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Peter Rosenberg | |
|---|---|
 Rosenberg in 2018 | |
| Born | Peter Elliot Rosenberg (1979-07-23)July 23, 1979 (age 45) Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S. |
| Employer | Hot 97 (2007-present)ESPN (2016-present)WWE (2016–present) |
| Family | M. J. Rosenberg (father) |
Peter Elliot Rosenberg (born July 23, 1979)[1] is an American radio disc jockey, television show host, and professional wrestling personality. He is a co-host of twoNew York City radio programs:Ebro in the Morning, the weekday morning show athip hop radio stationWQHT (Hot 97), andDon, Hahn, & Rosenberg, the afternoon drive show onESPN Radio affiliateWHSQ.
Rosenberg was born and raised inChevy Chase, Maryland, toM.J. Rosenberg, aCapitol Hill staffer father and public school teacher mother, and he attendedBethesda-Chevy Chase High School.[2] He describes his upbringing as "a very Jewish, upper middle class, regular suburban life."[3] He was introduced to hip hop by his older brother,[2] and has also cited popular songs such as "Parents Just Don't Understand" byDJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince as early influences. Visiting his grandparents inRockaway Beach inQueens, New York, US, he was influenced by radio shows hosted byDJ Red Alert andMarley Marl. He obtained his first set of turntables at the age of 14 years.[4]
In the summer before his freshman year at theUniversity of Maryland, Rosenberg started hosting a late-night underground hip hop show,From Dusk 'Til Dawn, on campus radio stationWMUC-FM. His initial DJ name was "PMD," an acronym for "Peter From Maryland" (a name given to him by Marley Marl while winning a contest on Marl's radio show). After graduating from college, Rosenberg performed as a DJ at a variety of radio stations in the DC area, includingWPGC,WHFS and on talk radio atWJFK-FM. He began making online parody videos, which were seen by the soon-to-be program manager of New York'sHot 97 Ebro Darden, and these led to his 2007 hiring at the radio station.[1][4]
Rosenberg co-hosts the weekday morning show,The Hot 97 Morning Show, on Hot 97 from 6 to 10 a.m. with Ebro andLaura Stylez. They play contemporary hip hop and R&B tracks, interview musicians, and discuss music, relationships, sex and race in a straightforward style. He also hostsReal Late With Rosenberg on Sunday nights on Hot 97, and he and Cipha Sounds co-host the podcastJuan Epstein, which has featured guests such asJay-Z,Eminem,Rick Ross andPusha T.[2][5] Hot 97 is the most listened-to hip hop station in New York City and Rosenberg has said that he dreamed of being on the station as a child.[2]
Rosenberg is also known for supporting and introducing the public to up-and-coming New York rap artists.[4][6] He was the first media personality to interview rapperEarl Sweatshirt after he returned in 2012 from a nearly two-year hiatus inSamoa.[7] In an April 2014New Yorker piece on Rosenberg, he explained: "Since I have a foot in both worlds, an artist can play me three tracks, and I can go, ‘This one only hip-hop heads like me will appreciate. This one could be big, but it’s corny. But this one could reach a lot of people, without you sacrificing who you are’".[6]
After becoming mayor of New York City in 2014,Bill de Blasio's debut traditional Friday morning mayoral radio interview was by phone with Rosenberg and Ebro onThe Hot 97 Morning Show.[8]
He also hosts a number of podcasts including Bite the Mic withMike Tyson.
On March 6, 2020, it was announced Rosenberg had signed a deal withWWE to host their monthly pay per view panel shows, as well as other related projects.[9]
Since 2009, Rosenberg has hosted aYouTube series calledWrestling with Rosenberg where he has interviewed professional wrestlers includingWWE Hall of FamersHulk Hogan,Shawn Michaels,Mick Foley andJesse Ventura.[10]
On December 19, 2009, Rosenberg served as a guestcommentator forRing of Honor's (ROH)Final Battle 2009 pay-per-view.[11] He has also appeared forTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).[12]
In late 2013, he began co-hosting a podcast calledCheap Heat withGrantland wrestling journalist David Shoemaker.[13]
In February 2015, he appeared on WWE Hall of FamerStone Cold Steve Austin's podcast.[3]
On December 4, 2016, Rosenberg made his first appearance as a panelist on theTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pre-show.[14] In January 2017, Rosenberg became the host of theWWE Network show,Bring it to the Table, alongsidePaul Heyman andJohn "Bradshaw" Layfield, withCorey Graves replacing Heyman in later episodes.
Since 2017, Rosenberg has also served as a panelist on numerous pay-per-view pre-shows as well as severalTalking Smack andRaw Talk post-shows.
On January 31, 2021, at theRoyal Rumble, Rosenberg, who was serving as a pre-show panelist, pinnedR-Truth to win theWWE 24/7 Championship.[15] The following day, however, R-Truth snuck up on him live onThe Michael Kay Show and pinned him to win back his title.
Rosenberg hostedHip Hop Squares onMTV2 for both of its two seasons. The show, which aired from May 22, 2012, to December 18, 2012,[16] was based on thetic-tac-toe game showHollywood Squares. It featured a rotating cast of rappers, DJ's, comedians, and sports and TV personalities as the nine squares on the board.[17]
Rosenberg is the host ofNoisemakers, a hip hop interview series that began in 2008. Past guests includeNas,DJ Premier andDiddy. Interviews take place primarily at the92nd Street Y inManhattan. The series has been described as a hip hop version ofInside the Actors Studio.[18][19][20]
In June 2013, he began hosting a new original video series onComplex TV. OnThe Process, he interviews new and established hip hop artists about their songwriting approach. The first episode's guest wasRaekwon.[21] Other subjects includeProdigy,Schoolboy Q,Azealia Banks,Future andGoodie Mob.[22]
Rosenberg throws an annual summer concert, Peterpalooza, in celebration of his birthday. The first took place at theBest Buy Theater in Manhattan in 2012, and featured performances fromOdd Future, Raekwon,Asher Roth,Nitty Scott andSmoke DZA. The second, at Williamsburg Park in Brooklyn in 2013, featured performances from Schoolboy Q,Meek Mill, Odd Future,Fabolous and World's Fair.[23][24][25]
After Rosenberg implied on the small stage at Hot 97'sSummer Jam 2012 concert thatNicki Minaj's pop single "Starships" was not "real hip-hop", Minaj, the concert's scheduled headliner, withdrew from the concert.[26][27][28] Rosenberg declined to apologize, clarifying that his comments were not meant as an attack on Minaj, and that she is "inherently hip hop… it’s just that 'Starships' is definitely not."[26][29] Minaj was replaced on the bill by Nas andLauryn Hill.[2]
On May 28, 2013, nearly a year after the dispute began, Minaj appeared as a guest on Rosenberg's Hot 97 morning show. The two made up, with Rosenberg apologizing and noting that he doesn't have anything against Minaj personally. Minaj said that she should not have canceled her performance, but was annoyed at the time due to her lack of familiarity with Rosenberg.[1][28] A week after appearing on Hot 97, Minaj joined2 Chainz atSummer Jam 2013, performing two songs with the rapper.[30]
Rosenberg has released two official mixtapes. The first wasWhat's Poppin' Vol. 1 in 2011, more than half of the rappers on the tape were from New York. Artists includeAction Bronson, The Kid Daytona,Skyzoo, Raekwon,Kendrick Lamar,Danny Brown,J. Cole, Odd Future and Sugar Tongue Slim.[31] In April 2013, he released his second official mixtape,The New York Renaissance, with new music fromA$AP Rocky,A$AP Ferg,Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson,Flatbush Zombies,Troy Ave, Smoke DZA and others.[32] He voiced the intro forRick Ross's 2012 mixtapeThe Black Bar Mitzvah.[33] He also made an appearance on the track "Sincerely Yours" fromLittle Brother's sophomore albumThe Minstrel Show.
Rosenberg is Jewish[33] and lives on theUpper West Side inManhattan.[2] He was married to sportscaster Alexa Datt until 2018.[34] Since 2020, he has been in a relationship with New York photographerNatalie Amrossi. He announced his engagement to Amrossi on the June 22, 2022 edition ofThe Michael Kay ShowThey married in July 2023.[35]
In regard to his affection for hip hop music, Rosenberg stated in an April 2014 interview: "I will go toe to toe with almost anyone in terms of knowledge, trivia, and love of this music."[6]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Noisemakers | Himself | Host |
| 2012 | Hip Hop Squares | Himself | Guest |
| 2013 | The Process | Himself | Host |
| 2014 | This Is Hot 97 | Himself | Main Cast |
| 2017 | Bring It to the Table | Himself | Co-host |
| Media offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tom Bergeron in the 1998-2004 version | Host ofHollywood Squares franchise Known asHip Hop Squares in Rosenberg's version 2012 | Succeeded by DeRay Davis 2017 version |
