For years, the JOMC department here at N.C. A&T has been news-oriented and didn’t have much of an entertainment platform for students to tune into. 

Three N.C. A&T students came up with the idea of  “106 & Aggies,” to give students a place to show off their arts and listen in on a relatable conversation about life issues young adults deal with on a daily basis.

This idea originated from the classic BET show 106 & Park, an American hip-hop and R&B music video show that ranked in the top 10 videos currently charting.

The show is broadcasted on Instagram live and consists of a 90-minute music countdown, live performances, giveaways, interviews, and soft news such as the importance of voting.

Jennifer Rice (@jennifer_rice) is a junior journalism student here at N.C. A&T and serves as the hostess of the show. As an aspiring host/ multimedia personality and reporter, this opportunity only adds to her impressive resume. 

“As a community, we should support platforms and arts or otherwise they die,” said Rice. “Greensboro is not a big city so creating this space for local viewers to tune into and hear great music and amazing dialogue is what separates 106 & Aggies from other shows because at the end of the day we want to relate to the people,”

Jakobi Johnson (@lostprxphet), junior mass communications student, serves as the DJ and host of 106 & Aggies. Aside from being a student at N.C. A&T, Jakobi is a music producer and radio personality for the campus radio station WNAA 90.1. 

The final host of the show is James Thomas III (@jaydamcee), a junior Information Technology student. He’s most known for hosting numerous events on campus and activist work in his home city Fayetteville, NC.

“I wanted the show to have substance,” Rice said. “Jakobi’s music background and James’ social media influence made them both wonderful candidates to help me create this and the chemistry is just phenomenal. It’s the perfect blend of music and news two things I enjoy.” 

The first episode aired last Friday, Oct. 23, and received a lot of positive feedback from viewers. However, the team will pause production until the end of the semester so that they can come up with more ideas to better the show. 

In the future, the team wants to add on more segments, such as sports and comedy to broaden the audience a little more and expand the brand.

106 & Aggies plans on returning next semester in Spring 2021, with episodes releasing on a once or twice a month basis. Be on the lookout!