At 24, Tiffany Calver might worry that she has already peaked as a DJ. Initially writing for the pioneering grime platform SBTV and the blog Hypebeast, she began DJing as a hobby, uploading mixes made on free online software to her SoundCloud. Her high-energy selections soon caught the ears of the online station Radar Radio and then Drake’s management, leading her to land a number of firsts: the first woman to make a mix for Drake’s OVO Sound show on Beats 1 Radio, the first woman to have a hip-hop show on Kiss FM, and now the first woman to host BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s Rap Show: a popular Saturday-night slot previously held by Tim Westwood and Charlie Sloth.

“It still feels so surreal that I’m hosting the show,” she says, ahead of her debut on Saturday. “I remember being a little kid with my mum on Saturday nights listening to Westwood and jumping around my sofa, and now that’ll be me taking over.” Calver is keen to put her own stamp on the show, though. “I just want to express myself,” she says. “I’m not interested in replicating anyone else’s work; I have to be me because I’m not Charlie or Tim.” With rap’s dominance set to continue, we asked her for predictions for 2019.

The death of the ‘meme record’

“The viral ‘shiggy’ dance really helped Drake get In My Feelings to No 1 lastyear, and I haven’t met a single person who doesn’t know Man’s Not Hot by Big Shaq. Both songs show how the internet runs with a joke, but maybe artists will now stop capitalising on this and get back to the music. People are looking for viral hits, but I think audiences are getting tired of the repetitiveness of a joke being taken too far.”

Record label Since ’93

“In contrast with these short-lived meme records, labels such as Since ’93 are honing in on real talent and developing their artists. Their roster is great, with artists such as Fredo, Loski and this kid from Manchester called Aitch. They are all raw musicians and it’s so refreshing to see labels caring about their black artists and nurturing them to create a long-lasting career, rather than capitalising on them as some sort of fad. They’re pure creativity, and 2019 will be a really great year for them.”

Mental health discussions

“People are becoming much more outspoken about their mental health recently. I feel like we have the freedom to talk about what we believe in. In hip-hop, we’re now more open to hearing lyricism rather than just bangers. I love artists such as Kojey Radical: he is so poetic and his lyrics are so conscious of human experiences. There are also great examples set by artists from the older generation like Ghetts and Giggs. Ghetts actually collaborated with Kojey on Black Rose last year, which is all about colourism – prejudice against darker-skinned women – which is a huge issue in the black community. Giggs’s The Essence is a very introspective track all about his experiences. Rappers are really growing up and I’m looking forward to hearing what else they’ll be putting out in this vein.”

New tastemakers

“It’s really exciting to see the BBC taking notice of a new generation of tastemakers in our community. People like Snoochie Shy, Kenny Allstar and Jeremiah Asiamah all have slots on Radio 1 and 1Xtra and they’re all incredibly knowledgeable. I remember a time when there was no place for younger voices but now talent is overriding image and people are getting gigs because they’re the best person for it. Snoochie Shy is taking on the 1Xtra rap slot from Monday to Thursday, so essentially Charlie Sloth is being replaced by two women, which is huge for one of the biggest radio stations in the country. I think it’ll have a ripple effect and encourage more women to follow suit.”

Female rappers

“It was great to hear women such as Rico Nasty, who is unapologetically aggressive, be successful last year because, even as a DJ, I hate it when people tell me I have to ‘play something for the ladies’, as that doesn’t mean anything. I’m a ‘lady’ and I want to get into a moshpit! And there’s such a rich history of unapologetic women in hip-hop, from Lil’ Kim to Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. Even rappers such as Noname, who might not have as much of an aggressive sound but can talk about politics and fellatio in the same song, are not afraid to show all the layers there are to being a woman. It isn’t just soft and feminine. I’m excited to see the evolution of the woman in hip-hop in 2019.”

• The Radio 1 Rap Show airs each Saturday, 9-11pm, on Radio 1 and 1Xtra