Beats 1 radio host Ebro Darden has been appointed as Apple Music's global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B, according to Billboard.

ebro darden ariana grande

Ebro Darden and Ariana Grande

In this newly designated full-time role, which he starts today, the report claims Darden will "manage a team of hip-hop and R&B editors in developing editorial strategies for artists, albums and song releases" in the United States and abroad.

Darden said his new position is a global one aimed at figuring out ways to serve the communities where hip-hop and R&B music is made:

If we're doing our job, 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.

Apple Music's global director of editorial, Rachel Newman:

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.

Darden will remain based in New York City and he will continue to host his popular show "Ebro in the Morning" on the local HOT 97 radio station on weekday mornings. He will also continue to showcase the latest hip-hop music and news on his Beats 1 show on weekday afternoons, according to the report.

Darden was one of the three original Beats 1 radio anchors alongside Zane Lowe, based in Los Angeles, and Julie Adenuga, based in London.

Top Rated Comments

cateye Avatar
82 months ago
Well thank god for that since hip-hop is so egregiously underrepresented on Apple Music.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nburwell Avatar
82 months ago

Sarcasm?
Yes. You launch the AM app, and hip-hop is so over represented it's ridiculous.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
12643 Avatar
82 months ago
It’s becoming less and less of an accomplishment to get appointed to Apple’s “leadership team” with every appointment.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cateye Avatar
82 months ago
Considering Hip-Hop is currently the most popular and profitable style of music it makes sense that it would get a lot of attention on music services
Thankfully, there are other music services that balance support of popular music with a broader menu. As a music service not beholden to the limitations of a physical record store should.

That Apple self-limits in this way is very music an “apple” thing and I think speaks to their need, or the need of certain people within Apple, to be seen as “popular,” or aligned with what is popular.

Apple always serves the needs of its brand. Always.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ta0jin Avatar
82 months ago
So I don't get the problem here. If the people complaining don't like what Apple Music is playing then listen to something else. I'm not especially a huge fan of todays hip hop, but if I tune to a channel that is not playing what I like then I can listen to something else. There are other options. I don't see the need to bring up what Steve Jobs was all about and what Tim Cook is doing wrong...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lunarworks Avatar
82 months ago
So I don't get the problem here. If the people complaining don't like what Apple Music is playing then listen to something else. I'm not especially a huge fan of todays hip hop, but if I tune to a channel that is not playing what I like then I can listen to something else. There are other options. I don't see the need to bring up what Steve Jobs was all about and what Tim Cook is doing wrong...
This is half the people here after hearing one hip-hop song on Beats 1:

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

iPhone Foldable Display Said to Feature iPad-Style 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Friday March 28, 2025 3:44 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming "iPhone Fold" will feature a foldable screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, according to a Chinese leaker who previously leaked the book-style device's display dimensions. The Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station claims that Apple will adopt a "roughly" 4:3 aspect ratio on the inner display in order to achieve consistency between the outer display, as well as to ensure parity...