Bonita

Big Sean Discusses The Flint Water Crisis & His Mom’s Battle with Lead Poisoning (Video)

For all of the waves he's been making in Rap music, Big Sean has been equally active in philanthropy, funneling much of his own time and money into various initiatives. As the founder of the Sean Anderson Foundation in his native Detroit, Michigan, the "Bounce Back" rapper is responsible for... Read more

January 25, 2017 Video

Oddisee Releases A Blistering Song Questioning A System That Is Stacked Against Us (Audio)

Closing out 2016 with the announcement of a new album and supporting tour, Oddisee is back today (January 24) with "Like Really," a new single tackling America's political system. Blistering in its criticism, the song is possibly the most political record of his career, and it might just be the... Read more

January 24, 2017 Audio

Royce 5’9″ Destroys Today’s Hot MCs With Another Lethal Freestyle (Audio)

A week ago today (January 23), Royce 5'9" dropped a DJ Khaled-inspired freestyle. "I Got the Keys" takes the smash single featuring Jay Z and Future and creates something else entirely, by way of Royce's unmatched lyrical dexterity. Now, he's back with another unforgiving freestyle, this one atop two wildly... Read more

January 23, 2017 Audio

Janelle Monáe Says “Choose Freedom Over Fear” In Her Powerful Women’s March Speech (Video)

On the heels of her critically acclaimed appearances in the hugely successful films Hidden Figures and Moonlight, Janelle Monáe made an appearance at this weekend's historic Women's March in Washington, D.C. and made a powerful speech. In it, she urged the importance of embracing immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and all... Read more

January 23, 2017 Lifestyle

Rhymefest, Xzibit & Jesse Williams Say We Rise Together Or We Fall Apart (Audio)

Back in August, EPIX debuted a trailer for its docu-series America Divided, a politically driven program executive produced by Common, Norman Lear, and Shonda Rhimes. The powerful show has now inspired a corresponding body of music in the form of the J. Period-led mixtape RISE UP! Jesse Williams, Rhymefest, Aloe... Read more

January 20, 2017 Audio

Run the Jewels & Zack de la Rocha Bring Explosive Anti-Trump Energy on Stage (Video)

In the nation's capital last night (January 19), Run the Jewels put on a particularly significant show. The politically minded duo of El-P and Killer Mike turned it up a notch on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration, inviting Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha to join... Read more

January 20, 2017 Video

Mos Def & Slick Rick Had A Lyrical Workout Over A Madlib Track On This 2009 Collabo (Audio)

In recent weeks, Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) announced and seemingly executed his farewell to Hip-Hop, putting on a series of performances that he says are his final. He also released a new album - albeit a collaborative project under the name Dec. 99th - that he presented as being... Read more

January 19, 2017 Do Remember

Ras Kass’ Powerful New Video Shows The Chilling Reality Of Our Amerikkkan Horror Story

On the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration as President of the United States, Ras Kass is unveiling the video for "Amerikkkan Horror Story." And why not? Trump's campaign has been plagued with ties to a White nationalist (read: White supremacy) movement, and with a presidential cabinet comprised overwhelmingly of White... Read more

January 19, 2017 Video

Taylor Bennett Comes Out as Bisexual, a Major Step for Inclusiveness in Hip-Hop

LBGTQ visibility has been nearly nonexistent when it comes to Hip-Hop artists. For all of its inclusive, progressive, and positive aspects, Hip-Hop has very few artists in its history who have come out as being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or any other sexual identity other than heterosexual. In fact, the... Read more

January 19, 2017 Lifestyle

The Prophets of Rage Will Host The Anti-Inaugural Ball As We Prepare To Fight Back

On Friday, January 20, Donald J. Trump is scheduled to be inaugurated as President of the United States. His swearing in will signal far more than a new executive branch of our government, however. It will also affect policies relating to healthcare, the environment, civil rights, the economy, and every... Read more

January 18, 2017 News

Nick Grant Makes His Network TV Debut & Brings Down the House (Video)

With a Martin Luther King, Jr., themed slideshow adorning the set's ceiling, Nick Grant made his network television debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night (January 16). It was the biggest look yet for the South Carolina MC, who just last week released his debut studio effort,... Read more

January 17, 2017 Video

Cassidy Doesn’t Even Need a Beat To Outrap MCs, Bar None (Video)

Opening up 2017 with what can already be deemed one of the year's most impressive freestyles, Cassidy was Funkmaster Flex's latest guest at Hot97 and delivered yet another scorcher. Heads may recall that on January 4, the Philadelphia MC blacked out for some extemporaneous flows over a handful of beats... Read more

January 13, 2017 Video

Raekwon, Pete Rock, Scarface & Vince Staples Discuss Hip-Hop’s Generation Gap (Video)

March 13 UPDATE: Complex has released a longer video from the "Discussions" event in November 2016: Last November, Long Beach, California hosted ComplexCon, a two-day event featuring performances, panels, and more all devoted to music and culture. As part of the convention, veteran radio personality and Hip-Hop artist Angie Martinez... Read more

January 13, 2017 Video

Raekwon Is Stepping Into the Wild With a New Solo Album, Coming In March

Today (January 12) is Raekwon's birthday, but it's his fans who are getting gifted. The Wu-Tang Clan member and legendary MC announced the release date, title, and artwork for his seventh solo album. The Wild will arrive on March 10 and sports exceptional cover art from Dan Lish. It's been... Read more

January 12, 2017 News

“Atlanta” Is Returning for Season 2 & Donald Glover Has Signed a MAJOR New Deal.

Fresh off two Golden Globe wins for his critically acclaimed television series Atlanta, Donald Glover has formally inked a deal ensuring the return of the show for its second season. Glover and FX announced the news today (January 12), though its return to the air is not exactly a surprise.... Read more

January 12, 2017 Lifestyle

This Oral History of “Bling Bling” Shines a Light on Cash Money’s Early Days

New Orleans is not always mentioned when discussing the cities which have had the greatest impact on Hip-Hop culture, but the Crescent City has a claim to fame that can't be ignored. In the 1990s and early 2000s, No Limit and Cash Money Records put one of America's most unique... Read more

January 11, 2017 Fresh

BJ The Chicago Kid Was Part Of History Last Night. Here’s How His Story Began (Video)

Chicago recently hosted President Barack Obama's official farewell event, a bittersweet moment in which the 44th commander-in-chief of the United States said a tearful (but uplifting) goodbye. Beyond his farewell address, the event included musical performances, including one from the Windy City's own BJ the Chicago Kid. Many Heads likely... Read more

January 11, 2017 Video

The Internet’s Syd Is Releasing Her Debut Solo LP. Watch the First Video Off “Fin”

After her recent announcement that she was working on a much-awaited solo album, the Internet's frontwoman Syd has shared more details, including the album's title and its first single. Fin will arrive on February 3, the Soul songstress announced today (January 11), in speaking with Zane Lowe. Also serving as... Read more

January 11, 2017 Video

O.D.B. Steps Into The Booth & Blows Pharrell’s Mind In This Throwback Footage (Video)

In 2003, the Neptunes released a compilation album called Clones, which sported appearances from Busta Rhymes, Clipse, Nas, Snoop Dogg, and more. Though perhaps best known as housing Pharrell's single "Frontin'," Clones is also where Heads can find one of the final recordings from O.D.B., the Wu-Tang Clan MC who... Read more

January 10, 2017 Throwback

Stephen Colbert’s New Trailer Shows What To Expect From “Hidden Fences” (Video)

Amidst the excitement over Golden Globe wins from Viola Davis, Donald Glover, and Tracee Ellis Ross and projects like Atlanta, Fences, and Moonlight, some are sensing that Hollywood's long history of overlooking African-American storytelling in film and television may be nearing its end. However, there still remains a general sense... Read more

January 10, 2017 Lifestyle, TV, TV/Film, Video

Big K.R.I.T. Makes His Most Experimental Song To Date. Will His Music Stay This Way? (Audio)

In what will likely be one of the most exciting chapters of Big K.R.I.T.'s music career, his recent departure from Def Jam may be encouraging him to explore and push musical boundaries in his own work. His recent feature on "Might Not Be O.K." (the work of Kenneth Whalum, a... Read more

January 9, 2017 Audio

Donald Glover, Tracee Ellis Ross & Meryl Streep Used Awards For Acting To Get Real (Videos)

Last night (January 9), the Golden Globes aired and with only 11 days until Donald Trump's inauguration, the evening was peppered with political commentary. Donald Glover, Meryl Streep, and Tracee Ellis Ross all used their time on stage to accept awards to address the current climate of racism and politics,... Read more

January 9, 2017 Lifestyle

Who’s the Greatest Hip-Hop Producer Of All Time? Starting Monday, You Decide.

On Monday (January 9), Ambrosia for Heads will launch the third installment of our "Finding the GOAT" competition. It began in 2014, when we asked you, the readers, to vote for the greatest MC of all time. Last year, the tournament-style contest shifted focus to greatest Hip-Hop album of all... Read more

January 6, 2017 Finding the GOAT

Coachella Announces Its 2017 Lineup And Kendrick Lamar & Beyoncé Are On Top

Its name alone is synonymous with all things music festival, and now Coachella will host more headlining Hip-Hop and R&B talent since its 1999 inception. Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé serve as two-thirds of headlining bill, joined by Radiohead. Taking place over two weekends (April 14-16 and April 21-23) in Indio,... Read more

January 3, 2017 News

A Trump Presidency Will Likely Make the Failed War on Drugs Even Worse. Here’s Why.

In 2016, much headway has been made to counteract some of the harmful lingering effects of the so-called "war on drugs." Criminal-justice reform has taken on invigorated energy, with more attention being focused on overturning the excessively harsh sentences placed on low-level, nonviolent drug offenders. Marijuana continues to become more... Read more

January 3, 2017 Lifestyle

This Big Pun Documentary Explores the Beautiful & Ugly Parts of an Icon’s Life (Video)

Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Christopher "Big Punisher" Rios's 1998 debut single, "Still Not a Player." As the first Latin solo Hip-Hop artist to go platinum (thanks to the success of 1998's Capital Punishment), he made history at just 26-years-old. But just two years later, he passed away.... Read more

January 2, 2017 Video

Freddie Gibbs Makes the Sun Shine All Day on Harry Fraud’s Mixtape (Audio)

There has been a lot to celebrate for Freddie Gibbs in recent months, beginning with his September acquittal of sexual-assault charges. In the months since, he has undoubtedly taken time to embrace his freedom and although he's been relatively quiet on the music front, a handful of appearances suggest he... Read more

January 1, 2017 Audio

Cozz Is Signed To J. Cole’s Label But He’s Making His Own Dreams Come True (Video)

With the remarkable success of 4 Your Eyez Only, J. Cole has once again reminded fans that dreams do come true in the 'ville. In fact, 2016 has been a big year for the whole Dreamville Records team; Bas continues to be considered as having released one of the year's... Read more

December 27, 2016 Video

Nas Says We Need Racial “Healing” & Looks To Muhammad Ali For Guidance (Video)

Earlier this year, the world lost an icon in Muhammad Ali. The legendary boxer and civil-rights activist made history inside and outside of the ring, by boldly standing up against the U.S. government when conscripted into the military in protest of the Vietnam War, and adopting the Islamic faith and... Read more

December 22, 2016 Lifestyle

Termanology Rips A Funkmaster Flex Freestyle. Pardon The Interruption (Video)

It's been just over a month since Lawrence, Massachusetts's Termanology dropped More Politics, a self-released LP featuring Bun B, Styles P, Sheek Louch, Kxng Crooked, Joey Bada$$, Your Old Droog, and others. With just three songs featuring a solo Term', the album is an inclusive affair with plenty of variety... Read more

December 22, 2016 Video

Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q & Jay Rock Bring Holiday Spirit To Watts (Videos)

In its third annual installment, the TDE Christmas concert and toy giveaway took place on Tuesday (December 20), this time at the Nickerson Gardens Projects in Watts, a neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles. Label-mates Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad, SZA, and Lance Skiiiwalker all put on for... Read more

December 21, 2016 Video

Papoose Steps In For Remy Ma & Crushes A Track With Fat Joe (Audio)

Earlier this month, Papoose and his wife Remy Ma waxed a freestyle on Hot 97, couples style. Pap' has been relatively quiet on the solo-music front, supporting the Grammy-nominated Remy as she and Fat Joe continue to ride the wave of success of their hit joint collab, "All the Way... Read more

December 21, 2016 Audio

Waju Wants to Freeze Out Other MCs With His Cold Game. Is His Video Hot Enough?

Raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles by an African-American mother and Sierra Leonean father, Waju (pronounced Wah-joo) is preparing to release a new LP, JuiceBox. Merging elements of veterans like De La Soul with innovations from the likes of Blu, the project is the latest from an MC who... Read more

December 20, 2016 Ready Or Not

Talib Kweli & Styles P Are Releasing a Collabo Album & Taking It On Tour (Video)

Talib Kweli and Styles P have a storied history as collaborators, from 2004's "Buck 'Em Down" to 2015's "Mathematics" and elsewhere, the two New Yorkers have maintained a working relationship for well over a decade. In a recent interview with the United Kingdom's Acton Entertainment, Kweli shared news likely to... Read more

December 19, 2016 News

President Obama Is Not Done. He Has Big Plans For The Nation’s Next Leaders (Video)

In a month's time, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will be vacating the White House, along with their two daughters, Malia and Sasha. The First Family has given new meaning to the word "influential," and have maneuvered a very public life with class, grace, and humor. With... Read more

December 19, 2016 Lifestyle

2016: The Year Chance Stood With The People & Showed He’s So Much More Than A Rapper

In just under two weeks, we will be saying goodbye to 2016, a year during which the world faced turmoil at breakneck speed. From President Obama's announcement of a federal state of emergency in Flint, Michigan during the first month of the year to a summer stained with the blood... Read more

December 19, 2016 Food for Thought

Apollo Brown, Skyzoo & Stalley Are On the Grind For An Overdue Payout (Video)

With September's The Easy Truth, Apollo Brown and Skyzoo released one of 2016's standout Hip-Hop offerings, collaborative or otherwise. While the Brooklyn, New York MC and Detroit, Michigan producer have worked together before in the past, the LP is the pairing's largest body of work to date and cracked the... Read more

December 16, 2016 Video

Jay Z’s Examination of How the Justice System Fails People of Color Is a Must Watch (Video)

Far too often, a person's story of pain and struggle only receives its due attention when it's too late. It's true for Kalief Browder, who at 16 was arrested for a crime he didn't commit. After spending three years in prison without ever being convicted (let alone awarded his right... Read more

December 16, 2016 Lifestyle

Oddisee Has Announced a New Album & Tour. Here’s the First Single Off “The Iceberg” (Audio)

Oddisee has been making major moves in 2016. The celebrated producer and MC dropped his Alwasta EP and the instrumental The Odd Tape this year, projects which continue to make him one of Hip-Hop's best kept secrets. But today's (December 15) announcement marks something truly major on his horizon: on... Read more

December 15, 2016 Audio

Common’s Latest Video Envisions a World With Empty Prisons & A True End to Slavery

With his eleventh studio album, Common continued the conceptual theme he began with 2014's Nobody's Smiling, in which he addressed gun violence and other racially disproportionate issues plaguing his native Chicago. November's Black America Again takes a broader view of sociopolitical Hip-Hop, inspired in part by the gravity of 2016's... Read more

December 15, 2016 Video

2016’s Boldest & Most Important Political Statements In Hip-Hop & Beyond

2016 has been a rough year. From seemingly endless celebrity deaths to a political campaign unlike any other to racial tensions dominating headlines, these last 12 months have been riddled with great sorrow. But as history continues to remind us, out of great pain comes great resilience, and actors, athletes,... Read more

December 14, 2016 Food for Thought

Masta Killa Is Releasing A New Album. Method Man & Redman Join Him On His 1st Single (Audio)

Wu-Tang Wednesday, indeed. Already today (December 14), Heads have heard from Method Man, who joined Juelz Santana, Jadakiss, and Redman on "Ol Thing Back." Now, fans have even more new material from the legendary MC, this time in conjunction with fellow Wu-Tang Clan member Masta Killa and, once again, longtime... Read more

December 14, 2016 Audio

Killer Mike Explains the Racist History of the Chronic War Against Legalization

In a new essay he penned for Rolling Stone, Killer Mike (born Michael Render) addresses the racially motivated disproportions in the marijuana industry, a topic that has become a major talking point as the movement for nationwide legalization continues to gain steam. By 2020, the recreational marijuana industry is expected... Read more

December 13, 2016 Lifestyle

Talib Kweli Takes Donald Trump To Task & Sounds Off On Kanye For Supporting Him (Video)

Talib Kweli is one of the most engaged social-media users in Hip-Hop, and he can be seen addressing issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression online, using his extensive base of followers to elicit ongoing discussions about any given sociopolitical issue. Of course, fans have loved him... Read more

December 12, 2016 Lifestyle

Token Releases An Explosive And Powerful Music Video About The Effects Of Bullying

Token has made his struggles with a learning disability well known, sharing with his fans that there was a time when anxiety, depression, obesity, and a learning disability once controlled his life. Though he continues to struggle with some of those elements today, he's managed to not only launch a... Read more

December 12, 2016 Video

Pharrell Williams Says Women Will Lead the Revolution in 2020 (Video)

In what is proving to be a monumental year for African-American visibility in Hollywood, films like The Birth of a Nation and Moonlight exist side-by-side with television shows like Luke Cage and Atlanta. On January 6, Hidden Figures will join those ranks as a significant piece of storytelling in Black... Read more

December 9, 2016 Lifestyle

Ab-Soul Freestyles & Breaks Down His Exceptional BARS For Ras Kass (Video)

Today (December 9), Ab-Soul released Do What Thou Wilt, his first solo album in two years. He stopped by Sway in the Morning to discuss the new LP, and the interview included a very special guest in the form of Ras Kass, who called in to hear a Soulo record... Read more

December 9, 2016 Video

Brian Tyree Henry Drops Gems About Why All Of Us Are Paper Boi (Video)

One of television's standout offerings in 2016 was Atlanta, the FX series created by and starring Donald Glover, who is joined on-screen by Brian Tyree Henry. Henry plays Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles, an up-and-coming MC who juggles his fledgling Rap career with a street-life mentality. As a guest on yesterday's... Read more

December 8, 2016 Lifestyle

This MF DOOM-Curated Playlist Features Classic Cuts & Brand New Remixes (Audio)

The masked man whose varying personas help make him one of Hip-Hop's greatest innovators, MF DOOM, has released a 19-track mix as King Geedorah, a name he first recorded under in 2003, when Take Me to Your Leader dropped. In the years since, no new King Geedorah LPs have emerged,... Read more

December 8, 2016 Audio, Mixes

Childish Gambino Is Not Fakin’ The Funk. He Makes It Virtual Reality (Video)

Easily one of 2016's most influential artists, Donald Glover has proven time and again that he can conquer the worlds of television and music simultaneously. He did it with 30 Rock, Community, and Atlanta while juggling a career as Childish Gambino, his rapping alter ego. But with Awaken, My Love!,... Read more

December 7, 2016 Video