Beats 1 Host Ebro Darden is Now the Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and RB at Apple Music

A new promotion at work is a solid way to start the New Year.

Ebro Darden has been working as a Beats 1 host for quite some time, but, as reported by Billboard, he has recently been promoted to a bigger role at Apple Music. According to the publication, Darden is now the Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B at the streaming music platform. With the new role, Darden will be tasked with heading the teams in both genres, cultivating editorial content for new releases.

Darden will continue to host his “Ebro in the Morning” radio show on Hot 97 in New York City, which runs between 6:00 A.M. and 10:00 A.M. local time. Darden already has tasks in front of him, saying that he’s going to put a major focus on making sure consumers can find the music that they love:

“First things first is making sure that we’re firing on all cylinders in the best way possible, helping consumers find the music that they love and also helping artists connect with consumers in a real way. Once I learn about what’s needed to achieve that, it will be about looking ahead and figuring out ways to serve the communities where hip-hop and R&B music is made. Black music comes from the community. This is music made by people living real lives and artists speaking on behalf of those real lives.”

“If we’re doing our job,” Darden continues, “we’ll be able to get down at the community level and connect with people to not only help artists service their communities but help those communities thrive. This is a global position as well. So, as we build this out, I’ll be doing the same thing I want to do in America in the U.K., Africa, India, Japan, Brazil and other countries. I’ll be wherever R&B and hip-hop are being consumed and working to create communication amongst communities around the world through Apple Music — making sure that black music is getting recognized and developing the next superstars.”

Apple Music’s Global Director of Editorial, Rachel Newman, had this to say on the promotion:

“We’re excited that Ebro is joining us in a full-time capacity. Having dedicated his life and career to hip-hop, R&B and pop music, he has so much to offer. One of Ebro’s most defining characteristics is that he has great ears for where R&B and hip-hop are transcending and evolving to beyond even the borders of the U.S. He’ll obviously take a leadership position for us not just in hip-hop and R&B but also in the communities where the music is made, which is also exciting and something unique to Ebro.”

Darden has been working with the Apple Music team since 2015, when he joined the inaugural Beats 1 hosting duties alongside Zane Lowe and Julie Adenuga.

This is big news for Darden, and a great way to start the New Year. One can only hope that his plan, to help Apple Music subscribers discover music that they love, actually has worthwhile results. Here’s a suggestion! Create a playlist for new releases, specifically singles, for artists that users have shown interest in. That would be great!

[via Billboard]

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