Some sad news. Hip Hop legend and royalty DJ Red Alert yesterday signed off from the station where he made his name with his final mix for 98.7 Kiss FM last night.
DJ Red Alert is ingrained in the history of Hip Hop. Not only did he host his infamous show on Kiss throughout the 80s, one of the premier Hip Hop broadcasts of its day, a must listen in New York City, but his management company took care of the native tongues (ATCQ, Jungle Brothers etc). It was DJ Red Alert which gave air play to acts who would go on to change the course of Hip Hop, and who too would go on to become classic names. There is no doubt Fred Crute, as he was born as, has had an immeasurable influence; try and imagine listening to what you’re listening to without it.
So, this news is fairly significant. The last of what was some of the most important broadcasts in Hip Hop. This is the farewell message he left on his Facebook:
AS I’M ABOUT TO DO MY FINAL SHOW ON 98.7 KISS FM (10PM – 12 MIDNIGHT EST), I CALL IT THE “THANK YOU MIX”. MANY BELIEVED, ENJOYED & SUPPORTED ME DURING MY TIME ON THIS STATION, I AM GRATEFUL & HONORED TO HAVE YOU BY MY SIDE. YES I LEFT KISS FM SEVERAL TIMES TO WORK AT OTHER STATIONS (HOT 97 & POWER 105) BUT I ALWAYS RETURNED HOME WHERE I FIRST STARTED. THIS TIME THERE IS NO COMING BACK AS KISS FM COMES TO AN END. SOME MAY REMEMBER ME WHEN I FIRST STARTED UNDER AFRIKA BAMBAATAA & THE ALMIGHTY UNIVERSAL ZULU NATION, BUT KISS FM IS THE PLACE THAT BROUGHT ME OUT TO THE FOREFRONT. TO ALL STAFF MEMBERS THAT I’VE WORKED WITH AT THE STATION THROUGH THE YEARS I WANT TO THANK YOU, WE HAD GREAT TIMES. TO EVERYONE I’VE MET THROUGH OUT MY CAREER (ASSOCIATES, BUSINESS, ETC) I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU. MOST IMPORTANTLY I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE LISTENERS WHO MAY HAVE HAD DIFFICULT & STRESSFUL TIMES, BUT STILL TUNED INTO THE RADIO TO HELP THEM GET THROUGH IT ALL, I THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO ENTERTAIN YOU.
One of the genre”s pioneers. Will we hear him on the radio again? Well we won’t hear Kiss, who turn off their transmitters midnight tonight, and with them goes a bit of Hip Hop history.
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