Mero's off, so Mia Belle keeps the chair warm with special guest host Jim Jones for a Messy Monday. Kaz, Shani Kulture, producer J-Rod and Rainey on cameras are all in the building. The crew gets through the nor'easter, theories about the Brooklyn sewer climbers, and a Delta flight from Barcelona that filled with smoke. That sets up Jim's stories about getting kicked off a flight and flying with Big Pun before 9/11.

Jim looks back on the old label days as Eve talks about fighting for "Let Me Blow Your Mind." He calls the VMAs a commercial music show and explains why award shows have lost their spark. He weighs in on Ferg dropping "A$AP" from his name and how he still wears Diplomat proudly. He also tells how he passed on Rick Ross, Drake and J. Cole. It's all capped off with Instagram's new face-blur soft launch, a DJ Cocaine call-in, Hip Hop Jeopardy for Schoolboy Q tickets, and the "Let's Rap About It" 50th-episode gala on October 10 at American Dream.

Catch Mornings with Mero on HOT 97, Weekdays from 6am-10am

<p>Catch Mornings with Mero on HOT 97, Weekdays from 6am-10am</p>

HOT 97 Mornings with Mero

HOT 97 Mornings with Mero is a weekday morning radio show on New York's Hot 97 (6 a.m. to 10 a.m. EST), hosted by The Kid Mero (Joel Martinez) starting January 2026. The show features Mero's signature Bronx energy, comedic commentary, current events with a focus on New York City and hip-hop culture.  

<p><a href="https://hot97.com" data-ved="2ahUKEwi00rqp6cKSAxWJFFkFHQ8FKYoQgK4QegQIARAB" data-hveid="CAEQAQ" data-processed="true">HOT 97 Mornings with Mero</a>&nbsp;is a weekday morning radio show on New York's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rap-up.com/article/the-kid-mero-new-hot-97-morning-show-host" data-processed="true">Hot 97</a> (6 a.m. to 10 a.m. EST), hosted by The Kid Mero (Joel Martinez) starting January 2026. The show features Mero's signature Bronx energy, comedic commentary, current events with a focus on New York City and hip-hop culture.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

 Jim Jones REACTS Why Are Rap Crews Falling Apart? Ferg, Rocky & More | 9-28-26

It's Power to the People Thursday on Mornings with Mero. The Kid Mero, Mia Belle, Kaz, Shani Kulture and DJ Kast One start with a City Council bill to add speed bumps, medians and barriers in residential neighborhoods. Then they get into Issa Rae's viral Variety Power of Women speech about rich white men running Hollywood, which lands right before the Paramount and Warner Bros. merger. City Council members are also pressing Mayor Mamdani over his work with influencers and his use of Signal. Mero weighs traditional journalism against the new guard and tells the story of J. Cole asking if he was a blogger or a writer.

Kirk Franklin previews his new album, I Am What I Am, with a GloRilla track that samples Shawty Lo's "They Know." Callers celebrate birthdays, businesses and wins, including Soul Santa Solomon. On the Mind of Mero, Mero warns that online privacy is disappearing. Hip Hop Jeopardy gives away Usher and Chris Brown tickets. Lyricist Lounge founders Anthony Marshall and Danny Castro celebrate 35 years, talk about cultural wellness, and share news of an official Lyricist Lounge Day. The show closes with a freestyle from YOD ahead of his new album, Bread and Butter, out September 25.

Mornings With Mero | Issa Rae Calls Out Hollywood, Mamdani's Influencer Heat and Kirk Franklin Samples GloRilla, Plus Lyricist Lounge Turns 35 | 9-24-26

It's One Pot Wednesday on Mornings with Mero. The Kid Mero, Mia Belle, Kaz, Shani Kulture and DJ Kast One start with New York dropping the Regents exam. Mero says the Regents saved him, and he still remembers his 1420 SAT score. The crew talks about guns found in city high schools and the tragic deaths of two Rutgers grads at Spring Street. They also back Macklemore as Ed Sheeran's tour falls apart and break down Drake's FOMO short film. Then the Hot Topic sets off a Caribbean rice war, with Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad all calling in. A starving Mero asks Chelsea restaurants to feed the crew and tells his Ryan Garcia story. Hip Hop Jeopardy gives away Bryson Tiller tickets, and Calixto Chinchilla stops by to celebrate 26 years of the New York Latino Film Festival.

Mero Reacts to NYC Dropping the Regents, Guns in Schools, Ed Sheeran's Tour Falling Apart and Drake's FOMO | 9-16-26

On this Friday edition of Mornings with Mero, Mero, Mia Belle, Kaz, Shani Kulture, and DJ Kast One get the Tri-State ready for the weekend with blunt workplace talk, major New York headlines, pop-culture news, and the return of the Friday “Fry Your Opps” Hot Topic.

The crew kicks off with a conversation about quitting jobs, two-week notices, workplace burnout, and knowing when it is time to walk away. Mero and Mia share their own resignation stories—from ghosting a job to Mero’s memorable exit from The Source—and debate whether employees really owe a workplace advance notice.

Mia Belle delivers updates on the United Nations General Assembly in New York, including Benjamin Netanyahu’s address, protests surrounding Israel’s war in Gaza, and the reaction to Zohran Mamdani’s criticism of Israel’s actions. They also discuss a potentially severe nor’easter expected to affect the Tri-State, with concern for high winds, flooding, and coastal communities.

In entertainment news, the team reacts to Tiffany Haddish opening up about cruel online comments, then discusses comedian Druski’s rise and how appearing in Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later” video helped turn free opportunities into paid business. The show also breaks down New York City’s plan to use $5 million in congestion-pricing revenue to help small businesses move deliveries to off-peak hours and ease daytime traffic.

Listeners join the Friday Hot Topic to “fry” whoever is getting on their nerves, including a caller who puts Mero on the Summer Jam screen over Hip Hop Jeopardy. Plus, the crew gives away Jo Koy tickets and keeps the jokes coming all morning.

Jim Jones REACTS Why Are Rap Crews Falling Apart? Ferg, Rocky & More | 9-28-26

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