Food for Thought Archives

Here’s an in-depth interview of Skillz where he talks about his earliest musical influences and experiences with hip-hop. Check it out below.

Skillz's first music he ever bought was DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince's Girls of the World Ain't Nothing But Trouble. Fast forward several years later and he is now touring the world with the legendary. Skillz is living proof that talent, drive and hard work makes dreams come... Read more

March 1, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Here is our list of the underground MCs who had the biggest come up in the last year: The AFH Torch Bearers list. These MCs include Ab-Soul, Action Bronson, A$AP Rocky, Childish Gambino, Chuuwee, Dom Kennedy, The Jets (Tradeamark Da Skydiver, Young Roddy, Sir Michael Rocks), The Kid Daytona, Rittz, Schoolboy Q, Smoke DZA, Stalley and XV. Click here to see why we chose these MCs and to hear some of their music.

There have been a lot of lists declaring top MCs lately; some for the mainstream and some for the underground. In our opinion (and each list is just that--opinions) each list left some things to be desired. So...we decided to take matters in our own hands. Partly in response to... Read more

February 28, 2012 Audio, Food for Thought, Video

2012 XXL Freshman Class

So...XXL revealed its Freshman Class of 2012 today. It consists of Future, Kid Ink, Danny Brown, French Montana, Macklemore, Don Trip, Machine Gun Kelly, Hopsin, Iggy Azalea and Roscoe Dash. There are some VERY notable omissions (but more on that later). Which list makes you more irate between this one... Read more

February 28, 2012 Food for Thought

Young Guru Speaks on Nggas in Paris vs. Nggas in Poorest (Video)

Young Guru (engineer extraordinaire for Kanye West & Jay-Z and ill DJ) steadily has been establishing himself as a hip-hop scholar. Check out what he has to say about N*ggas in Paris vs. N*ggas in Poorest. Rather than pit the two songs against each other he reconciles them and argues... Read more

February 27, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Andre 3000 speaks to GQ

Andre 3000 recently sat down with GQ to discuss topics ranging from the possibility of a new OutKast album to the re-launch of his clothing line to the REAL scoop on the phrase "Who else wants to f*ck with Hollywood Cole." See below for an excerpt from the article and... Read more

February 24, 2012 Food for Thought

Schoolboy Q speaks to The Fader TV (Video)

Schoolboy Q talks to The Fader about his album Habits & Contradictions, working with his Black Hippy crew, how he mostly listens to hip-hop classics (outside of his crew's music) and the influence of DJ Quik on his career. Check it out below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4lZRJTqnf4 And, here's a taste of his... Read more

February 23, 2012 Food for Thought

MTV’s 2012 Hottest MCs in the Game (Video)

MTV dropped its 7th annual installment of its hottest MCs in the game last night. They were: 1. Rick Ross, 2. Drake, 3. Kanye West, 4. Nicki Minaj, 5. Lil Wayne, 6. Jay-Z, 7. Meek Mill, 8. Big Sean, 9. Wiz Khalifa, 10. Wale. And by now, you probably already... Read more

February 20, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

I Am: Kendrick Lamar (Video)

Here's a beautifully shot behind the scenes look at a day in the life of Kendrick Lamar. Check out the video below. Props to Rocksmith. http://vimeo.com/35127663 Also, if you missed it, check out our interview of Kendrick Lamar where he discusses his earliest musical influences and the inspirations that led... Read more

February 20, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Kendrick Lamar Interview with Civilized Talk

Here's a really dope interview of Kendrick Lamar by Karen Civil. He talks about being snubbed by MTV for their 2012 Hottest MCs list, working with Pharrell and Dr. Dre, and much more. Also, if you missed it, check out our interview of K. Dot here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HovGNrLSQf8&list=UUEqykmT8rckH7L1URck_m0g&index=1&feature=plcp... Read more

February 17, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Decoded: Freddie Gibbs Thuggin’ (Video)

Gangsta Gibbs breaks down the lyrics of Thuggin', his collabo with Madlib. Check out Decoded: Freddie Gibbs Thuggin'. Props to Life & Times. Also, check out Decoded: Big K.R.I.T Time Machine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL8_XynzNsE&feature=player_embedded... Read more

February 15, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Here’s an in-depth interview of XV where he breaks down his earliest musical interests and some of the events that inspired him to become an artist. This is Where It All Began in hip-hop for XV.

XV is going to win. He has just started to get his props over the last couple of years but you can tell he is a longtime student of music. We talked to him about his earliest influences and he spoke of everyone from The Delphonics to Marvin Gaye to... Read more

February 15, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

The 10 Most Anticipated Hip Hop Albums Of 2012

Here's a really dope article from The Well Versed listing their 10 most anticipated hip-hop albums of 2012, including Big K.R.I.T., Nas, Lupe Fiasco, Jay Electronica, Kendrick Lamar and more. Check out what they said about Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid in a Mad City below. Which album are you looking... Read more

February 9, 2012 Food for Thought

Cee Lo says he wants to do a tribute show to Liberace in Vegas…Here are 5 reasons why no matter what he will ALWAYS be hip-hop.

Top 5 Cee Lo Rap Verses By J. Locke From the 2011 BET Awards to the 2011 New Year’s Eve Countdown, and, most recently, at the Super Bowl halftime show, Cee Lo increasingly has been getting his Liberace on (and he's about to make it official). His sequin moo moo... Read more

February 8, 2012 Audio, Food for Thought, Video

Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q interview with Peter Rosenberg (Video)

Here's a really dope interview of Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q by Peter Rosenberg. His first question to K. Dot is "You are in a blessed position these days of being one of the few dudes who does real hip-hop music that is actually getting buzz. What the hell did... Read more

February 7, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Statik Selektah and Termanology collaborated as 1982 to release one of the best albums of 2010. We caught up with each of them to talk about their earliest experiences with hip-hop. Check out the videos below where each discusses Where It All Began for him in hip-hop.

Statik Selektah Statik Selektah is one of the hardest working and illest producers around. Made in the mold of legendary producers like DJ Premier and Pete Rock, his tracks have defined today's underground sound. And, he has worked with everyone from Freddie Gibbs, Termanology, Action Bronson, Big K.R.I.T. and Reks... Read more

February 7, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Organized Noize Tells All: The Stories Behind Their Classic Records

Complex has been doing an incredible series where they interview legendary producers and have them break down their classic songs track for track. In the past, they've done DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Diamond D and others. The latest is Organized Noize, the production team behind some of best joints by... Read more

February 2, 2012 Audio, Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback

?uestlove writes a heartfelt tribute to the legacy of Don Cornelius

Here's a moving piece from ?uestlove about the cultural impact of Don Cornelius and Soul Train. An excerpt is below and you can read the full article here. "you guys see this bag? this bag has NEVER left my side for the past 14 years. I deemed it imperative that... Read more

February 2, 2012 Food for Thought

Murs is cerebral and complex. The term “real” gets thrown around a lot but Murs is as real as it gets. We sat down with him and he talked about what shaped him in becoming an MC. He covers everything from the impact of Eazy-E and LL Cool J to growing up in a Crip neighborhood to Oreo cookies. He even shares that he was laughed at the first time he wrote a rhyme. This is the story of Where It All Began in hip-hop for Murs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWz_NcYGSS4 Click here for more videos of Where It All Began for Kendrick Lamar, DJ Jazzy Jeff, 9th Wonder, XV, Big Daddy Kane, Freddie Gibbs, Stic Man and many more.... Read more

January 26, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Is Big K.R.I.T. the new OutKast?

Big K.R.I.T. asks us to call him a King Remembered in Time – a king who pays homage to royalty who’ve come before him. Among those giants who came before K.R.I.T. is Outkast. The beauty of Outkast is the group’s appeal to the playa and prophet that lives in us... Read more

January 24, 2012 Audio, Food for Thought

Q-Tip Gets DNA Tested And Discovers His African Roots (Video)

Know your roots? Q-Tip does. He recently did a DNA swab to learn about his ancestry. Here's a video chronicling what he discovered about his family tree. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df9x2OUl6X4&feature=player_embedded Also, we had a big Run-D.M.C. weekend with the anniversary of Jam Master Jay's birth on Saturday. Here's D.M.C.'s... Read more

January 24, 2012 Food for Thought, The Bridge, Video

DJ Jazzy Jeff is a hip-hop icon. You know the stats: one of the illest DJs EVER, winner of the first ever rap Grammy, superstar producer and one half of the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. But, do you know the path that led him to become one of hip-hop’s pioneers? Here’s an interview where he breaks down his journey to hip-hop through music. This is Where It All Began for DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Click here for Where It All Began: Kendrick Lamar.... Read more

January 19, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock and Terrace Martin Speak on the next generation of West Coast Rap (Video)

Here's an interview of Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock and Terrace Martin from This Is 50. Check it out. Also, click here if you missed our playlist on the evolution of the West Coast sound from Dr. Dre to the future of the West featured in this interview. Props to This... Read more

January 17, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Here’s an MLK day playlist featuring music from Common, Talib Kweli, Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T., Nas and more (Playlist)

Happy MLK day. MUCH has changed since the 60's when Dr. King led a peaceful revolution for justice and equality, but the beautiful struggle continues. We are in complex times. The nation has a black president, a reality that likely would not have materialized had it not been for the... Read more

January 16, 2012 Audio, Food for Thought, Playlists

KRS-ONE Speaks on the evolution of his career, The Return of the Boom Bap and the death of conscious rap (Video)

Wow. Here's an unbelievable interview of KRS-One from DJ Premier's blog. He identifies the moment conscious rap died...Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erwJzZxaWXs&feature=player_embedded... Read more

January 15, 2012 Food for Thought, Throwback, Video

We had the good fortune to sit down with Kendrick Lamar and he gave us an in-depth interview about the music that shaped him and led him to hip-hop. He discusses everything from the earliest influences on his musical tastes to the deep connection between him, DMX and Tupac. He is candid, introspective and insightful. Witness the story of Where It All Began in hip-hop for Kendrick Lamar.

You may have seen bits of the interview in our sneak peeks (posted below) but they were just a taste of the knowledge he dropped in the full conversation. If you missed them, check out more Where It All Began sneak peeks below.... Read more

January 12, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Murs speaks on the power of independent hip-hop (Video)

Here's a really dope interview from Murs speaking about the current state of the industry for independent artists and talking about the new generation of West Coast MCs. Get this knowledge. Also, click here to hear Murs (and many others) talk about his first favorite rapper. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZOw5GQlaSg&feature=player_embedded Props to LA... Read more

January 11, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

When did you first experience hip-hop in person? Check out what Big Daddy Kane, Kendrick Lamar, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Skillz, XV, Stic Man, Rapsody, The Kid Daytona, Murs and Statik Selektah had to say about the first time they experienced hip-hop live and direct.

Click here to see Kendrick Lamar, Big Daddy Kane, Murs, XV, Skillz, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Statik Selektah and more talk about their first favorite rappers.... Read more

January 5, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Decoded: Big K.R.I.T. — Time Machine (Video)

Here's a really dope interview of Big K.R.I.T. where he breaks down the lyrics to Time Machine. It really showcases the depth of his music. K.R.I.T., along with others like Kendrick Lamar and Stalley, is part of the new crop of MCs with a message to their music. It's part... Read more

January 5, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Check out our 175+ song playlist of the best hip-hop 2011 had to offer (in chronological order). You’ll hear music from Kendrick Lamar, DJ Quik, Pete Rock and Smiff N Wessun, XV, Action Bronson, Common, Curren$y, The Roots, Saigon, Bumpy Knuckles, Big K.R.I.T., Bun B, Asher Roth, Phonte, Reks, Raekwon, Stalley, Pusha T, Wale, Zion I, Smoke DZA, Busta Rhymes, J. Cole, Jean Grae, Statik Selektah, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Yelawolf, Pharoahe Monch and far too many other great artists to name.

The music speaks for itself. Press play and let it ride or click here to see the playlist and pick your own order. Either way, enjoy the good notes of 2011.... Read more

December 31, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought, Playlists, Video

Making The Beat – A Conversation between The 45 King and DJ Premier (Video)

Here's a pretty dope conversation between 2 legendary hip-hop producers. DJ Premier and DJ Mark The 45 King sit down and chop it up about all sorts of topics, ranging from the late great Heavy D to how they treat demos they receive (Primo actually drops his email address) to... Read more

December 29, 2011 Food for Thought, The Bridge, Throwback, Video

Ambrosia For Heads’ 2011 Best Hip-Hop Albums/Mixtapes of the Year: Here’s a look at our picks for the best of the best in 2011. You’ll find words on each as well as samples of the music. Tell us your picks for 2011.

It's that time of year again, when you're hit with a ton of year end, best of lists. We're going to keep it simple. We have 2 lists: best hip-hop albums/mixtapes of the year and songs of the year. First up, here are our picks for the best hip-hop albums/mixtapes... Read more

December 28, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought, Mixes, Video

Was there ever any question that Def Jam Recordings would be the #1 most important hip-hop record label of all time??? Here’s a 30-song playlist of music from some of the legendary Def Jam artists: LL, Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys, Redman, Method Man and more.

Before record labels were considered “the enemy” their brands actually meant something. Artists dreamed of being on the same label as the MCs they grew up idolizing and some labels had such credibility fans would buy the record just because it was on that label. We decided to look at... Read more

December 19, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback, Video

Death Row Records was the most feared record label in the music industry. They are the 2nd most important hip-hop record label of all time. For the full scoop on Death Row and a video playlist of its classics, click here.

#2 Death Row Records The history of Death Row Records reads like a season of The Sopranos. Suge Knight was the Godfather figure who rose to power as quickly as anyone ever in entertainment, and he ruled with an iron fist once he got to the top. The label was... Read more

December 15, 2011 Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback, Video

Bad Boy Records made the East Coast relevant again in rap music, making it the 3rd most important hip-hop record label in history.

#3 Bad Boy Records While East Coast Rap music was never dead, there is no question that from mid-1992 to mid-1994 commercial hip-hop was dominated by the West Coast, primarily by Death Row Records. It was not until Sean "Diddy" Combs was fired from Uptown Records and decided to launch... Read more

December 15, 2011 Food for Thought, Playlists, Video

Sugar Hill Records introduced hip-hop to most of the world. Nuff said. They are the 4th most important hip-hop record label of all time.

#4 Sugar Hill Records Much has been written about the allegedly shady past of Sugar Hill Records and the lack of credibility of the Sugar Hill Gang (many of Big Bank Hank's rhymes were actually bitten from Grandmaster Caz). Regardless, it cannot be denied that most people had never even... Read more

December 14, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback, Video

What’s the first piece of music you ever bought with your own money? We asked that same question to Big Daddy Kane, DJ Jazzy Jeff, 9th Wonder, Murs, Kendrick Lamar, XV, Statik Selektah, Fashawn, tabi Bonney, Serius Jones, Rapsody, Skillz and Stic Man. Watch below to see what they had to say. Many of their answers will surprise you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr9U_LKvko0 Also, if you missed it, check out Part 1 of Where It All Began where Stic Man, Murs, Skyzoo, DJ Jazz Jeff, Kendrick Lamar and more talk about who first turned them on to hip-hop. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztoUtSAtz74... Read more

December 13, 2011 Food for Thought, Video

Tommy Boy kicks off the Top 5 as the 5th most important hip-hop record label of all time.

#5 Tommy Boy Records More than any other hip-hop record label on this countdown, Tommy Boy Records is noteworthy not for impressive stats or significant accomplishments of individual artists, but for the overall breadth and impact of its entire catalog. For more than 20 years, the label released hip-hop records... Read more

December 13, 2011 Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback, Video

Hip-Hop may never have been anything more than a fad without Profile Records, the 6th most important hip-hop record label of all time.

#6 Profile Records Founded in 1981 by Steve Plotnicki and Cory Robbins, Profile Records was the first label to establish hip-hop with the mainstream as an enduring genre. There had been some hit singles, previously, but Profile was the first record label to have a rap album certified gold (500,000+... Read more

December 12, 2011 Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback, Video

Ruthless Records re-defined the boundaries of rap music, making them the 7th most important hip-hop record label of all time. Click here to read more about Ruthless and to hear a playlist of some of its key artists: NWA, Eazy-E, The D.O.C., Bone Thugs N Harmony and more.

#7 Ruthless Records Ruthless Records, founded by Eric "Eazy-E" Wright and Jerry Heller, in 1987 re-defined rap music in several ways. The label was the first to put the West Coast on the map as a force to be respected in hip-hop. Before Ruthless, there were outliers like Ice-T, but... Read more

December 9, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback, Video

Cash Money Records comes in as the 8th most important hip-hop record label of all time. It’s getting serious.

#8 Cash Money Records As we discussed in our entries about #16 Rap-A-Lot Records and #12 No Limit Records, the South currently runs hip-hop (and has for at least the last 5 years) and Cash Money is by far the most successful hip-hop record label to come out of the... Read more

December 8, 2011 Food for Thought, Playlists, Video

Roc-A-Fella Records is the 9th most important hip-hop record label of all time, and not just because of arguably the greatest rapper of all time…

...though he is a big part of it. #8 Roc-A-Fella Records EVERYONE knows that Roc-A-Fella records was the home to Jay-Z. He, along with his partners Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, founded the label back in1996 and Jay-Z repped the label as hard as any artist ever has represented... Read more

December 7, 2011 Food for Thought, Playlists, Video

Every journey has a beginning. Our new documentary, Where It All Began, takes a look at the musical journey of many hip-hop luminaries. In part 1 (of 5), we asked them who first introduced them to hip-hop. You’ll hear from DJ Jazzy Jeff, Kendrick Lamar, Termanology, Ski Beatz, The Kid Daytona, Chuuwee, Serius Jones, Skyzoo, and Stic Man (from Dead Prez). Check it out below.

In upcoming installments, you'll hear about other important moments in their journey to hip-hop. In addition to the above personalities, you'll also hear from Big Daddy Kane, Murs, Freddie Gibbs, XV, 9th Wonder, J-Live, Skillz, tabi Bonney, Statik Selektah, Fashawn and Rapsody in parts 2 -5. Stay tuned each week... Read more

December 6, 2011 Food for Thought, Video

Aftermath Entertainment kicks off the Top 10 as the 10th most important hip-hop record label of all time.

#10 Aftermath Entertainment In 1996, Dr. Dre was wounded from his departure from Death Row Records. He had virtually given up everything (ownership of his masters, future revenues and equity interest) to extricate himself from the madness that had swallowed up Death Row, not the least of which was the... Read more

December 5, 2011 Food for Thought, Playlists, Video

Today most people know Jive Records for Britney and Justin. Here’s why they’re the 11th most important hip-hop record label of all time.

Long before Clive Calder built Jive Records into the pop music juggernaut that featured Britney Spears, Nsync, The Backstreet Boys, R. Kelly and Justin Timberlake, the label was the home to some of the most important acts in hip-hop. These artists achieved both commercial and critical success and some went... Read more

December 1, 2011 Food for Thought, Throwback, Video

Rap-A-Lot Records was the 17th most important hip-hop record label. Also holding down the South at #12 is…

#12 No Limit Records While Rap-A-Lot was the first major label to rise from the South, No Limit Records was the record label that put the "Dirty Dirty" on the MAP. No Limit established the South as a stronghold for hip-hop that many might argue has never been relinquished. Despite... Read more

November 30, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback, Video

The 13th most important hip-hop record label of all time would have been #1 in 1988. Cold Chillin’ Records featured hip-hop legends like Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Kool G. Rap, Masta Ace and more. Check out more on Cold Chillin’ and a playlist featuring its key artists below.

#13 Cold Chillin' Records Many people say the golden age of hip-hop was in the late 80's and early 90's. If you fall into that category, there's no doubt Cold Chillin' Records featured some of your favorite artists of all time (in any genre). In fact, many would argue that... Read more

November 29, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback, Video

The 14th most important hip-hop record label of all time might be the most controversial on the list…

...but not because they didn't put out dope music. #14 Uptown Records Uptown Records did not make its mark with rap music, though it was founded by former rapper Andre Harrell (one half of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) and was home to some significant rappers. Uptown Records was extremely... Read more

November 28, 2011 Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback, Video

Arguably the most acclaimed artist in hip-hop was on the 15th most important hip-hop record label of all time.

#15 Ruffhouse Records Ruffhouse Records is another one of those record labels where few outside the music industry knew the label, but EVERYBODY knew its artists. Ruffhouse was founded in 1989 by Chris Schwartz and Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo who got his nickname due to his skills at chopping up... Read more

November 27, 2011 Food for Thought, Throwback, Video

The Dirty South began playing a major role in rap music long before No Limit and Cash Money. The #16 most important record label in hip-hop music is Rap-A-Lot Records. Check out a playlist of their key artists below.,

#16 Rap-A-Lot Records Not from Houston but I Rap-A-Lot...Long before Cash Money and long before No Limit, Rap-A-Lot records was the voice of hip-hop in the South. Founded by J Prince in 1986, the label put Houston on the map. That was no small feat given that rap music was... Read more

November 26, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback, Video

Rawkus and Loud were the 20th and 19th most important hip-hop record labels, respectively. Numbers 18 and 17 are…

Select Records and Fresh Records How can Select Records and Fresh Records be ahead of Rawkus AND Loud??? 2 words: historical context. Without a doubt, both Rawkus and Loud released records by some of the greatest MCs to ever bless the mic, but each of those record labels was building... Read more

November 25, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback