On her first day at her new job as host of the 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. slot on New York’s Power 105.1 FM, Angie Martinez got a call from Jay Z.
It’s not like Hova had anything better to do. Currently in the middle of his “On the Run” tour with Beyoncé, Jay still found time to give Martinez his well-wishes as the Bronx-born DJ made the switch from Hot 97 to her new home.
“You’re an institution,” he beamed. “We’re so proud of you.”
“It’s overwhelming,” says Martinez, who also fielded calls from Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, Rick Ross, Fat Joe and P. Diddy on her maiden Power broadcast earlier this month. “I’m humbled by the support I’ve got.”
But Martinez is merely getting her due for the support she’s given out for more than a decade as the “Voice of New York.”
Almost every local rapper in the game has gained success partly through having Martinez play their music. “Jay Z, Puffy, 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj, all of the New York talent, I’ve seen them from the beginning,” she tells The Post.
The 43-year-old began her career at Hot 97 as an 18-year-old intern, gradually working her way up to her own show.
Since then, not only has she given countless acts a leg up, her status has meant that Martinez has unintentionally ended up playing middlewoman in some memorable rap beefs.
Cam’ron and 50 Cent had it out on her show in 2007, with the former accusing the latter of having nothing to talk about other than getting shot.
Lil’ Kim aimed barbs at Nicki Minaj in 2010 by doing a less-than-flattering impression of her voice.
But perhaps most memorably, Jadakiss and Styles P of Yonkers rap outfit the Lox threw-down with Diddy in 2005. Jadakiss and Styles were fuming at what they felt was an extortionate deal that saw Diddy’s publishing company taking a hefty cut of their earnings.
“It’s worth killing over,” shouted Jadakiss at one point, while Styles estimated that Diddy had hustled them out of some $2 million. Diddy was listening and, within minutes, called in to the show.
Martinez put him on the air and the three of them proceeded to have an almighty blowout.
“I do end up being the mediator sometimes,” Martinez says. “If I can help someone get to a better place, I will. But it’s not something I ever set out to do.”
She’s also never been slow to defend the world of hip-hop against those who denounce the genre’s brashness. “I think most rappers are misunderstood. They’re seen to be aggressive, and some people don’t agree with the lyrical content. But most of them are just people trying to tell their story.”
After carving out her own part of hip-hop history at Hot 97, Martinez abruptly quit the station in June before announcing she was defecting to rival Power 105.1 FM.
Rumors suggest that the Clear Channel-owned station offered to double her salary. Questioned about the truth behind that, she gives a nervous chuckle.
“I will tell you this, it wasn’t about the money,” she insists. “It was about expanding and reaching new places like Miami [where her show will be syndicated] and beyond. I want more people to hear the music I play and have a wider impact.”
She’s still the Voice of New York, but we don’t mind sharing.