Cathy Hughes Reps iONE On Variety's 50 Best Hip-Hop Execs List

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The life and career of Black radio pioneer Cathy Hughes is an inspiring story that’s applaud-worthy for both what she’s already accomplished and still continues to achieve — by the way, vote “yes” on ONE Casino this November!

That’s why it came as a surprise to no one here at Urban One when our beloved founder was included by Variety on the outlet’s recently-published “50 Greatest Hip-Hop Executives of All Time” list.

Arriving on the helms of hip-hop’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, the list sees Hughes sharing the ranks with equally-influential figures in rap culture, including music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, Motown records CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam, Epic Records Chairperson Sylvia Rhone and CEO of Sony Music Publishing Jon Platt to name a few.

See below to read what Variety had to say about our dear founder Cathy Hughes:

“She may not be a household name, but Hughes is a trailblazer for both female music executives and hip-hop culture. As the first female VP and general manager at WHUR in Washington, D.C., she pioneered the “Quiet Storm” format. She then founded Urban One (originally known as Radio One) in 1980, which became the largest Black-owned and -operated radio and television broadcast company in the U.S., and in 1999 was the first Black female to head a company listed on NASDAQ; by 2007, the company owned 70 stations in 22 markets. She has been listed as the second-richest Black woman in the United States — after Oprah Winfrey.”

In addition to paving a lane for Black music to prosper on the radio, Hughes also did her due diligence for hip-hop by launching TV One as a visual platform to showcase the culture via programming like Unsung and Urban Honors. We’re just glad to assist her in keeping the movement going another 50 years and counting.