With Hot 97’s Summer Jam 2015 line-up revealed in full late last month, DX caught up with the station’s Morning Show deejays and informal brand ambassadors Ebro Darden and Peter Rosenberg to get their insight about curating the roster of performers year after year.
“Usually, you know, we look for the Festival Stage to be a reflection of the hottest acts that are up-and-coming,” Ebro told HipHopDX’s Ural Garret in a clip that debuted as a part of today’s DX Daily. “Maybe they don’t have radio hits yet but they have successful tours and they’re touring nationally. Maybe they have a song on the radio, but, you know, not a series of hits. And for the stadium stage we look for artists that have a series of radio hits as well as a national touring brand so that when they get out there, A, they know what they’re doing, and, B, they have an audience that can come and will want to see them for twenty to twenty-five minutes. You know, one hit song is not a reason to get on stage at Summer Jam on the Stadium Stage. You gotta have a myriad of successful songs behind you.”
Asked to recall a few of the concert’s most memorable moments, Peter Rosenberg recalled Nicki Minaj’s cancelled set in 2012 and Papoose’s surprise stage appearance the next year.
“I would say two things,” he started, “Nicki Minaj and Young Money cancelling. And I’d say Papoose ending Summer Jam after Kendrick Lamar.”
AD LOADING...
“Papoose did not end Summer Jam fam,” Ebro fired back. “We had a whole other hour of shit after that.”
