Author: Kevin Osei-Badu
Do you remember when radio stations were the main way to hear newly released music? I certainly do. I remember getting on the bus to school every morning, and my bus driver would always be tuned into WGCI 107.5. I’d be listening to Kendrick, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, Waka Flocka, Wiz Khalifa, and so many more. While I hated school, that music in the morning was honestly one of the best parts of my entire day. These days, I don’t spend as much time in a vehicle, and with the convenience of having a phone, I just use Spotify to get my day-to-day music. I recently had the exciting opportunity to visit the University of Chicago’s college radio station, WHPK 88.5 FM, to help with accepting the donation of a vintage radio console to the Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Museum. During that visit, I was surprised to learn just how important WHPK was to the development of hip-hop, not just in Chicago, but across the entire United States.
In order to truly understand WHPK’s importance, we first need to look at the role radio stations have played in U.S. music history. A radio station is basically a facility that broadcasts audio signals to the public. Depending on the strength of the signal, some stations, like WGCI, serve specific regions, such as the Chicago metropolitan area and parts of Northwest Indiana. Others, like NPR (National Public Radio), are syndicated nationally across the entire country. For a long time, radio was the gold standard for music discovery. It’s free, easy to access, and built right into nearly every car. As of 2021, about 65% of Americans use streaming services as their primary source of music discovery, while only 20% report using traditional AM/FM radio to discover new music. That figure drops to 7% when looking at people ages 18 to 29. So, my generation is not listening to the radio like we used to.
Before streaming took over, music listening was much more local, with college radio having the smallest area of reception. If you wanted to hear local radio in the 80s and 90s, you had to be in the right city or even neighborhood, and no neighborhood had a bigger impact on early hip-hop in Chicago than Hyde Park. That’s where college radio fits in, by aiming to give local and independent artists a platform that was otherwise inaccessible. WHPK was one such radio station.
WHPK is a student-run station, broadcasting from the campus of the University of Chicago in Hyde Park. Founded in 1968, the station is known for being the first to produce an all-hip-hop show in 1983, which was hosted by Ken “K-LL” Wissoker and Patrick Moxey. Over the past fifty years, WHPK has stayed true to its mission of prioritizing free expression and community by broadcasting a wide range of shows and music to the South Side of Chicago. Its programming spans genres like jazz, rock, rap, and electronic, as well as public affairs talk shows.
Indie rock band ‘Clay Birds’ performing a show during WHPK radio (WHPK Instagram)
Every Friday night, the station hosts a live show called Pure Hype, where for two hours, bands are invited to perform live on air. These sessions were hosted by iconic DJs such as DJ K-LL, DJ JP Chill, DJ Taigo Onez, DJ Ice Box, KMax, and many others.
Kevin ‘KMax’ Maxey (https://southsideweekly.com/air-k-max-whpk-cta-radio/)
In addition to its regular programming, WHPK also carved out a name for itself by hosting rap battles, live events where MCs would go head-to-head, testing their lyrical skill, delivery, and creativity. A rap battle is more than just a performance; it’s a showcase of sharp rhymes, clever wordplay, and raw energy, where artists try to outdo each other with every bar. One of the most legendary moments in WHPK history happened in 1996, when the station hosted a freestyle battle between two then-rising talents: Common and Kanye West.
Common (left) and Kanye West (right) (https://news.uchicago.edu/story/whpk-hosted-commonkanye-faceoff-they-were-stars)
For over 11 minutes, the two traded bar after bar—dissing, improvising, and pushing each other lyrically in a way only live freestyles can, unfiltered and completely in the moment. Battles like this weren’t just hype—they were proving grounds. They gave artists a space to sharpen their skills and build reputations, and they’re a big reason why WHPK became such a vital part of Chicago’s hip-hop legacy.
So it was my absolute pleasure to be part of recovering a relic of WHPK’s history.
Artistic (left) and Taigo Onez (right) carrying WHPK’s 20-track radio mixer
The Pacific Recorders 20-Track Radio Mixer that was donated to the museum was manufactured in 1991 and remained in the station until we picked it up in May 2025. Sometimes called a ‘board,’ ‘desk’ or a ‘mixer’, the console is the beating heart of any studio, and often the centerpiece. All the sounds from every broadcast passed through it, and so it’s hard to think of anything cooler to have on display in the museum, given how many important shows were broadcast from WHPK in the 1990s and 2000s and how the station was one of the most important for Chicago hip-hop artists. At first glance, the vintage board was not as visually impressive to me in comparison to modern digital consoles with a fancy touchscreen, USB ports, and a mouse. But the more I learned about it, the more I appreciated the hands-on tactile control over sound that an old console gives the DJ. So while it might not look like much today, this mixer was the vessel for the voices and beats that would go on to shape the culture of hip-hop in Chicago.
If you’re as fascinated by stories like WHPK’s impact on hip-hop as I am or want to see iconic equipment up close, I highly recommend checking out the Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Museum. It’s more than just artifacts; it’s a space that brings the culture, the community, and the origin stories to life. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just starting to explore, there’s something powerful about seeing where it all started.
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