On The Radar became the go-to platform in 2022 for up-and-coming rappers to show and prove. At first, many of the mainstays of New York’s drill scene began appearing on the platform. Not only dropping bars but also, providing some of their most compelling interviews. However, what was initially limited to regional acts during the pandemic quickly spread into a worldwide affair.
Gabe P is the mastermind behind On The Radar, who launched the platform in 2022. Since then, the platform’s helped break plenty of artists, like Ice Spice. At the same time, they garnered the attention of the biggest acts in the genre, like Drake and Nicki Minaj. This year, On The Radar leveled up with the number of freestyles and interviews, many of which have gone viral. DThang’s freestyle helped attract new eyes in late 2021 but the momentum continued to build throughout 2022.
“Expansion is key,” Gabe told HotNewHipHop during a November Zoom call. “We’ve been blessed this year to really host people from all over. We’ve had Skillibeng on the show. We did GloRilla’s first interview in New York City, her very first interview in New York City.”
Artists like GloRilla, Ice Spice, and Skillibeng are a few who graced the OTR microphone before their mainstream success. However, it was largely a stepping stone for what’s in stores in 2023. Gabe has plans to take it global – not just bringing the world to New York City, but bringing On The Radar on the road with him.
“Next year, we’re going to take the show on tour. Right now, we’re aiming to hit I think 4 or 5 cities,” he revealed. “Memphis, Miami, Atlanta, and L.A., I think are our first couple of stops. So obviously, we’re always going to be near our base, we’re always going to do what we got to do for the city, but On The Radar is so much bigger than that. It’s an expanding ever-expanding music platform and you know, we’re going to be the biggest music platform in the world.”
From Ron Suno’s shirtless freestyle to Bizzy Banks’ first day-out freestyle, On The Radar produced some incredible moments. So, it was only right that we caught up with Gabe P for 12 Days Of Christmas to rank his favorite OTR freestyles of 2022 and share the stories behind them.
Check out our interview with Lola Brooke for 12 Days Of Christmas here.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.