This has easily been one of the most exciting new cross-country initiatives to start off 2021.
At the beginning of February, CBC Music premiered THE BLOCK, a new compelling national radio show focused on bolstering the discovery of Black music and serving a greater range of musical interests and communities across Canada.
“THE BLOCK is home. A place of belonging. It’s community and familiarity. It is a reflection of the depth and breadth of Black cultural contributions and innovations in music,” says host Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe, who some might remember as fan favourite Miss Ange from her days as a host at Flow 93.5.
A New Refuge for Music
Making its debut back on Feb. 1, THE BLOCK is a new, radio show, airing weekdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (7:30 Newfoundland), on CBC Music and CBC Listen. It’s co-produced by Judith Lynch and former Flow 93.5 morning show host, JJ LaBorde (formerly JJ King).
Hosted by Edmonton-raised, Toronto-based Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe, THE BLOCK is the new home for music of Black origin. The music played will reflect the many intersections within Black music from across the diaspora; where soca meets pop (Rihanna), R&B meets reggaeton (J Balvin), the transformative leaders in hip-hop today (Haviah Mighty, Chika, Clairmont The Second), the elite artists with the ability to execute in multiple genres (Drake, Beyoncé) along with regular nods to the early influencers of hip-hop and funk.
“I am so thrilled to be providing a platform to elevate the immense pool of talent in this country that has been largely ignored by traditional terrestrial commercial Radio,” said Tetteh-Wayoe.
“Hip-hop saved my life but I have been left gasping for something on the air that represented people who looked like me. With this show we can finally breathe.”
Amplifying Underrepresented Voices
In just four short weeks, THE BLOCK has piqued the interest of music listeners across the country and is receiving praise for showcasing the diverse musical contributions of talented Black Canadians.
“CBC’s THE BLOCK feels like a new refuge for a type of music that is repeatedly gentrified from Toronto’s airwaves,” wrote NOW Toronto of the new series.
Since its debut, THE BLOCK has featured a steady stream of Canadian artists, with a focus on playing conscious music “with a message,” and artists that might otherwise find limited support on radio airwaves. THE BLOCK officially kicked off its inaugural broadcast with the sounds of Winnipeg’s The Lytics and their 2018 single “For My People.” Host Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe set the pace, making a brief introduction, and providing the name of the artist/song before immediately switching over to “Let’s Get It” by budding Calgary phenom, Sinzere. New acts are introduced with every episode, with roughly 30-35 songs being played within each two-hour show.
The Canadian gems played on THE BLOCK are slotted alongside classics by US/International artists like “Hip Hop” by Dead Prez, and more recent drops like “Say Peace” by Common off the A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 1 EP. As LaBorde described to NOW Toronto, playlists on THE BLOCK are “inclusive, conscious and fun.”
Overall, just a month since launch and we are feeling really optimistic about what to expect from THE BLOCK and the amazing opportunity the series brings to further popularizing Canadian talent.
THE BLOCK is the type of program that can instantly boost an artist’s listenership across the country, so placement on an episode’s playlist is key. Artists interested in being played on the show can submit clean versions of their music to [email protected] along with a short bio and photo.
How to Listen to The Block
Starting Monday, March 8, HipHopCanada will be posting weekly summaries of the previous week of THE BLOCK, highlighting some of the songs and artists that were featured. Check back weekly during the month of March.
THE BLOCK airs Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. (7:30 Newfoundland) on CBC Music and CBC Listen. CBC Listen is your one-stop destination for CBC Radio, CBC Podcasts, and CBC Music. Stream content anytime with the free app, available for download on iOS and Android devices.
See the full CBC Music radio schedule here and find your local CBC radio frequency here.
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CBC is a paid partner.
