Photo Credit: Instagram @MTV_Flu
Detroit radio station Hot 107.5 FM, is hosting its thirtieth session of their weekly Friday Cyphers, and resident radio personality DJBJ has been there to witness them all. Friday nights at Hot 107.5 is where local, hungry music artists gather together to battle one another in intense cyphers. Each week, participants are given a topic, then they take turns at the mic, free-style battle rapping against one another until there is a clear winner.
As we’ve previously read in the DJBJ Brotherhood article, DJBJ shared with rolling out that his radio platform wasn’t just for himself. He shares his platform with those who are passionate about music and he also creates opportunities for aspiring music artists.
This week, we probed deeper into Mr. DJBJ’s radio platform and the influence he has with those who view music as an escape. Engaging with last week’s cypher participants, we found that they had very different stories to tell. After speaking with them outside of the normal cypher environment, we learned that their weekly Friday cypher routines become a chance to gain golden success nuggets. For them a chance to be on the radio has opened doors to their music careers.
Photo Credit: Instagram @mtv_flu
Meet Amere Hemmingway a.k.a MTV Flu. With 20 consecutive cyphers under his belt, Hemmingway earned the title “MTV Flu’ from airing on shows such as “True Life,” and MTV’s “Greatest Party Story Ever.” Continuing to command respect from his peers and maintain a great relationship with Hot 107.5, Capitol Records took notice of his current single. He said, “It feels good to have confirmation and someone feel the same way about your music just as you do. Because I believed in my single that much – it came this far.”
Photo Credit: Instagram @Antoinetate
The second cypher participant that had a story to tell was local rapper Antoine Tate. He has a story of tribulation to triumph. As we listened to the raspy, gritty voice of this overcomer, we learned that as he served time in a penitentiary, it was an opportunity for him to perfect his passion. He shared that music and writing was always a passion for him, and he realized the 107.5 cypher opportunity opened his eyes to how God exposes people to the right things. Currently a parolee, Tate makes it a priority to fit Friday radio time into his window allowed for productivity.
