Ebro Darden takes his trade very seriously. Being on the radio involves more than speaking into a microphone every day; in fact, talking is just the tip of the iceberg.
Understanding both the “on-air” and “business” sides of radio, as Darden describes them, helped him advance his career from intern to director of programming and music, lead morning show host, and senior global editorial director of Hip Hop and R&B. on Apple Music. While many are familiar with the airside thanks to Hot 97’s I bro in the morning and Apple Music The spectacle of the EbroThe business side, Darden explains, is a whole different ballgame: One has to be a trusted, advertiser-friendly personality who gets great ratings and stays consistent. Unfortunately, not everyone can address all aspects at the same time. Working in radio may seem easy on paper, but it’s not. “Many people don’t have the focus and the ability to be consistent day after day,” he points out.
Knowing the media industry both on and off the microphone has become one of Darden’s greatest strengths over the past three decades. The media landscape may have changed dramatically since it began, but Darden has never failed: “My experience in radio, from being on the air to programming to understanding how ratings work and so on, helps me manage my shows differently than someone who is just trying to be talent.”
“As a host, it’s not really about you. It’s about your ability to contextualize and communicate with the audience you serve.”
What does it mean to be Apple Music’s Senior Global Hip Hop & R&B Editorial Director in simple terms?
If I were to describe my job to someone unfamiliar, I’d say I help manage a team of people who schedule playlists at Apple Music. There are other responsibilities, of course, but that’s the basic job.
Can you tell us about a day in your working life?
I wake up at 5:00 am and I’m on the air at I bro in the morning at 6:00 am I’m live on the radio until 9:00 or 9:30 am, then we record interviews until 10:30 or 11:00 am. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I go to the gym for about an hour and a half, then I come to my office at Apple Music. On Mondays I get to the Apple Music office around 11:00 am, and I start having meetings, doing my radio show on Apple Music 1, doing interviews, recording content, etc., until I go home.
I’m still taking calls and meetings until probably 8:00 p.m. it could be going down or other big things like Black History Month, Black Music Month, Latino Heritage Month, the holidays, June 16th – all of those things are constantly being talked about and planned. That’s what I’m doing all day, every day.
Tell us the story of the most memorable interview you’ve ever done.
There are a few: Jamie Foxx telling us about the Mike Tyson movie he was working on, 50 Cent and I arguing over who fucked up the New York hip hop scene. Every time I interviewed Erykah Badu, Janelle Monet, when Dave Chappelle took over my Ebro on the morning show just to introduce and annoy, when Travis Scott did that… There were a number of good moments.
“You have to be available, you have to be accessible, you have to understand the most important metrics for the business and help meet them.”
Did you always know you wanted to have the career you have now, and did school play a role in inspiring you on this path?
No, I did not do it. My story is interesting, because I started when I was 15 years old and I knew I liked music and DJing and that kind of thing, but I didn’t really have a specific interest in radio. I knew people because of what I was doing when I was 15, which was working at the mall and being a stock boy, and the radio cats would come and buy clothes, so I was able to get an internship. The high school I attended had a radio station for campus, so I was able to get school credit for working at the other radio station my job linked me with. I guess high school played a part, but never college because of what I do now.
What are the necessary first steps a person should take to build a career as a presenter, be it on radio or otherwise?
I think the first step is to know that you are not in music if you are a presenter. You are a presenter on television, radio, on whatever platform you are, right? You are in that business. Music is just a different business. Covering the music business is what we do. We cover music, we talk about music, we critique music. For example, a sports broadcaster is not so much in the sports business as it is in the broadcast business that covers sports.
The first physical step would be to get an internship or something of that nature at the TV station or media outlet you want to be a presenter for so you can understand how hosting works. As the host, it’s not really about you. It’s about your ability to contextualize and communicate with the audience you serve. If you want to develop something that is about you and your opinion, you can do it on your own time and hopefully it will grow enough to earn space in a media outlet that wants to give you space to be that person. Or it just gets reliable enough to do with the media as it grows.
“Try to be as dynamic as possible in understanding all aspects of the business. Don’t be just one dimensional.”
What lessons and/or work ethic did you learn after working in the music industry?
I think the work ethic that I have does not come from this media industry. I think it came mostly from my family and playing sports my whole life, showing up every day, doing my best, being on time and ready. And that’s something that in whatever field you go into, you have to be available, you have to be accessible, you have to understand the most important metrics for the business and help meet them. And if you’re doing that, then they’ll want you around because you’re working to help people keep their jobs and you’re working to grow the business. If you’re just selfish, no one will want you around.
What has been the biggest challenge you have had to face so far and how have you overcome it?
I think the biggest challenge anyone who’s been in media long enough has had to face is evolving with the business, knowing when it’s time to change, and knowing when it’s time to ask for help, take on new challenges, and re-prioritize. Business changes even faster now with so many different mediums creating content, so it’s not specifically about video or audio or radio or streaming or whatever. It’s about taking your brand and distributing it across as many different platforms as possible, as well as having something that is of value to one of these companies so that they want to create a business relationship.
Is there a secret to career longevity in this industry?
Try to be as dynamic as possible in understanding all aspects of the business. Don’t be just one dimensional. Don’t just be at the microphone. If you’re on the mic, do you know how to write? Do you know how to edit? Do you know how to choose music? Can you read the metrics? What are the measures to decide content selections or ratings? Do you respect grades and know how to be malleable and change in some way so that you can be grade friendly? We’re generally in business, so it’s all about making sure you can help make the business successful.
“Be open-minded to what artists are trying to do to express themselves, where the music comes from, and how you can help expose that it’s always changing.”
What are some habits that you follow regularly to always maintain a good mental space for work?
Exercise, sleep and good food and water. Always sleep.
How do you see the evolution of your work with the music industry in the next five years?
The one thing that has always changed since the internet came along and now streaming and whatever social media blah blah blah is where the greatest hits and new music come from. I think keeping an open mind to what artists are trying to do to express themselves, where the music comes from, and how you can help expose it is what’s always changing.
If you weren’t in the media industry, what would you be doing?
I would probably be a professor at a university.
Stay tuned for more features featuring music industry professionals, from managers to sound engineers, stagehands and more; the people who make the world of music go round without ever standing behind a microphone.