AZIM THE ARHITECT

Kool DJ Red Alert is retiring from radio this month and will air his final broadcast on New York City's 107.5 WBLS on Nov. 30. 🎙️ 📅 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the Harlem-bred hip-hop pioneer's DJ career and 70th birthday, which he'll turn shortly before he bids farewell to radio later this month. "50 years behind the turntables, decades on the airwaves and 70 years of a lifetime, all by God's grace," he said in an Instagram video on Nov. 2. "Thank you for being part of my journey, the love, the memory, the music and the connection we all had shared and will always hold a special place in my heart." A tribute event honoring Red Alert will take place on Nov. 24 at Sony Hall in New York City. Although he's retiring from radio, Red Alert will continue DJing at special events and community celebrations. From his role as a DJ in hip-hop's earliest feud of The Roxanne Wars and The Bridge Wars, to rising to national fame on air at KISS-FM with The Five O'Clock Free Ride and breaking music from rappers like A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah and more, Kool DJ Red Alert was instrumental in bringing hip-hop's early sounds to the world.