AFH Ambrosia for Heads

D.I.T.C.’s Buckwild Releases An Album Of Abandoned Beats. Listen Along.

Like fellow veteran Hip-Hop producers Pete Rock and DJ Premier, Buckwild has a vault of unreleased heat. The Diggin’ In The Crates veteran DJ/producer has stayed busy in the last two decades contributing bangers to albums by O.C., Black Rob, The Game, JAY-Z, and others, to name only a few.... Read more

D.I.T.C. Show They Are Still Juggernauts On A New Compilation Album (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than its ever been. Not only are we able to... Read more

Planet Asia & D.I.T.C. Affiliate Milano Constantine Link For Lyrical Onslaught (Video)

Fresno, California's Planet Asia has been posted up in New York City for the past couple of months. The purpose of the extended visit is to link up with like-minded rappers from all across the five boroughs and beyond. On top of recording an impressive amount of guest verses while... Read more

38 Spesh Displays Why OGs Like Kool G Rap, DJ Premier & D.I.T.C. Co-Sign Him (Video)

Rochester is not a city regularly associated with Hip-Hop. This Upstate New York burg is the home of DJ Green Lantern, who, along with Emilio Rojas, is one of the few artists from the area to make an impact on the game in the last two decades. But that is... Read more

Buckwild Gives Terror Squad Some D.I.T.C. Fire To Celebrate Big Pun (Audio)

Last week (February 7) marked 19 years since Big Pun tragically passed away. Although much of the music from the legendary lyricist has released since his death, friends and collaborators continue to find ways to light his legacy. Diggin' In The Crates producer Buckwild uploaded a new joint to celebrate... Read more

D.I.T.C.’s O.C. Recreates The Year In Hip-Hop That Was 1988 In His New Video

1988 was a special year in Hip-Hop. EPMD, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Big Daddy Kane, N.W.A., Eric B. & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions, Ice-T, Slick Rick, Jungle Brothers, and Biz Markie all released landmark albums. O.C. was listening, as was P.F. Cuttin. Both artists made their critical... Read more

D.I.T.C.’s O.C. Just Dropped A Strong Album. His Video Shows It’s A New Dawn.

Coming off the heels of his latest collaborative project Perestroika with Apathy, along with the first installment of his album trilogy Same Moon, Same Sun in 2017, D.I.T.C. member O.C. has re-upped his stock in 2018. It is evident by way of the second edition of the latter series titled... Read more

Showbiz Keeps It 100 About The Emotions That Got In The Way Of D.I.T.C. Business (Video)

The Diggin' In The Crates collective released their first album in more than 15 years in 2016. While Big L died in February of 1999, surviving members Lord Finesse, Showbiz, A.G., Diamond D, O.C. Fat Joe, and Buckwild came together for a reunion album in celebration of the group's Bronx,... Read more

Finding The GOAT Producer: Pete Rock vs. D.I.T.C. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer," the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

Wu-Tang Meets D.I.T.C. Two Legendary Crews Ain’t Nuthin’ To Mash Up (Audio)

Ever go Diggin’ In The Crates for some Wu-Tang? On this ambitious mashup of two legendary New York crews who both emerged at the onset of the 1990s, Memory Man shows us what would happen if you took members of the Wu-Tang Clan and D.I.T.C. and threw their styles in... Read more

D.I.T.C. Release The First Video From Their Upcoming New Album & They Rock It

The Diggin' In The Crates Crew has been impacting Hip-Hop for more than 25 years. The collective of Diamond D, Fat Joe, Showbiz, A.G., Lord Finesse, O.C., Buckwild and Big L launched with the release of Finesse's 1990 Funky Technician album, and has not stopped since. Fat Joe, O.C., &... Read more

Diamond D Puts His Rap Skills Back In Front Alongside D.I.T.C. Brother A.G. (Audio)

Diamond D once proclaimed he was "the best producer on the mic." Even in his own D.I.T.C. crew, the Bronx, New York native is brothers with producing/rapping double-threats like Lord Finesse and Showbiz. While Show ceased rapping on Showbiz & A.G.'s Runaway Slave album, Finesse has also scaled back his rhyming to... Read more

D.I.T.C. Goes Diggin’ In The Crates For Rare Photos & Footage (Video)

The Diggin' In The Crates crew has released its second completely crew-inclusive album in 16 years. That LP, D.I.T.C. Studios celebrates the newly-opened Bronx, New York recording studio where Showbiz, Lord Finesse, and Buckwild regularly craft dusty tracks. Also home to O.C., A.G., Diamond D, and Fat Joe, the legendary... Read more

REKS Gets A D.I.T.C. Beat Care Of Buckwild & Digs In (Video)

Lawrence, Massachusetts MC REKS has worked with some of Hip-Hop's most celebrated producers. From DJ Premier to Large Professor, Pete Rock to Alchemist, the ShowOff/Brick Records MC has had access to  the kind of beats that has peers could dream of. "Jump Shots" is a single, produced by D.I.T.C.'s Buckwild.... Read more

Diamond D & O.C.’s Freestyle Makes D.I.T.C. Say “Yo, That’s That ish” (Audio)

Diggin' In The Crates, better known as D.I.T.C., has been a unit for more than 20 years. However, since the 2000s, the New York City producer and MC collective has been building individual careers, including Fat Joe's platinum rise, a slew of O.C. cult-championed LPs, and the ongoing celebration of... Read more

Buckwild Is An Unsung Member Of D.I.T.C. But He’s One Of The Strongest Links In The Chain Gang (Audio)

When people think of the Diggin' In The Crates crew (D.I.T.C.), names like Diamond D, Big L, Showbiz, AG, O.C., Lord Finesse and Fat Joe come to mind, and rightfully so. Those artists are some of the most acclaimed MCs and/or producers in Hip-Hop, having earned their respect over decades... Read more

D.I.T.C.’s O.C. Rhymes About What’s Really Important in Life…& What’s Not (Audio)

"Champagne wishes and caviar dreams" has become a popular phrase for the rags to riches motif found in a lot of music, particularly Hip-Hop. Originating as the catchphrase of the television series Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous, which ran from 1984 to 1995, the saying has been featured in... Read more

A.G. Reveals All-Star Lineup For Next Solo LP & Discusses D.I.T.C. Reunion (Video Interview)

A.G. was one of the performers on hand at this past weekend's second annual J Dilla Weekend in Miami, Florida. Like fellow performers T3 (Slum Village), Black Thought, Royce Da 5'9, Diamond D, and honoree Pete Rock, Andre The Giant worked with Dilla before the producer/MC's February 10, 2006 death.... Read more

Fat Joe, O.C. & A.G. Remind Listeners How Lethal D.I.T.C.’s Lineup Is (Audio)

The Diggin' In The Crates reunion is burning strong. After several new crew-thick songs in 2016, the fresh week yields something especially fresh from a D.I.T.C. trio. "Diggin' Number" takes Fat Joe, O.C., and A.G., and assigns them numbers on a knocking quick-strike. Like De La Soul's "Plug" numbers, the... Read more

DJ Premier Introduces A D.I.T.C. MC…With Scratches of DMX & Grand Puba on the Hook (Audio)

Over the last 25-plus years, DJ Premier may be one of Hip-Hop's most meaningful introducers of new artists. From Nas to Mobb Deep, Jeru The Damaja to Royce Da 5'9", Preemo's music finds the greatness in many MCs. Fisher is the latest D.I.T.C.-backed artist. Showbiz and company have yet another... Read more

Ever See These Big L, O.C. and Lord Finesse Freestyles? Get Down with D.I.T.C. (Video)

D.I.T.C. The name stood for Diggin' in the Crates, in part because of the membership of acclaimed producers like Diamond D, Showbiz and Buckwild, but make no mistake, the crew was also about those BARS. Here's a look back at some vintage interviews of Big L and Lord Finesse, two... Read more

Pharcyde, Jurassic 5 & D.I.T.C. Forces Unite In This Animation (Video)

Slimkid3 (Tre Harbison) and DJ Nu-Mark released a jewel of an LP last year, on the Delicious Vinyl label no less. Among the highlights within the self-titled effort is "King," alongside Diamond D and K-Natural. For the video, the quartet (hailing from legendary crews including The Pharcyde, Jurassic 5, and... Read more

A.O.T.P. Meets D.I.T.C. As Apathy Announces Collaborative LP With O.C., Perestoika

Veteran Willimantic, Connecticut MC/producer has announced—via a new video—that he is planning three albums for 2015. A member of veteran charting act Army Of The Pharaohs, recent super-group Get Busy Committee, and founder of Demigodz, Apathy has stayed quite busy since his shelved tenure at Atlantic Records in the early-mid-2000s.... Read more

D.I.T.C. Gives Away The Remix Project, Featuring New Mixes By DJ Premier, 9th Wonder, Alchemist & Diamond D (Download)

The Diggin' In The Crates crew surprised Heads today (May 7). The respected New York City veteran producer/MC collective including Showbiz, A.G., Diamond D, Lord Finesse, O.C., Buckwild, Fat Joe, and the late Big L have been releasing a series of remixes from their Remix Project. The LP features new mixes... Read more

Bink Remixes Big L & Fat Joe’s Historic D.I.T.C. Moment Together (Audio)

Philadelphia native producer Bink is known for producing joints for nearly 20 years, including Jay Z's "Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)," Mr. Cheeks' "Lights, Camera, Action," and Kanye West's "Devil In A New Dress." The onetime Roc-A-Fella affiliate now takes a hand at D.I.T.C.'s "Da Enemy." The late '90s track was... Read more

DJ Premier Remixes A 22-Year Old Classic From D.I.T.C.’s Showbiz & A.G. (Audio)

Twenty-two years later, the joint that got it all started for D.I.T.C. (Diggin' In The Crates) gets amazing reconsideration. For May 7's D.I.T.C. remix album, DJ Premier (who always rolled close to the crew) reworked the Showbiz & A.G. "Soul Clap" B-side, which featured Diamond D and Lord Finesse as... Read more

Alchemist Remixes A D.I.T.C. Gem From A.G. & O.C. (Audio)

It's been 15 years since D.I.T.C.'s (Diggin' In The Crates) one and only album. Released on Tommy Boy Records, the self-titled LP (often called "World Class" by some Heads) featured all members of the crew including Big L, Showbiz, Lord Finesse, Fat Joe, O.C., A.G., Buckwild, and Diamond D. After... Read more

D.I.T.C.’s Showbiz Digs In The Crates For An Hour-Long Mix Of Breakbeats (Audio)

It's been almost 20 years ago since Showbiz & A.G.'s Show decided to hang up the microphone. While Heads were distraught, the Boogie Down Bronx veteran, and Diggin' In The Crates crew (D.I.T.C.) co-founder maintained his post as a highly-revered producer. Show's worked for Fat Joe, Big L, KRS-One, and... Read more

Street Justice For Rap Artists Continues With Young Dolph

Last week (June 14), a man deemed a "person of interest" related to Young Dolph's 2021 murder was found dead in the Orange Mound section of Memphis, Tennessee. The body of Joshua Taylor was discovered Wednesday afternoon in an automobile at Spottswood Avenue near Buntyn Street. Responders say the victim... Read more

Meyhem Lauren & Daringer Break Down Their New Album

Less than two weeks ago, Queens, New York MC Meyhem Lauren partnered with producer Daringer, architect of the Griselda Records sound, for Black Vladimir (embedded below). The 15-track album involves Action Bronson, Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, Flee Lord, Elcamino, and Hologram and finds brilliant chemistry between two artists that go... Read more

Rawkus Records’ Rise & Fall Is Detailed In A New Video

It was 15 years ago this fall that Rawkus Records stopped releasing albums. The "Rawkus 50" campaign allowed a new generation of MCs and producers to digitally release product with the same label that introduced many Hip-Hop Heads to names like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Company Flow, High & Mighty,... Read more

Jay Electronica Makes Magic With MF DOOM On A New Song

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads sift through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, it’s better than it’s ever been. Not only can we go back... Read more

KRS-One Joins Forces With AZ & O.C. To Save The Culture

Last week, Ambrosia For Heads premiered "Represent The Real," a powerhouse collaboration between AZ, KRS-One, and O.C. That song, produced and released by Dublin, Ireland's Stylistic Murder (and the A-side to a special 7" vinyl single, with a B-side featuring ONYX, has now released a music video, which conveniently begins... Read more

Diamond D Names His Top 5 Hip-Hop Producers

Today (August 19), Diamond D released his latest album, THE REAR VIEW. The 15-song collection (embedded below) finds the veteran MC/producer flexing his MC chops while playing double duty behind the boards as producer. It features Westside Gunn, De La Soul's Posdnuos, and Diamond's latest protege, Ashtin Martin. The Bronx, New... Read more

Diamond D Speaks About His New Album & Spending A Day With Dr. Dre

This year marks 30 years since Diamond D's debut album, and he is celebrating in style. The Bronx, New York native MC/producer/DJ is releasing THE REAR VIEW on Friday, August 19. Arriving on D's Dymond Mine Records imprint, the 13-song collection demonstrates Diamond D as a true multi-talented artist. The co-founder... Read more

KRS-One, AZ & O.C. Represent Real Hip-Hop With Style

UPDATE: Stylistic Murder has released the music video for "Represent The Real," featuring AZ, KRS-One, and O.C.: ORIGINAL AUGUST 11 STORY: Today (August 11) marks Hip-Hop's birthday. In celebration of the date, three elite MCs who have stood for the culture come together for a special collaboration premiering at Ambrosia For... Read more

Irv Gotti Describes The Night Nas Stood Up JAY-Z

Irv Gotti has been a close associate of JAY-Z for decades. As a DJ, producer, and record executive, the New Yorker worked with Jay during his ascent to stardom. In 1995, DJ Irv produced "Time To Build" for his artist Mic Geronimo. The song from The Natural featured JAY-Z, DMX, and Ja Rule.... Read more

Big L Gets Harlem Street Named In His Honor

Forty-eight years ago this month (May 30, 1974), Lamont Coleman was born. By the 1990s, known as Big L, Coleman became one of Hip-Hop's more respected lyricists, thanks to appearances on Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito's radio show freestyles, feature work, and his 1995 Columbia/Sony Records debut, Lifestylez ov da Poor... Read more

Joey Bada$$’s Next Album Is A Sequel To His Classic Mixtape

In June of 2012, Joey Bada$$ launched what has become a highly-respected catalog with 1999. The mixtape from the Brooklyn, New York MC helped usher in the Pro Era movement, with appearances by Capital STEEZ, CJ Fly, Chuck Strangers, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, Dessy Hinds, and more. As a 17-year-old... Read more

Black Star’s Madlib-Produced Album Gets A Title & Release Date

After years in the making, Black Star's sophomore album has a title and release date. Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli are scheduled to follow-up their 1998 debut nearly 25 years later with No Fear Of Time. As anticipated since early 2018, the Brooklyn, New York duo is teaming with producer... Read more

Former Bad Boy Star Black Rob Has Passed Away

UPDATE: The New York Times has provided additional information surrounding Black Rob's death. In an obituary by Jesus Jiménez and Joe Coscarelli, the newspaper confirmed that the man born Robert Ross was 52 years old. They also reported that he passed at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Mark Curry, a friend of... Read more

Pharoahe Monch Explains The Hidden Meanings In His New Album

Three weeks ago (January 22), Pharoahe Monch released his first album in nearly seven years. The Queens, New York veteran MC/producer partnered with esteemed guitarist Marcus Machado and Grammy-winning drummer Daru Jones as Th1rt3en. The band, involving two overlapping musicians from Pete Rock's The Soul Brothers collective, has been releasing... Read more

Pharoahe Monch Delivers The Long-Awaited Album Alongside His Band Th1rt3en

In the last week, 2021's Hip-Hop release calendar got an exciting jump-start. Pharoahe Monch treated fans with his first album in more than six-and-a-half years. Since that time, the Queens, New York lyricist and producer had described a dark, Hard Rock-influenced album. In 2021, that presumed material surfaced alongside Monch's... Read more

Jaz-O Discusses The Record That He & JAY-Z Released In 1986 (Video)

Veteran Brooklyn, New York MC/producer Jaz-O released a new project, The Warmup. In a career that spans work with Rakim, M.O.P., DJ Premier, and others, Jaz-O is best known as the early mentor and rhyme partner of JAY-Z. The two artists with similar names appeared on several songs dating back... Read more

Diamond D Recruits Raekwon, Fat Joe & More For A Video About Being Built To Last

Last year, veteran Bronx, New York MC/producer/DJ Diamond D released his sixth studio album, The Diam Piece 2. The sequel follows 2014's first Diam Piece, a record that predominantly featured Diamond's musical talents behind the boards. The D.I.T.C. co-founder has already confirmed that a third installment is coming soon. With... Read more

Method Man & Redman Join Gang Starr For A Remix That Stands Up For Real Hip-Hop

On November 1, Gang Starr released its first album in more than 16 years. DJ Premier carefully crafted sounds around some previously unreleased vocals from Guru. In the autumn, Heads got two singles before One Of The Best Yet, the album which was later named to Ambrosia For Heads' Best... Read more

Madlib & Oh No’s Album Shows That Making Great Hip-Hop Is Their Family Business

The Brothers Jackson have blessed listeners with one-off tracks for years now. Ever since 2008 on Madlib's WLIB AM: King Of The Wigflip, the two Oxnard, California natives have teamed up as a killer producer-rapper combo. Late last year, Otis Jackson, Jr. shared word that he and his younger brother... Read more

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2019 (Battle 7): Little Brother vs. Diamond D

Over the last couple of years, Ambrosia For Heads has asked our readers to help us determine the Best Rap Album for 2017 and 2018, respectively. In looking at the top music of 2019, we believe that instead of letting the Grammy Awards—a committee who does not know anything about... Read more

Redman Samples “Da Rockwilder” & M.O.P. Adlibs To Make A New Banger (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than its ever been. Not only are we able to... Read more

MF DOOM Is Hip-Hop’s Grinch As He Steals Jewels With Your Old Droog & Mach-Hommy

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than its ever been. Not only are we able to... Read more