streaming video content that we are going even bigger with Connected TV video and launching the Hot 97 TV FAST Channel this summer, 'said MediaCo Chief Operating Officer René Santaella. 'HOT 97 fans are telling us they want more and HOT 97 TV will be the place where Hip Hop and Afro culture live 24/7 with real stories, music, entertainment programming and live events.'
ABOUT HOT 97 & MEDIACO
HOT 97 parent company MediaCo Holding Inc. (Nasdaq: MDIA) is a diverse-owned, diverse-targeted media business. MediaCo stands at the forefront of entertainment and news, uniquely positioned as a leader in reaching multicultural audiences. Through its diverse portfolio of digital, television and radio properties including EstrellaTV, Estrella News, HOT 97, WBLS and Que Buena LA, MediaCo engages over 20 million people every month, delivering a dynamic mix of free, ad-supported streaming and terrestrial entertainment, music, and news across all major media platforms and on all devices.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rare photos capture Afrobeats' rise to take over the world
Afrobeats has swept the world of music like a tsunami - it dominates playlists and its fans cram into huge stadiums to hear the likes of Nigerian superstars Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy. Photographer Oliver Akinfeleye, known professionally as "Drummer", caught the Afrobeats wave early - and he decided to document it as it grew into a global phenomenon. Since 2017, the New Yorker of Nigerian descent has had exclusive backstage access to some of the biggest artists of the genre - capturing quieter moments of reflection as well as strutting stage performances. "I remember my first project with Wizkid like it was yesterday - Echostage Washington DC, 2017," Drummer told the BBC. "The feeling was exhilarating. It was my job to tell the visual story of how it all went down." Drummer has not stopped clicking since - and has now released Eagle Eye, a book of photographs showcasing Afrobeats' rise from humble beginnings to one of Africa's largest cultural exports. Afrobeats has its roots in various West African musical genres that became especially popular in the decades that followed independence as the continent began celebrating its freedom from colonial rule. Highlife, which flourished along the coast from the late 19th Century, became synonymous with Ghana's national identity after independence in 1957 - and was in turn hugely influential on Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. His Afrobeat (minus the "s") movement, which mixed traditional rhythms with funk and jazz, became the sound of the 1970s and 1980s in West Africa. At the turn of the millennium, this rich cultural heritage fed into Afrobeats, along with a mix of Western pop, rap and dancehall. It gained further popularity in the UK and North America, where there are large diaspora populations, in particular from Nigeria, where most of the genre's stars came from. Afrobeats artists began performing to these communities at first in small venues in the early 2010s. Then it really take off - between 2017 and 2022 Afrobeats experienced 550% growth in streams on Spotify, according to data from the world's most popular streaming service. This resulted in many of the artists becoming household names around the world, and the musical industry taking note. It has gone on to include African music in mainstream award ceremonies like the Grammys. Today these artists easily pack out stadiums like Madison Square Garden in New York - pictured below ahead of Wizkid's performance in 2023. "Madison Square was a night to remember - the iconic venue illuminated in the colours of the Nigerian flag honouring our homeland," says Drummer. Drummer was able to take photographs of the musicians as they started out on their global careers. "I always felt that I was capturing moments with just my eyes. Walking the streets of New York City, I would frame scenes in my mind - people, light, emotion," the photographer says. "I'd ask myself, how do I translate this mental perspective to reality?" Gradually, the audience grew and became more international with fans in countries such as China, Germany and Brazil. Now even non-African musicians are taking up the Afrobeats sound and releasing their own versions, including artists such as Chris Brown, who released Blow My Mind with Davido. The US singer has also performed with Wizkid in London - as the photo below from 2021 shows. "I love this picture because when Wizkid brought Chris Brown out at The O2 arena, the place exploded. No-one saw it coming - the energy shifted instantly," says Drummer. "Shock, excitement and pure electricity. A moment stamped in memory and in history." Drummer says one of the aims of the photo book is not to just show people what he saw, but to help them feel what he experienced - through his pictures. It also sometimes reveals the feelings of the superstars in their private moments. This final picture shows Wizkid backstage on his phone in 2021. It was "a rare quiet moment", but even in the silence and the calm his presence spoke volumes, says Drummer. The sounds that has penetrated the world Afrobeats megastar Burna Boy is still 'a work in progress', his mother says Rema, the Afrobeats star who does not intend to calm down How Afrobeats made it to the very top of Glastonbury Afrobeats is finally getting its own chart Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
Black America Web
2 days ago
- Black America Web
DJ Funkmaster Flex Rips Cassie As Not A 'Victim' Following Diddy Verdict, Social Media Defends Her
On Wednesday, when Diddy was acquitted of sex trafficking and RICO charges, while found guilty of prostitution, it led to many social media think pieces and celebrities revealing their true allyship. Among those celebrities was DJ Funkmaster Flex, whose musical influence popped off in New York City's 1990s Hip-Hop scene, similar to Diddy's. The Hot 97 legend took aim at Cassie, but first praised her for being strong during the trial despite all the hardships she revealed while on the stand. 'I THINK CASSIE HAS BEEN THROUGH ALOT ESPECIALLY AT A YOUNG AGE,' he began. 'SHE IS SUCH A NICE PERSON AND ALWAYS GAVE OFF GOOD ENERGY! I HOPE HER AND HER FAMILY OVERCOME ALL OF THE PAIN THEY ARE GOING THROUGH!' He warns that the world of entertainment is a 'dangerous business' and thinks she should now just close this chapter of her life. He continues, 'I DO THINK YOU AND YOUR LAWYERS SHOULD GIVE IT A REST! YOU THREATENED TO DROP A BOOK THEN GOT PAID OUT TO NOT DROP THE BOOK! ( IF YOU CARED SO MUCH TO GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT YOU WOULD OF DROPPED THE BOOK) I GET IT… ITS A CASE.. YOU HAD TO TESTIFY.' Flex reduces the case to bad decisions made by Diddy and Cassie, so after a $20 million settlement from him and $10 million from the hotel where she was assaulted, he doesn't consider her a victim. 'YOU 30Mil UP AND 10Mil UP FROM [THE] HOTEL! YOU [PLANED] THIS 'LICK' PLEASE DONT BE MAD AT ME BUT I DONT SEE U AS A 'VICTIM,'' he wrote. ' YOU WAS YOUNG, DIDDY MADE BAD CHOICES AND YOU MADE BAD CHOICES! WHEN DO U PLAN TO TEACH GIRLS NOT TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES YOU MADE?' Cassie was the person who ignited the firestorm of legal issue for Diddy back in 2023 with a bombshell lawsuit accusing him of rape and assault through there relationship — highlighted by a video of him beating her in a hotel hallway— from 2007 to 2018. A settlement was agreed upon hours later, but accusations began to pour in of Diddy's alleged abusive behaviors over the years. It culminated in the raiding of his drugs, guns, and baby oil-filled homes, which yielded four bail denials and a highly publicized eight-week trial. Because of his most recent denial of bail, he remains behind bars at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, with a tentative sentencing date in October, where he'll face a maximum of 20 years. See social media's reaction to Funkmaster Flex butting in below. DJ Funkmaster Flex Rips Cassie As Not A 'Victim' Following Diddy Verdict, Social Media Defends Her was originally published on
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Angie Martinez Speaks on Her New ‘IRL' Podcast and the Importance of Vulnerability in Her Interviews
How did Angie Martinez become The Voice of New York? She remained true to Angie Martinez. After beginning her tenure at HOT 97 as a teenager answering phones, Martinez skyrocketed to fame with 'The Angie Martinez Show.' Interviewing hip-hop icons such as The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, the show quickly became one of urban radio's most influential programs. Martinez has continued at Power 105.1, her 'Voice of New York' nickname hard won after years of being as authentic as possible within radio's parameters. On June 2, Martinez took the leap into podcasting to break out of those parameters. Titled IRL, the weekly pod aims to further expand on the radio host's signature brand: Exploring the human truth that binds us all together. More from Billboard 'Democracy Forward' Compilation Features Tracks From Michael Stipe, Wilco, Brandi Carlile, John Prine and Tyler Childers Gracie Abrams Shares Snippet of New Music & Gets Support From an Excited Olivia Rodrigo Cardi B Blasts Donald Trump's 'Dictatorship Vibe' Over ICE Raids & National Guard Deployment 'What is the truth of that?' Martinez tells me over Zoom. 'It sounds basic and simple, but [that question] really is what motivates me and pushes me. That's the button I'm always looking to hit. What's real here? What can we really get into?' While IRL was initially a grassroots-led effort via Martinez herself, she has now joined forces with The Volume to take this self-financed passion project to the next level. Having helped create some of hip-hop media's most successful podcasts (Club Shay Shay, Joe and Jada, Rory and Mal), The Volume will turn Martinez podcast into a weekly endeavor, with a big budget and even bigger expectations. 'I'll be honest, it is a little scary,' Martinez admits. 'Cause I don't ever wanna not give it the full effort that I'm giving to them now. There will need to be a little more time and effort to make sure every episode delivers in the same way, at a higher volume.' Regardless, Martinez reaffirms that she's up to the challenge. Below, Billboard talks with The Voice of New York about her pod, some of her favorite interviews so far and how reflections on her own mortality inspired her to enter the crowded podcasting sphere. How did IRL come together and how are you feeling about podcasting so far? It's been exactly what I wanted it to be. I started quietly and was self-funding it at first because I really wanted to control the creative and the narrative because it was special to me. I really wanted to have meaningful conversations. I had a really bad car accident five years ago and, you know, when something like that happens and you're reminded of your mortality, you ask yourself those important questions: 'What do you really care about?' 'What do you really wanna do?' I just wanted to have more meaningful conversations on that level. So that's why Lauren London was my first guest. She set the tone of the type of conversations I wanted to have, and people really resonated with it. I just did it from a place of purpose. That's interesting what you said about having authentic conversations, because to me that's been the Angie Martinez brand for years now. How have these conversations been different from the ones you have on radio? Any conversation I have whether on the podcast or radio or in my real life I'm always searching for authenticity. That's the core of who I am, so that's gonna be with me no matter where my conversation is, but the difference is radio is more about what's happening today. What is current? What is trending? What is the news story of the day? It's very current, and I love that! But the conversations on the podcast are specifically designed to be tools for people in their real life. So yes, somebody happens to be really famous or talented, but these are the things real life has taught them. It's a very specific conversation that's different than what we're doin on the day to day with radio. How have you navigated the challenges of carving your own lane in the podcast space? It feels like everyone's got a podcast. It really has gotten bloated, even from the time we launched to now! But you can't worry about that. It's the same thing as music. There's a lot of music out, but there's podcasts of certain things people need from certain artists. I just think people who know me and know my brand they know what they're gonna get. Actually — how's this for a name drop? — I was talking to Michelle Obama the other day. Casual. That might be the coolest thing I've ever said! She was calling into my show, because she has [a show too] and she told me there's always white space, there's always a need. There's always people out there — even though it's busy in a lot of spaces. When you have a unique perspective and viewpoint, there's space for that. So I try not to [overthink], I'm gonna let the Volume deal with that. When I get in the chair I just try to make content that matters to someone. Tell me more about this deal with Volume, how is this gonna bring the podcast to the next level? We're definitely gonna be regular now. [IRL] kinda just came when the wind came and we had time to shoot it, now this will be a weekly podcast, for sure. You're gonna know when to expect us. After all your years talking to people, what do you think the key is to conducting a good interview? I don't think there's one thing, but I think it starts with listening. Sometimes you can have an agenda, or a thought like, 'Oh this would be a really cool thing to talk about with this person.' That person sits in the chair and that's not where they're at in their life! Or they just had something happen in their life the day before — which, if you're not paying attention to them, listening to their story or being present with them, you could miss it. But also, I find my best interviews are when there's something going on in my life that connects. I try to find the common denominator, the little piece of life that this person and I can look at and see each other. It goes back to meeting people at an honest place. What are a few of your favorite moments on the podcast so far? Some of my favorite conversations so far have been one's where it's not an interview at all. I did an interview with Kelly Rowland, [she] had a very similar situation where she grew up without her father, reunited with him later in life. I shared an experience with her that I just recently had where I found out my father was alive when I thought he was dead. The way Kelly saw me, it became two women talking about a situation we both felt deeply and could understand. There's so many great ones, Kelly Clarkson was great. Lauren London taught us so much about grief and how to survive on the other side of that, because I was coming off of having lost some family members while I was launching this pod. So talking about that was really the blueprint for how I wanted this show to go. I had an interesting conversation with Mike Tyson about anger and rage, Mike was telling me they did a scan of his brain and you could literally see rage in his brain. Something about knowing that you can see the rage inside Mike Tyson on a brain scan, it made me look at him in a different way. Knowing he walks around life trying to manage that. On other radio programs like , there are other people to bounce off of in these environments. But it's been just Angie Martinez the whole time. With people coming to specifically for you and your takes, how do you make sure the goal of the pod gets met while also keeping your personal boundaries stay in tact? Yes, thank you for noticing that! Honestly, If I take anybody to a certain place, I have to be prepared to go there with them. We're in the boat together, and it's come up a lot more in the pod. But at this point in my life, I'm not afraid to share, so I feel the pod is giving me that opportunity to dig into that a little more…you're either in it or you're not, and I'm in it! If not me, then whom — and if not now, then when? Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
