Grime, UK rap and slow-jam R&B, London to Lagos.
1Xtra went on air at six in the evening on 16 August 2002 as a digital sister to Radio 1, planned under the code name Network X and devoted entirely to Black music from Britain, America, the Caribbean and Africa. Its first record was a track made specially for the launch, and the Rampage DJ collective co-hosted a five-hour opening show. As a public service station it had to carry its own news written for listeners in their teens and twenties, and from 2009 that settled into Newsbeat-style bulletins at midday and early evening.
Daytime runs on UK rap, R&B and dancehall with plenty of throwbacks, from Nadia Jae at breakfast through to Remi Burgz on drive. Evenings go to specialists. DJ Target brings new music most weeknights, Sir Spyro covers grime, Seani B runs the dancehall show, DJ Edu hosts AfroSounds and Kenny Allstar plays rap on Fridays. On Sunday afternoons David Rodigan hands the station over to reggae.
Black British music, given the keys.
