Angela Yee is one of the most respected radio personalities in the Urban Format. She’s made a name for herself on her show “Lip Service” and during her tenure with “The Breakfast Club” on Power 105.1 in New York. Today, she’s one of the most syndicated hosts in the format with her own show, “Way Up With Angela Yee.” Although things are great, it wasn’t an easy journey to reach this point.
Yee is celebrating her 20th year in the radio business, making it known that she still has more she wants to accomplish. She started in the industry 20 years ago as an assistant, then moved to marketing for Detroit rapper Eminem’s clothing line Shady Limited before finally getting her shot on the air.
“After I left the marketing job, I took a break from working to reassess myself. That was when I saw an opening for a Marketing role at SiriusXM. I got into radio through Eminem and his manager, Paul Rosenberg. They were launching their “Shade 45” station at SiriusXM and gave me an audition for the morning show,” says Yee.
Yee went through hell and high water to get to where she is today. She had a nice run with “The Morning After” on SiriusXM, and that’s also where her show “Lip Service” was created. Not only as a woman in the hip-hop space but also experiencing tons of blatant disrespect during her journey. One of her main goals is to create opportunities for women. Her personal journey is allowing her to make the path easier for others.
“One of my main goals is to give other people an opportunity. The legacy you want to leave behind is who you have come after you. A lot of people look at it as competitive. It’s hard not to hold grudges. People are always talking behind your back in this industry. It can be very cutthroat,” explains Yee.
Yee even recalled times when she would struggle to gain acknowledgment from other individuals in the industry.
“I feel like people can be really disrespectful to women in the workplace'” she continued. “A lot of times, you don’t have a lot of allies that will have your back as a woman. There have been times in interviews on the radio when the guests wouldn’t even look at me. They kind of ignore you or have their back to you. Guys will come into the room and say hello to everyone but you.”
When she was at SiriusXM, Power 105 approached her about the possibility of working weekends as a sub. Once she told SiriusXM about it, they told her that she couldn’t do it, even though other hosts were doing the exact same thing.
“I had to tell Power that SiriusXM told me I couldn’t do it. But I let them know that if there was a full-time opportunity, I was interested. You still have to put yourself out there. It’s hard because you don’t want your current job to find out you’re trying to leave, but at that point, I was ready for a full-time opportunity,” reflects Yee.
In any position in radio, you’ve got to bet on yourself and be vocal about your aspirations and goals. If you’re a producer and want to learn how to program a station, it’s important to speak up and say something. If you’re a weekend host looking for a M-F daypart, speak up and let it be known. Yee’s story and current success are a prime example of betting on yourself and coming out on top.
Today, Angela has one of the most popular midday shows in the urban format, and it’s all hers. Most people may know her for her time on “The Breakfast Club with DJ Envy and Charlamagne The God.” She has created her own lane and produced a lot of success.
In addition to radio, she has her own coffee business, Coffee Uplifts People. She also just got her liquor license, and has Private Label Extensions in Detroit, her real estate license, and a 30-unit Affordable Housing Apartment building, which is being built in Detroit too. Additionally, she’ll be appearing on October October 20th at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn for ‘New York City’s Wine & Food Festival’.
As she celebrates 20 years in the industry, Yee has made it known she has much more to accomplish and numerous endeavors she hopes to explore. She is a breath of fresh air in the Urban community and continues to withstand her wonderful platform.
Dedrick Hendrix is a music features writer for Barrett Media. Hendrix currently works for Federated Media in Fort Wayne, IN. His industry experience includes programming and hosting on Urban AC radio, and working in sports/talk as a sports producer/host. He has also covered music for Consequence of Sound, Glide Magazine, Billboard, and other outlets. You can follow him on X @DCHendrix, and on Instagram @officialdchendrix.
