The History of Generation Rap
Generation Rap (G-Rap) has been giving Kansas City teens a voice for nearly four decades.
Created and founded in 1987 by Prim Carter Williams, former General Manager of Carter Broadcast Group; legendary KPRS/KPRT radio personality Freddie Bell; and longtime Kansas City educator and community activist Carl Boyd, Generation Rap was one of the first teen talk shows to air on a commercial radio station in the United States.
From its beginning, Generation Rap was designed to be more than a radio program. It created a platform where young people could openly discuss the issues affecting their lives, develop their communication and leadership skills, and learn how to navigate education, careers, community involvement, and adulthood.
Throughout its history, Generation Rap has been strengthened by dedicated adult mentors who have helped guide and develop generations of young people. Mentors have included Jim “Grand Dad” Nunnelly, Shawn Edwards, Dyan Devereaux, Robyn Knight, India Williams, and Tanisha “Lady T” Tyner, along with other professionals and community leaders who have shared their knowledge and experience with G-Rap students.
One of the show’s most memorable and enduring features is “Grand Dad’s Word of the Day,” featuring Jim “Grand Dad” Nunnelly. The segment introduces students and listeners to a word, its definition, and how it is properly used in a sentence—reinforcing Generation Rap’s longstanding commitment to education, literacy, and personal development.
Over the years, Generation Rap has helped develop generations of young people who have gone on to become community and civic leaders, broadcasters and media personalities, doctors and healthcare practitioners, attorneys and legal advocates, business executives, entrepreneurs, educators, college graduates, and accomplished leaders across a wide range of industries.
Generations of students have passed through the microphones of Generation Rap, but its mission has remained constant: give young people a voice, surround them with mentors, challenge them to think critically, and prepare them to become tomorrow’s leaders.
Today, Generation Rap continues that legacy on Hot 103 Jamz, connecting a new generation of young voices with their parents, community, and the issues shaping their future.