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Royce 5’9″‘s New Freestyle Shows His Time To “Shine” As A Solo Artist Is Now (Video)

For more than 20 years, Royce 5'9" consistently has been one of the most skilled wordsmiths in Hip-Hop. Coming of age with Eminem as part of Bad Meets Evil in the late 90s, Royce always surrounded himself with the best of the best, and thrived. After his 2000 single "Boom,"... Read more

Black Thought’s New Song With Styles P & 9th Wonder Is Absolute Lyrical Destruction (Audio)

For years, Black Thought has been atop countless lists of "the most underrated MCs." This, despite having consistently released some of the best music in Hip-Hop for a near 30-year span, both with his band The Roots and on countless guest features. Thought addressed the issue, himself, on Statik Selektah's... Read more

Phife Dawg’s New Song “Nutshell” Features A J Dilla Beat & Shows His Music Lives On (Video)

As friends, family and fans mourn Phife Dawg during the live stream of his Celebration of Phife memorial service at the Apollo Theater, his family fulfills its promise to begin releasing the music Phife was recording, before his passing, to the world. The first track released from the project is... Read more

Watch A Live Stream Of The Celebration Of Phife Memorial Service At The Apollo Theater (Video)

Earlier this week, Jarobi from A Tribe Called Quest put out a call to action for fans to assemble at the St. Albans Park in Queens, NY yesterday (April 4), promising something special for the first 200 people who arrived. There, those fans were given T-shirts, by volunteers which included... Read more

Black Thought Speaks About The Roots Picnic And New Music On The Way With Royce, 9th Wonder & Eminem

For nearly 30 years, Black Thought and Questlove have been performing together, as The Roots. In that time, they have released 16 albums and EPs, performed at tens of thousands of shows, and entertained millions nightly, as the band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The expanse and quality... Read more

The Clothing Line That Sparked A Cultural Revolution Is Coming Back But It Needs Your Help

UPDATE: The Kickstarter campaign to re-launch the AACA brand ends at 9AM EST tomorrow (April 18). The campaign is seeking to raise $100K, and is currently at $84,253. To donate, click here. Before Phat Farm, FUBU, Rocawear or any of the other iconic urban fashion wear brands, there was an... Read more

ScHoolboy Q’s New Single Is Groovy But It’s Still Gangsta (Audio)

It's been more than 2 years since ScHoolboy Q released Oxymoron, his major label debut album. However, the Top Dawg Entertainment artist has already been quite active in 2016. In March, he joined A$AP Ferg on the hard-driving "Let It Bang," and recent leaks of snippets, as well as words... Read more

Hear The Best Hip-Hop of March 2016 In One Playlist (Audio)

For Hip-Hop fans, March 2016 will forever be associated with the loss of Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest. Less than 2 weeks after his sudden passing, fans worldwide are still mourning. While March 22 undoubtedly will become an annual day of reflection and celebration for Hip-Hop, there were... Read more

Kanye West Is Finally Releasing His Album To The Rest Of The World But It’s Still Not Done

Love it or hate it, Kanye West's rollout for his album The Life Of Pablo has been one of a kind. Although it was not immediately apparent, from day 1, the album was a work in progress. At first it seemed Kanye was being mercurial as the name of the album... Read more

A$AP Mob Are In A New York State Of Mind & Look To Nas For Inspiration (Audio)

One of the critiques that A$AP Mob faced when they began to emerge in 2011 was that their music did not sound like "New York Hip-Hop." Rocky, in particular, unabashedly drew on Houston's chopped and screwed sound on his early single, "Goldie," and much of Ferg's music kept in step... Read more

Anthony Hamilton’s One-Of-A-Kind Voice Will Brighten Your Day (Video)

Over the last few years, NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series has become one of the richest platforms for showcasing great music, in its purest form. The franchise allowed artists like Oddisee and Rapsody to demo the richness and depth in their song-making, and completely re-introduced T-Pain to the world as... Read more

Witness The Talent Dr. Dre Saw In Anderson .Paak, As He Lights Up The Stage In A Full Concert (Video)

Anderson .Paak's rise in 2015 was nothing less than meteoric. The singer/songwriter/rapper/musician worked with DJ Premier, 9th Wonder and a host of others, and was the cornerstone of Dr. Dre's Compton album, participating on nearly half of the LP's songs. He also released The Anderson .Paak EP, with Blended Babies,... Read more

Royce 5’9″ & Black Thought Deliver Rap On Steroids On Royce’s New Free EP (Audio)

Royce 5'9" has been on a tear in 2016. Just over a month ago, he announced the release of Layers, his first solo album in nearly 5 years, on April 15. Since then he has dropped a slew of blistering freestyles, songs and videos. Keeping his foot on the gas,... Read more

Anthony Hamilton Sings The Kind Of Soul Music That Makes You Say “AMEN” (Video)

Over the last few years, NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series has become one of the richest platforms for showcasing great music, in its purest form. The franchise allowed artists like Oddisee and Rapsody to demo the richness and depth in their song-making, and completely re-introduced T-Pain to the world as... Read more

O.C. & AG Embrace Their Years Of Experience & Say They Are Only Getting Better (Audio)

Hip-Hop has not been good to its legends. Instead of being celebrated, artists who helped build the culture are often relegated to the background or cloaked in backhand terms like "Old School." The practice of ageism has been ingrained in the culture from its earliest days, and continues even though... Read more

Q-Tip Opens Up His Archive Of Live A Tribe Called Quest Recordings To Celebrate Phife Dawg (Audio)

While Q-Tip did not appear on last night's edition of his Abstract Radio show on Beats 1, he dedicated the entire episode to his fallen A Tribe Called Quest brother, Phife Dawg, and celebrated him with a 2-hour mix of live and rare Tribe recordings, from Tip's personal archives. During... Read more

Busta Rhymes Pays Tribute To Phife Dawg With A Heartfelt Open Letter (Video)

There have been and will continue to be many tributes to Phife Dawg, who succumbed to complications resulting from diabetes, earlier this week. One with a particularly powerful impact comes from Busta Rhymes. As part of the Leaders Of The New School, Busta was an emerging star back in 1991,... Read more

Quentin Miller Says The Drake/Meek Mill Beef Did Get Violent. Just Not Between Them (Video)

When the Drake and Meek Mill beef boiled over last Summer, there was one central figure in the controversy: Quentin Miller. The emerging artist was the person that Meek Mill identified as the ghostwriter who penned Drake's verse on Meek Mill's song, "R.I.C.O." Miller was a credited contributor on a... Read more

Big K.R.I.T. Shows How He Makes A Beat From Start To Finish Then Drops A Killer Verse (Video)

Big K.R.I.T. is the latest guest on Mass Appeal's Rhythm Roulette beat-making challenge. In the series, producers are blindfolded, asked to choose 3 random records and then tasked with making a track using their selections. Many have participated in the series, including Erick Sermon, Just Blaze, El-P and Black Milk,... Read more

Wyclef Jean Freestyles Off The Top Of The Head…In 5 Different Languages (Video)

As one third of The Fugees, Wyclef Jean is one of the most successful artists in Hip-Hop. In his solo career and with the group, Jean has sold tens of millions of albums and garnered numerous Grammy Awards. He is also among Hip-Hop's elite in talent, with his ability to... Read more

In A Past Recording, Q-Tip Shares The Story Of How Phife Convinced Him To Try Rapping (Audio)

Yesterday, after the confirmation of Phife Dawg's passing, the remaining members of A Tribe Called Quest released a statement about his life and what he meant to them. While none of them has spoken individually, yet, J. Period has unearthed a touching recording of Q-Tip sharing some of his earliest... Read more

Any Questions About Whether Elzhi Is Back End With The Intro To His New Album (Audio)

After a few fits and starts, Elzhi's new album Lead Poison will be released tonight at midnight (March 25). The album was paid for by a crowd funding campaign that threatened to go really badly. After some missed deadlines, questions arose as to whether the LP would ever be released,... Read more

BJ The Chicago Kid & Kendrick Lamar Fight Hannibal Buress’ Cupid With An Old-Fashioned Love Song (Video)

Ever think about the kind of chaos that could happen if Cupid went rogue? That's exactly what happens in BJ The Chicago Kid's video for "The New Cupid." The song is a throwback old school Soul ballad, with BJ joined by Kendrick Lamar on a verse and Raphael Saadiq on... Read more

Royce 5’9″ Savages A Track For Nearly 5 Straight Minutes. Playtime Is Over (Audio)

Royce 5'9" has gone to another level. Since announcing the release of his forthcoming album, Layers, here on Ambrosia For Heads in February, the Detroit MC has been on a mission to destroy anything that gets in his path to be recognized as one of the greatest lyricists in Hip-Hop,... Read more

Ras Kass, Bumpy Knuckles & ONYX Take It Back To The Days Of Hard-Nosed Hip-Hop (Audio)

Yesterday, Ras Kass announced that he is working on Soul On Ice 2, a sequel to his heralded debut album, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Ras has started a crowd funding campaign to raise money to record the album and he is seeking $35,000. He wastes no time... Read more

Celebrate Phife Dawg’s Life & Legacy Through His Music With This Tribute Mix (Audio)

For many of us, today has been one of deep mourning and reflection, as we process the death of Malik "Phife Dawg" Taylor. The "5ft Assassin" was a co-founder of A Tribe Called Quest, one of the most influential groups in music of any genre. Many words have been written... Read more

Oddisee Releases A Stellar New EP For Full Stream & Announces A New Album (Audio)

Oddisee is not yet a household name, but the MC/Producer is one of the most talented artists in Hip-Hop, currently. His 2015 album, The Good Fight, stood with the best of the year, and his stunning videos and performances only built on the narrative. Now, he returns with a new... Read more

Phife Dawg From A Tribe Called Quest Passes Away At Age 45

In unbelievably tragic news, Malik Taylor, better known as Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest, passed away on March 22, at the age of 45. While the cause of death has not been disclosed, Phife suffered from Type 1 diabetes for decades, and underwent a kidney transplant in 2008.... Read more

There Are Only 8 Left. Which One Will You Name The Greatest Hip-Hop Album Of All-Time?

Last September, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: what is the greatest Rap Album Of All-Time? “Finding The GOAT Album” has considered more than 120 albums from the 80s, 90s and 2000s (40 in each), with options for... Read more

This Mix Of The 16 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time Is 21 Minutes of Heaven (Audio)

Last September, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: what is the greatest Rap Album Of All-Time? “Finding The GOAT Album” has considered more than 120 albums from the '80s, '90s and 2000s (40 in each), with options for... Read more

Scarface’s New Video Makes It Clear You Do Not Want To Be On His Bad Side

2015 was one of the biggest years in Scarface's storied career. Facemob released a critically-acclaimed book, put out a new album and was given the "I Am Hip-Hop" Award at the BET Hip Hop Awards. The Geto Boy even flirted with reuniting and going on tour with his old group.... Read more

Usher Performs A Stunning Medley As A Tribute To L.A. Reid (Video)

Together with his creative and business partner, Babyface, L.A. Reid was one half of one of the most formidable production duos in recorded music history, and a co-founder of LaFace Records. As an executive, Reid's imprint has been on the career's of some of music's biggest stars, having signed Toni... Read more

Got DJ Skills? We Need You To Make A Finding The GOAT Sweet 16 Mix

Last September, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: what is the greatest Rap Album Of All-Time? “Finding The GOAT Album” has considered more than 120 albums from the 80s, 90s and 2000s (40 in each), with options for... Read more

Kendrick Lamar Leads A Freestyle Cypher With Musicians In The UK & Rocks It (Video)

With all the chatter around the political themes embedded in Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly, and the album's immense critical acclaim, it's sometimes easy to lose sight of the fact that, at his core, Kendrick is an MC who loves the sport of rhyming. But, before he showcased the... Read more

The Star Of Hamilton Freestyles For President Obama At The White House (Video)

From day 1, it has been clear that Barack Obama was the nation's first Hip-Hop President. That status had nothing to do with his biracial ancestry. Instead, it was the product of his coming of age at the same time that the most influential cultural force of the last 40... Read more

Watch “The Most Significant Day Of Royce 5’9″‘s Life” In His “Tabernacle” Video

Earlier this month, Royce 5'9" released "Tabernacle," the lead single from his forthcoming solo album Layers (April 15), and arguably the most powerful song of his career. "Tabernacle" holds incredible importance in Royce's life, on many levels. It was the first song that Royce wrote when he became sober, after... 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

Joell Ortiz Wrecks A DJ Premier Beat Like A Supa Star (Video)

Joell Ortiz's new collaboration album with producer Domingo will be released tomorrow (March 15). The project, titled That's Hip-Hop, is an ode to music that puts a premium on top-notch lyricism, and Ortiz is happy to oblige. The Slaughterhouse spitter also invited several other respected wordsmiths to join him in... Read more

Dot Demo Turns A Careful Whisper Into A Crazy Freestyle (Video)

Dot Demo is one to watch. With influences like Big Pun, Nas, Jay Z and J Dilla, the Bronx, NY MC has high standards and high expectations. He recently hit Statik Selektah’s Show Off Radio and wrecked a couple of beats, turning a careful whisper into a crazy freestyle. Dot... Read more

Joey Bada$$ Carries On Tradition For Brooklyn And Biggie (Audio)

Today (March 9) marks 19 years since the world lost The Notorious B.I.G., but his legacy remains as strong as ever. His music stands the test of time as some of the greatest Hip-Hop ever recorded, and he has influenced countless artists since. One MC who has steadfastly carried on... Read more

The Game Joins Koache & Nottz On A Song That Feels Like Back In The Day (Audio)

Los Angeles MC Koache has released his debut album, Game Point. He's joined on the project by West Coast OGs Xzibit and WC of Westside Connection, as well as young guns like BJ The Chicago Kid and Cory Gunz. A number of the tracks are produced by Nottz, including the... Read more

Hopsin Airs His Grievances With Funk Volume On “Ill Mind Of Hopsin 8” (Video)

Over the years, Hopsin has been known to play pranks on fans and the media. In December of 2014, he claimed he was retiring and moving to Australia, only to reveal a couple of weeks later that it was a gag and he had a new album on the way.... Read more

Listen To The Best Hip-Hop of February (& January) 2016 In One Playlist (Audio)

The month of February brought many surprises in Hip-Hop. DJ Premier partnered with ambient songstress Yuna, for some boom bap vibe music. Blu rocked on a 45 King track reminiscent of "Hard Knock Life." Kendrick Lamar and Ice Cube got funky with Funkadelic. The Game waxed poetic with nothing but... Read more

It’s Official. YG Is Bringing G-Funk Back (Video)

Last year, when YG released "Twist My Fingaz," the lead single from his forthcoming album Still Krazy, it sounded like he was making a statement. The track, which featured an interpolation of Funkadelic's "One Nation Under A Groove," oozed the G-Funk sound that dominated the West Coast, a generation before... Read more

2 Chainz & Lil Wayne Stage A Rap Battle & Throw Heavyweight Blows (Video)

Due to their immense commercial success, sometimes people forget that 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne can really RAP. They use the video for "Bounce," from 2 Chainz's just released album Collegegrove, to remind all that their pen games remain sharp as steel. Drawing heavily from a recent episode of Empire,... Read more

Wayne Brady Freestyles With Action Bronson & Steals The Show (Video)

This week, Action Bronson made an appearance at Shade 45 on a show hosted by Whoo Kid and DJ'd by Alchemist. Joined by Meyhem Lauren, Bronson was there to promote his VICE cooking web series. While there in the Shade 45 "fish bowl," Bronson spotted none other than the multi-faceted... Read more

This Remix Takes Redman’s “Funkorama” And Cooks It With Soul (Audio)

Many producers try their hands at remixes, but when the duo of Cookin' Soul lay their hands on a song, the result is usually specially. True to their name, they inject their productions with rich soulful sounds that re-invent the original songs, without sounding forced. Over the years, they have... Read more

Fat Joe & Remy Ma Discuss How Big Pun Is Still Watching Over Them (Video)

Fat Joe and Remy Ma joined The Breakfast Club for a lengthy discussion yesterday (March 4). In fact, it was the longest interview in the show's history, clocking in at a whopping 78 minutes. The two discussed everything from their tumultuous history to Love & Hip-Hop to their forthcoming collaborative... Read more

Royce 5’9″ Discusses “The Most Significant Day Of His Life” & Debuts 2 New Songs (Video)

On the heels of announcing the forthcoming release of Layers (April 15), his first solo album in nearly 5 years, Royce 5'9" paid a visit to the Sway in the Morning show to premiere the album's lead single, "Tabernacle." Over the course of a nearly 35-minute interview, Royce would play... Read more

Step Inside The Mind of Earl Sweatshirt With A Wildly Diverse DJ Set (Video)

Earl Sweatshirt is the latest to play a DJ set for Boiler Room. Performing under the alias "Earl Fletcher" at Babylon Skate Shop in Los Angeles, the Odd Future member's set is truly all over the place. Some may see it as a sprawling mess. For others, it is a... Read more