Peter Rosenberg Goes After Hot 97 For Recent Layoffs

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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Peter Rosenberg Hot 97 Layoffs
The 13th annual Mark A. Sasso Memorial Softball Tournament is held at Wagaraw Field in Hawthorne, NJ on Saturday August 20, 2022. Peter Rosenberg on team ESPN walks onto the field with Bear. Mark A Sasso Memorial Softball Tournament. Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Ironically, one of Peter Rosenberg's hip-hop media foes, DJ Akademiks, said he would join Hot 97 after the layoffs under one condition.

Traditional hip-hop media is facing the brunt of adapting to an evolved media landscape, as evidence by recent layoffs at Hot 97. Many folks have lamented these firings, canceled shows, and DJ departures, including Peter Rosenberg. His recent comments on the layoffs come months after Rosenberg's show was canceled, which led to him, Ebro Darden, and Laura Stylez going the independent route.

As caught by The Jasmine Brand on Instagram, the radio host took to social media to call out these recent firings. Hot 97's recent drama with personnel continues to grow, even as recent additions like Mero's morning show have followed.

"So many incredible DJs are no longer on," Peter Rosenberg stated. "It started with my show... They are trying to make this station work, and the only thing they've done as a company is fire people. All they do is let people go and try to save money. That's all they're able to do. Remove, remove, remove. Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut. First cut fat, then cut meat, now cut into the bone."

Rosenberg also brought up specific examples such as DJ Drewski, as well as Bobby Konders and Jabba.

Hot 97 Layoffs

Ironically, one of Peter Rosenberg's hip-hop media foes, DJ Akademiks, might be interested in a position at Hot 97 after these layoffs. The two have clashed in the past over their media coverage concerning Drake and a lot more.

Concerning this Hot 97 situation, Akademiks said he would host the station's morning show if they fire Mero and give Ak $5 million. "If you have these bums clear out their desk by next week, I’ll come save y’all right after Thanksgiving. Because I got to eat first," he expressed during a livestream. "If y’all wanna be saved, I’m giving y’all a one-chance opportunity. Get the trash out and I’ll do it just ‘cause, you know, ain’t y’all motto ‘Where Hip-Hop Lives?’ Well, I know hip-hop lives in my heart."

We will see if any of these parties has anything more to say about this situation. It's sad to see this consequence of shifting media landscapes turn colleagues in the same space against each other.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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