Well, if you know my blog track history then you would know I am an avid urban music fan. Well, fellow blogger, Urban Radio Nation, did a story talking about how up-an-coming rapper, Wiz Khalifa, making it big in urban radio without a local station being in Pittsburgh. The blog covers the history and closure of long time "heritage" urban station, WAMO, after nearly 5 decades of being on air in Pittsburgh. Now it's a Catholic radio station airing religious services and programs. The closest station to the urban format is Clear Channel-owned top 40, WKST, which plays it because of its charting status on the Billboard Top 100. However, that station is just paying lip-service to the hip-hop song because its hits status, not because it is local per say.
However, Wiz Khalif has made it so big that he is getting spins with his hit, "Black and Yellow", which is based on the colors of the cities sports teams, like the Pittsburgh Pirates, major-league baseball team. The single is now on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Song chart. It celebrates the "Steel City" and its pride for hometown sport teams. I personally love the song and play it while in the gym working out because the up-tempo beat.
It's just a damn shame that a city as large as Pittsburgh and with a 27% black in the city (about 10% metropolitan area), it doesn't even have an urban radio station serving its community. Another time and depressing day for listeners of urban radio that want to see stations represent their hometown artists, whom are good and give their city some spotlight, has to use alternative ways of obtaining success.
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