Background and career
Ibrahim Jamil "Ebro" Darden (born March 17, 1975) is a former American radio personality, broadcaster, and DJ at WQHT (Hot 97 in New York City) . Until 2014, he was Vice President of Programming for Emmis Communications' New York contemporary urban station WQHT (Hot 97). He was a co-host of the Hot 97 morning show Ebro in the Morning, alongside Peter Rosenberg and Laura Stylez until announcing the show's cancelation on December 12, 2025. As of 2015, Darden also hosts a hip hop music-based radio show on Apple Music 1.
Darden was born to a Black father and a Jewish mother. He attended a Pentecostal church and Hebrew school while growing up in Oakland and Sacramento.
Darden began his career in radio in 1990 at KSFM in Sacramento, California, while he was still a teenager. At KSFM he worked in research and as a sales runner until moving into programming as an intern, and later co-hosting for KSFM's night and morning shows. In 1997, he worked at KBMB in Sacramento as programming and music director, as well as an afternoon host. Eventually, Darden became operations manager at KBMB, while also co-hosting mornings at KXJM in Portland, Oregon, in 1999.
In 2003, Darden became music director for WQHT, ultimately becoming the program director for the station in 2007. Darden worked alongside several past WQHT Hot 97 morning show co-hosts including Star and Buckwild, Miss Jones, DJ Envy, Sway, and Joe Budden from 2004 to 2007, and introduced Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg to the AM drive in 2009. He rejoined the Hot 97 Morning Show in 2012, alongside Cipha Sounds, Peter Rosenberg, and Laura Stylez. As programming director and on-air host, Darden was the main voice of several events at Hot 97 including Nicki Minaj's relationship with the station, and her alleged sexual relationship with the host; Hurricane Sandy; and Mister Cee's personal life. In 2014, VH1 announced a new unscripted comedy series, This Is Hot 97, which featured Darden and fellow hosts including Angie Martinez, Funkmaster Flex, Peter Rosenberg, Cipha Sounds, Miss Info, and Laura Stylez. Darden's tenure at Hot 97 ended with the cancellation of Ebro in the Morning on December 12, 2025. Darden attributed the cancellation to his outspoken political views and the need for MediaCo, the parent company of WQHT, to appease advertisers, among other factors.
In September 2020, Ebro in the Morning with Laura Stylez and Rosenberg launched via Superadio Networks. Inside Radio
Darden is now one of three anchor DJs on Apple Music 1 an internet radio service from Apple Music. He is also the Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B for Apple Music.
