Audio Archives

President Obama Gives His Current Top 5 MCs As He Prepares To Leave Office (Audio)

When President Barack Obama took office in 2008, Hip-Hop was in a widely different place. That was the year that Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III sold more than a million copies in its first week available. That year, T.I. made one of his loudest statements in Paper Trail, before going... Read more

October 28, 2016 Audio, Fresh

Ab-Soul Spells It Out So MCs Understand They Can’t See Him Lyrically (Audio)

Ab-Soul is ramping up in a major way. After a lengthy hiatus, the Carson, California MC appears to be putting the pedal down towards his fourth solo album. In July of this year, Soulo blessed Bas's "Housewives (Remix)" an a la carte breakaway from the Too High To The Riot... Read more

October 27, 2016 Audio

Mickey Factz & Styles P Stage A Rap Battle On “Vs” & We Win (Audio)

To follow up the “ode to true love” Mickey Factz released last week, the Bronx-bred MC joins the Ghost himself, Styles P, on another Nottz production—and this one’s no love song. Instead, in a flow reminiscent of an old L.O.X. track, both lyricists flex their verbal abilities, going back and... Read more

October 26, 2016 Audio

Vinnie Paz Declares War On The Notion That Conflict Truly Helps People (Audio)

Jedi Mind Tricks front man Vinnie Paz is releasing his third solo album, The Cornerstone of the Corner Store, this week (October 28). Within, the veteran Philly MC collaborates with the likes of Ghostface Killah, Ras Kass, and D.I.T.C.'s O.C. & A.G. tandem. Besides J.M.T. partner Stoupe The Enemy of... Read more

October 25, 2016 Audio

Run The Jewels Release The First Single From RTJ3 & It’s Another All-Out Assault (Audio)

It has been two years to the month since Killer Mike and El-P released RTJ2. The pay-if-you-wish encore set from the Atlanta-to-Brooklyn super-duo came at a time where both MCs' careers benefited from each other, and making some of the biggest music of their lengthy tenures. RTJ3 now appears upon... Read more

October 24, 2016 Audio

Drake Is Out To Break Pusha T With Words & Stones (Audio)

Last week, Pusha T took his latest shots at Drake in "H.G.T.V." A byproduct of a longstanding beef between The Clipse and Lil Wayne/Cash Money, the President of G.O.O.D. Music knocked one of Kanye's other friends and collaborators, seemingly poking fun about Drake's beef with Puff Daddy. "Two Birds, One... Read more

October 23, 2016 Audio

Mickey Factz & Phonte Prove Some MCs Actually Love Their Women (Audio)

Nowadays, to listen to Hip-Hop one would think that most male MCs hate women. Misogyny in lyricism is so prevalent as to not even raise an eyebrow. Also, seemingly no rapper has his own girlfriend, as all you hear about is what they're going to do to "your girl." Ironically,... Read more

October 22, 2016 Audio

Juice’s Director Reveals It Was By Chance That Tupac Auditioned For The Movie (Audio)

In 1991, Tupac Shakur was a relative unknown. At best, for those paying close attention, he had begun to build a buzz after his guest verse on Digital Underground's 1991 record, "Same Song." Within 5 years he would become one of the most famous people on the planet, but, on... Read more

October 21, 2016 Audio

This Black Sheep 25th Anniversary Mix Picks It Up, Picks It Up, Picks It Up! (Audio)

October 22 marks the 25th anniversary of Black Sheep's debut LP, A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. Dres and Mista Lawnge are now celebrating a quarter of a century of legacy-making music, having announced this summer a reunion tour and hinting at a possible third album from the duo, who spent... Read more

October 21, 2016 Audio

Kxng Crooked Shoots Back At Racist Police With A Lyrical Demand For Justice (Audio)

For many this election season, the issues of police brutality and the militarization of law enforcement in this country are front-and-center, as racially charged discourse continues to emerge. Police versus citizens has become a prominent theme in music today, with Hip-Hop artists like T.I., Big K.R.I.T., and Nas making the... Read more

October 21, 2016 Audio

Saba & Noname Turn The Church & The Liquor Store Into Symbols Of Chicago (Audio)

This time last year, West Side, Chicago's Saba got his big break as a featured artist on Chance The Rapper's "Angels." On “Church / Liquor Store," he enlists fellow Chicagoan MC/poet and Chance collaborator Noname (a/k/a Noname Gypsy) to guide listeners through a tour of their hometown on a smooth,... Read more

October 20, 2016 Audio

Common’s New Song Hits Home With A Strong Message Of Excellence & Empowerment (Audio)

Over the years, Common and Bilal have a strong working chemistry. Since Like Water For Chocolate's DJ Premier-produced "The 6th Sense," the MC and singer have together to make each other shine brightly. "Home" is one of three songs featuring Bilal on Black America Again (November 4). Within, Common raps... Read more

October 20, 2016 Audio

Eminem For President. A New Freestyle Leaves No Debate (Audio)

In the late 1990s, Eminem made an incredible entrance to mainstream Hip-Hop through showing the world—especially pop culture the humor and the error in itself. The Detroit, Michigan MC has since gone on to release diamond certified albums, win Grammy Awards, and become one of the most impactful rappers of... Read more

October 19, 2016 Audio

DJ Jazzy Jeff & Rhymefest’s New Music Together Has A Lot Of People Hyped (Audio)

Last week, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Rhymefest revamped their "Jeff n' Fess" tandem after nearly a decade. They released "Mr. Officer," a powerful track featuring Eric Roberson that made no bones about showing the fear, the hurt, and the disconnect with Black citizens caused by police profiling and brutality. "No... Read more

October 18, 2016 Audio

Common Wants Solange’s “Cranes” To Find Forever In His Remix (Audio)

Solange Knowles earned her first #1 album earlier this month. A Seat At The Table contains thoughtful, assertive, and incredibly timely music. Video single "Cranes In The Sky" is the entry point to many on the younger Knowles sister's latest dissertation in sound, with an album that truly owns her... Read more

October 18, 2016 Audio

Talib Kweli & Rick Ross Are An Unexpected But Lethal Combination (Audio)

When it comes to unlikely pairings in Hip-Hop, there are likely few more unanticipated that a collaboration between Talib Kweli and Rick Ross. For nearly his entire career, Kweli has been closely associated with "Conscious Rap," due to his thought-provoking rhymes about politics, race relations and other substantive matters. By... Read more

October 18, 2016 Audio, Mixes

Joe Budden Raps About His Life While Channeling Jay Z’s Hard Knock (Audio)

In June of 2003, Joe Budden's eponymous debut LP dropped, enjoying the success of its lead single, which arrived a month prior in the form of "Pump It Up." Produced by Just Blaze, the record remains one of Budden's most successful, but it almost didn't happen. Jay Z reportedly was... Read more

October 17, 2016 Audio

Mickey Factz Readies His Nottz Collabo LP With 15 Styles In 15 Minutes (Audio)

Mickey Factz has a decorated music career to date. The New York MC has been featured as a XXL "Freshman" in the 2009 yearbook, in addition to making widely circulated songs with Drake, Yelawolf, and Kendrick Lamar, among others. Fresh off of the Nottz-produced video single "414 Words," Factz lays... Read more

October 17, 2016 Audio

DJ Jazzy Jeff & Rhymefest Have A Clear Message For Mr. Officer (Audio)

Producer and turntablist DJ Jazzy Jeff and fellow Grammy Award winner Rhymefest appear to have created a group, Jeff n Fess. The Philadelphia and Chicago link made its debut (and scratched at its band name) nearly a decade ago on The Return Of Magnificent, Jeff's LP. 2016 headlines and tragic... Read more

October 15, 2016 Audio

Hear Unreleased Snippets From RZA & GZA Demos That Birthed The Wu-Tang Clan (Audio)

Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and GZA each had careers prior to 1993's game-changing Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). While GZA's February, 1991 Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros. Records release Words From The Genius garnered some hardcore interest, RZA (t/k/a Prince Rakeem) did not fare as well with his Tommy Boy Records maxi-single, Ooh,... Read more

October 14, 2016 Audio, Throwback

Tanya Morgan’s Donwill Chimes In With a New Solo E.P. (Audio)

In what serves as a commendable career milestone for Cincinnati, Ohio's Donwill, his latest E.P. stop. waiting. signals both his debut as a producer and an entirely self-released project (by way of his Working Creative imprint). Having long since made New York City his home, Donwill has been releasing music... Read more

October 14, 2016 Audio

Hear J Dilla’s Unreleased Demos & His Story Told By The Man Who Helped Launch His Career (Audio)

J Dilla's sprawling discography can be a challenge to process. The Detroit, Michigan visionary was a producer, an MC, a member of many groups, a musician, and somebody who loved a laissez-faire approach to his music. In his 32 years of life, he made lots of it. In his career,... Read more

October 14, 2016 Audio

Jay Electronica Emerges With Seeds Of Wisdom About Love On “Garden” (Audio)

Much to the dismay of fans, Jay Electronica has never been a prolific MC. What the elusive artist has lacked in numbers, however, he's made up for in impact. To date, he had only released 3 songs in 2016, but each resonated in different ways. His first came in February,... Read more

October 13, 2016 Audio

Busta Rhymes Spits The Violence On A 1999 Freestyle (Audio)

In 1999, Busta Rhymes had most recently dropped E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front, his third platinum album in as many releases. With two more consecutive platinum-selling LPs in the chamber (2000's Anarchy and 2001's Genesis), the Flipmode Squad MC was at the top of his game at the turn of the... Read more

October 13, 2016 Audio

Tech N9ne & Logic Put Hot Sauce On Their Flows So They Can Spit Fire (Audio)

Months ago, Heads got to see a video of Tech N9ne and Logic backstage trading techniques on how to rap incredibly fast, both in the studio and on stage. While it was satisfying to see a veteran MC and a younger one building and learning from each other, it also... Read more

October 13, 2016 Audio

Big K.R.I.T. Tells Def Jam KRITWuzHere & Then Makes One Triumphant Exit (Audio)

In what is shaping up to be more proof that, sometimes, working independently can do wonders for one's artistic expression, Big K.R.I.T. has just released a new single fittingly titled "Free Agent." It's just the latest in a string of powerful moves from the MC and producer, who this summer... Read more

October 13, 2016 Audio

Bad Boy’s Hitmen Justify Taking Hits From The ‘80s & Making ‘Em Feel So Good (Audio)

Since the earliest days of Bad Boy Records there has was a production team in place known as The Hitmen. Sometimes known as "Puffy's Hitmen," the collective included Puff Daddy as a figurehead with a decorated staff that has at times included Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, Nashiem Myrick, Sean C &... Read more

October 12, 2016 Audio

E-40 Has A New Double Album Coming. The First Single Is On One (Audio)

E-40 is an artist who has created a career that's nearly 30 years old. The Vallejo, California Rap kingpin is a master of reinvention, while forever staying true to who he was as a self-made Mail Man, slangin' CDs and tapes out of an Oldsmobile Cutlass since the late '80s.... Read more

October 12, 2016 Audio

Macklemore’s New Song Calls Out Drug Dealers, Including Big Pharma & Doctors (Audio)

For the last 5 years, Macklemore has been one of the most courageous artists in Hip-Hop. Starting with his 2011 release "Wings," which addressed the detrimental effects of rampant materialism in our society, the Seattle MC, and his musical partner Ryan Lewis, has tackled some of the biggest issues facing... Read more

October 11, 2016 Audio

MC Eiht’s Upcoming Album Includes This DJ Premier Remix (Audio)

MC Eiht and Compton's Most Wanted have a long history with DJ Premier and Gang Starr. In 1992, Preemo remixed "Def Wish II" from the critically-acclaimed Music To Driveby album. Two years later, Eiht dropped a "Geah!" on Premier's answering machine for Hard To Earn's "Aiight Chill" interlude. Even though... Read more

October 11, 2016 Audio

Nas Drops One Of The Feature Verses Of His Career & It’s DEEP (Audio)

From his Main Source "Live At The Barbeque" debut on wax to seminal records by AZ, Raekwon, Fat Joe, Scarface, and Beastie Boys, Nas is a lethal feature MC. Across the industry, for more than 25 years, the Queensbridge poet has been highly sought after—across genres to kick some of... Read more

October 11, 2016 Audio

Mic Capes’s Hunger Pains Lead To A Balanced Musical Meal, Channeling Badu & Ahmad (Audio)

Portland, Oregon MC Mic Capes is one of the brightest emerging voices in the Northwest. The artist has cultivated a reputation for pairing his life story with a Hip-Hop purist's knack for concept. In past songs, he's referenced Ice Cube ("One 4 O'shea") set against his own introspective vision. Last... Read more

October 9, 2016 Audio

Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge’s NxWorries Group Makes Soul With Swagger (Audio)

As far as meaningful albums are concerned, 2016 arguably began with Anderson .Paak's Malibu. One of the year's tallest bodies of work will be followed with an additional release from the Southern California MC/singer/drummer/producer who has since signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. While he's label-mates with Eminem, Kendrick Lamar,... Read more

October 8, 2016 Audio

Beanie Sigel Speaks The Truth. He’s Out To Put Meek Mill To Sleep. (Audio)

Rap disses seem to come in bursts these days. Before Meek Mill addresses Beanie Sigel's midweek attack "I'm Coming," his opponent has gotten even closer on "Good Night." With Sigel's new, softer spoken delivery (following a 2014 shooting), Beans is out to deliver a career lullaby to the fellow Philly... Read more

October 7, 2016 Audio

The LOX & Termanology Have Dreams Like Biggie, But Keep It Grimy (Audio )

The LOX were present in the last days of Biggie Smalls. Before he left the world mourning his personality, rhyme skills, and giving heart, Christopher Wallace helped clear a path for Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch to succeed. At the time, they were his hopeful label-mates at Bad Boy... Read more

October 7, 2016 Audio

BROOKZILL!’s Debut LP is Inventive & Familiar At the Same Time (Audio)

BROOKZILL!: a hybrid musical project, part Brazilian street samba/part Brooklyn, New York "old school" - defined by travel and transcendence, mapping out connections to discover that the heartbeat of both musical traditions starts in the same place. Recorded over a 10 year period in Atlanta, Brazil, New York, Throwback to... Read more

October 6, 2016 Audio, Food for Thought

The Game’s Friends & Enemies May Change, But Wu-Tang Is Forever (Audio)

The last couple of months have brought some seismic shifts in affiliation for The Game. August saw the Compton MC put to rest a beef with 50 Cent that had extended for more than a decade. Weeks later, after that hatchet was buried, Game raised a new one and aimed... Read more

October 6, 2016 Audio

Joe Budden & Styles P Still Hold BARS Sacred. It Shows On Their New Collabo (Audio)

Sometimes less is more, and that is precisely the approach Joe Budden and Styles P have taken on "Freestyle," a track whose title belies the varsity-level bars with which it's laden. The two have worked together before, not least on Budden's 2010 mixtape Mood Muzik 4, where the two eviscerated... Read more

October 6, 2016 Audio

Ice Cube, The D.O.C. & Cold 187um Make A Ruthless 2016 Collabo (Audio)

In 1989, Ruthless Records boasted one of the finest rosters in Rap music history. With N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton in heavy rotation (with a massive tour behind it), Eazy-E's independent label was fast expanding to include The D.O.C., Above The Law, and J.J. Fad. By 1990, everything had changed. Ice... Read more

October 6, 2016 Audio

Beanie Sigel Is Coming for Meek Mill On a New Diss Record (Audio)

Just two days removed from an appearance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards that left many fans waiting with bated breath for reference of his ongoing beef with Meek Mill, Beanie Sigel has dropped a diss track directed squarely at the fellow Philadelphia, Pennsylvania rapper and others involved in tenuous drama... Read more

October 6, 2016 Audio

Talib Kweli Invites Problem & Aloe Blacc On a Remix for Every Ghetto (Audio)

With one of the most expansive repertoires in Hip-Hop, Talib Kweli's longevity and stamina cannot be questioned. In addition to his MCing, he's an activist, writer, and a handful of other things that are equally impressive. But today (October 5), it's his music that is once again proving his ability... Read more

October 5, 2016 Audio

Andre 3000, Nas, Method Man & More Made Sure Hip-Hop Did Not Fall In September (Audio)

September is always a month of change. More than just the Fall season, it brings back to school, the return of the NFL, a blitz of new TV shows and several other things that signal a changing of the winds. For Hip-Hop, September of 2016 held one of the biggest... Read more

October 4, 2016 Audio

Nocando’s Most Important Work to Date Is An Explosive Ride Through Racism (Audio)

Los Angeles, California's Nocando has been releasing solo albums since 2010's Jimmy the Lock, and the work he's put in for the city's local music circuit extends much further. But it's now, in 2016, that the MC has released the most significant song of his career in the form of... Read more

October 1, 2016 Audio

Nas, Vic Mensa & Game Hold Nothing Back On the Year’s Most Explosive Soundtrack (Audio)

The Birth of a Nation is already one of 2016's most talked about films, and it hasn't even been released yet. On October 7, the Nate Parker directed sensation will arrive in theaters, and due to its simultaneously historic and timely content, it already has American movie lovers buzzing. The... Read more

September 30, 2016 Audio

Method Man’s First Song Of The Year Is Bulletproof (Audio)

It's been an exceptionally quiet year for Method Man, on the music front. After releasing his album The Meth Lab in 2015, he has not dropped a single record this year. In fact, save for a guest appearance on Havoc's “Buck 50’s & Bullet Wounds,” Meth has not even been... Read more

September 30, 2016 Audio

Andre 3000’s New “Decemba” Verse Is Cold. How Cold? ICE COLD (Audio)

Since the 2006 release of OutKast's Idlewild soundtrack, Andre 3000 has put out just over 20 verses. While nearly every one has been an event in and of itself, often standing among the best in its respective year, an average of two an annum is far too few for fans... Read more

September 30, 2016 Audio

Ab-Soul Returns With His First Official Release In Nearly 2 Years (Video)

It's been more than two years since Top Dawg Entertainment's Ab-Soul has released an album. The lyrical sharpshooter has been very low profile in that time period, as everyone else on the label's roster, from Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock to ScHoolboy Q, Isaiah Rashad and SZA has released material.... Read more

September 29, 2016 Audio

50 Cent Makes A Power Move Over Young M.A.’s “Ooouuu” (Audio)

Every year in Hip-Hop there is a track that penetrates the Zeitgeist and inspires countless MCs to want to leave their imprint on the record. In 2013, it was Big Sean's "Control," fueled in large part by response records to Kendrick Lamar's lyrical assault on the entire industry. In 2014,... Read more

September 29, 2016 Audio

Beanie Sigel Reveals How Texts & Photos Led To Violent Beef With Meek Mill (Audio)

Following a documented altercation this past weekend, Beanie Sigel has broken his silence. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania hit-maker appeared on the latest episode of the Taxstone Podcast. There, the former Roc-A-Fella Records star broke down his changing position in the beef between The Game and Meek Mill, and why he feels... Read more

September 28, 2016 Audio

Redman’s 1000-Volt Flow Keeps Microphones Lit (Audio)

Earlier this year, Redman released a record unlike any other in his past discography, the EDM-inspired "Lights Out." It was the debut single from 1000volts, his newly formed musical partnership with Los Angeles producer Jayceeoh. Also a world-renowned DJ, Jayceeoh's relationship with an industry veteran like Reggie Noble is the... Read more

September 26, 2016 Audio