The Vanguard: Fostering a New Community for Hip-Hop in the Twin Cities

The Vanguard is the bridge between hip hop and college students

By: Nikhil Kumaran

Everyone in the Twin Cities who considers themselves a music fan has heard of Radio K. They’re known for their intimate live DJs and eclectic variety of on-air music. However, the FCC has strict control over what songs can and can’t go on air. So over the past year, the station has launched a new avenue into genres that often use more mature language. Enter “The Vanguard.”

The Vanguard, Radio K’s new 24-hour hip-hop stream, is promoting the genre all across the Twin Cities. The Vanguard covers it all from large names like Drake and Lil Baby to local artists such as Blu Bone and Riotgrrrl Darko. The coolest thing about the stream is that its team, like most of Radio K, is made up mostly of student volunteers who strive to bring attention to the Minneapolis music scene. Paul Schoening, a senior at the University, is the stream’s current program director and has been there since the beginning. “There’s an insane amount of talent here,” Schoening said. “We’re really focused on checking our surroundings in the local scene and asking how we can boost these artists.”

Through The Vanguard, Radio K is quickly becoming the bridge between Minneapolis’s hip-hop scene and the University of Minnesota. With their show “Local Vibes,” artists can perform their songs and sit down for an amazingly conducted interview which they post on Youtube. “It provides an opportunity for local artists to get their music across,” said John Kueppers, the host of Local Vibes. 

6rips, a local hip-hop artist in the Twin Cities, has a lot of good things to say about the Vanguard. “It has been constant love and appreciation,” the artist said. “The Vanguard gave me a step up to a different part of my career,” and he says he’s been seeing it for all the artists that have collaborated with the team.

If you want to hear more about The Vanguard, check out Radiok.org and click their big red label on the left-hand side of the website. There you’ll find more information about the stream and what they are up to.