The Kid Mero To Host Morning Show on NYC’s Hot 97

Posted on January 12, 2026 by Tom Castaneda

The Kid Mero is on a Hot streak…

The 42-year-old Dominican-American writer, comedian, television host, actor and internet personality, whose real name is Joel Armogasto Martinez, will be hosting the morning show at New York City’s Hot 97 following Ebro in the Morning‘s dismissal in December.

Mero won’t be wasting any time as Mornings With Mero is set to debut on Tuesday, January 13.

The morning show will be Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. ET to 10 a.m. ET going forward.

“I will be with y’all faithfully every Monday through Friday from six to 10, you know what I mean. The most consistent voice in your life,” Mero said in the announcement clip. “More consistent than your parents, which is crazy to say as a radio host because you might have good parents, but if you got bad parents, I’m your daddy now. Mornings With Mero, baby, lock in.”

Mero added in a press statement: “Hot 97 is the station — it’s been the voice of NYC hip-hop and culture for decades. I grew up listening to Hot 97, so to get the morning slot here isn’t just a job—it’s a responsibility to continue that legacy while bringing it into this next era of media. We’re gonna laugh, we’re gonna get into it, but it’s always gonna be real, and a real good time!”

Funk Flex lent his stamp of approval in the comment section. “We all family! We rolling,” he wrote. NBA Hall-of-Famer Carmelo Anthony, Nems and Cousin Stizz also saluted the move.

Mero saw his profile rise while co-hosting Desus & Mero from 2016 through 2022, when the comedic duo split. Mero is currently a co-host of the 7PM in Brooklyn show with NBA legend Carmelo Anthony and Kazeem Famuyide.

“Hot 97 has always been about representing the culture of New York, and Mero is New York,”said Kudjo Sogadzi, evp of content & growth at MediaCo. “He’s authentic, hilarious, fearless, and deeply connected to the community. Hot 97 Mornings with Mero is going to set the tone for the city every morning and create must-listen moments for our audience.”

Ebro in the Morning came to a close in December after 13 years on the Hot 97 airwaves. Ebro Darden led the program alongside co-hosts Peter Rosenberg and Laura Stylez.

After Mero, DJ Drewski will be on the air from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by Nessa from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and then Funk Flex will take over for the 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift.

Pete Alonso Breaks Darryl Strawberry’s New York Mets Franchise Record for Most Career Home Runs with Team

Posted on August 12, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Pete Alonso is officially the New York Mets No. 1 career home run hitter…

The 30-year-old half-Spanish American professional baseball player, nicknamed “Polar Bear,” hit his 253rd career homer on Tuesday night, breaking the New York Mets franchise record held by Darryl Strawberry for 37 years.

Alonso drove a 95.1 mph fastball from Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider just over the wall in right-center for a two-run shot in the third inning.

Alonso’s 27th homer of the season lifted the Mets to a 5-1 lead.

And he wasn’t done there, either.

In the sixth inning, Alonso connected for a solo home run to give New York an 11-5 lead.

After the third-inning shot, the Mets celebrated the accomplishment with a scoreboard graphic with the number 253 alongside pictures of Alonso and polar bears in honor of the slugger’s nickname.

Alonso embraced Brandon Nimmo, who scored ahead of him, and another longtime teammate, on-deck hitter Jeff McNeil, before doffing his cap and blowing kisses to a near-sellout crowd that included New York owner Steve Cohen.

Led by manager Carlos Mendoza, the Mets poured out of the dugout to exchange embraces with Alonso as the crowd chanted his name. Alonso emerged for another curtain call during McNeil’s at-bat.

Following the inning, the Mets played the theme from The Natural and Alonso again doffed his cap as the camera lingered on Strawberry’s No. 18 hanging above foul territory in left field at Citi Field.

The Mets also released a video on social media featuring a message from Strawberry.

“I just want to say congratulations on breaking the home run record,” Strawberry said. “You have worked hard, you have stood up in the pressure of New York City, and you have played well. It is well deserved. You are a homegrown player. Again, congratulations and continue to have great success.”

The Mets hammered the Braves for six home runs in a 13-5 victory Tuesday night. The power display was so great that the team had to post on the Citi Field jumbotron that it ran out of fireworks.

Alonso had tied Strawberry’s record by going deep against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.

A homegrown star, Alonso broke into the big leagues with a bang in 2019, hitting 53 home runs to set a major league rookie record and establish a franchise high for a single season.

The five-time MLB All-Star has reached 40 two other times and been one of the most consistent sluggers in baseball since his arrival. After a protracted negotiation, he returned to the Mets as a free agent in February on a $54 million, two-year contract that includes a $24 million player option for 2026 that he likely will decline.

The only other active players who lead their current franchise in home runs are Manny Machado (Padres) and Mike Trout (Angels).

Giancarlo Stanton, now with the New York Yankees, holds the Miami mark with 267 for the Marlins.

Strawberry broke the previous Mets record with his 155th home run on May 3, 1988, passing Dave Kingman. The sweet-swinging outfielder hit 252 in 1,109 games for New York during his first eight major league seasons from 1983 to 1990. He later played for the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees, finishing his 17-year career with 335 homers.

Alonso played his 965th regular-season game Tuesday. The durable first baseman has played in 372 straight, a team record.

Colman Domingo to Serve as Co-Chair of Vogue’s 2025 Met Gala

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Colman Domingo is preparing for a superfine moment….

Vogue announced the theme for the 2025 Met Gala is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” with the 54-year-old Emmy-winning actor Belizean-Guatemalan American actor and activist among the event’s co-chairs.

The Met Gala theme draws inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.

Per the publication, the corresponding exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City will feature “garments, paintings, photographs, and more—all exploring the indelible style of Black men in the context of dandyism, from the 18th-century through present day.”

The dress code for the event will be revealed in the coming months.

Dandyism — a menswear style and code of conduct defined by its tailored outfits, refinement, sartorial elegance and gentlemanly manners — has been prevalent in the Black community for centuries. Black dandyism is known for integrating European menswear with an African aesthetic, marking social and cultural resistance as it fought devastating stereotypes against Black men throughout the 1800s and 1900s.

As a result, for the first time in history, this year’s co-chairs are all Black men.

Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams will join Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour as the co-chairs the 2025 Met Gala, alongside honorary chair LeBron James.

The 2025 Met Gala will take place on May 5, 2025, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez served as co-chairs of the 2024 event, as did Zendaya and Chris Hemsworth.

The theme was Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion and the whimsical “Garden of Time” dress code was inspired by a 1962 J.G. Ballard short story of the same name.

Giant Inflatable of Ice Spice in Alexander Wang Reported in New York City

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Ice Spice has truly blown up…

A larger-than-life, inflatable of the 24-year-old half-Dominican American rapper was spotted on a flatbed truck traveling down the streets of New York City on Saturday (April 6).

The unexpected sight was promoting the rapper’s new collaboration with Alexander Wang.

Fans were quick to capture and upload videos and snapshots of the jumbo version of Ice Spice advertising a look replicated from the photo shoot for her “Nocturna” collection with the designer.

Those clips caught Ice Spice’s eye. She shared them with her followers and reacted with a few emojis: heart eyes, the Statue of Liberty and lips.

Ice Spice is the face of Alexander Wang’s spring ’24 collection (“Nocturna”) which debuted on March 7.

The collection is described as working in both the designer and rapper’s New York roots, taking inspiration from the culture of the city and their personal style.

Looks range from denim dresses to to chic tailored pants, with prices for the Ice Spice x Alexander Wang collection ranging from $150 to $1,495.

“As an artist, I’m always challenging myself on how I can contribute to culture in a way that drives things forward, and https://www.hispanicallyyours.com/ice-spice-serves-as-the-face-of-alexander-wangs-spring-24-collection/ is a great vehicle for that, with this incredibly bold and global campaign,” Ice Spice said in an official press statement.

Alexander Wang called Ice Spice the perfect artist to embody the “strong alpha wang woman.”

On the music side, Ice Spice recently shared that she’s done recording her debut full-length album, Y2K.

“I finished recording y2k the album ^.^,” she wrote to her X and Instagram accounts on March 5. The set’s title is inspired by her birthdate, Jan. 1, 2000.

“I think this is some of my best work,” she told Billboard, adding, “It’s not going to be too long — it’s going to be sweet and to the point.”

https://twitter.com/girlsinrap/status/1776713553237455007

Shakira Performs Surprise Concert For 40,000 Fans in New York City’s Times Square

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Shakira is recovering from an epic performance…

The 47-year-old Colombian superstar surprised her followers with a “pop-up” concert in New York City’s Times Square to celebrate her first LP in seven years, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, which was released last Friday.

Announced just hours earlier on her social media accounts, Shakira’s impromptu concert drew about 40,000 fans, according to figures provided by the organizers.

A huge electronic billboard that covered part of a skyscraper announced the free show with a clock counting down to its start.

At around 7:30 p.m. ET, the crowd enthusiastically chanted from ten to zero and two large doors hidden in the jumbotron opened to reveal the TSX Stage, and Shakira opening with her No. 1 Hot 100 hit “Hips Don’t Lie.”

“Hola New York! Oh my God, this is amazing, absolutely insane,” she said immediately after in Spanglish. “It’s so awesome to see you again, to sing for you… Nothing compares to this. Thank you so much for all the love that you’ve been giving me this week during the release of my new album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. And thank you, thank you, thank you for showing up.”

Dressed in black pants and top with silver embellishments, the self-proclaimed She-Wolf delighted the crowd by singing live — along with a band and a group of dancers — songs such as “Te Felicito”, “TQG”, “Cómo Dónde y Cuándo” and “Puntería”, before closing with the mega hit “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53.”

“I’m happy to be here surrounded by my Latin people,” said the 14-time Latin Grammy and three-time Grammy winner. “Thank you New York. Until next time. I love you very much.”

Tuesday’s show was co-produced by TSX Entertainment, with presenting partners ViX, Vinfast and Sony Music Latin.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3bxt6r3zq8

Maria Becerra to Perform in Times Square as Part of Univision’s “¡Feliz 2024!”

Posted on December 31, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Maria Becerra will be ringing in 2024 in the Big Apple…

New York City’s Times Square is gearing up to host its annual New Year’s Eve celebration, which includes the televised ball lowering during the countdown to the new year, with the 23-year-old Argentine singer and former YouTuber set to perform.

The tradition, which has been celebrated for 120 years now, will boast Becerra and Mexican reggaeton artist Yng Lvcas will perform a medley of their biggest hits at the Center Stage.

Becerra will perform at 10:04 pm as part of Univision’s ¡Feliz 2024! program.It will air live on Univision and the Times Square New Year’s Eve webcast.

Meantime, Yng Lvcas will perform a medley of his hit songs as part of Univision’s ¡Feliz 2024! Program from 11:02 to 11:07 pm.

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Jared Leto Scales Empire State Building to Announce Thirty Seconds to Mars’ Upcoming Global Tour

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jared Leto is taking his music to new heights…

To announce his band Thirty Seconds to Mars’ upcoming global tour, the 51-year-old part-Spanish American singer-actor scaled one of the most iconic buildings in the world, New York City’s Empire State Building.

Leto took on the challenge with nothing but an orange jumpsuit and ropes, as seen in footage taken by helicopter circling the landmark. The artist specifically climbed up the narrow base underneath the tower’s antenna, the top of which clears 1,454 feet.

“I’ve had a fascination with the Empire State Building, the ‘world’s number one attraction,’ since I was a kid,” wrote the Suicide Squad star on Instagram, sharing a video of his otherworldly feat. “Not sure if it was Guinness world records, King Kong, but something about this iconic structure always captured my imagination. Built in just 13 short months, in one of the greatest cities in the world it has always been a powerful symbol to me of all the possibilities in life.”

The Thirty Seconds to Mars’ 2024 Seasons World Tour kicks off March 15 in Latin America with festival performances at Lollapalooza Chile, Argentina and Brazil. The trek will support the band’s September album It’s The End of the World But It’s a Beautiful Day, which bowed at No. 76 on the Billboard 200.

“In a lot of ways, this album is about following your dreams and pushing yourself to do the seemingly impossible,” Leto continued in his post. “Climbing the Empire State Building certainly falls into that category for me. As does touring the world with my brother and sharing these unforgettable concerts and experiences with you all.”

The House of Gucci actor also shared a video of himself and his bandmate/brother, Shannon Leto, performing their song “Seasons” at the top of the Empire State Building, the concrete jungle’s landscape sprawling below them.

Pre-sale tickets for the North America shows go on sale Friday, November 10 at 10:00 am local time on the band’s website. General on sale kicks of November 17 at 10:00 am local time.

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A post shared by JARED LETO (@jaredleto)

Marc Anthony Receives Humanitarian Award from Fashion Group International

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Anthony is Fashion Group International’s humanitarian of the year…

During the organization’s “Night of Stars” at The Plaza Hotel in New York City, the 55-year-old Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist received the Humanitarian Award from his friend of 30 years Narciso Rodriguez.

Wearing his signature shades, Anthony was honored for his foundation Maestro Cares, which has helped more than 10,000 children in 13 countries with orphanages, counseling, scholarships and other education-driven programs.

He vowed that as of next year he and his foundation would entrust a scholarship program for the next generation of designers. That will be set up through a partnership with Fashion Group International (FGI).

Acknowledging how every person in the room has a team of people behind them, Anthony said, “They’re not nameless to us. They’re faceless to the world. We can stand up here and accept such an honor, but there are so many people behind us,” he said. “Appreciate those people who made us, who we are, right? On behalf of everyone who has made my life what it is today, I want to thank you. And I want to urge everybody here that is as privileged as I am to wake up and thank them.”

Meanwhile, fashion critic Cathy Horyn handed the Fashion Stars Award to Proenza Schouler’s Lazaro Hernandez, who praised her respected and educated opinion before mentioning the “simple, but brutal” New York Times headline for their second show: “Proenza Schouler Separates in Search of a Collection.”

Explaining that Horyn was right, Hernandez said, “You knew we were better than that even before we knew it ourselves.” Still going strong 20 years later with cofounder Jack McCollough, he thanked Horyn for her honesty and willingness to talk through big ideas season after season, “has made us better designers, more nuanced and mature.”

Other honorees included Whoopi Goldberg, who received the American Icon Award; Dennis Basso, the Lifetime Achievement Award winner; and Antoine Phillips, the Agent of Change Award.

AMC to Premiere “The Walking Dead: Dead City,” Starring Trey Santiago-Hudson, This Sunday

Posted on July 2, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Trey Santiago-Hudson is ready to fight the dead…

The part-Puerto Rican actor is starring in The Walking Dead: Dead City, which premieres this Sunday June 18 at 10:00 pm ET.

The Walking Dead: Dead City follows the popular Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) characters traveling into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan, long ago cut off from the mainland. The crumbling city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made New York City their own world full of anarchy, danger, beauty and terror.

In addition to Cohan, Morgan and Santiago-Hudson, the series also stars Gaius Charles and Željko Ivanek, along with Jonathan Higginbotham, Mahina Napoleon and Charlie Solis.

Eli Jorné, who has been a writer and co-executive producer on The Walking Dead for multiple seasons serves as showrunner and executive producer on the series, which is overseen by Scott M. Gimple, chief content officer of The Walking Dead Universe.

“It’s The Walking Dead like we’ve never seen it before. We haven’t really lived in a city like this.” Jorné said at a WonderCon event earlier this year. “It’s New York; there’s skyscrapers up to the sky and a million and a half walkers. And for characters like Maggie and Negan, who’ve been running through the woods for a long time, it’s just a whole new world that’s just extremely claustrophobic, scary, and also, as you’ll discover, has pockets of survivors, you’ll get to see all the strange new ways they live in the apocalypse, it’s definitely like nothing you’ve seen before.”

Dead City is the fourth spinoff in the Walking Dead universe following Fear The Walking Dead, World Beyond and Tales of the Walking Dead and is the first sequel to the original Walking Dead series.

The series will air on AMC and AMC+. Subsequent episodes will move to the 9:00 pm ET timeslot.

Howie Dorough & Fellow Backstreet Boys Release Claymation Video for “Christmas in New York”

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Everything’s a-oclay for Howie Dorough…

The 49-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer and his fellow Backstreet Boys have released a new music video for their holiday track “Christmas in New York.”

The sweet and sentimental visual sees the quintet — Nick Carter, Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson — passionately singing the holiday track while their claymation counterparts explore a twinkling New York City during Christmas time.

The claymation dolls of the boy group witness and participate in classic scenes.

One features a dressed up Santa with an elf at his side ringing a bells and asking for donations with a big red bucket. The dolls head down to the TV-decorated intersection of Times Square, take a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park, view the holiday windows at Macy’s 34th street and go ice-skating in Rockefeller Center.

“All the elves are busy/ On Macy’s eighth floor/ It’s good to know there is still a miracle on 34th/ But what I love the most/ Is holding you this close/ This is what they made the Season for/ Oh, spending Christmas in/ Oh, another Christmas in/ Oh, yes, another Christmas in New York,” Littrell closes out the song with the rest of the members.

“Christmas in New York” hails from the boy band’s A Very Backstreet Christmas. The LP — which marked the group’s first collection of yuletide songs and its first studio effort in three years — was released on October 14 via BMG. The set charted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 following its release.

In addition to “Christmas in New York,” other holiday tracks like “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” are included on the album.

“Christmas in New York” is one of three original Christmas songs on the album; the others are titled “Together” and “Happy Days.”

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