Gospel Music Association: BOOST 95.5 Just Became St. Louis's #1 Hip Hop Station

For the first time in its history, a CHRISTIAN hip hop station (BOOST 95.5) is the most-listened-to hip hop station in St. Louis… not just among Christian stations, but across the entire market, surpassing iHeart's 100.3 the Beat and Audacy's Hot 98.7.

The Gospel Music Association shared the story, and it's a milestone worth celebrating — not just for BOOST, but for what it says about what God is doing in our city.

What is BOOST Radio?

BOOST 95.5 — "Hip Hop Built Different" — is the flagship station of the BOOST Radio network, part of Gateway Media Group and a sister station to 99.1 JOY FM. Since launching in 2014 and moving to 95.5 FM in January 2021, BOOST's growth has been steady, community by community.

Like all of our stations, BOOST is entirely listener-supported, and made possible by both BOOST listeners and JOY FM listners who believe in the mission to reach the entire city of St. Louis.

Reaching people is the only goal. This year alone, the team showed up face-to-face at school supply drives, block parties, neighborhood festivals, and charity 5Ks, connecting with more than 40,000 people across St. Louis.

Faith That Welcomes Everyone

BOOST President, Sandi Brown, put it simply: the music and programming are rooted in faith, but you don't have to share that faith to feel welcomed by it. Hip hop that builds people up and speaks life into the culture doesn't ask for anything in return — it's just there for whoever needs it.

The artists in regular rotation — Lecrae, Forrest Frank, indie tribe, KB, Anike, NF — reflect that same heart: real, honest music that doesn't shrink faith down to fit a format.

What This Means for Hip Hop Radio Across the Country

St. Louis is only one over a dozen cities that BOOST is on the airwaves, Chicago, Portland, Memphis to name a few. And secular hip hop radio across the nation has been known for vulgarity, degrading in how it talks about women, and violence.

What just happened here proves something huge! A hip hop station doesn't have to play by those rules to reach people. St. Louis chose music that builds up instead of tears down .

That’s a glimpse of what's possible in every city! None of it happens without God working through the people who kept tuning in and support to keep BOOST on air.

And if it can happen here, we could see this happen everywhere!