Canada
Head to head with the management and Asma: what ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop revealed to us
We're talking about allies moving in the same direction, with the same desire: to make Hip-Hop culture shine.
We met with the ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop team for an open conversation about their vision and their intentions. Some of our questions touched on sensitive topics.
During this meeting, we spoke with Geneviève Levasseur (First Director, ICI MUSIQUE), Yolaine Maudet (Head of Content, ICI MUSIQUE), and external collaborator Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo, better known as Asma, a respected specialist and a key figure in the Canadian music landscape. His expertise played a concrete role in making the following discussion possible.
«Yes, the word history has been overused during the 50 years of Hip-Hop, but here it finds its true weight.»
When a public broadcaster like Radio-Canada decides to launch a station fully dedicated to Hip-Hop, it marks a real shift for the entire movement. And it’s energizing to see other platforms helping expand the space given to a culture we’ve been supporting since day one.
At Magazine Hip-Hop, competition isn’t the point. We’re talking about allies moving in the same direction with the same goal: pushing Hip-Hop culture forward in all its forms. In that spirit, we’re offering this segment to highlight a few key elements that might have slipped under your radar and to give a clearer view of the real impact behind this project.
What follows is the interview, designed to help you understand the foundations, the objectives, and the real scope of ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop.
Exclusive interview with ICI MUSIQUE management and Asma
Magazine Hip-Hop: What motivated ICI MUSIQUE to program an exclusively rap radio station?
Ms. Geneviève Levasseur - First Director, ICI MUSIQUE :
We wanted to create a space that would finally meet the demand. We asked ourselves, as a public service, if a Hip-Hop station had its place, and the answer was yes. We went to see what was being done elsewhere, notably in Sweden with P3 Din Gata, a station that has become a model for the way it serves its Hip-Hop community on a national level. We knew it was possible to integrate rap, we just had to do it in a way that respected the process.
Magazine Hip-Hop: Asma, I saw you nodding in response. What does it mean to you to hear the First Director of ICI MUSIQUE express herself in this way?
Asma - External collaborator :
The word that comes to mind is genuine. Hip-Hop is a milieu where if you're not real, you're not listened to. The fact that the station has given space to the culture, that it has chosen the right people to represent it, changes everything. Listeners feel it: they recognize the sound, the intention and the way things are presented.
«It's not “we had to do it”, it's “we meant well”.»
Magazine Hip-Hop: Ms. Maudet, as content manager, how did you approach the rap section?
Ms. Yolaine Maudet - Content Manager, ICI MUSIQUE :
It's different and a real challenge. For Hip-Hop, our first challenge was to improve the music library. It wasn't yet up to the level it should be. We had to work with our internal and external collaborators, including Asma, to build something solid, and we continue to expand it.
Magazine Hip-Hop: What is ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop's editorial mission?
Asma – External collaborator:
It’s simple: to introduce and expose. I want listeners to land on both fresh releases and key classics. Hip-Hop has a long history, and a lot of young people don’t know what came before. Bringing in the legends from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, revisiting certain eras, showing the links between rap and jazz, for example… that’s part of the mission.
And yes, the golden age of Quebec rap had its heyday too. Today's artists like Mike Shabb continue to draw on these influences, even if many don't know enough about the old catalog. Just as the veterans don't know the new ones.
Hip-Hop is intergenerational, it’s universal. I hear people telling me they’re cooking dinner while discovering new rap. Friends who never listened to it before are switching stations just to catch a show that didn’t exist anywhere on the national network. That’s the strength of this format.
Magazine Hip-Hop: In terms of content, what can listeners expect?
Unanimous response from the three:
Complete diversity, novelty, discoverability, and above all authenticity, supported by concrete actions and a genuine desire to promote Hip-Hop culture.
Magazine Hip-Hop, for our readers : We're talking about a state-owned company, an institution. To my knowledge, no journalist has yet made the connection with the institutional dimension of this gesture.
Yet what's happening right now represents the first step towards something huge:
''The institutionalization of Hip-Hop in Canada''.
Yes, it’s the beginning, but understand well the scope of what has just been achieved.
Canada has just opened a door that could allow it to catch up and even overtake several countries that were ahead of us in terms of urban discoverability.
Magazine Hip-Hop: Ms. Maudet, how did you structure the team to reflect the entire milieu?
Ms. Yolaine Maudet - Content Manager, ICI MUSIQUE :
The first thing we did was surround ourselves with experts and people really involved in the field. We didn’t want to do this alone in our corner. We met with industry players to ensure that the internal evaluation represented Hip-Hop culture. Without it, it was doomed to failure.
Magazine Hip-Hop : How do you see the future of ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop?
Ms. Geneviève Levasseur - First Director, ICI MUSIQUE :
We are open to everyone. To lay a solid foundation from the start, we chose people from the field so that they could take ownership of the resort and create a true sense of belonging. It allows a bond of trust, but also a constant expansion of the music library and content. This is just the beginning. We will adapt to reality and continue to evolve with the entire community, we do it for all of you.
Magazine Hip-Hop: Who will host the shows? Has this already been decided?
Geneviève Levasseur – First Director, ICI MUSIQUE:
We want people from the scene to take the lead. When we bring them in, they host their show, experience the process, and see firsthand that this station is a real open platform for everyone, not a closed circle. As for editorial decisions, they will always be made based on the projects submitted and on what aligns with the mission of ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop.
Magazine Hip-Hop: How do artists get in touch with you?
Ms. Geneviève Levasseur - First Director, ICI MUSIQUE :
It's a lot more accessible than people think. We have a passionate team. We invite everyone: write to us, contact us, send us your songs. Every project is sent to the right place, analyzed by humans, not AI. Yes, we receive a lot, so delays can be long, but everything is listened to.
To transmit your projects directly to all ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop, here is the official address of the station:
hiphop@radio-canada.ca (courtesy of management)
The rest of the article follows this public notice.
Public notice of Magazine Hip-Hop
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Now back to our interview...
Magazine Hip-Hop: Ms. Maudet, what concrete steps are you taking to ensure transparency within the ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop team?
Ms. Yolaine Maudet - Content Manager, ICI MUSIQUE :
Every week, we hold a team meeting to analyze what we receive. This gives us a complete picture: rotation, content, the place to be given to artists. Our objective is clear: to offer a real showcase and reinforce discoverability.
Magazine Hip-Hop: Hip-Hop culture is often suspicious of the mainstream. Asma, your neutral stance is recognized throughout Quebec. Has your presence helped bring the culture's artisans together?
Asma - External collaborator :
Yes, that's exactly what we're aiming for. As I often say, it won't be easy to satisfy everyone, but we want to send out the right message. I'm between two generations: the one before and the one now. This allows me to understand the artists, to see where each one stands and how to represent them.
I approach this with humility and stay neutral. That’s why people trust me. And the strength of ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop is that they have the infrastructure, the openness, and the real willingness to support the culture. That changes everything.
Magazine Hip-Hop: How long did it take to set up ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop?
Ms. Yolaine Maudet - Content Manager, ICI MUSIQUE :
The sprint really began this summer. The idea had been circulating in the team for a long time, but it was when the green light came that everything clicked into place naturally. There was already a lot of thought behind the project, and once it was launched, things fell into place organically.
Magazine Hip-Hop: You're keen to collaborate with the community. How will you expand these collaborations?
Ms. Geneviève Levasseur - First Director, ICI MUSIQUE :
It's in our DNA. The current team is very open. This is just the beginning. We want to work with everyone, be attentive to requests, adjust, refine. We're still breaking in, but the vision is there.
The ins and outs of this summit meeting
What emerges from this meeting is a real, concrete and committed commitment: finally give Hip-Hop a central place in the public media.
A key passage in Mrs Levasseur sums up the spirit of the moment:
«We have the infrastructure, the balance and the will to use this strength to serve artists and audiences alike. The radio format also allows us to go out into the field, to create events, to bring culture to life.»
It's a historic moment for Hip-Hop culture.
And for the first time, there's no ambiguity: the platform is there, the space is open, the door is wide open.
In the coming weeks, Magazine Hip-Hop will launch a permanent weekly coverage to keep you updated on everything happening at ICI Musique hip-hop, as well as the releases and discoveries brought forward by the creators and contributors shaping the culture on air.
Magazine Hip-Hop will be following developments very closely, because this time the change is concrete.
We will remain in contact with the management team and will keep you informed about future developments related to ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop. This allows you, dear readers, to get information straight from the source instead of relying on interpretations or catchy headlines like we see elsewhere. That’s also what makes Magazine Hip-Hop a respected media outlet.
And you'll see it in the actions taken by ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop, the change is there.
This trio laid the foundation. The work is officially underway!
It’s now that everything is decided. Share, listen, circulate. If you want this showcase to exist for good, now is the time to bring it to life. Be proud of your national Hip-Hop radio: you finally have one.
Bravo to all the artisans who have not been named in this article. Your time, work and expertise played an essential role in the success of the launch and in opening a new era for Hip-Hop culture.
As for ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop, we'll be keeping a close eye on things to bring you, our readers, the best possible coverage in 2026.
To be continued…
Click here to listen ICI MUSIQUE hip-hop!
You wish to see French-speaking rap and pop recognized at GRAMMY Awards ?
Do as Steve Jolin by Disques 7e Ciel, David Dubé by Kartel Musik, Carlos Munoz by Joy Ride Records, Marc-André Fréchette (Ruffneck) from Les Disques BBT, Mitsou, Barnev (backing singer of Céline Dion), Marc-André Niang by Warner Music Africa/France and Dudu Sarr, manager of the renowned Youssou N'Dour nominated for GRAMMY Awards : give your support to the official proposal of Franco Votes for the creation of a new category French music.
The proposed categories are :
• Best French Rap Album of the Year
• Best Francophone pop album of the year
• Best Francophone album of the year
This proposal follows the same logic as the creation of the Latin Music Awards. To support the initiative, sign directly on the official Franco Votes website: BY CLICKING HERE!
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