WarmUp FM: making room for Montreal hip hop culture
Although hip hop is one of the most listened to musical genres in Quebec, it is still under-represented in traditional media. Filling a void, WarMup FM gives visibility and a platform to artists with undeniable success, but who remain in the shadows, far from the spotlight.
Like every Thursday, Antony and Freddy sit comfortably in front of their microphone. In front of them, the comedian Oussama Fares is on their weekly radio show.
He will talk about himself and his projects, before leaving his seat to the rapper White Migz, who for his part came with his entourage to do a live performance.
Another week that comes to an end for Le WARMup, one of the few radio programs to focus on the Montreal hip hop scene. Since their beginnings in 2018, the two animators have made it their mission to reach out to artists who are popular in the community, but who are often ignored by the mainstream media.
Although the WarMup FM program was presented on a community station, namely Radio Centre-Ville 102.3 FM, it quickly established itself in its community, as some of the most listened to artists in town, including Izzy-S, Tizzo or Raccoon, made appearances there.
“Every media that comes up against us is showing something else. We put forward what the big media don't want to present. I think artists like that and that they feel at home when they come here,” believes Freddy Lloyd, one of the two hosts of WARMup.
“It's important for the world to realize that it's been a lot of investment from the start. We didn't make any money with the show. We're doing this for culture,” adds Antony Dagger, the show's founder, alongside him.
Make progress
The show has grown to such an extent that some are willing to pay to be invited. Its credibility allows the two animators to attract some of the biggest names on the local scene.
“We don't want our show to be a place where you can pay to come. Otherwise, it has no value, anyone could come,” cautions Freddy. Live performances are also part of the show's format. The space adjacent to the studio can accommodate up to a hundred people, which offers artists the opportunity to perform in front of an audience. “It's one thing to come, but once you see how it's presented, it's ultra-professional. And the comfort they have here, they won't get anywhere else,” adds Freddy.
Last fall, for example, the rapper Shreez was on site with his friends and family for the launch of his album Je suis canicule. “They make our music play and give us a platform. It's a way of giving back,” explains the rapper over the phone. He himself discovered the show through Instagram and made a few appearances on it over time, before agreeing to launch it.
“It shows that you can trust artists. They are professionals who just want to share their music. Maybe at Radio-Canada, they wouldn't feel as good. With us, there are no barriers. We grow up together,” says Antony Dagger.
“It's almost the same as La Semaine des 4 Julie or Belle et Bum, except it's hip hop. It's something we don't have anywhere else in Montreal — for the artist to come, for people to listen to him in the room and for us to do a live show,” compares Freddy Lloyd.
Raccoon, whose real name is Shamyr Daléus-Louis, has for his part participated in WarMup a few times. For him, the show stands out for its content, which combines freestyle and interviews, while allowing new sounds to be heard exclusively.
“Traditional media are a bit cautious about hip hop. To have a hip-hop medium, you must already be a connoisseur or a fan of this culture to be able to do a great interview and understand what is being done,” he analyzes. “It's a show that gives so much to culture! They are precursors. These are guys who were there before there was this urban buzz or this diversity aspect and all that. We've seen them grind for a long time. I am happy, when I have the opportunity, to come here,” says comedian Oussama Fares, who discovered the show on the Internet.
Little space in the media
WarmUp is quite unique in the Quebec media landscape. Although Montreal hip hop artists can each have hundreds of thousands of listens on online streaming platforms, they are often sidelined by the mainstream media.
“The big problem for me is that hip hop culture has codes that the big media don't know. This is where it becomes a problem and where there is a split between the two. In the United States, this is less the case. Hip hop culture is more a part of popular culture,” explains Félix B. Desfossés. A journalist specializing in the history of music in Quebec, the latter is in particular the author of the book The roots of hip hop in Quebec.
In recent years, however, he has noticed that the door is more open, with artists like Koriass and Souldia who manage to find a place in traditional media. A place that is however more difficult to take for artists from diverse backgrounds.
“I don't think it's voluntary on the part of the mainstream media, but I think there is something that testifies to Quebec society and its problem with systemic racism. I see something unintentional in these media, like telling myself that certain faces are going to appeal more to the general public,” laments Mr. Desfossés.
This situation is all the more ironic as several of these artists have more online listeners than some of Quebec's media stars. For example, for the period from October 15 to December 30, 2021, Enima was the most listened to Quebec interpreter on online platforms, according to a report by the Observatoire de la culture et des communications du Québec.
“The big media don't understand that they could be creating the audience of the future if they went to artists who have the big numbers,” says Mr. Desfossés.
However, he believes that it is possible for a racialized artist to become a star in Quebec, provided that they check “certain “general public” boxes.” He gives as an example the Muzion group, which, in his opinion, succeeded in doing so without compromising its artistic integrity.
“We must not forget that the radio stations here are pop music stations. Some lyrics are not accepted at the pop level in Quebec. But as I say to artists, today, they no longer need radio to promote themselves,” notes Malik Shaheed, referring to the democratization of the Internet and the arrival of social networks.
He also believes that artists need to find ways to expand their audience in French-speaking markets outside Quebec. A former VJ at MusiquePlus, he notably hosted a show on hip hop. He has also worked for various radio stations over the years.
“For artists, it was their only visibility; radio stations didn't want to know anything,” he recalls, referring to his years at MusiquePlus. And although he had the support of his director, he only had one hour per week to play the latest clips, from Quebec as well as the United States and France.
“There is still resistance against hip hop, and the artists who are going to play on the radio are not black artists. But the people who started hip hop were black people, just like the people who make it happen. But that's not the image we're giving today,” Mr. Shaheed laments.
According to him, the situation will not change until there are people “who look like artists” in the mainstream media. “[Otherwise], you will always have the problem, because they don't understand the message and the culture,” he said, stressing the need to have “white allies” in order to get things done.
Develop a concept
Freddy Lloyd grew up in Montreal in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood in a family of Haitian origin. It was through his family and friends that he discovered hip hop music from an early age.
“I studied communication and I've always been interested in media. I always thought it was weird that we didn't have a hip hop medium on the radio. I was looking for the opportunity to do what we are doing now,” he confides.
For his part, Antony Dagger, the other host of the show, lived in east Montreal, before moving to Laval. It was at the Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne that her interest in the media world was confirmed.
“I did communication-cinema, but I spent more time on student radio than in my classes,” he recalls. Since the beginning, I have loved it, I love to put myself forward. I stood out a lot there and that's what led me to be who I am today.”
He worked on a first show, Le WarmUp du Week-End, which ended up forming the skeleton of WARMup FM.
“It was a bit like a baby being formed, but I didn't have the right team to do that. And then, my cousin introduced me to Freddy and we connected,” he explains.
It was summer 2018. Chemistry quickly developed between them. Next October, the two friends will celebrate the fifth anniversary of their show.
“We both wanted to cover the urban scene. I had often talked to Antony about the fact that I thought there was a place for a radio or a hip hop show in Montreal. That's also what he wanted to do on his end,” explains Freddy Lloyd.
“Freddy really has this English side, while I'm more on the French rap side. That's how WarmUp becomes solid; it makes sure we complete each other and touch everything,” adds Antony Dagger.
The two animators do not intend to stop there. They are working on other projects, including the idea of organizing a hip hop gala in Quebec. Their goal always remains the same: to promote the hip hop scene in Quebec and to develop a community around the show to further involve their audience. They also want to reiterate that traditional media are no longer an essential platform.