BBC Radio 1Xtra

BBC Radio 1Xtra gives Black music and the people making it a prominent place in the BBC's national radio line-up. Hip hop and R&B are central to its sound, but its programmes also explore the scenes around them, from UK rap and grime to dancehall, Afrobeats and related club music. Those styles are connected without being interchangeable. A 1Xtra show can introduce a new British voice, follow a sound travelling between cities or take a closer look at an artist whose influence reaches well beyond one chart release.

The station's presenters and specialist DJs are a large part of its character. Music selection is accompanied by interviews, sessions, mixes and discussion of the culture behind the records. This gives the audience a way to hear established artists in context and encounter newcomers before their work is widely recognised. UK scenes have particular weight, while international music remains part of the conversation. A programme devoted to one strand of music can sound markedly different from another, so the live schedule offers more variety than a generic hip hop playlist suggests.

Nadia Jae presents 1Xtra Breakfast, while Kash and Pharxoh's Golden Era revisits the foundations of UK Black music. DJ Target, Kenny Allstar and Izzy Bossy offer further specialist perspectives, and 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave gives discussion a dedicated place alongside the records.

The relationship between music and conversation is particularly important here. Records arrive with stories about their creators and the communities around them, while a specialist DJ can draw a line between established influences and a new local sound. Listeners interested in the breadth of Black British music will find that point of view more useful than a playlist labelled only by genre.