100 Best Albums Radio

YES LAWD! Welcome to Anderson .Paak’s house. Join the Grammy-winning triple threat for live jam sessions, beat battles, legendary cyphers, culture talks, and curated funk.

A defining character of New York’s music scene and a trusted voice in hip-hop, Apple Music 1 host Ebro Darden brings the city's urgent mix of music and culture to the world. “When I hear something with real heart and energy,” he says, “I want everyone to hear it.” Ebro splits his time at Apple Music as host of his namesake show and Rap Life Radio and global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B, genres in which Apple Music has proved dominant. A longtime fixture in New York radio, he brings a five-boroughs outlook to Apple Music 1’s global audience, but in a way that incorporates both music from all over the African diaspora and Black culture’s worldwide impact. Shot in Apple Music’s studio near Manhattan’s Union Square, The Ebro Show “has a New York City lens, but because New York City is an international city, we embrace a lot of different cultures,” Ebro—who grew up in the Bay Area but has called New York home for decades—explains. “We lean heavily on rap, but hip-hop is a very international music, so through there comes what's going on in Africa, what's going on in the UK, what's going on in Latin America, what's going on in Australia, what's going on in Asia. I don't know of any show that plays as much Caribbean music as we play.” But the show doesn’t only touch on music. “I don’t shy away from talking about social issues as it pertains to the community, specifically Black and brown people,” Ebro adds. “I try to find records that speak to that, music that speaks to that.” Tune in to hear Ebro on The Ebro Show every Monday through Thursday at 12 pm LA/3 pm NY/8 pm LDN and on Rap Life Radio every Friday at 10 am LA/1 pm NY/6 pm LDN.

You might know her for her hit single “American Boy”, but Estelle—a Grammy-winning singer and accomplished actor—is an international woman. She’s one of nine siblings born in London to Grenadian and Senegalese parents, was raised musically on US gospel and hip-hop, moved to Los Angeles (for “career and peace”, she says) and has long collaborated with American peers like John Legend, Rick Ross, Kanye West and many more. On Apple Music Hits’ The Estelle Show, the singer shows off tastes that range from legends like Bob Marley, Prince and Madonna to 21st-century ground-shakers like Wizkid and Lil Wayne. But they’ve all got one thing in common: They’ve made what she considers to be some of the best music of the past few decades. "With my show," she says, "you get to go into my mind, influences and loves across the board as a kid from London to an adult now living in LA.” Listen to The Estelle Show every Monday through Friday, only on Apple Music Hits.

New forms of African popular music fuse traditional and contemporary sensibilities, morphing into new sonic fusions that connect Joburg to Nairobi via Lagos and Accra—and reflect the global diaspora. On Africa Now Radio, South African actor, singer, media personality, and entrepreneur Nandi Madida presents the latest African sounds in their lush entirety, be it amapiano, Afrobeats, highlife, alté, house, hip-hop, Afrobongo, or kuduro—along with interviews with the continent’s biggest stars and most exciting emerging acts. Kicking off her television career at just 15 years old, Nandi Madida has hosted some of South Africa’s most popular lifestyle shows, including All Access Mzansi and Coke Studio, and hosted and executive-produced BET Africa’s Made in Africa. Nandi starred in The Road, which won the South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) for Best TV Soap in 2017, and 2020’s Black Is King, the Disney+ visual album and film experience written and directed by Beyoncé. “From the day I was born, I loved entertaining people, I loved the arts,” Nandi tells Apple Music 1. “I think because I got to choose my trajectory—my life, my goals, my plans, where I'm going—that's why I believe I still love it. There's a purpose, rather than the rewards that come with it. I absolutely love entertainment and I've never stopped since.” Through her own music, including her 2012 debut album NANDI and singles like 2020’s “Organic,” Nandi celebrates the natural beauty of African people, while her journey as a fashion entrepreneur led her to co-found the label Colour alongside Project Runway South Africa winner Kentse Masilo; together they’ve showcased vibrant, regal collections at New York Fashion Week. In addition to her creative projects, Nandi currently serves as a Global Citizen advocate and helps to promote gender equality and sexual and reproductive health rights. Inspired by her desire to share the beauty of the continent and its people around the world, Nandi sees herself as a true ambassador for African creativity. “I have never been this riveted by the African music scene,” she explains. “What we've been trying to do for so many years is finally happening. Africans are getting the recognition, but from an equal level, where we are not being compromised; we are not being undermined in any way. We’re being appreciated but also respected—and so many people fought for that. I think that's paramount, that people understand that we are so capable, with or without any assistance. We really are. And I think people are seeing that. I think our leaders [need] to understand that as well. Our artists are showing us that whether or not we have the support, we're doing it ourselves.” “I’m big on uniting African people across the continent and across the diaspora,” Nandi continues. “I hope to lift the voices of our African artists even higher, to really be a representative of how incredible this continent is and has been.” Tune in to a new episode of Africa Now Radio every Friday at 1 am LA, 4 am NY, 9 am Lagos/London, and 10 am Johannesburg/Paris on Apple Music 1.

Since 2011, Soulection has been a global creative hub for innovative musicians, crate-digging DJs, and open-minded fans. What began as an independent radio show has blossomed into a worldwide community united in a borderless, genre-bending musical movement. It’s a testament to Soulection staying true to its roots in the age of digital music, from putting out independent releases with producers such as Ta-ku, Sango, Dpat, and Atu to being the first collective invited to play Coachella. Today, Soulection exists as an Apple Music show, an independent music label, a festival (Soulection Experience), and a world-touring concert and clothing line. Soulection Radio is now airing on Apple Music 1 Sundays 9 am LA | 12 pm NY | 5 pm LDN | #SoulectionSundays

Dolly Parton isn’t just a singer, she’s a symbol—for strength, for creative independence, for success in a world traditionally dominated by men. In a career that has spanned more than half a century, she’s played many roles besides being a pioneering singer-songwriter: fashionista, businesswoman, philanthropist. As she prepares for her latest evolution with the release of her first rock album, “Rockstar”, Dolly and co-host Kelleigh Bannen talk through the phases of her life and career in What Would Dolly Do? Radio. Tune in weekly leading up to the release of “Rockstar” as Dolly shares her stories, wit, and wisdom.