Parfit

Royce Da 5’9″, DJ Premier & Adrian Younge Takeover the Boiler Room (Video)

Royce Da 5'9", DJ Premier and Adrian Younge, the collective known as PRhyme, tookover the Boiler Room recently for a night for true music Heads. The event, which was held at New York's Chung King Studios, began with a DJ set by Younge, where he spun 45s of breaks used... Read more

December 13, 2014 Video

J. Cole Delivers a Stunning Performance of Be Free on Letterman (Video)

"I'm letting you know that there ain't no gun they can make that can kill my soul." J. Cole is on a different level these days. He performed a powerful version of "Be Free" on Late Show with David Letterman that left everyone in the room stunned, including Dave (visibly).... Read more

December 13, 2014 Video

Kendrick Lamar Addresses Ferguson, Eric Garner and Instilling Self Esteem (Video)

Over the last five years, Kendrick Lamar as been one of Hip-Hop's leading social commentators through his music. Songs like "Vanity Slaves," "Keisha's Song" and "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" address various issues plaguing the community. So, when MTV recently asked Kendrick about the events around the country... Read more

December 13, 2014 Video

Bishop Nehru Brings a Breath of Fresh Air to Hip-Hop (Audio)

2014 has been a strong year for Bishop Nehru. In addition to releasing his Nehruvian DOOM project with DOOM, the talented MC also signed with Nas on his Mass Appeal records. His latest release chops up a vintage Erykah Badu sample. Check out "Breath." Related: Bishop Nehru Makes His Sway... Read more

December 13, 2014 Audio

Royce Da 5’9″ & DJ Premier Shut Down The Backroom With a Hot Verse & Beat (Video)

PRhyme (Royce Da 5'9" and DJ Premier) were the latest to hit The Backroom on 106 & Park, and the dynamic duo shut it down. Royce kicked a blistering verse that was part new and part from PRhyme's song "To Me, To U," all over a custom-made Premier beat. Press... Read more

December 12, 2014 Video

Chris Rock Names His Top 5 Comedians From a Battle of 10 (Video)

Chris Rock stopped by the Sway in the Morning show to promote his film Top Five (in theaters on December 12th). Ever insightful, he gave some thoughtful commentary on Eric Garner and why there might be less activism in Hip-Hop now as compared to in the 80's and 90's. Rock... Read more

December 11, 2014 Video

Snoop’s Latest Guest on GGN? The Kool-Aid Man…Red, Of Course (Video)

This is hilarious. Snoop Dogg's latest guest on his GGN show is none other than the Kool-Aid Man (red, of course). Snoop talks to Kool-Aid about him being in the White House now that its occupied by President Obama, his being for all races despite the stereotypes, the bad rap... Read more

December 11, 2014 Video

Your Old Droog Paints a Vivid Lyrical Picture with His Toca Tuesday Freestyle (Video)

"Musicians acting like mobsters. That's Steven Van Zandt." Your Old Droog stopped by Tony Touch's Shade 45 show and kicked a Toca Tuesday Freestyle. Ever long on colorful metaphors, Droog painted a vivid picture with clever references like the above Soprano's nod. "Your Old Pal" will have another performance at... Read more

December 11, 2014 Video

J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive Is A Homecoming For More Than Himself (Album Review)

There is beauty in the struggle. There is ugliness in the success. Whether you’re currently satisfied within the achievements you envisioned for yourself, on the cusp of that individual gratification, or miles away from your desired prosperity, Jermaine Lamar Cole has arrived with his third full-length album, 2014 Forest Hills... Read more

December 10, 2014 Food for Thought, Fresh

Lil Dicky Keeps It 100% Real in Detailing His Criminal Record on White Crime (Video)

Lil Dicky continues his razor sharp satirical streak. On his song "White Crime" he takes aim at studio gangsterism in Hip-Hop by hilariously detailing his real-life criminal offenses on record. His transgressions include such things as sneaking candy into the movie theater, taking shampoo from hotels, jaywalking and...gasp...stealing wifi. Ironically,... Read more

December 10, 2014 Video

Andre 3000 Explains Why Each OutKast Album Sounded So Different; Talks Jimi Hendrix (Video)

Andre 3000 sat down for an extended interview with HardKnock TV where he detailed how he prepared for his role as Jimi Hendrix, explained why each OutKast album sounded so different from its predecessor, discussed his foray into clothing and more. Check out the video and a detailed description from... Read more

December 10, 2014 Video

Shady Records Gathers a Gang of MCs for the Detroit vs. Everybody Remix (Audio)

Shady Records continues the Detroit takeover with a remix to their "Detroit vs. Everybody" anthem. This version features Trick Trick,Dej Loaf, Guilty Simpson, Black Milk, Sino, Marv Won, Payroll, Hydro, Boldy James, Big Gov, Kid Vishis, Big Herk, Icewear Vezzo, Detroit Che, Calicoe, and Diezel The Hitman. It also weighs... Read more

December 10, 2014 Audio

Detroit Che Follows Her Cypher with a Monster Backroom Freestyle (Video)

Detroit Che earned her way into the 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher by winning the Hot 16 contest sponsored by Sprite. She was grouped with MCs like Logic, Lil Mama, Troy Ave and Dee-1. Undaunted, she stood toe to toe with each and came away with one of the... Read more

December 10, 2014 Video

Cormega Releases a Dream Team Remix with AZ, Redman & Styles P (Audio)

This past Summer, Cormega released "MARS (Dream Team)" featuring AZ, Redman and Styles P. Just the lineup was enough to make Heads explode, but it actually lived up to its billing. Each MC flexed on the Large Professor beat which was one of the crown jewels on Cormega's stellar Mega... Read more

December 9, 2014 Audio

J. Cole Sings About His Mother Losing Her Home to Foreclosure on Apparently (Video)

J. Cole is his own featured artist on "Apparently." The majority of the song finds Cole in stream of consciousness mode singing about such intimate things as his guilt over being unaware his mother was losing her house on Forest Hills (part of the title of his new album) to... Read more

December 9, 2014 Video

J. Cole Releases One of His Realest Songs Yet with Adolescence (Audio)

Witness the re-birth of J. Cole. With very little fanfare, he has released one of his finest works yet with his 2014 Forest Hills Drive album. Contrary to what the title suggests, this is a return to the J. Cole of 2009--the North Carolina MC whose Warm Up mixtape restored... Read more

December 9, 2014 Audio

Trademark Da Skydiver Returns with Lush Strings Attached (Video)

Trademark Da Skydiver, longtime JET Life member with Curren$y, has stepped out on his own with his Return of the Super Villain album. Even in his solo endeavors, he still gravitates toward that lush JET Life sound. "The Return" is a laid-back track which surrounds him with melodic Spanish-influenced guitars... Read more

December 8, 2014 Video

3D Na’ Tee Releases a Powerful and Disturbing Video Protesting Police Brutality (Video)

3D Na'Tee is a New Orleans born video director, songwriter and MC. She has put together one of the most explosive videos yet in the face of seemingly countless killings of Black men around the country by law enforcement officials (and those posing as such), with no accountability. "Who Can... Read more

December 8, 2014 Video

Timbaland Plays Andre 3000’s Full UFO Verse and It’s FIRE (Video)

Remember that snippet of a Timbaland song that featured Andre 3000 and what many believed was Jhene Aiko? As reported, the female co-vocalist was actually Timbaland's hot new artist named Tink. Timbaland has now released a full preview of the song. Andre 3000 brings a FIRE verse and Tink turns... Read more

December 7, 2014 Video

Chris Rivers Samples Nas and Channels Pun on His Latest (Video)

Chris Rivers (formerly Baby Pun) has had a breakout year in 2014. Big Pun's son has shown that the apple did not fall far from the tree with his razor sharp lyrics and eerily similar tone. On "Ain't Hard to Tell," he puts a Nas sample to good use and... Read more

December 7, 2014 Video

M.O.P. Discuss Their History with Jay Z & Dame Dash, Perform Ante Up & More with Sway (Video)

M.O.P. sat down with Sway and had an extended conversation amongst Hip-Hop O.G.'s. They discussed their extensive history, including some real talk about their history with Jay Z and Dame Dash and how they handled the fall out of the Roc-A-Fellas. The Mash Out Posse also spoke about the current... Read more

December 7, 2014 Video

Ever Heard Cookin’ Soul’s Big Pun & J. Dilla Mixtape? You Should…(Mixtape)

Big Pun and J. Dilla share status as Hip-Hop icons. The two also have a significant date in common: February 7th is Dilla's birthday and the day Pun passed away. One connection Pun and Dilla did not have was working on a record together. A few years ago, the production... Read more

December 7, 2014 Mixes

Your Old Droog Spits Fire on Porno for Pyros (Audio)

When all is said and done, what may have been lost in the Nas comparisons is that Your Old Droog is a HIGHLY skilled MC. The similes he uses and the pictures he paints with his metaphors are more than deserving of the attention he commandeered this Summer. "Porno for... Read more

December 6, 2014 Audio

Wu-Tang Clan Hope for A Better Tomorrow Against a Backdrop of Visual Chaos (Video)

Wu-Tang Clan's "A Better Tomorrow" could not have come at a more relevant time. The group's song about social injustice is the perfect soundtrack to one of the most tumultuous times in American history in the last decade. Set against a backdrop of visual footage from protests for Michael Brown,... Read more

December 6, 2014 Video

YG Has a New Album Coming. Here’s the First Single (Audio)

Many believe YG has an album of the year contender with My Krazy Life (but not the Grammy Awards). With it's club and car-friendly beats and raw, unfiltered lyrics, he and DJ Mustard established a new Cali sound for a new era in Hip-Hop. Not one to rest on his... Read more

December 5, 2014 Audio

KXNG Crooked Releases the Powerful and Reflective I Can’t Breathe (Audio)

KXNG Crooked (formerly Crooked I) is the latest to step to the forefront of Hip-Hop and speak out against the failure to indict officer Daniel Pantaleo in the choking death of Eric Garner. Crooked starts off softly, meditatively rapping about what he feels is a complete devaluation of the lives... Read more

December 5, 2014 Audio

He’s Back…Terminator Genisys is Coming Next Summer. Here’s the Trailer (Video)

Certain films have penetrated Hip-Hop on such a level that they have become part of the fabric. This is true of movies ranging from Good Fellas to Superfly to Five Deadly Venoms. Another such iconic film is The Terminator. From as far back as EPMD's "You Gots to Chill" to... Read more

December 5, 2014 Video

Spike Lee Speaks on Eric Garner and Americans Doing the Right Thing (Video)

I will never forget the scene in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing where the character Radio Raheem was savagely choked to death by a police officer. The brutality was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. The life was literally sucked out of Raheem as one officer did the choking... Read more

December 4, 2014 Video

Happy Birthday to Jay Z. Take (Another) Listen to The Brown Album (Audio)

Salute to Jay Z who turned 45 today. To celebrate his birthday, here's a look back at Kev Brown's remix project, The Brown Album. As many know, Jay released the a cappella vocals to The Black Album with the hopes that producers take them and create their own spins on... Read more

December 4, 2014 Audio

Astro Handles the 5 Fingers of Death Freestyle Like a Champion (Video)

Astro stopped by the Sway in the Morning show to discuss his new Computer Era album, Ferguson and more. After, he got on the mic and tackled Sway's 5 Fingers of Death MC challenge, off the top, and did not break a sweat. After, some said it was the best... Read more

December 3, 2014 Video

There’s a Lullaby Version of Eminem’s Lose Yourself and It’s Shockingly Comforting (Audio)

Some things just aren't meant to go together, like oil and water and cats and dogs, to name a few. Another combo most would add to the list would be Eminem and lullabies. However, the folks at Rockabye Baby would disagree and, oddly, they have a point. The company which... Read more

December 2, 2014 Audio

Ghostface Killah Unleashes a Full Album Stream of 36 Seasons (Audio)

Over the last few weeks, Ghostface Killah has released banger after banger after banger from his forthcoming 36 Seasons album. Few, if any, projects have been more anticipated. Now, the wait is over. Similar to DJ Premier & Royce Da 5'9" with their PRhyme EP, Ghost has released a full... Read more

December 1, 2014 Audio

Hear All of DJ Premier & Royce Da 5’9″‘s PRhyme EP a Week Early (Audio Stream)

Since announcing they would be releasing a joint project as a super group named PRhyme, DJ Premier & Royce Da 5'9" have had the Hip-Hop world at the edge of their collective seats. The duo have since released singles, videos and teasers that have stoked the fire. Now, a week... Read more

December 1, 2014 Audio

It’s Ladies Night with Lil Kim, Missy, Da Brat & Lady of Rage at The Soul Train Awards (Video)

The 2014 Soul Train Awards was a night of reunions. In addition to Jodeci coming together, Missy Elliott, Lil Kim, Da Brat and Lady of Rage reunited to perform "Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix)," and Total, Yo-Yo and MC Lyte joined the party. RIP Left Eye who was also on... Read more

November 30, 2014 Video

Jodeci Reunites at The Soul Train Awards. Watch the Performance (Video)

Jodeci reunited for an extended medley at the 2014 Soul Train Awards. K-Ci, JoJo, DeVante and Mr. Dalvin took the stage in Las Vegas and ran through several of their classics, hitting seemingly all of the slow jams that made them one of the most revered groups of the New... Read more

November 30, 2014 Video

Here’s a Playlist of the Best Hip-Hop of November 2014 (Audio)

November was dominated by members of Wu-Tang Clan and Shady 2.0. Eminem, the Wu, Royce Da 5'9" & DJ Premier, Ghostface Killah and Slaughterhouse all had big records (or several). Here's a playlist featuring music by them, as well as De La Soul, Chuck D, Juvenile, Big K.R.I.T., M.O.P., AZ,... Read more

November 30, 2014 Audio, Featured-homepage, Playlists

Timbaland Signee Tink Makes a Strong Statement About Chicago & Ferguson (Audio)

Over the last month and a half, Chicago MC Tink has been associated with Jay Z, Rick Ross, Andre 3000 and Timbaland...Not bad for an up and coming MC, right? But, don't let the big names fool you. Tink is a talented MC and singer who stands out in her... Read more

November 30, 2014 Audio

LL Cool J Tells How He Got His Name & Survived a Brutal Diss By a Little Girl (Video)

James Todd Smith. LL Cool J. Ladies Love Cool James. How in the world did he come up with that name? In this semi-animated video from Vevo, LL details the origins of his now household moniker and tells how he moved past a potentially crushing diss...by a little girl. Check... Read more

November 30, 2014 Video

Bumpy Knuckles Takes the Cake and Will Eat Yours Too (Audio)

After dropping a fiery verse in DJ Premier's Bars in the Booth, Bumpy Knuckles closes out a strong week by beating up on another track. He and DJ Wayne Ski link up again on "Cake Remix." Bumpy Knucks talks tough and is one of the few MCs who can back... Read more

November 29, 2014 Audio

Ever See This Rough and Rugged Big Daddy Kane Freestyle? (Video)

In the discussion of GOATs, one name continually resurfaces: Big Daddy Kane. As one of the first purveyors of multi-syllabic rhyming, Kane is literally the father to a style that has endured for decades. Ain't nothing like the real thing though...Here's a look back at Kane in his purest element,... Read more

November 29, 2014 Throwback

Are Native Tongues Hip-Hop’s Best Collective Ever? Listen to This (Mixtape)

A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Monie Love, Black Sheep, The Jungle Brothers...Each of these artists are legendary in their own right. When you combine them? You have one of the finest Hip-Hop collectives ever assembled, in Native Tongues. Here's a mix by DJ Ready that features... Read more

November 29, 2014 Throwback

The LOX Bring Some Horror to the Holiday Season (Video)

The LOX are finishing out a 12-month period that included not one but three new projects on a high note. They release the video to "Horror" from the 2nd Sermon of their Trinity series. Check it out. Related: The Lox Release Their Trinity 3rd Sermon EP for Free (Mixtape)... Read more

November 28, 2014 Video

Cookin’ Soul Adds Some BOOM BAP to Kool G. Rap, Large Professor & Big Noyd’s Naturally Born (Audio)

Nearly two years ago, Kool G. Rap, Large Professor and Big Noyd released "Naturally Born" as part of Coalmine Records' Unearthed compilation. The track, which was produced by Ayatollah, featured a soulful sample and strong verses from each of the veteran wordsmiths. Now, Cookin' Soul, the production duo known for... Read more

November 28, 2014 Throwback

Ghostface Killah Commits a Homicide on Wax (Audio)

Ghostface Killah's 36 Seasons album is sounding more epic every day. Each release has presented like a chapter in what is seemingly Tony Starks' audio graphic novel. "Homicide" is the latest adventure and it features Nems and Shawn Wigs. It gets no grimier. Check it out. Related: Ghostface Killah &... Read more

November 28, 2014 Audio

De La Soul & Chuck D Make a Powerful Statement for The People (Audio)

De La Soul and Chuck D have come together on one track to make a powerful statement together. Here's what De La had to say about "The People": "The idea for the song came from a couple of samples, and the track’s vibe is earnest and has a pressing tone... Read more

November 28, 2014 Audio

Ras Kass Starts the Christmas Season with a Big MESS (Mixtape)

Ambrosia for Heads is pleased to premiere a free download of notorious waterproof MC Ras Kass' ‘ChristMESS EP’ sponsored by Platformz, an indie music and media app based search engine, to help kick off the holiday grind. ‘ChristMESS’ is a cohesive compilation of tracks featuring Felony Muzik, Doc Hollywood and... Read more

November 28, 2014 Featured-homepage, Mixes

Bishop Nehru Makes His Sway in the Morning Debut with a Strong Verse (Video)

Bishop Nehru is an old soul. Not only does he have 90's sensibilities with his flow, his knowledge of the music and life perspective also go well beyond his years. All of this was on full display as he made his Sway in the Morning debut. He came prepared with... Read more

November 28, 2014 Video

MC Lyte Rocks a Verse Over Junior MAFIA’s Player’s Anthem; Talks Charitable Work (Video)

After more than 25 years in the game, MC Lyte is continuing to build on her legacy. The veteran MC has an organization called the Hip-Hop Sisters Network which both supports women artists in Hip-Hop and also provides financial assistance to young male and female students. She stopped by Sway... Read more

November 27, 2014 Video

What Would Illmatic Sound Like if Biggie Was Rhyming? Like This (Mixtape)

Biggie or Nas? That's been an age old question in GOAT discussions for decades. The debate likely will never be resolved but it does beg the question, what would Illmatic have sounded like if Biggie was rapping? That's a query that has been addressed and the answer is...phenomenal. Here's a... Read more

November 27, 2014 Mixes

Wu-Tang Clan Give Thanks to Fans with a Free Stream of A Better Tomorrow (Audio)

After many fits and starts, squabbles and squashes, Wu-Tang Clan put their differences aside and have come together to release their first album in 7 years. A Better Tomorrow hits stores on Tuesday, but the Wu are giving thanks to fans on Thanksgiving by releasing a full stream of the... Read more

November 27, 2014 Audio