Jake Paine

Nice & Smooth’s Smooth B Returns With A New Song That Shows He’s Still A Sure Shot (Audio)

Nice & Smooth have officially been a group for 30 years. The Bronx, New York collective "has come back with more and more hits" in the 1980s and 1990s. Now in the 2010s, the clique is highly active still. Last month Greg Nice partnered with Positive K (of "I Got... Read more

April 4, 2017 Audio

Killer Mike Casts A Different Perspective On Kanye’s Meeting With Trump (Video)

Killer Mike and Kanye West are two early 2000s Hip-Hop contemporaries. While Mike came up under Outkast and the famed Dungeon Family in Atlanta, 'Ye was attached to Jay Z and the Roc-A-Fella Records boom. Both artists were introduced as different kinds of Rap stars as they transitioned from memorable... Read more

April 3, 2017 Lifestyle, Video

Some Classic Rap-A-Lot Records Artwork & Logos Are Making One Supreme Comeback

Houston, Texas' Rap-A-Lot Records is one of Rap music's greatest anomalies. The label founded more than 30 years by James "Lil J" Prince has been largely responsible for the careers of Scarface, Devin The Dude, Z-Ro, and others. Despite its portfolio of platinum and gold albums, the label often keeps... Read more

April 3, 2017 Fresh, Lifestyle

Tupac Shakur Will Be Inducted Into The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame By Snoop Dogg

UPDATE: The original March 26 story erroneously reported that Mopreme Shakur was recently deceased. We apologize for that mistake and any confusion it may have caused. In fact, Mopreme's Thug Life band-mate Big Syke is the artist whose obituary we linked to in that statement, and intended to report. In... Read more

March 26, 2017 News

Bone Thugs Are In Bizzy & Krayzie’s Hands. They Announce New Joint Album.

It has been nearly seven years since Bone Thugs-N-Harmony released Uni5: The World's Enemy. That album marked a complete reunion of the full Ohio collective, including both Bizzy Bone and Flesh-N-Bone, whose status within the group had been compromised by contracts, incarceration, and alleged turmoil. The effort (following a stint... Read more

March 24, 2017 Audio, News

Murs & Curtiss King Turn The Dating Game Into A Player Haters Ball (Video)

Earlier this month, Murs released his Captain California album. The L.A. veteran has showcased several moments from his latest Strange Music work, but none as sour-sweet as "Lemon Juice." The Curtiss King-assisted single now comes to visual with a Dating Game-theme. Both MCs appear dressed to impressed, as two bachelors... Read more

March 22, 2017 Video

Ghostface Joins Raekwon On A Rugged Remix For “This Is What It Comes Too” (Audio)

In just a few days (March 24), Raekwon is set to release his album, The Wild. For the first time in Chef's career, this LP features no involvement from any of his Wu-Tang Clan cohorts. However, while Rae' is preparing a unique album in his catalog, his right-hand man is... Read more

March 21, 2017 Audio

Celebrate DJ Premier’s Birthday With A 5 Minute Megamix Of His Greatest Hits (Audio)

Today marks the birthday of one of Hip-Hop's most beloved figures. DJ Premier turns 51 years old on March 21. For nearly 30 years, the Prairie View, Texas native-turned-bona fide New York musician has been making Heads nod, along with causing their faces to scrunch up, and air-scratch with their... Read more

March 21, 2017 Audio, Mixes

Slick Rick’s Children’s Story To Be Re-Released As Actual Children’s Book

In the ears of many, Slick Rick's biggest solo hit is 1988's "Children's Story." The video single from The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick is a mainstream-welcomed example of Ricky Walters' imagery, wit, and conversational style of rapping stories. The Def Jam Records single (produced by Rick himself) went to... Read more

March 21, 2017 Fresh

Six Years After His Passing, We Still Have Much Love For Nate Dogg (Video)

Six years ago today, music lost a true talent in Nathaniel Hale. The singer better known as Nate Dogg has one of the richest voices of the last 25 years. Alongside Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Ludacris, Fabolous, Pharoahe Monch, Eminem, and his right-hand-man Warren G, the crooner within Tha Dogg... Read more

March 15, 2017 Do Remember

Scram Jones Speaks Against The President Through Party-Rocking Turntablism (Video)

Scram Jones is a bona fide Hip-Hop veteran. The New Yorker has produced tracks for Raekwon, The LOX, and Ghostface Killah (as well as Mariah Carey), among many others. Moreover, he's a highly-respected DJ, from rocking clubs, mixtapes, concerts, and his post on Shade 45. Oh yeah, this 2002 "Unsigned... Read more

March 14, 2017 Video

Why Kool G Rap Is A True MC’s MC Who Is Criminally Underrated (Video)

Kool G Rap is currently gearing up for his first album in more than five years, The Return Of A Don. Said to be featuring Raekwon, the late Sean Price, and Saigon, this LP already promises to appeal to lovers of lyricism. 2017 marks 31 years of the Queens, New... Read more

March 12, 2017 Video

Roc Marciano Speaks To B-Real About His Upcoming Album With DJ Muggs (Video)

In the last month, Long Island, New York MC/producer, Roc Marciano, released his fourth album, Rosebudd's Revenge. Coming from the former Flipmode Squad member's own Marci Enterprises label, the effort makes a new level of independence to a nearly 20-year veteran of the music industry. That album features Brownsville Ka... Read more

March 10, 2017 Video

AMG Breaks Down How DJ Quik, 2nd II None & Hi-C All Cliqued Up (Video)

In late 1980s and early 1990s, there were a number of Greater Los Angeles Hip-Hop collectives. From N.W.A. and Compton's Most Wanted to Low Profile/WC & Maad Circle and Rhyme Syndicate, many crews had famous names and songs attached to their movements. At the turn of the '90s, DJ Quik... Read more

March 9, 2017 Throwback, Video

20 Years Later Here Are So Many Things About Biggie Smalls You Didn’t Know

Twenty years ago today (March 9, 1997), Hip-Hop lost a true king when Biggie Smalls died. The MC also known as The Notorious B.I.G. had risen to form in less than five years, after making early appearances beside Heavy D, Mary J. Blige, and Super Cat. By the time Biggie... Read more

March 9, 2017 Food for Thought, Video

Murs & Curtiss King Player Hate On Each Other. The Music Wins In The End (Audio)

At the end of the week, Murs will release his Captain California album. Now an integral part of the Strange Music family, the Los Angeles veteran released a video single to an empathetic look at the role of stress in all of our lives. He follows that up with an... Read more

March 7, 2017 Audio

Raekwon Discusses His New Album, Working With OutKast, His Wu-Tang Classics & More

For nearly 25 years, Raekwon has been an elite source of inventive Rap music. The Staten Island MC made his debut on the classic Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by transmitting some of that album's most memorable lines and verses. Following, Rae' pivoted in a different direction with a cinematic... Read more

March 7, 2017 Food for Thought

Dr. Octagon’s Album To Reissue As Box Set With 5 Unreleased Songs

Dr. Octagon is making some serious waves in 2017. Twenty years after the group went public (with a lengthy hiatus), things are really heating up. The duo of MC Kool Keith and producer Dan The Automator (along with DJ Qbert) had recently announced two California dates, the same state where... Read more

March 6, 2017 Fresh

Oswin Benjamin Is A Nice Guy With Mean Rhymes. His New EP Is Heavy. (Audio)

"I don't want to be the greatest, I want to be the realest," raps Oswin Benjamin on the just-released mixtape, HueMan. After making one of 2016's truly standout freestyles (a cypher turned into an all-out battle) alongside Chris Rivers and Denzil Porter, Benjamin eventually hit the BET Hip Hop Awards... Read more

March 5, 2017 Audio

Finding The GOAT Producer: Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier. 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

March 3, 2017 Finding the GOAT

Rare Video Reveals That B.D.P.’s Criminal Minded Was An Answer To Non-Believers

Thirty years ago this week (March 3, 1987), the direction and style of Hip-Hop forever changed thanks to Boogie Down Productions' debut album, Criminal Minded. With only "South Bronx" in wide circulation prior to the release of the B-Boy Records album, KRS-One and DJ Scott La Rock made a jaw-dropping... Read more

March 2, 2017 Food for Thought, Throwback, Video

Hank Shocklee Reveals Don’t Believe The Hype Wouldn’t Have Been Released Without D.M.C.

Producer Hank Shocklee is attached to some of Hip-Hop (and R&B's) biggest records. As a founding member of The Bomb Squad, the Long Island, New Yorker made history with Public Enemy, as well as produced hits for 3rd Bass, Eric B. & Rakim, and Ice Cube, among many others. In... Read more

March 2, 2017 Video

Murs Uses Kanye West As A Metaphor For The Stress We’re All Facing (Video)

Murs is just days away from his second Strange Music solo album, Captain California. The veteran, with histories tied to Def Jux, Rhymesayers and his own Living Legends squad moves towards a March 10 LP with a powerful single. "God Bless Kanye West" may sound like its simply about 'Ye,... Read more

March 1, 2017 Video

Brother Ali Reveals The Title & Release Date Of His New Album & Releases Its 1st Single (Audio)

Yesterday (February 27), a Brother Ali video called "Pen To Paper" emerged. It revealed that the Minneapolis, Minnesota veteran MC is plotting his return. One of the most respected, recognized, and successful members of the Rhymesayers crew dropped poignant bars in a track that was less than three minutes long.... Read more

February 28, 2017 Audio

Brother Ali Returns. After Being Profiled By Feds, He Puts Pen To Paper (Video)

Brother Ali went from one of the breakout stars of independent Hip-Hop in the 2000s to rather quiet in the last five years. The Minneapolis, Minnesota MC who is a keystone in the Rhymesayers family has not dropped a project since his 2013 freebie, Left In The Deck. In the... Read more

February 27, 2017 Video

Ice Cube Wants To Make One Last Friday & Bring Back Chris Tucker (Video)

Ice Cube is the most recent guest on N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN's Drink Champs. The same weekend Cube's Fist Fight opened in theaters, his "Pushin' Weight (Remix)" collaborator asked him about one of his most famous films, Friday. While the 1995 F. Gary Gray-directed film (written by Ice Cube and... Read more

February 26, 2017 TV/Film, Video

Oddisee May Be Hip-Hop’s Most Underrated MC. His New Album Is Just The Tip Of The Iceberg (Audio)

If you count collaborative works, Oddisee has released 11 albums since 2008. That does not account for the litany of mixtapes, plethora of compilation work, and four EPs from the Mello Music Group mainstay. While so many contemporary independent artists can often recklessly release product to see what sticks, the... Read more

February 25, 2017 Audio

This Classic Raekwon Mix Is Scalding Hot. Even The Chef Says So. (Audio)

Raekwon is just less than a month away from his album, The Wild (March 24). The ICE H20/Empire project has rolled out two singles in "This Is What It Comes To" and the G-Eazy-assisted "Purple Brick Road." Those records feature the backbones of samples that Rae' is known for, since... Read more

February 25, 2017 Audio, Mixes

O.C. Tells The Heartbreaking Story Of How He Learned Of Big L’s Death (Video)

O.C. recently released his album Same Moon Same Sun. Available without cost for download, the D.I.T.C. Entertainment LP is the latest in a career that spans back more than 25 years. The Brooklyn, New York representative has been a key MC within Diggin' In The Crates, and made important records... Read more

February 24, 2017 Video

Main Source Discuss The Impact Of Breaking Atoms, 25 Years Later (Video)

This month, Main Source's Large Professor and K-Cut reunited for their first concert together in 25 years. With Cut's brother Sir Scratch, the three men made what is widely considered a classic album in 1991's Breaking Atoms. That LP introduced the world to Large Pro's sharp lyricism, as well as Nas,... Read more

February 23, 2017 Video

Kool G Rap Announces First Solo Album In 6 Years & It Has Some Exciting Guests

Less than a week ago (February 17), Queens, New York veteran Kool G Rap and Juice Crew band-mate Big Daddy Kane performed a co-headlining event in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Billed as an "The Most Epic Hip-Hop Showdown," the Sherman Theater concert featured each legendary MC going song-for-song in a battle... Read more

February 23, 2017 News

J. Cole’s New Artist Combines Cole’s Lyricism With Devin The Dude’s Swag (Video)

Tony Touch is a DJ known for breaking some important artists. For almost 25 years, the Brooklyn, New York DJ/producer/radio personality handed microphones to MCs without albums out, and let them shine through freestyle. Members of Boot Camp Clik, D.I.T.C., Royce 5'9, Bumpy Knuckles, Wu-Tang Clan, Hurricane G, and others... Read more

February 22, 2017 Video

Jay Z Becomes The First Rapper In The Songwriters Hall Of Fame

While Jay Z is a man of many "firsts" on the business side, his artistry is what allowed him to be in that position. All 15 of Jay's solo and collaborative albums are platinum, in many cases multiple. He has 13 #1 releases, including his 2004 Collision Course EP with... Read more

February 22, 2017 News, Video

A New Documentary Shows Rap Has Been Around For More Than 70 Years (Video)

Ron "Amen Ra" Lawrence may not be a household name producer, but he's made hits that many know. The Dominica-born, Queens, New York-raised producer is an integral part of Puff Daddy's Hitmen collective at Bad Boy, with credits on Biggie Smalls' "Hypnotize," Puffy's "Been Around The World," and The LOX's... Read more

February 22, 2017 TV/Film, Video

Big Daddy Kane & Kool G Rap Battle Song-For-Song, In Concert (Video)

Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap go back together more than 30 years. Since the mid-1980s, these two New York City lyricists were some of the most legendary components in Marley Marl's Juice Crew. In 1986, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo let the world hear something special with... Read more

February 21, 2017 Video

MC Eiht Explains Why His Beef With DJ Quik Was Unlike Any In Rap & Why It Ended (Video)

Last year, MC Eiht detailed ending his beef with Compton, California rival DJ Quik for Vlad TV. Following the high profile 1990s killings of Rap peers Tupac Shakur (who Quik worked closely with) and The Notorious B.I.G., the two men met at BET, where after years, they squashed a violent... Read more

February 20, 2017 Video

Odd Future’s Hodgy Releases A Video That Shows Creativity In Its Full Glory

Six years ago this month, Odd Future stole the show when they performed "Sandwiches" on Jimmy Fallon's stage. Some Heads had been hip to the Los Angeles, California collective for some time. However, based on the reactions of Yasiin Bey, The Roots, and even the late-night host, Heads knew that... Read more

February 19, 2017 Video

“The Funky Drummer” Clyde Stubblefield Has Passed Away

If James Brown is the architect of Hip-Hop, then drummer Clyde Stubblefield may very be his builder. The man Questlove calls "The Funkiest Drummer of All Time" has died today (February 18). He was 73 years old, and passed away from kidney failure. Clyde was an integral part of James... Read more

February 18, 2017 News

What The Ohio Players’ & P-Funk’s Junie Morrison Meant To Hip-Hop (Audio)

Yesterday (February 16) Rock & Roll Hall of Fame musician/producer Walter "Junie" Morrison died. The Dayton, Ohio native was a critical part of the Ohio Players band as keyboardist, vocalist, and producer. Joining the veteran outfit in 1970, he was on hand for some of the band's most memorable work,... Read more

February 17, 2017 News

This Documentary Portrays Zion I As An Enduring Underground Hip Hop Voice (Video)

Zion I is one of the only Underground Hip-Hop artists who were active in the DIY 1990s and remain so today. Like Talib Kweli, Dilated Peoples, and Atmosphere, and a few others, Oakland, California-based Zion I has stayed the course and remained true to their messages and platform in the... Read more

February 15, 2017 Video

Ice Cube Names Chuck D His Favorite Rapper & Bomb Squad His Favorite Producers (Audio)

February 21 UPDATE: The video interview of Ice Cube from The Combat Jack Show has been added below, along with the existing audio stream. Original Post: Starting in 1990's "Endangered Species (Tales From The Darkside)," Ice Cube made some of his most notable collaborations with Chuck D and the producers... Read more

February 14, 2017 Audio, Video

From Kane To Whodini, This Mix Celebrates Hip-Hop & Love (Audio)

To those who celebrate it, Valentine's Day is about showing love to the ones you care about. That's why almost all people offer each other gifts such as those on Shop nguoi lon Ha Noi. While stores, radio stations, and restaurants pull out the love songs, nothing says that it... Read more

February 14, 2017 Audio, Mixes, Throwback

Statik Selektah Is A Highly Regarded Producer. But He’s Still One Mean DJ Too. (Video)

In the mid-2010s, Statik Selektah is a deeply respected producer. From some of the highlights of Joey Bada$$'s B4.Da.$$ to Eminem and company's "Detroit Vs. Everybody," to his own incredible album catalog, the ShowOff Records founder is highly sought out, and one of Hip-Hop's most prolific creators. As Statik's career... Read more

February 14, 2017 Video

Act 2 Of DJ Premier & Miguel’s Collabo Is For The Love (Video)

March 13 UPDATE: The video has been released to "2 Lovin U" by Miguel & DJ Premier: Original February 21 post: Just over one week ago, Miguel was nominated for two Grammy Awards for his 2015 Wildheart album, and its corresponding single "Coffee." That ByStorm/RCA Records LP featured Tha Dogg... Read more

February 13, 2017 Audio, Video

Production Pioneer Marley Marl Still Has The Juice. He Remixes At Least One Song A Day (Video)

In Marley Marl's 30-plus-year career, he has made the remix an exciting part of Hip-Hop. From Big Daddy Kane's "Raw (Remix)" to LL Cool J's "Jingling Baby (Remix)" to 3rd Bass' "Product Of The Environment," the Juice Crew figurehead made the kind of records that eclipse the originals. Many of... Read more

February 11, 2017 Video

An Oral History Of Yo! Bum Rush The Show Reveals How P.E. Launched A Revolution

Thirty years ago today, one of Hip-Hop's most consistent forces unleashed its game-changing first album. On February 10, 1987, Public Enemy debuted Yo! Bum Rush The Show. The story began half a decade before. Meanwhile, 30 calendars deeper, Heads are still learning interesting facts and anecdotes about the Def Jam... Read more

February 10, 2017 Throwback

Black Sheep Dres’ Latest Music Video Is Filled With SOUL

At the top of the new year, Dres of the Black Sheep released a la carte single "Soul." Produced by Chaundon of Little Brother fame (nka Finian St. Omer), the song finds the New York City veteran and Native Tongues member gettin' loose overtop horns and some "Apache" vibes. Now... Read more

February 10, 2017 Video

Stat Quo Reveals The Disagreement With Eminem That Destroyed His Shady/Aftermath Career (Video)

At the top of the 2000s, Eminem was building Shady Records into a juggernaut of a label. From D12's double-platinum, #1 debut Devil's Night to the 8 Mile soundtrack, Shady expanded from simply Eminem's efforts into a multi-faceted force. In 2003, through a joint venture with Dr. Dre and Aftermath... Read more

February 7, 2017 Throwback, Video

Kool Keith, QBert & Dan The Automator Will Perform Dr. Octagon Live For The First Time

In 1996, Kool Keith and his career were at a crossroads. For the last decade, the Bronx, New Yorker had been pushing the envelope of technical rhyme patterns, cadences, and crafty lyricism as the defacto figurehead of the Ultramagnetic MC's. As the group would disband for hiatus (resuming a decade... Read more

February 7, 2017 Exclusive, News

Diamond D Passes The Torch To Kev Brown For A Thumping Remix (Audio)

In addition to producing his first full album for Sadat X, Diamond D is hard at work on his upcoming sequel to 2015's The Diam Piece. That album earned the D.I.T.C. co-founder some of the greatest accolades he's received in the 2000s and 2010s. Still a double-threat extraordinaire, the self-proclaimed... Read more

February 7, 2017 Audio