R.I.P. Hot 97? Funkmaster Flex v. Jay Z? Classic Hip Hop on FM?

NOTE: We'll be paying respect to ASAP Yams on tonight's show as well, and talking about the Jay-Z/Hot 97 purchase rumor. The following was written before all that.

Hip hop radio.

It's a topic we've touched on before, paricularly in regards to New York's iconic Hot 97 and their lack of support for local artists, or the hip hop community at large.

Hot 97 remains at the center of the discussion, in part because of their iconic status, but also in part because of their stubborn insistence that they be considered the "voice" of hip hop, even though much of their actions point in the opposite direction, and are even hurtful to the music and culture that made them what they are.

We'll talk biting the hip hop hand that feeds them, and what might be going on at the station. A flurry of high profile and loyal departtures, new, out-of-town personnel with little to no hip hop radio experience, and a heated on-area airing out of Jay Z by once-prominent Funkmaster Flex has many of us who watch the industry perplexed.

Is Hot 97 on the verge of a complete collapse, format switch, or something else entirely unexpected? Will they ever be more than a typical 2015 rap radio station that plays a forumlaic playlist and doesn't take any responsibility for helping to negatively affect the music and culture that made many of them rich?

Perhaps they'll fall off completely and change to the radio "format of the day," classic hip hop! It's a format that many stations are rushing to change to, but our show host Manny Faces feels it's actually bad for hip hop, and likely to fail.

Feel free to call with your thoughts. Do you listen to Hot 97? What do you think is missing, if anything? Are you an old-school head? Are you excited about the classic format idea?

Tune in and participate. It's NY's hip hop talk radio, and it's all about YOU!