AFH Ambrosia for Heads

The 25 Most Important Rap Albums Of Hip-Hop’s First 50 Years

Over the years, countless music lists have laid out the "Greatest" of a particular category–album, artist, song, etc. These lists often cite vague criteria and then lay out what they claim to be objective rankings. But, they are subjective. At Ambrosia For Heads, we have generally provided opportunities for the people... Read more

Westside Gunn, Benny & Conway Explain Why Griselda Was The Best Rap Crew Of 2019

Benny The Butcher, Conway The Machine, and Westside Gunn had a stellar campaign in 2019. Amid the roughly dozen projects dropped by the Buffalo, New York-based label, the trio of MCs released their debut collaborative project, WWCD, from Shady Records. Recently, the Griselda squad sat down with B.Dot and Elliott... Read more

Danny Brown Is Living His Best Life Rapping Over 1 Of Q-Tip’s Best Beats (Video)

Last month, Danny Brown delivered a strong addition to his respected discography. uknowhatimsayin¿ features Run The Jewels, Consequence, and JPEGMAFIA, among others. Q-Tip, who provides some vocals, executive produced the collection of songs. The Abstract, who began working on this LP with Danny years ago, also laced the Warp Records... Read more

Common Speaks On Why He’s Not A Conscious Rapper. He’s a Human MC (Video)

In the skit following "The 6th Sense," Common made light of his public image. The Chicago, Illinois MC made a song that fought for Hip-Hop's preservation. Moments after, he made light of the way he appeared to some—as a deeply conscious, lighthearted poet. The same artist who had been involved... Read more

Snoop Explains Why He Lets Other MCs Write His Rhymes

This year, Snoop Dogg has released lots of new music while also acquiring the label that birthed his career, Death Row Records. Among his songs on BODR (Bacc On Death Row), which released in conjunction with the announcement, Snoop solicited writing from other artists. Although not in the official credits,... Read more

J. Cole Told Dr. Dre About Kendrick Lamar & Wanted To Sign Him

Despite releasing a Grammy-nominated album this year, J. Cole has not deviated from his reservations about interviews. The Dreamville Records founder is known for picking his spots with the press, and while he blessed The L.A. Leakers with one of 2021's best freestyles, Cole left a mark with a performance—not... Read more

Where TDE Ranks Among Hip-Hop’s Greatest Record Labels

Kendrick Lamar made a rare and significant announcement in the last week: his upcoming album would be his last with Top Dawg Entertainment. For more than a decade, Kendrick has been TDE's flagship artist. He is even a part-owner in the record label responsible for taking SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Jay... Read more

Kanye West And JAY-Z Have Ended Their Beef

Fans are currently anticipating the arrival of Kanye West's tenth solo album, Donda. Def Jam Records announced today (July 23) is a release date amid several album preview listening parties. However, the general public has yet to receive the LP titled after Kanye's late mother's name as of noon on... Read more

Nas Releases His King’s Disease Album. Where Does It Rank In His Catalog?

Last Friday (August 21), Nas released his 13th solo album, King’s Disease. Produced entirely by the Inland Empire native Hit-Boy, the project features appearances by Anderson .Paak, Charlie Wilson, Big Sean, and Dr. Dre, among others. The Mass Appeal Records release also marks a surprise reunion of The Firm. The... Read more

Drake Releases 2 Songs That Pay Respect To JAY-Z & Eminem (Video)

Following this year's "Life Is Good" collaboration with Future (embedded below), Drake releases his first solo music of 2020. It comes in the form of two songs, bridged together for one video. "When To Say When" follows recent footage of Drizzy rapping outside of Brooklyn's Marcy Houses, the onetime home... Read more

Roc Marciano Influenced A Decade Of Hip-Hop. He Looks Back At How He Did It (Video)

Roc Marciano's Rap career began before Y2K. However, the 2010s were a definitive decade for the Hempstead, Long Island MC/producer. After running with Flipmode Squad, co-founding The U.N., and putting in work with Pete Rock, Wu-Tang Clan, and others, the artist stepped forth. In 2010, the man born Rahkeim Meyer... Read more

Drake Explains Why Pusha-T Revealing His Son Was A Genius Chess Move

This week, Drake released a new video single, "War." The Toronto, Ontario superstar let listeners know that he would like to make peace with The Weeknd. However, as the song’s title suggests, the MC/singer used wordplay and subliminal disses to confront enemies, potentially including Pusha-T, Kanye West, Puff Daddy, and possibly... Read more

Cam’ron Opens Up About Past Beefs With JAY-Z And Nas & How They Made Peace

On December 7, 2019, it will have been 15 years since Cam'ron released what he considers his favorite album in the discography, Purple Haze. The 2004 album was his second with Roc-A-Fella Records, fourth overall, and was arguably when The Diplomats were at their zenith as a New York City... Read more

Evil Dee Details What Led To The Demise Of Rawkus Records

DJ Evil Dee was a onetime artist at Rawkus Records. In the fall of 1997, he hosted and mixed the first Soundbombing compilation. That release would propel the label launched by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater onto the radars of many. With it, plenty of Hip-Hop Heads got a taste... Read more

M.O.P.’s Ante Up Remix Was Supposed To Feature JAY-Z & Prodigy While They Were Beefing

Although "Ante Up," may not M.O.P.'s highest-charting single, the street anthem is a cornerstone of Billy Danze and Lil Fame's catalog. Released in late 2000, the Loud Records single produced by D/R Period was emblematic of the menacing music that the Brownsville, Brooklyn Rap duo had been making since 1994's... Read more

Westside Gunn & Conway Explain What To Expect From Their Partnership With Eminem

Even though the MCs of Griselda Records (Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher) have been grinding for years, it wasn’t until 2018 that they really started to get proper recognition for their music and movement. With all three of the main lyricists dropping critically-acclaimed albums last year, they... Read more

Layzie Challenges Migos To Battle Bone Thugs-N-Harmony To See Who’s Best

Members of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Migos are at odds. At the center of the developing tension are Layzie Bone and Offset. Twice this year, and most recently in an XXL interview, the Migos member declared that his trio is "the greatest group in the world to ever exist." Previously, he... Read more

Curren$y Explains How Underground Hip-Hop Makes Dollars & Sense

New Orleans, Louisiana veteran MC Curren$y is an underground sensation who has made a name for himself by staying out of the way, and in his lane. The laid-back lyricist most associated with classic cars and smoking herb seemingly never gets caught in drama. Instead, he has built a booming... Read more

Styles P Explains Why Black Thought Is The Most Dangerous MC Alive

Earlier this year, Black Thought and Styles P's remarkable collaboration finally found a project to belong to. At the top of June, The Roots' front-man joined 9th Wonder & The Soul Council for Streams Of Thought, Vol. 1. Heads did not know it two years earlier when "Making Of A... Read more

Eminem Says MGK Is An Enemy & He Wants To Destroy Him (Video)

Part 2 of Eminem's intense interview with Sway Calloway premiered moments ago (September 12). After describing the frustration from Revival criticism that fueled last month's Kamikaze album, Eminem got to the nuts and bolts of two of his biggest beefs: Joe Budden and MGK (aka Machine Gun Kelly) in another... Read more

J. Prince Reveals The Original Plan For Scarface & Tupac’s “Smile” (Video)

J. Prince has shunned the spotlight for much of Rap-A-Lot Records' 32 years of business. The label's founder, the man born James Smith, has gone public in a very big way this year. The Houston, Texas native published his memoir The Art And Science Of Respect. Right as the text... Read more

Will Smith Gives 1 Of His Realest Interviews. He Says He’s Finally Being Authentic (Video)

Will Smith is at a crossroads in his career. Throughout the last 33 years, the West Philadelphia native has balanced music, film, TV, philanthropy, and a celebrity family. In all of those fields, the 49-year-old has seemingly thrived on the highest level. Recently, two freestyles showed a fierce return to... Read more

Snoop Claims Biggie Tried To Have Him Shot & Explains How They Made Peace (Video)

While Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls had the most storied and ultimately tragic Rap beef in history, there were other moments that greatly defined a coastal conflict between the Death Row and Bad Boy labels. In 1995, there was a shooting in Red Hook, Brooklyn while Tha Dogg Pound and... Read more

Pete Rock Gives A Fantastic Update On The De La Soul Project He & DJ Premier Are Producing

Hip-Hop luminary and Grammy-winning producer/DJ Pete Rock was on hand for the Seattle, Washington Museum of Pop Culture’s grand opening of their new exhibit, Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes. The legendary beat creator was invited to DJ the engagement and was also an honored guest. While Rock wasn’t conducting interviews... Read more

KXNG Crooked Has Left Slaughterhouse. Here’s Why (Video)

For the last decade, Slaughterhouse helped set a trend of MCs raising their profiles through forming a super-group. The cross-country collective of Royce 5'9, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, and KXNG Crooked (fka Crooked I) released two albums, an EP, and two mixtapes between 2009 and 2014. Slaughterhouse's future appears to... Read more

Royce 5’9 & J. Cole Are At Their Best In A Nostalgic Video About Escape

Last Friday (March 23), Royce 5'9 formally released his anticipated J. Cole collaboration, "Boblo Boat." The MC intersection is the first single to Nickel's May 4 album, The Book Of Ryan, releasing on the heels of PRhyme 2. Cole is the album's lone guest, and the collabo' is anything but... Read more

Royce & J. Cole Prove Hip-Hop Has Never Been Better On Their 1st Collabo (Audio)

Royce 5'9 shares the first single from the upcoming album he is proclaiming to be his "greatest piece of work." In a career filled with memorable and celebrated releases, those words begin validation with the unveiling of "Boblo Boat," featuring J. Cole. Arriving just one week after PRhyme 2, this... Read more

De La Makes A Brilliant Guest Appearance On A Song That’s Truly From The Soul (Audio)

London-based singer-songwriter Tom Misch has released two beat tapes and two EPs since bursting onto the music scene in 2014. Primarily he produces, plays guitar and DJs, but now he's adding Hip-Hop to his musical arsenal, enlisting De La Soul on his latest single. "It Runs Through Me" meshes Misch's... Read more

Nipsey Hussle Explains Why He’s Joining Forces With A Major Label (Video)

Nipsey Hussle, who has created his success independently, is on the verge of dropping his first album backed by a major label. Victory Lap is poised to release on February 16, 2018, via All Money In No Money Out/Atlantic Records, and many Heads have wondered why someone who has time... Read more

DJ Premier Says He & Pete Rock May Be Exclusively Producing De La Soul’s Next Album (Video)

DJ Premier has had one of his busiest years in recent memory. The Gang Starr member released and produced albums by MC Eiht and Torii Wolf. He just followed those efforts with a video collaboration with A$AP Ferg, helping relaunch '90s Hip-Hop source Payday Records. Preemo is the latest guest... Read more

9th Wonder Details Producing Kendrick Lamar’s DUCKWORTH & Reveals Its Original Title (Video)

Working on a Kendrick Lamar record requires a vow of secrecy as demanding as any spy code, 9th Wonder shares in the latest Rap Radar Podcast. With longtime colleague and Roc Nation producer/engineer, Young Guru by his side, 9th speaks on how he made “DUCKWORTH.” the closer for this year's Grammy-nominated... Read more

Steve Stoute Explains Why He Took Nas From The Underground To The Mainstream (Video)

Music industry veteran Steve Stoute recently launched UnitedMasters, a company that allows musicians to market directly to their fans across digital platforms. The service promotes artists keeping their master recordings and provides resources for the modern market that once seemed reserved for major label acts. Stoute is the latest guest... Read more

JAY-Z Reveals He And Prodigy Made Peace Before His Death (Video)

While the JAY-Z vs. Nas battle of the early 2000s may be the one that gets the most ink in the history books, Hov's beef with late Mobb Deep MC Prodigy is one of legend too. From Summer Jam photo reveals to disses on both sides, these two artists had... Read more

JAY-Z Says Kanye West Crossed The Line When He Talked About Jay’s Wife & Kids (Audio)

JAY-Z has given the most revealing interview since the June 30 release of 4:44. The legendary MC sat down with the Rap Radar Podcast to address everything appearing to linger since dropping his 13th solo album. In the nearly 70-minute conversation available for full stream to the public, Hov' annotated... Read more

JAY-Z Addresses Checking Kanye & Why They Have Not Spoken Since (Audio)

JAY-Z has given the most revealing interview since the June 30 release of 4:44. The legendary MC sat down with the Rap Radar Podcast to address everything appearing to linger since dropping his 13th solo album. In the nearly 70-minute conversation available for full stream to the public, Hov' annotated... Read more

Q-Tip Says The Final A Tribe Called Quest Album Will Be Released Next Month

In August, during an interview, Epic Records Chairman and CEO, L.A. Reid, casually made a massive revelation: before Phife Dawg's death, A Tribe Called Quest secretly recorded an album and it would be released in the near future. Of the project, Reid said, during an appearance on the Rap Radar... Read more

Pete Rock Comments On Who REALLY Invented The Remix (Video)

Since debuting Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth music in 1990, producer/MC/DJ Pete Rock has always been known to speak on his records. Songs like Nas' "The World Is Yours," his group's own "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)," and AZ's "Rather Unique" all feature notable background vocals from the Mount Vernon,... Read more

Lil Wayne’s Manager Reveals Cash Money Blocked The Release Of Carter V & A Big Check For Wayne (Video)

For more than 15 years, Lil Wayne and Cash Money Records were family, literally. Out of the Hot Boys, Wayne evolved from a burgeoning raspy-voiced teenage Rap sensation in the late '90s to the label's flagship superstar throughout the 2000s into the early 2010s. In the closing days of 2014,... Read more

Prodigy Details Mobb Deep’s Journey From “Embarrassed” Juveniles To Infamous Stars (Video)

Mobb Deep experienced one of Hip-Hop's largest growths between their first and second albums. 1993's Juvenile Hell debut boasted production from DJ Premier, Large Professor, and a fledgling Havoc. However, the 4th & B'Way Records release did not chart, and was not the album response the teenage duo from Queens,... Read more

With A New Album Coming, Revisit A Tribe Called Quest’s Rare Erykah Badu Collabo (Audio)

Last week, Epic Records CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid made a bold revelation. The seasoned executive and TV personality confirmed that a sixth album from A Tribe Called Quest is coming soon, and is both "great" and "something special." The news broke care of a Rap Radar Podcast episode, with limited... Read more

A Tribe Called Quest Secretly Recorded An Album That Is About To Be Released

Almost 16 years ago, A Tribe Called Quest released its fifth album, The Love Movement. A Top 3 debut, the album arrived to the public following word from the group that it would be their last. In addition to frustrations with the act's lifelong label, Jive Records, Q-Tip publicly spoke... Read more

Kareem “Biggs” Burke Reveals Roc-A-Fella Secrets Regarding Big L, Scarface & Ma$e

Roc-A-Fella Records' 1990s and early 2000s' reign is credited to three businessmen. While Jay Z has become one of, if not the biggest artists in Hip-Hop history, Dame Dash is one of the highest profile Rap executives. Third owner of the original Roc, Kareem "Biggs" Burke was (and remains) less in... Read more

Eminem & Shady Records Plan 66-Song DJ Whoo Kid Double Mixtape

The news surrounding Shady Records' Shady XV won't stop getting bigger. As if including a demo version of "Lose Yourself" didn't sweeten the deal to a ground-swelling Shady cXVpher, it gets better... In a new Rap Radar podcast with Whoo Kid and Eminem's manager/Shady CEO Paul Rosenberg, it has been... Read more