NEW YORK, New York — HOT 97 morning personalities The Kid Mero and Kazeem “Kaz” Famuyide publicly criticized station leadership during an October 14 livestream, according to Barrett Media’s October 16 report.
Barrett reported that Mero questioned executives’ contributions and encouraged creators to maintain independent options. Kaz described deep frustration with the workplace while expressing affection for the station. “We love Hot 97 and it sucks what it’s become,” Kaz said, according to Barrett.
The trade publication reported that the October 14 stream was no longer available on HOT 97’s YouTube channel, although recordings had circulated elsewhere. It also reported that owner MediaCo had not publicly addressed the remarks at the time of its coverage.
A morning show launched in January
HOT 97 announced Mornings with Mero on January 12, with a January 13 premiere and a weekday 6–10 a.m. schedule. The station presented the Bronx-raised host as a voice closely connected to New York’s culture. Its talent page continues to identify Mero as a morning host.
What RNN has—and has not—verified
This brief reports the publicly documented dispute, not a finding against management. RNN could not independently review the complete original livestream. Claims involving compensation, additional staff departures and competitive ratings have not been independently established for this report and are excluded.
TMZ also covered the hosts’ criticism on October 17. RNN has not independently obtained a response from MediaCo.