Today, there is a Spotify playlist for any genre, mood, or activity you could ever think of. But, in the not-so-distant past, you’d have to tune your AM or FM radio until you found a sound you liked. 

If you wanted to hear soul music in Seattle circa 1970, there was one local station that would never disappoint. It was called KYAC, and it was a true rarity at the time. The station was Black owned and operated from 1965 to 1981.

The small station has an outsized legacy in both our city and the country at large. It was the first station in Seattle to play a rap song — the iconic “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang. 

In fact, it was so beloved that when the station was eventually sold, listeners held a funeral for it. For Black History Month, producer Lauren Williams went back in time to 1970s Seattle to ask folks about what it was like to work at and listen to KYAC during its heyday. 

Guests:

• Vivian Phillips, founder of Arte Noir and former KYAC DJ
• Sheila Locke, event DJ and former KYAC DJ
• Jas Keimig, Seattle-based arts reporter. 

Related Links:

• How Seattle rap crashed the mainstream by swimming against the current — NPR
• For three decades, this Seattle DJ electrified the airwaves, paving the way for future Black radio personalities. — Black Arts Legacies
• Black History of the Northwest — KUOW

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Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.