Julian Green has been named Content Director for The Current’s Urban Alternative Project, a new initiative from Minnesota Public Radio’s The Current, KMOJ-FM, and The ICE.

Update: Learn more and listen here.

The Urban Alternative Project, funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, will focus on new, independent, and local hip-hop and R&B artists as part of an effort to attract a younger and more-diverse audience to public media.

Green will be responsible for the overall sound and vision of the initiative which will include programming and content production across both broadcast and online streams. In addition, he will work with the staff at both The Current and KMOJ to develop local engagement strategies including community partnerships, events, and collaborative content.

“Julian brings the right mix of talent, music knowledge, and energy needed to bring this new service to life,” said David Safar, managing director, The Current. “More importantly, Julian brings a lifelong passion for the music, making him uniquely suited for the Content Director role.”

Prior to joining The Current in June 2021, Green was Program Director at Radio K-KUOM, a student-run radio station at the University of Minnesota. While there, he created and launched The Vanguard, a hip-hop and R&B radio stream focused on supporting local artists and offering an alternative to mainstream radio. His goal in building The Vanguard was to preserve the history of the genre and teach listeners about its origin.

“The point of music as a whole is to connect people and the Urban Alternative Project is an amazing opportunity to use hip-hop and R&B to build and connect diverse communities,” explained Green. “I’m grateful to have this opportunity at The Current and excited to build this project from the ground up.”

In addition to curating streams and taking on his new role with the Urban Alternative Project, Green is also an accomplished club DJ in his spare time.

Green’s first day in this new role is Monday, December 6, and the Urban Alternative Project is expected to launch in Spring 2022. The Current plans to hire more talent to support this new initiative, including a host position that is currently open.