AFH Ambrosia for Heads

Archives

D.I.T.C.’s Buckwild Releases An Album Of Abandoned Beats. Listen Along.

Like fellow veteran Hip-Hop producers Pete Rock and DJ Premier, Buckwild has a vault of unreleased heat. The Diggin’ In The Crates veteran DJ/producer has stayed busy in the last two decades contributing bangers to albums by O.C., Black Rob, The Game, JAY-Z, and others, to name only a few.... Read more

DJ Muggs Is Cosigning A New Class Of MCs. Tha God Fahim Is 1 Of His Favorites (Video)

Since 2017, DJ Muggs has been dropping joint albums with the who’s who of a new generation of underground MCs. The Cypress Hill co-founder has taken it upon himself to put a spotlight on the current renaissance of Hip-Hop players. His Soul Assassins albums with Eto, CRIMEAPPLE, Mach-Hommy, and Tha... Read more

Griselda’s Hype Williams-Directed Music Video Shows Their Street Dreams Came True

The Griselda Records family has dropped a slew of music videos over the last half-decade and beyond. The visuals are often like the music: rooted in the street with a no-nonsense approach to being the best out. However, following late November's WWCD (named one of Ambrosia For Heads' "Best Albums Of... Read more

Supernatural Details How Losing A Battle To Craig G Prepared Him To Defeat J.U.I.C.E.

MC Supernatural is widely recognized as one of the greatest improvisational freestyle rappers ever to pick up a microphone. Since he came on the scene in the early 1990s, the Marion, Indiana native has won epic battles, made music with some of Hip-Hop’s elite while living on both coasts, and... Read more

Rapper Thirstin Howl The 3rd Gives Polo & Ralph Lauren A New Kind Of Boost

While Thirstin Howl The 3rd is a respected veteran MC, some of his greatest recognition has come through the world of fashion. The Brooklyn native is a co-founder of The Lo-Lifes, a notorious New York City boosting crew that started in the late 1980s. The squad raided stores of Ralph... Read more

Fabolous Uses The Bulls Theme Music To Show He’s The Jordan Of Rap (Video)

Fabolous is well known for his various mixtapes series, including There Is No Competition, The S.O.U.L. Tape, and Summertime Shootouts. On Friday (November 29), he released the third and final volume of Summertime Shootouts, subtitled Coldest Summer Ever. Interestingly, even though these drops are named for the hot season, they... Read more

Griselda’s Shady Records Debut Is Westside Gunn, Conway & Benny At Their Most Raw

In early 2017, Shady Records Eminem and Paul Rosenberg partnered with Griselda Records. The move was surprising to some, and exciting to many more. At a time when so many labels use data and metrics to inform their decisions, Griselda's foothold in the Rap game was certified in the streets... Read more

Murs, Grouch & Brady Watt Jam On The Street And Show The Meaning Of Gratitude (Video)

Living Legends co-founders Murs and The Grouch recently graced Heads with a collaborative effort titled Thees Handz, which is also the name this California duo are going by. Further, their lead single and video for the project was also entitled “Thees Handz.” Having given fans a few weeks to digest... Read more

YBN Cordae Gave Hip-Hop Fans A Reason To Be Thankful In 2019 & This Video Does Too

YBN Cordae has made a strong impression since he first came on the scene in the Spring of 2018. The 22-year-old MC’s ability to straddle the line between Trap and traditional Hip-Hop has made him one to watch for fans across the Rap landscape. Cordae Dunston's highly-lauded debut, The Lost... Read more

Dave East Plays Meth’ On TV & He Comes Correct Freestyling To Classic Wu Production

2019 has been a big year for Dave East. Not only did the Harlem, New York rapper finally drop the album that is being called his true debut, Survival, but he is also portraying Method Man (fka Shotgun) in the Hulu miniseries Wu-Tang: An American Saga. While promoting Survival (which... Read more

Brother Ali Surprises Fans With An Evidence-Produced Album. Listen Here. (Audio)

The giving season came early for Hip-Hop Heads, as Brother Ali and Evidence dropped a surprise album titled Secrets & Escapes. The two Rhymesayers artists gave fans 10 brand new tracks, including appearances from Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch, as well as a vocal feature from the Dilated Peoples co-founder.... Read more

DJ Muggs Details Returning To Hip-Hop & Why He’s Putting Out More Music Than Ever (Audio)

DJ Muggs has enjoyed a celebrated 30-year career as a member of Cypress Hill and a tenure as a solo artist. On top of Cypress’ catalog, his Soul Assassins compilations and Vs. series are considered staples by many Hip-Hop Heads. In the 2000s, however, the Queens, New York native pivoted... Read more

Planet Asia & D.I.T.C. Affiliate Milano Constantine Link For Lyrical Onslaught (Video)

Fresno, California's Planet Asia has been posted up in New York City for the past couple of months. The purpose of the extended visit is to link up with like-minded rappers from all across the five boroughs and beyond. On top of recording an impressive amount of guest verses while... Read more

Benny, Smoke DZA & Westside Gunn Glide Over Smooth Pete Rock Production (Video)

New York City's Smoke DZA has been a close affiliate of the Griselda team since they first started gaining attention around 2015. He has featured on a number of their tracks and vice versa. So, when The Kushed God announced a joint EP with Benny The Butcher, it was no... Read more

Griselda’s First Song From Their Shady Records Album Shows They Will Never Sell Out

The Griselda crew signed with Shady Records in the Spring of 2017. Within a couple of months, Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine dropped the single “Machine G*n Black” under their duo name of Hall N Nash. The Just Blaze-produced joint includes an intro by Eminem, Benny The Butcher on... Read more

David Banner Bodies Diamond D Production With Some Food For Thought (Video)

It has been five years since Diamond D dropped The Diam Piece. Following some independent projects, that Dymond Mine/EMPIRE release garnered the D.I.T.C. triple-threat his greatest acclaim since 1997's Hatred, Passion and Infidelity sophomore drop. In 2019, the Bronx, New Yorker assembled The Diam Piece 2, a sequel with an... Read more

DNA Is A Champion In Battle Rap & His Latest Freestyle Is A Victory Lap (Video)

Last week Battle Rap veteran DNA beat Geechi Gotti and T-Top in the URL battles that were held as part of the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards (embedded below). On top of the bragging rights, the Queens, New York MC walked away with $25,000 in prize money. DNA is clearly... Read more

Ras Kass Recruits Pete Rock For Some Ice Cold Soul (Video)

Ras Kass has steadily dropped quality material since he came on the scene in the mid-1990s. Soul On Ice 2 is an important album in a respected discography, especially since it was first announced three years ago. When this sequel to 1996's cult-lauded original was released at the beginning of... Read more

Immortal Technique Lists His Top 5 MCs & Says A New Album Is Coming (Video)

Immortal Technique is recognized as an MC whose music is informational and at times, extreme. The Harlem lyricist emerged during the rise of independent Hip-Hop in the early 2000s, and his politically-charged brand of Hip-Hop quickly struck a chord with fans worldwide. Further, he is widely acknowledged for his activism... Read more

Tha Alkaholiks Recall Discovering & Mentoring Madlib (Video)

Madlib & Freddie Gibbs have made one of 2019's best Hip-Hop albums in the form of Bandana. The Keep Cool/RCA Records album is a benchmark release in both artists' discography. While Gangsta Gibbs' journey dates back to the mid-2000s, Madlib's credits date back more than 25 years. In 1993, Madlib's... Read more

Futura 2000 Is A Graffiti Legend Who Continues To Leave His Mark On The Globe

Futura 2000 is a Hip-Hop trailblazer in more than one facet. Now in his sixties, the New York City graffiti writer, artist, and cultural conduit tells his story in the latest episode of  The Masters. This veteran creator has been in the game for half a century, and in that... Read more

Benny, Conway & 38 Spesh Rewrite A Page Out Of Scarface’s Diary (Audio Premiere)

Rochester, New York MC/producer 38 Spesh has made a hard push in the last two years to reach the forefront of underground Hip-Hop. Be it releasing a litany of solo and collaborative albums or mentoring promising young talent like Che Noir, T.C.F. Music Group's founder has established himself as a... Read more

Skyzoo & Pete Rock Break Down The Making Of Their Brand New Collabo Album (Video)

Heads were gifted an outstanding collaborative album titled Retropolitan last Friday (September 20) by top-tier lyricist Skyzoo and legendary producer/DJ Pete Rock. The 12-track Mello Music Group LP (embedded below) celebrates Hip-Hop culture and the city that birthed it. As Sky' puts it, the project is a love letter that... Read more

T.I. & Teyana Taylor Hunt Traffickers & Abusers In A Powerful New Video

T.I. recently dropped a 12-plus-minute double video for the songs “You” and “Be There” off of 2018’s DIME TRAP album. While many recording artists claim their visuals "are a movie," the “You (Be There)” vid' may deliver on that promise with higher production value. More importantly, Grand Hustle’s head honcho... Read more

Young M.A. Kicks A Freestyle That’s Germane & So So Def (Video)

With only nine days until Young M.A drops her debut album Herstory In The Making, the Brooklyn, New York MC visited Funkmaster Flex’s HOT 97 studio, self-proclaimed "home away from home." The popular MC builds the hype in the best way she knows possible. M.A busts a two-part freestyle that... Read more

Alchemist Brings His New LP Featuring Action Bronson, Meyhem Lauren & Conway To Video

Back in 2012, The Alchemist teamed up with a sunglasses company called 9FIVE for a signature Alchemist edition of spectacles. Those shades came with an exclusive album titled Yacht Rock on limited-edition vinyl. That continuous cassette-style two-sided mix features Action Bronson, Roc Marciano, Oh No, Big Twins, Chuck Inglish, and... Read more

Lupe Fiasco’s Clever Wordplay Gets To The Real Roots Of Street Organizations (Video)

Lupe Fiasco released his latest album, Drogas Wave, approximately one year ago. It is the second album in his Drogas (Spanish for "drugs") trilogy. The series started with early 2017’s Drogas Light, and Lupe has since stated that it will end with Skulls later this year. The latest collection of... Read more

Skyzoo Is Gearing Up For 1 Of The Biggest Albums Of His Career & It’s All Good (Video)

Skyzoo is embarking on one of his biggest albums in an already-decorated discography. Next month, S-K-Y and Pete Rock will release Retropolitan (September 20) on Mello Music Group. Both Sky and Rock have done some of their best work with a single collaborator. In addition to legendary work with C.L.... Read more

Remembering Veteran Hip-Hop Triple-Threat Paten Locke

The Hip-Hop community has had a somber week with the passing of producer Ras G on July 29, and the loss of both DJ Kaos and Paten Locke yesterday (August 5). For those not familiar with Paten, he was a full-time MC/DJ/producer who grew up in both Boston, Massachusetts as... Read more

Earl Sweatshirt’s Production Brings Out The Best In Tha God Fahim (Video)

Professional Rap and Hip-Hop artists once spent months and years preparing their projects. However, in this new epoch, many acts are dropping releases with a shocking frequency. Some respected artists are giving fans new material at a monthly or even weekly clip. Enter Tha God Fahim, a conduit in this... Read more

DJ Muggs Puts A Full-Length Spotlight On Underground Phenom CRIMEAPPLE (Audio)

DJ Muggs is the definition of longevity in Hip-Hop. From his early days with 7A3 in the late 1980s, to Cypress Hill’s epic run that started in the 1990s, to his cult-lauded Vs. series throughout the 2000s, this California-based producer/DJ has continued to serve up quality music for more than... Read more

Alchemist Is Having A Hot Beat Summer. Here’s A New EP With The Cool Kids (Audio)

After a couple of dope releases already in 2019, Alchemist is not letting off the pedal as temperatures flare. Judging by social media posts, it’s about to be an ALC summer. The Los Angeles, California-based veteran has one of his coveted "Craft Single 45s" on the way. This installment of the... Read more

Che Noir & 38 Spesh Are Reviving A Dying Breed Of Hardcore Hip-Hop (Video Premiere)

Within a very short time, Buffalo, New York native Che Noir has established herself as a force to be reckoned with on the microphone. This young MC only came on the scene a couple of years ago, but with the help of 38 Spesh and his TCF Music Group label,... Read more

Page Kennedy Is An Elite Storyteller MC. His New Video Plays Out Like A Greek Tragedy

Page Kennedy may be most recognized for his TV and film roles, online comedy videos, and advertising campaign appearances. However, he has always been a Hip-Hop Head. In the last few years, the Detroit, Michigan native has been out to show the masses that he's a world class MC with... Read more

Westside Gunn’s New Album Involves Madlib, Evidence, Alchemist & More (Audio)

While Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher have already dropped well-received releases this year, Westside Gunn has waited until halfway through 2019 to give heads his distinct brand of hardcore Hip-Hop. While he did give fans the Fourth Rope mixtape in mid-April, it was a collection of his previously... Read more

DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK Heat It Up For The 10th Straight Summertime Mix (Audio)

The legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff gets together with noted mixtape DJ, MICK, annually to drop a definitive mix to welcome the hot weather of July and August. Their Summertime Mixtape Volume 10 marks a full decade that they have been knocking out these season specific collections of jams. So, of... Read more

Blu & Exile Provide Hope Through True And Livin’ Hip-Hop (Video Premiere)

Blu & Exile's breakthrough Below The Heavens remains a classic album in many Hip-Hop circles. The MC/producer LP formally introduced two artists who had been making waves for years in the most soulful, reflective, and relatable of ways. Since that 2007 LP, both Blu and Exile have taken journeys with... Read more

Meek Mill’s Story Is Being Told In A Docuseries Produced By JAY-Z (Video)

Meek Mill is not only one of the biggest rappers of this decade; he has become a high-profile activist behind the ongoing efforts in criminal justice reform. Having been arrested at 19 years-old, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC has been on probation for more than 10 years. The terms of his... Read more

Benny & Black Thought Are Rap Kings Slicing Up The Competition (Audio)

Benny and his Griselda family have everybody’s attention right now. From their impending Shady Records debut, a video single with DJ Premier, to upcoming solo albums from each member, these Buffalo, New York MCs have built an undeniable buzz. Now, as much press and praise as the team has gotten... Read more

dead prez & Andra Day Come Together To Shed Light On Injustice (Video)

Respected DJ/producer J. Period (Black Thought, Common, K'naan) wanted to pump up the activism in Hip-Hop. He rallied peers including DJ Khalil, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Young Guru to executive produce a compilation that reminds fans of music’s power to evoke social change. The 10-track The Rise Up Project brings... Read more

Your Old Droog Is In The Express Lane. He Drops His 2nd Album In 2 Months. Listen In.

For those that were wondering why Your Old Droog’s most recent video consisted of two songs that weren’t on the project he had just released (April's It Wasn’t Even Close), the answer has finally arrived: he was preparing a surprise, second LP Transportation. This new concept LP does feature “Under The... Read more

Pusha-T & Benny Are Top Contenders On A Collabo That Moves Heavy Weight (Audio)

Benny has come a mighty long way in just a few short years. He’s transcended from being Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine's figurative little brother, to having an elite Rap profile. Many Heads became fans of the Buffalo MC with the release of his DJ Green Lantern mixtape, Butcher... Read more

Benny The Butcher Welcomes RJ Payne To His Team. They Celebrate By Bodying A Beat

Benny The Butcher and his Griselda Records team are in the midst of a banner year. After a Westside Gunn mixtape (Fourth Rope) and a new Conway The Machine project (EiF3), this month saw the release of "Headlines," featuring the three of them alongside DJ Premier production. Later in 2019,... Read more

Large Professor Delivers Bars That Are Hard As Steel On A New Song (Audio)

Large Professor is a legend on the mic, behind the boards, and manning the turntables. While this triple-threat has not dropped an album since 2015’s Re:Living, he has still been contributing beats and rhymes to other artists’ projects. Be it kicking a dope verse on The Good People’s recent Good... Read more

Teddy Riley, The Neptunes & Timbaland Recall Putting Virginia On The Rap Map (Video)

Beats 1 produced a very special episode of Pharrell Williams and Scott Vener’s OTHERtone radio show this week. The installment was recorded in front of a live studio audience at Pharrell’s recent Something In The Water Music Festival, and featured his Neptunes partner Chad Hugo, Pusha-T, Timbaland, and Teddy Riley.... Read more

DJ Premier & Griselda Have Released One Of 2019’s Best Songs. Listen Here (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it’s ever been. Not only are we able to... Read more

Rah Digga & Planet Asia Are Lyrical Legends Bringing Doomsday To All Pretenders (Audio)

Since Planet Asia came on the scene towards the end of the 1990s, he has cooked up quality product at an impressive rate. Not only has the Fresno, California MC dropped countless albums, EPs, mixtapes, and collabs, he is behind the Gold Chain Military movement that includes a number of... Read more

A New Documentary Sheds Light On The Secret History Of Ill Al Skratch (Video)

There are plenty of Hip-Hop artists whose moment seemed too short. The creators left us music that we still play and celebrate, but some of us do not know the story behind the work as well as higher-profile acts and artists. A new documentary by TRB2HH puts a spotlight on... Read more

Stream A Collection Of Previously Unreleased Pete Rock Beats From The 1990s (Audio)

Early samplers and drum machines often have their own distinct sound, which is largely due to the limitations of technology at the time. These constraints yielded the creativity and ingenuity from a generation of legendary Hip-Hop producers. The E-mu Systems SP-1200 and the Akai MPC-60 were the predominant samplers during... Read more

Dear Slim…The Word “Stan” Is Now In The Merriam Webster Dictionary

Nearly 20 years ago, Eminem introduced millions to one of music's most legendary fictional characters. The Dido-featuring song "Stan," co-produced by 45 King and Em' depicted a fan writing a series of letters to the rapidly-rising Rap superstar. In an equally famous music video, the character of "Stan" was played... Read more