Caribbean music has secured a significant new foothold on mainstream radio in the US with the launch of Roadblock Radio’s Island Mix on WXBK 94.7 FM The Block in the New York Tri-State area and WPOW Power 96.5 FM in South Florida.
“Every Sunday from 7 p.m. to midnight, Roadblock Radio Island Mix delivers five hours of reggae, dancehall, Soca, konpa, Afrobeats and Caribbean classics, giving the music and culture dedicated exposure across two major US markets in New York and Florida and on stations in Washington, D.C, Virginia and Maryland on our HD platform,” Roadblock Radio CEO Kacy Rankine told Caribbean Life on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Miguel “Mijo” Irizarry, brand manager and PM Drive at Power 96 Miami, said Caribbean music is already embedded in South Florida’s musical identity.
“Our throwback shift highlights the ’90s and ’00s tracks that defined South Florida,” he said. “Classic dancehall, reggae and Soca were a part of that era. The Island Mix brings those authentic roots back to our dial, making Sunday nights a natural extension of our throwback sound.”
“South Florida is home to a large Caribbean community,” he added. “Partnering with Kacy Rankine brings authentic island culture to Power 96, bridging mainstream radio with deep community roots.”
According to Jamaican-born, New York-based entertainment publicist Anthony “ER Guru” Turner, that bridge was on full display when Grammy-winning Jamaican superstar Shaggy joined DJ Mr Famous on Roadblock Island Mix for an interview that quickly generated attention across social media.
Asked about dancehall’s seemingly endless debate over who deserves the crown, Shaggy rejected the idea that the genre can have only one king.
“There’s no one king for a genre,” he declared. “Beenie Man is a king. Kartel is a king. Shabba is a king,” said Shaggy, then added: “I’m a king.”
But beyond the viral soundbite, Shaggy’s reflections underscored why having Jamaican music represented on mainstream American radio matters.
“When I started, there was no radio station that played dancehall or reggae,” he told Mr. Famous. “There’s no reggae budget. I realized that I was in the underground, so I had to work 10 times harder with 10 times less budget, 10 times less sleep, and make my records 10 times better. That’s just to have a level playing field.”
Shaggy also cautioned younger dancehall fans against judging the genre’s history solely through today’s social-media lens.
“Not because it wasn’t on Instagram didn’t mean it didn’t happen,” he said. “There’s a lot of grounds that was made before you were where you’re at.”
For Mr. Famous, Island Mix is as much about preserving that history and cultural connection as it is about playing records.
“Dancehall, reggae, and Soca are connected to memories, family, home, and culture,” he said. “Whether someone is listening in South Florida, New York, Jamaica, or somewhere else, I want them to feel that connection when they tune in.”
New York Roadblock Island Mix other host DJ Norie said the show’s appeal is its ability to bring the Caribbean together across cultures and generations.
“The Island Mix brings different Caribbean cultures and generations together on a Sunday,” he said.
Rankine said: “For Roadblock Radio, landing Island Mix on mainstream FM stations in two of America’s most important Caribbean markets represents more than additional airtime; It gives Jamaican and Caribbean music a regular five-hour home on major US radio.”