20 years of 1Xtra: Amplifying black culture
Remi Burgz and DJ Target take a look back at a radio station dedicated to contemporary black music and culture. At the time of its launch, it was unlike any other.
On the 16th of August 2002, the 大象传媒 launched a brand new radio station dedicated to contemporary black music and culture. It was unlike any other station there鈥檇 ever been. Radio 1Xtra was born. It was raw, it was real, it was authentic.
And it went on to help catapult the careers of countless artists, from Stormzy and Ed Sheeran, to Jorja Smith and Little Simz. It鈥檚 helped bring genres like Grime, Afrobeat and Drill into mainstream music, and given UK rap a major platform. It鈥檚 given its listeners a voice, reflecting their lives and the big cultural issues that matter to them, like BLM.
This is the story of 20 years of 1Xtra, told by two of its presenters鈥� Remi Burgz and DJ Target.
Photo credit: Sarah Jeynes/大象传媒
