Ebro Darden’s Firing Brought His Grudges Back To The Surface

When Ebro in the Morning was pulled from Hot 97, the reaction wasn’t unanimous. It marked the end of an era, but some simply shrugged while others applauded. Few, including the artists and other media personalities who’d crossed paths with him, made it clear they were glad to see him go. That response says as much about Ebro Darden’s legacy as his tenure ever did.

Moreover, he wasn’t easy to categorize. He could be sharp and informed, but also dismissive. He challenged artists in ways that sometimes felt necessary, and sometimes felt like ego. Depending on who you ask, he was a real-time editor of Hip Hop culture or just someone with a mic who got too comfortable telling people what Hip Hop should be. That tension followed him for years, and it followed him out the door.

What’s evident is that Ebro's exit didn’t happen in a vacuum. It happened at a moment when legacy Black radio is shrinking. There are arguments that political commentary is being reined in and media power is being reshuffled. Still, Darden's departure won’t be the last. It’s just the latest sign that even the loudest voices aren’t untouchable anymore.

There was a time when the voice on your radio was driving conversations. Hip Hop radio once sat at the center of the culture, and it wasn’t limited to music. It carried gossip, political debates, accountability, breaking news, and more, all happening live, unscripted, and without a safety net.

Ebro Darden came up in that world. He wasn’t the most magnetic or the most liked, but he was consistent and understood the weight of the microphone. Before Ebro in the Morning, he was behind the scenes at Hot 97, giving weight to the station’s voice.

Then, his show was abruptly dropped in December 2025. It didn’t read like a programming update, and many said they saw this coming. Darden returned with an explanation, claiming his political ideologies didn't align with the powers that be. He further stated that the big boss of the radio station was also a casino owner who needed to raise money, and they didn't have a problem with cutting Hip Hop.

“You look around at all the major media outlets… they all gotta fold up because they're all trying to renew their deals and their licenses," Darden said. "They don’t give a f*ck about Hip Hop or Black music or Black community—they give a f*ck about access. They give a f*ck about going with their little nerdy friends to the concerts because that helps them raise money. They’ve been trying to get to me for years, bro.”

Read More: Ebro Darden Says Hot 97 Owners Are Pitting Hosts Against Each Other

Ebro’s legacy isn’t clean. For every artist who thanked him for support, there were two who called him out. Some accused him of gatekeeping, and others accused him of hiding behind the culture he claimed to protect. Yet, the friction was never background noise but part of the brand.

Here, we once again revisit some moments that have become controversial staples in Darden's legacy, but it is not an extensive list of the pushback he's received throughout his career.

Darden clashed with Kodak Black in 2018 during an interview that turned tense after Ebro brought up the rapper's sexual assault charges. Kodak walked out. Later, when the rapper sat down with The Breakfast Club, he was questioned about the tense moment.

"Listen, I knew y'all were going to bring that sh*t up," Kodak said. "I would've curved that sh*t and say, 'F*ck that. I don't wanna talk about that, f*ck n*gga', but at the same time, this is an interview. That sh*t was going so good. I feel like people don't want to see this happy-go-lucky Kodak just vibin' and coolin' and sh*t."

He added, "The interview was about to end so good and sh*t, but he was like 'Nah, I wanna see him react,' you know what I'm talking about? 'I want him to spit in my face or tear this whole radio station apart,' you feel me? I felt like that, but at the same time, I'm over here sitting down with all these people talking money and stuff like that. If I would've showed out and sh*t, I would've scared my money away again."

Fellow Florida rapper and Hip Hop icon Trick Daddy called out Ebro following the controversy. He said Darden's question was "disrespectful" while telling Kodak Black to stay focused. Ebro later said he didn't intend for his interview with Kodak to go in that direction.

Ebro's tweet comparing Eminem’s place in Rap to the Black experience set off a firestorm. "Eminem treats Rap how Black folks have had to treat life," he wrote. "Be 5x better, work 5x harder than everyone and still not necessarily get respect."

The hot take was quickly discussed in Hip Hop circles and beyond. People ridiculed him for equating the Black experience to a white artist succeeding in Black music. He doubled down on his radio show, telling his audience that success and respect are not the same.

"There are people who will fix their lips to say that Eminem is a wack rapper," said Darden. He also admitted that Em has a "privileged" space in the genre. "You may not like what he talks about, you may not like the sound of his voice, you may not like his music, which I would debate is probably because he's white and it's racial anyway, but let's assume that it's not."

One of the most talked-about Ebro interviews was his 2016 sit-down with Lil Uzi Vert. He said Uzi wouldn’t sell out arenas and was critical about the then-rising rapper reaching "rockstar" status. Later, Uzi reacted, clarifying, "Ebro is a good guy, that’s my mans. I got a different respect for people that's in Hip Hop and anybody who's my elder."

"So he has the right, and is entitled to his opinion because he's definitely a staple in music no matter what…When I say rockstar, he’s looking at the fireworks, he looking at all that stuff. Not the lifestyle, and I understand that. And I wasn't, especially me being younger, I wasn't able to explain exactly what I meant.”

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Read More: Wale Calls Out Ebro For Past Criticism Of Lil Uzi Vert's Career

However, other, including Wale, weren't as gracious. When Wale visited Darden's show years later, he explained that the way Hip Hop chooses its rockstars isn't like that of other genres. He also argued that Uzi has proven his status, while Darden pushed back lightly, saying that SoundCloud rappers aren't held to the same rigorous standard as other artists.

It seems that just about everyone has had something to say about Tekashi 6ix9ine since he stepped into the Rap game. Darden hasn't bitten his tongue, calling out the rapper's gang ties, allegations of abuse, and plainly saying he didn't like 6ix9ine's music. The two would go back and forth on social media, causing an explosive reaction from Hip Hop fans.

Then, on his track "STOOPID," 6ix9ine took lyrical aim. “That n*gga Ebro a b*tch / Another old n*gga on a young n*gga d*ck.” When he was back on his mic, Ebro playfully-ish responded with rhymes of his own. “Clown hair you ain’t ready for war / You don’t want it with the old / Off the dome with the freestyle, you don’t want that / I come with the brrrrt-at ka-kat ka-kat.”

The two reportedly squashed their beef, per Ebro, but it is still one of Darden's unforgettable back-and-forths.

When Darden questioned DaBaby’s relevance after the public backlash, Akademiks later blamed him for tanking DaBaby’s rollout via Apple Music. "Da Baby’s last project in 2020, Blame it on Baby, sold 124K first week. His new project after being blackballed by Ebro, Apple Music is scheduled to do less than 20K,” Ak tweeted. “Now yall understand my Ebro convo… DSPs control who is hot and who is not. Fall out of favor with them… UR DONE."

Now, Darden didn't take the accusation lying down. "Funny sh*t when artists get hot it is always how they built this themselves and the fans," he responded on X. "When sh*t slows down it is radio, DJs, platforms, and the label. #BlameEbro is back for a whole new generation."

Read More: Drake Cheekily Responds To "Ebro In The Morning" Cancelation On Hot 97

If you've been tuned in to Hip Hop radio, then you know that over the years, two of the culture's prominent stations have often teasingly been at each other's throats. The Breakfast Club's Charlamagne Tha God told Joe Budden that Ebro once asked him for a photo, which Charlamagne rejected. Apparently, the Power 105 host wasn't happy with Darden previously saying he was "coonin'" for his station.

 “Me and that dude don’t have a personal problem… a personal relationship," Ebro said of their interactions. "It’s radio… He talks greasy about people that work at Hot [97], I talk greasy about people that work over there (Power 105).” He also clarified the photo moment. “I said, ‘Hey, Nessa would like us to take a photo together." However, Charlamagne wasn't having it. “He says, ‘Nah, I’m not takin’ a photo with you.”

Whew, boy. Ebro’s tension with Drake didn’t begin or end with the cancellation of Ebro in the Morning. It stretches back years and continued with the announcement that Hot 97 was making some changes.

In the comments on an Instagram post about the cancellation, Drake dropped a single axe emoji, interpreted as a trolling celebration. That emoji lit up timelines because of what it represented as a major artist openly reveling in the decline of a once‑powerful media voice.

Ebro and his longtime co‑host Peter Rosenberg didn’t let it slide. Rosenberg responded on X with a pointed message about Drake’s behavior. Ebro himself called Drake “right wing,” an ideological jab that extended a quarrel rooted as much in cultural criticism as personal feud.

Going back to the mid‑2010s, Ebro has routinely questioned Drake’s place in Hip Hop’s political and cultural conversations. He has openly criticized Drake for not speaking out on Black social issues, arguing that the rapper had repeatedly avoided engaging with topics impacting Black communities beyond his own career narratives.

Read More: Ebro & Peter Rosenberg React To Drake Celebrating "In The Morning" Cancelation

Amid the most recent feud, Ebro shared a series of direct messages he says Drake sent, including one that read, “Die slower p*ssy. We got some sh*t for you.” Drake hasn't reacted to his alleged DMs being shared, but he certainly doesn't mince words when it comes to his foe.

Losing a polarizing figure doesn’t always feel like a loss, but it often leaves a gap. What happens when even the imperfect voices get pushed out? When there’s no one left on corporate radio willing to argue, or question, or contradict? The culture doesn’t always go silent, but it sometimes moves to places with less accountability and fewer standards. Ebro’s time at Hot 97 is over. That part of Hip Hop media might be, too—depending on who you ask, and who's behind the mic demanding attention.

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