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The Roots’ Never Gets A Live Choral Flip, With DJ A-Trak On The Cut (Video)

Released yesterday, The Roots' ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin steps further in the direction that the group has been heading since parting ways with MCA/Geffen Records a decade ago. Dark, thoughtful, and often veiled in the perspectives and voices of others, the Philadelphia group is making quite different music... Read more

May 21, 2014 Fresh, Video

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Earliest Mentor, DJ Mister Cee Laid Down A Biggie Birthday Mix (Audio)

Before Puff Daddy, before Heavy D, before even Easy Mo Bee, it was DJ Mister Cee who took musical interest in a young Christopher Wallace. Mister Cee was a Brooklyn big-shot back in 1992, known as a fixture for DJ'ing and producing for Big Daddy Kane and others, as part... Read more

May 21, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Think You Know A Hard Rap Verse? Tech N9ne & Murs Raise The Ante (Video)

With Strangeulation making its round, Tech N9ne unleashed a rough-edged exterior video to his Murs-assisted "Hard." Strange Music's co-founder and the label's most recent signee link for this skills-forward single. Tech puts on his paint for this video, letting Heads know it's real, while Murs goes back to some of... Read more

May 21, 2014 Fresh, Video

Some Texas Street Musicians Get A Dream Come True Care Of Juicy J, Aloe Blacc & Trey Songz (Video)

It can be easy to roll your eyes at the seemingly-cliche term "viral video." The label is thrown on anything anymore, whether it actually makes its rounds or not. However, in the past week, some phone-cam footage of a sidewalk jam session in Texas. The simple jam about the uncertainty... Read more

May 21, 2014 Fresh, Video

Black Sheep’s Dres Says We Can All Share (Audio)

In what appears to be a revival of Tommy Boy Records, Black Sheep front man Dres begins a new solo venture. The mentor to Chi-Ali and Jarobi's evitaN partner released "We Can All Share" via NahRight. The song shows the 25-year veteran and Native Tongues member has only gained ground... Read more

May 21, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force’s Producers Are Forever Looking For The Perfect (Video)

With DJ Kool Herc credited as founder, Hip-Hop music is often credited with three godfathers. In addition to the Jamaican-born Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash are honored as the two other mixmasters known for bringing the funk to the people. By the '80s, while Kool Herc still played parties,... Read more

May 20, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Roc Marciano Fits Snugly On A Cold To The Bone Apollo Brown Beat (Audio)

Mello Music Group's Apollo Brown lines up with regular label affiliate Roc Marciano for "Lonely & Cold." The bonus cut from Thirty Eight lives up to its name as the Detroit, Michigan mainstay producer/member of The Left links with the U.N. veteran, in his latest in a series of top-shelf feature spots.... Read more

May 20, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Travel Back To A Different NYC Hip-Hop Climate In Rast RFC’s Across West 3rd Street (Mixtape)

Heads may not know of Rast RFC immediately. However, the Downtown swinger's name means much more in the graffiti world than immediately to most Rap listeners. A member of the RFC crew, Rast represents that late '90s, early 2000s-era New York City youth that made panel vans cringe in horror,... Read more

May 19, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Mixes

J. Rawls & Masta Ace Bemoan The Bills That We All Get (Audio)

As we collectively approach a new first of the month, leave it to Lone Catalysts' J. Rawls & The eMC's Masta Ace to make a funky explanation about how those "Bills" run our lives. Ace, who regularly externalizes his rhymes when he's being self-deprecating, waxes some Everyman poetic. Rawls laces... Read more

May 19, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Pharrell Makes An Open-Letter Visual To All The G I R L S He’s Loved Before (Video)

From "Rump Shaker" to "Excuse Me Miss," Pharrell Williams has over 20 years of celebrating the female form through music. In the wake of his G I R L album, complete with its artwork and complementary visuals, Skateboard P continues to salute the fairer sex. "Dear G I R L" is... Read more

May 19, 2014 Fresh, Video

Questlove & Black Thought Talk 25 Years Of The Roots, Where The Last 5 Albums Fit In With The First 6 (Video)

Late last week, Heads saw Black Thought freestyle over a Questlove beat, with the funky drummer on the cut, no less. From that same interview, Tariq and Amir sat down with Sway Calloway on his Hip Hop Nation show, to talk about 25 years of the crew. In this hour-plus... Read more

May 19, 2014 Fresh, Video

Cormega Calls Out The Industry Over A Smooth Large Professor Beat (Audio)

If anybody can be skeptical of record industry tactics, it's Queens veteran Cormega. "'Mega Montana" famously turned down a management offer from Steve Stoute, costing him a founder's spot in The Firm. When Nas, AZ, and Foxy Brown inked a mid-90s deal with Interscope/Aftermath, Cormega was abruptly replaced by The... Read more

May 19, 2014 Audio, Fresh

T.I. Might Be About The Money, But He’s Still Got His Skills In Making Great Rap Music (Audio)

Few Rap stars have the ability to find the kind of balance that T.I. does. The ATL trap veteran is able to seemingly always appease his core audience, while growing the circle through catchy production, out of genre guest-work, and Euro-Dance samples. Gearing up for Paperwork, Tip continues what he... Read more

May 19, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Look Back To An Ill 1998 Future Flavas Freestyle From The Last Days Of A Tribe Called Quest (Audio)

Heads may remember the late '90s, early 2000s HOT 97 "Future Flavas" radio show hosted by Marley Marl and Pete Rock. In the glory days of underground Hip-Hop, this show bridged the gap between old school and emerging greats, with two legends on the boards, transmitting to the tri-state. This... Read more

May 19, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

Boot Camp Clicks On Ruste Juxx & Rockness Monstah’s Off The Hinges (Video)

Sean Price's onetime understudy Ruste Juxx has broken out and built a nice career for himself. The raspy Brooklyn MC is a no-nonsense street MC, who celebrates the roots of Hip-Hop. In "Off The Hinges," Ruste teams with Sean's Heltah Skeltah partner Rockness Monstah, who together, amidst cuttin' and scratchin',... Read more

May 18, 2014 Fresh, Video

Project Blowed’s Open Mike Eagle Channels All Of The The Cosby Show Intros (Video)

From that Freestyle Fellowship-launched Project Blowed camp (Aceyalone, Myka 9, Volume 10, Ganjha K, Abstract Rude, Skee-Lo, etc.), Open Mike Eagle is one of the newer artists. Down with Busdriver and 2Mex, California's O.M.E. (who hails from Chicago originally) is known for bombastic deliveries, precise technical flows, and a sardonic... Read more

May 18, 2014 Fresh, Video

Cormega’s Releases Raekwon-Assisted Honorable, Mega Philosophy Album To Be Produced Entirely By Large Professor (Audio)

With the release of "Honorable" (embedded below), it's been confirmed that Cormega's upcoming album, Mega Philosophy, will release on July 22. The Queens MC, and former late '90s Def Jam Records hopeful confirmed the news this week, with sites including Ambrosia For Heads. Black Rob, Nature, AZ, Redman, Styles P, Raekwon,... Read more

May 17, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Nas Confirms The Lost Tapes 2, Said To Have Signed Fashawn & Bishop Nehru

A new Billboard report expounds on Nas' Mass Appeal Records partnership. Mr. Jones' latest label is the latest iteration of Decon, a label who worked throughout the last 12 years with Black Milk, Gangrene, Alchemist, Freestyle Fellowship, Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples members, and Roc Marciano, among many others. Nasty Nas is... Read more

May 16, 2014 Fresh

Kanye West Is Recording His Next Album Where?

Kanye West has certainly made the most of his Def Jam Records album budgets. Starting in 2009, G.O.O.D. Music's founder set up shop in Hawaii, living with his collaborators by day, and recording by night the sessions for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. There were accounts of Pete Rock and... Read more

May 16, 2014 Fresh

Blu’s Homecoming Is A Few Days Early (Album Stream)

Blu's Good To Be Home is scheduled to release on May 20. However, one of Johnson Barnes' longtime label affiliates, Nature Sounds, blessed the Heads with an early listen to Disc 1 and Disc 2 of the LP boasting full production by Bombay. Veteran MC guests from the likes of... Read more

May 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Talib Kweli & Raekwon Cite The Violations From Gravitas (Video)

Two giants of New York Hip-Hop come together, table-side, in a police interrogation-room themed video, "Violations." Talib Kweli and Raekwon bring the Gravitas single to life, in living color. Fifteen years ago, during the earliest days of Black Star and Reflection Eternal, as well as the release of Wu-Tang Forever,... Read more

May 15, 2014 Fresh, Video

Fat Joe Calls Himself A “KRS-One Groupie,” Performs Flow Joe On The Spot + Freestyles (Video)

Fat Joe's history can be deceiving. A household name, globally-recognized icon, Joe Crack is also a founding member of D.I.T.C., and has at least two albums that are hardcore Hip-Hop gems. If anybody knows this, it's Sway Calloway, who's has Joe on his shows for over 21 years and counting.... Read more

May 14, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Kool Keith Gets A Funny Or Die Show Just Being…Kool Keith. George Clinton Cameos (Video)

If Odd Future's Tyler, The Creator can have his own variety show, what about the pioneer of Rap-weird? As Eminem so eloquently pointed out on "Monster," he hopes to be "kookier than Kool Keith." Well, after the debut episode of the Ultramagnetic MC's frontman's new Funny Or Die show, is... Read more

May 14, 2014 Fresh, Video

Is Mayhem Lauren The Next Great Artist Of The Future To Break Through On A Buckwild Beat? (Audio)

If you've seen a 2010-2012 Action Bronson show, you've probably witnessed Mayhem Lauren. The Lefrak City, Queens MC has a longstanding history with Bam-Bam Bronson as two members of The Outdoorsmen. Mayhem's solo career is building strongly lately, and the veteran bully-mouth lyricist has a whole project coming later this... Read more

May 14, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Jay Z, ScHoolboy Q, Drake & Eve Among 2014 BET Awards Nominees

The 2014 BET Awards are scheduled to air live from Los Angeles, California's Nokia Theatre on Sunday, June 29. Six weeks ahead, the network has shared its nominees in the respective categories, including Hip-Hop nods to Jay Z, Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Future, Eve, Nicki Minaj, and... Read more

May 14, 2014 Fresh

Cam’ron & Just Blaze Reunite In What Feels Like A Come Home With Me Leftover (Video)

When Cam'ron told Just Blaze, "You owe me, nigga" on the intro to "Welcome To New York City" back in 2002, Heads might've felt the precursor to tension within Roc-A-Fella Records. After all, Just had just played a critical role in Jay Z's The Blueprint, along with Kanye West. He was... Read more

May 14, 2014 Fresh, Video

Justin Timberlake & Legions Of Dancing Fans Pay Tribute To Michael Jackson In Love Never Felt So Good (Video)

Michael Jackson's posthumous Xscape album is available now. However, Epic Records continues to pull out all the stops to make it reach the masses. Justin Timberlake-joined single "Love Never Felt So Good" gets a video, which is more than just a trotted-in montage of moments, or animation. J.T. leads the... Read more

May 14, 2014 Fresh, Video

Bun B Defines What It Means To Be A G, His Most Lyrical Verse & Getting Up With 50 Cent In 1999 (Video)

Bun B has over 22 years on record shelves, with over 25 as a professional MC. Bernard Freeman challenged the conventions of what a Southern MC was capable of, and helped define a brand of Gangsta Rap in Texas different than that of UGK's homies, The Geto Boys. Sitting down... Read more

May 13, 2014 Fresh, Video

The Roots Let Heads Listen Early To …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin In Its Entirety (Album Stream)

Between Masta Ace's crew, J-Live, and now The Roots' latest album, today (May 13) is a day for the books in terms of album streams. Out of nowhere, ?uestlove, Black Thought, Tuba Gooding, Jr. and the rest of The Roots crew liberated their latest in-house LP (due May 20), ...And Then... Read more

May 13, 2014 Audio, Fresh

J-Live Drops A Sun-Sational Sixth Album, Including AFH Favorite Not Listening (Album Stream)

Brooklyn, New Yorker J-Live has released Around The Sun. The former Payday/7Heads Records MC's sixth album features a lot of images and solstice themes, as well as Homeboy Sandman, Boog Brown, and Tanya Morgan. Twelve tracks long, this $8 album is available from Justice's Bandcamp page. After "Not Listening" became one... Read more

May 13, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Summer Is Cooking Up. Know The Ledge On The Making Of Mtume’s Juicy Fruit (Video)

Whether you're a '60s, '70s, '80s, or '90s baby, Mtume's "Juicy Fruit" means something to you. The Electro-Soul groove is a hit in its own right, before becoming the basis of The Notorious B.I.G.'s breakthrough hit almost of the same name. Red Bull Music Academy sat with James Mtume, the... Read more

May 13, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Get The Story Of Lord Finesse Discovering Big L In A Record Store (Audio)

D.I.T.C.'s history is the kind of tales that legends are made of. From Diamond D discovering a young Fat Joe in the Bronx, "in Forest, across from Morris," and putting him on Ultimate Force's demo, to Afrika Bambaataa's right-hand-man DJ Jazzy Jay taking Lord Finesse, Diamond, and Showbiz under his... Read more

May 13, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

Try Out To Masta Ace, Punchline, Wordsworth & Strick’s Sophomore eMC LP (Album Stream)

Veteran Brooklyn MC Masta Ace is branching out with his latest group, The eMC. The collective including late '90s underground Hip-Hop MCs Wordsworth, Punchline (who were previously a group as Punch & Words), along with Milwaukee, Wisconsin MC Strick (f/k/a Stricklin). The group released a 2008 LP on Fat Beats... Read more

May 13, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Blu Makes His Return, Discussing West Coast Gangsta Culture (Audio)

For almost a decade, Blu has been a musical chameleon. The Los Angeles native's albums sound wildly different, from one to the next, while his evasiveness from the spotlight only adds to the mystique. For Good To Be Home (cover art pictured), Blu may seem like he's returning to form, but... Read more

May 13, 2014 Audio, Fresh

DJ Quik Makes A New Style Of Beats With Bishop Lamont On The Mic (Video)

Just over six months after DJ Quik threatened to hang up his production talents following two stolen MPCs, the Compton veteran is back in the saddle. "Trapped On The Track" perhaps explains why the longtime Profile Records star who worked closely with 2Pac, Eazy-E, and Hi-C is unable to fully... Read more

May 13, 2014 Fresh, Video

Curren$y & Le$ Tell Us It’s Over With A Thumping Cardo Beat (Audio)

Curren$y's slow flow, intricate materialism imagery, and ageless whimsicality on the track has made him a independent Hip-Hop star with several major deals. He partners with Le$ for "It's Over With," a simple song about commanding the attention away from spouses that aren't theirs to begin with. However, Cardo's slow,... Read more

May 13, 2014 Audio, Fresh

50 Cent Makes A Boxing-Inspired Visual for Winner’s Circle (Video)

At its root, 50 Cent's long-awaited album Animal Ambition sounds inspirational. "Winner's Circle" is an autobiographical song about Fif's unyielding drive to be the best. The record looks at the attributes within, and explains why the man never backs down. The song, featuring singing from Guordan Banks, is written in... Read more

May 13, 2014 Fresh, Video

Can It All Be So Simple: RZA & Raekwon Are Clan Brothers Once Again!

This morning (May 12), Wu-Tang Clan's website blog has posted some news that Heads can rejoice about, complete unity within the legendary collective. The site writes, "Breaking news : Raekwon and Rza truce : Raekwon scheduled to hit studio to complete verses for album : A Better Tomorrow, Details coming!" While neither... Read more

May 12, 2014 Fresh

Vic Mensa Releases One of the Best Music Videos of the Year (Video)

Vic Mensa is a machine. With many styles in his repertoire, the Kids These Days MC turned star soloist released two different looks in one day. Accompanying longtime collaborator Donnie Trumpet on the Bluesy Jazz-influenced "Pasadena," Mensa also released the pepped-up Hip-House visual to his "Down On My Luck." Think... Read more

May 12, 2014 Fresh, Video

Jazmine Sullivan Returns with Another Warning Shot for the Unfaithful (Audio)

Jazmine Sullivan and Meek Mill grew up in the same 215 area code surrounding Philadelphia. Both sensations are known for re-channeling their personal pain into strong, energetic music that resonates with the masses. "Dumb," hosted by Sullivan does just this. She burst onto the scene into 2008 with a strong... Read more

May 12, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Janelle Monae Holds It Down For The Underdogs In Her David Bowie Cover Heroes (Video)

Janelle Monae is always making statements: with music, fashion, lyrics, and more. In her video to "Heroes," the cover of the famed 1977 David Bowie record, Purple Ribbon's secret weapon stands up to bullying. This M*I*A-style video tells a story, and has an upside. Whether the song is about love,... Read more

May 12, 2014 Fresh, Video

Stop & Listen To Locksmith’s Bars On Willie Lynch, Get Illuminated (Video)

Locksmith may come across as a new artist, however, the Bay Area MC has been grinding for a handful of calendars. Within the bars of "Willie Lynch," Lock' chronicles his journey, as well as his self-identity. You'll hear about his slept-on album with Original Flavor's Ski Beats, and getting passed... Read more

May 12, 2014 Fresh, Video

Chicago’s Musical Renaissance Is So Colorful. Donnie Trumpet & Vic Mensa Are Blue For Pasadena (Video)

Chicago has long been a musical crossroads for Blues, Jazz, Rock & Roll, and even Hip-Hop. Where East meets West, at Lake Michigan, is both a collection and a tributary of so many things. In Hip-Hop's recent years, this is especially true. Two such artists are Donnie Trumpet and Vic... Read more

May 12, 2014 Fresh, Video

Chance The Rapper Shows That He’s A Senior Freshman In This XXL Freestyle (Video)

Although Miley Cyrus claimed it, it was actually Chance The Rapper who came into 2013 like a wrecking ball. Chicago's melodic native son countered the city's epidemic violence with proof that youth there are insightful, disenfranchised, and longing for the same acceptance and promise that American youth have always sought,... Read more

May 12, 2014 Fresh, Video

The Kid Daytona Flexes Supremely On A Harry Fraud Beat (Audio)

Another XXL Freshmen cover/list is announced, and Heads know that it's prime real estate for many artists not included to show and prove, driving the conversation. Bronx, New Yorker The Kid Daytona has been moving and shakin' for more than a few moons now, with ties to Lifted Research Group... Read more

May 12, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Tyler, The Creator Does His Own Rendition Of A 124 Year-Old Song (Video)

Many enduring Hip-Hop artists have interwoven visual artwork and painting into their total package. A Tribe Called Quest had the celebrated figuresque female silhouette, who appeared on stage this year with Q-Tip and Phife as the "real-life" Bonita Applebum. Snoop Doggy Dogg had the family artwork of Joe Cool, while... Read more

May 11, 2014 Fresh, Video

Mac Miller’s Music Has Many Faces, He Displays Some New Ones (Mixtape)

Mac Miller seemingly never stops recording music. Now independent, the Pittsburgh native MC/producer maintains his free reign on releasing product. Over the holiday weekend, M.M. unleashed Faces. Largely self-produced 24 tracks feature some predictable collaborations like Vince Staples, ScHoolboy Q, and Sir Michael Rocks, along with some edgy expansions, including Rick... Read more

May 11, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Mixes

For Mother’s Day, Eminem Gifts The Spike Lee-Directed Headlights Video

After some strong anticipation, Eminem released the Spike Lee-directed "Headlights" video for the Mother's Day holiday. Those familiar with the Marshall Mathers LP 2 single know that it's a powerful and personal song that makes some amends with Em's oft-estranged mother. And that’s what Mother’s Day is all about—those little... Read more

May 11, 2014 Featured-homepage, Fresh, Video

The Beat Junkies’ DJ Rhettmatic Shares His Wedding Mixer Series, Of Family-Friendly Funk (Audio)

Friendly by day, DJ Rhettmatic is nothing nice when he's on the wheels of steel. The Southern California DJ is one of the leaders of The Beat Junkies crew (with J Rocc), and somebody who has worked with J Dilla, Ras Kass, and his other crew, The Visionaries for over... Read more

May 11, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

Freddie Gibbs Premieres His Second Album In Less Than Two Months, The Tonite Show (Album Stream)

As 2014 approaches its midpoint, many Heads are championing Freddie Gibbs & Madlib's Piñata as one of the year's best. Gangsta Gibbs linked with the longtime sound of Stones Throw Records and now his own Madlib Invazion imprint to deliver hard-edged reality raps over deeply dusty loops and grooves. As... Read more

May 11, 2014 Audio, Fresh