Listening to beat culture
Beats, rhymes, city
Rap, instrumental hip-hop and related rhythms: radio to explore the delivery, the beat and the character of a scene.
181.FM The BeatChoose your station
From familiar rhymes to instrumental grooves: choose a station with a sound that suits you.
Open catalogueStations: 6
181.FM The Beat
Rap and R&B in one broadcast: beats, rhythmic delivery and melodic vocals.
181.FM The Box
An American urban station with rap, bass-driven rhythms and vocal tracks.
181.FM Old School HipHop/RnB
Classic hip-hop and R&B: recognisable samples and grooves from earlier decades.
181.FM Party 181
A dance-oriented urban selection for listeners who enjoy upbeat rhythms and familiar choruses.
181.FM Jammin 181
Rhythmic classics at the intersection of urban music, funk and R&B.
181.FM True R&B
Vocal R&B and soul: a softer side of music closely connected with hip-hop.
No stations match this filter.
From break to beat
Why a short rhythmic passage can become the centre of an entire musical story.
Read articleRead and listen
Breaks, flow, production choices and ways to hear a familiar track afresh.
The rhythm of speech
VoicePauses, accents and phrase length as an MC's musical tools.
Read articleThe producer at the controls
ArrangementHow drums, bass and open space support the voice.
Read articleLocal scenes beyond stereotypes
DiscoveriesExplore another city's music through artists, radio programmes and collaborations.
Read articleFlow
Flow brings together radio and reading about music in which the rhythm of speech matters as much as the drum pattern.