In October 1979, Seattle heard its first rap song on the radio. "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang played through speakers across the city, kicking off a new and active era of Black creativity in Seattle. The DJ who played the song was Robert L. Scott.

He worked at KYAC Soul Radio. By the time "Rapper's Delight" was played, KYAC had already established itself as a unique and deeply important entity in Seattle. The station was Black-owned and operated and was embedded in Seattle's Black community.

"Every bit of news that happened in our community came across the airwaves at KYAC," explained Vivian Phillips, the founder of Art Noire, a Black arts and culture space in Seattle's Central District and a former KYAC DJ.

Growing up in the 1960s, Phillips' family was based in the Central District, in a redlined community. She loved the radio and was amazed that she could hear a voice from someone far away coming through the speakers in her bedroom. At 19 years old, she got her radio operator license and soon found herself at KYAC.

"I don't think I ever went and applied for a job," Phillips said. "What I do recall doing is calling Frank P. Barrow every other day of the week and saying, 'Hey, Frank, you know, don't you have anything for me to do?'"

She remained at the station for more than a decade, doing everything from engineering to sales and promotions before finally landing an on-air role.