Audio Archives

Talib Kweli Tells Money-Lusting MCs What They Can Do With It…(Audio)

So much of Hip-Hop is centered around money. There are songs about how much money MCs are making through illicit means, whether it be through the sale of drugs, stick ups or pandering. Others flaunt how much money they have through boasts about their cars, homes, fine art and ability... Read more

August 14, 2015 Audio

Yasiin Bey Uses Basquiat as His Ghostwriter For an Inspired Song About Injustice & Hope (Audio)

For years, Yasiin Bey (pka Mos Def) has shown he is an artist who walks his own path. Whether advocating for social justice or lyrically taking out sucker MCs, he has proven to be equally adept. After a private video where he challenged the entire industry to battle himself, King... Read more

August 14, 2015 Audio

Warren G Recalls Trying To Mediate Tupac & Biggie, An Untold Feud Behind Regulate (Audio)

In honor of his just-released Regulate…G Funk Era Pt. 2 EP, Warren G took the guest seat on the Combat Jack Show. The Long Beach, California MC/producer/DJ tells the show several times, that he is planning a book. This interview, (later featuring actor R. Marcus Taylor ("Suge Knight" in Straight... Read more

August 14, 2015 Audio

Celebrate the Life & Legacy of Sean Price with New Single (Audio)

It's been less than a week since Sean Price passed away, and the collective mourning in the Hip-Hop community has crystallized how much love and influence he left behind. Since his death on August 8, countless homages to the bar-barian have appeared, from tribute pages on social media platforms, to... Read more

August 13, 2015 Audio

Mick Jenkins’ Wave[s] Continues To Hydrate Minds After The Water[s] (EP Stream)

One year to the day after The Water[s], Chicago, Illinois MC Mick Jenkins returns to the shore with The Wave[s]. The Cinematic Entertainment artist follows his acclaimed breakthrough with 29 minutes, and nine tracks. Production duties include Sacramento, California veteran Lee Bannon (Joey Bada$$, Souls Of Mischief) and Montreal, Quebec's... Read more

August 13, 2015 Audio

The Foreign Exchange Report Back from Love’s Promised Land with their Latest LP (Album Stream)

It's been been more than ten years since the Foreign Exchange began sharing their brand of musical fusion with the world, and now the duo is gearing up to release Tales From the Land of Milk and Honey. Phonte and Nicolay began their artistic partnership with 2004's Connected and have... Read more

August 13, 2015 Audio

Mac Miller Unleashes a Previously Unreleased Track Featuring Sean Price (Audio)

Given Sean Price's tireless work ethic as an MC, there are bound to be a number of unreleased tracks featuring his grizzly vocals that surface over the next several months, if not years. One of the first such gems comes courtesy of Mac Miller, with whom Price previously collaborated on... Read more

August 12, 2015 Audio

2 Chainz Showcases His Often Underrated Lyrical Abilities on Goat (Audio)

2 Chainz is preparing the release of TrapAVelli Tre, the next installment in his TrapAVelli mixtape trilogy. The project will feature a variety of guest artists, including Wiz Khalifa and Kevin Gates, as well as production from Mike Dean and more. His latest leak is "Goat," featuring The-Dream, and production... Read more

August 12, 2015 Audio

Chance The Rapper & Noname Gypsy Exercise Their Poetic Licenses With Wild Wordplay (Audio)

Chance The Rapper and Noname Gypsy made "Lost" on 2013's Acid Rap. The two versatile Chicago, Illinois voices are back for another intersection. "Israel (Sparring)" elevates the craft of collaboration with this amazing display of stylized wordplay. C.T.R. conjures images of Africa, The Bible, along with his own surroundings. In... Read more

August 12, 2015 Audio

Stones Throw Drops Guilty Simpson’s Album Early, With A Rock-Infused Single (Audio)

Earlier today (August 12), Stones Throw Records announced it was releasing the latest album from Guilty Simpson nearly a month early. Detroit's Son will be universally available on September 11, but Heads can purchase it right now by visiting the label's website. Produced entirely by Australian producer Katalyst, the album... Read more

August 12, 2015 Audio

Styles P Gets the Party Started For His New Album and Invites Jadakiss to the Celebration (Audio)

For several years, Styles P has been one of the most consistent artists in Hip-Hop. Whether with his LOX brethren Jadakiss and Sheek Louch, or solo, Ghost releases quality product, year round. After treating fans to a slew of Friday freestyles that spanned the entirety of Spring, Styles turns his... Read more

August 12, 2015 Audio

Ma$e Rallies For Hardcore NYC Hip-Hop On Tupac & Dr. Dre’s Track (Audio)

With reports lingering that the 1990s Puff Daddy & The Family/Bad Boy Records team may be reuniting for a tour following the BET Awards performance, Ma$e cracks the mic once more. The former multi-platinum, #1 album-maker aims to return to his roots with "When NY Was NY." A freestyle over... Read more

August 11, 2015 Audio

New Orleans Triple-Threat Pell Showcases His Signature Versatility on Latest Single (Audio)

As an MC, singer, and producer, Pell is an artist whose talents are seemingly unlimited, and he manages to transition seamlessly from genre to genre. Having been labeled "cloud rap," "future bounce," and various other terms, this New Orleans native is a musical hybrid whose 2014 album Floating While Dreaming... Read more

August 11, 2015 Audio

A Previously Unreleased Fat Joe Track Surfaces, With T.I. On The Hook (Audio)

Fat Joe is a master of reinvention. Whether it's his "Da Fat Gangsta" era of the early 1990s, or his crossover hits like "New York" (alongside Ja Rule and Jadakiss) or "Lean Back" (with Terror Squad), Joe Crack can find his many styles, seemingly on-call. The Bronx, New York veteran... Read more

August 11, 2015 Audio

Who Run the World? Latin-American Women Are Having a Powerful Impact on Hip-Hop (Audio)

In a recent feature for the Guardian, a Female MC from Quito, Ecuador shares her experiences breaking into and representing Hip-Hop culture on a global level, but her story is far from anecdotal. Mariela Salgado (whose stage name is Roja) provided writer Claire Rigby with insight into the male-dominated scene... Read more

August 10, 2015 Audio

Souls Of Mischief’s Opio & Free The Robots Recorded An LP In A Redwoods Forest. Hear Some (Audio Premiere)

Earlier this year, Souls Of Mischief/Hieroglyphics MC Opio and producer Free The Robots teamed for The Subconscious Mind EP, including "Let The Bass Go." Moving forward, the Oakland, California veteran and the accomplished producer (Capital STEEZ, Nocando, Busdriver) merge towards Sempervirens (September 18). The duo recorded this full-length in a California... Read more

August 10, 2015 Audio, Exclusive, Fresh

Homeboy Sandman’s Arrows Penetrate The Eardrums While Stating His Top 5 MCs (Audio)

After leaving Heads with a joint project with Blu in the closing week of 2014—Homeboy Sandman has been quiet, relatively speaking. The Queens, New York MC is plugging away as Stones Throw Records' flagship Rap acts, alongside the returning artist, Guilty Simpson. "Arrows" hits the center of the board. H.B.S.... Read more

August 9, 2015 Audio

SKAM2? Made A Tribe Called Quest’s Beats, Rhymes & Life Artwork. He Remixes It For Deadpool

Back in 1996, Miami, Florida native MC/illustrator SKAM2? made one of Hip-Hop's most iconic covers: A Tribe Called Quest's Beats, Rhymes & Life. A chance meeting with Q-Tip prompted SKAM to lace the artwork for the would-be platinum-certified album on Jive Records. At the time, as an MC living in... Read more

August 9, 2015 Audio, Fresh

Yasiin Bey Clarifies His Rap Challenge & Questions Hip-Hop’s Battling Tradition (Audio)

Yesterday (August 7), the Internet was rattled with a video of Yasiin Bey (f/k/a Mos Def) challenging "anybody and everybody" against a team of himself, The Roots' Black Thought, and King Los. One day later (August 8), an upset Bey released a nearly 10-minute audio clarification. In the message, Yasiin... Read more

August 8, 2015 Audio

Blackalicious Make A Grand Return To Lung Collapsing Lyrics (Audio)

For more than 20 years, Blackalicious have been a beacon of dope in the Hip-Hop landscape. From the capitol city of Sacramento, California, Gift Of Gab and Chief Xcel made distinct releases that exemplified the creative freedoms of the Underground Hip-Hop spirit, also while earning a place in the mainstream... Read more

August 8, 2015 Audio

Markis Precise’s Debut Features Elzhi, Fashawn, Brother Ali & Ras Kass (Album Stream)

Fresno, California producer/musician Markis Precise just released his debut album, The Feeling Of Flying. The Ineffable Music Group LP is no compilation, but a carefully-crafted album featuring a cross-section of lyricists including fellow Fresno native Fashawn, as well as Elzhi, Brother Ali, Ras Kass, Murs, Strong Arm Steady, and Oddisee,... Read more

August 7, 2015 Audio

Chris Rivers & Sheek Louch Have Got It Made With Their Throwback Freestyles (Audio)

For the last several weeks, Chris Rivers and Sheek Louch have released rugged verses over throwback beats. Rivers has covered everyone from Black Moon to his father, Big Pun, and even tackled a LOX standout. Sheek has gone a bit more contemporary, with verses over Jay Rock, The Clipse and... Read more

August 7, 2015 Audio

Golden Rules Have The Golden Ticket To A Proper Group Introduction (Album Stream)

In the new artist category of 2015, Golden Rules shine brightly. The tandem of MC Eric Biddines and producer Paul White draw from the Dungeon Family movement of the 1990s, and broad-minded production sensibilities that challenge genre. The group's Lex Records, Golden Ticket releases today (August 7). The Consequence Of... Read more

August 7, 2015 Audio

Vince Staples Challenges His Comfort Zone with Major Lazer Co-Founder (Audio)

After releasing his debut solo album, Summertime '06, in June, Vince Staples has been enjoying his busiest season yet. The ambitious 20-track project features Jhené Aiko, fellow Cutthroat Boyz Joey Fatts & ASton Matthews, and extensive production from No I.D. The Long Beach, California rapper already has a spot in... Read more

August 7, 2015 Audio

Jay Rock Examines Watts’ Treachery In A Style He’s Never Before Used (Audio)

Since his mid-2000s introduction, Jay Rock's raps have strongly characterized his streets of Watts, California. A product of South Central, Los Angeles, the Top Dawg Entertainment MC chooses a new methodology in describing his 'hood in "90059." Named after his native zip code, the Lance Skiiiwalker-assisted record finds a possessed protagonist,... Read more

August 7, 2015 Audio

After All the Drake/Meek Mill Hype, Does Waka Flocka Have the Hardest RICO Verse? (Audio)

Waka Flocka Flame is underrated as a spitter. Though he burst on the scene with party-starters, like "No Hands," that showcased a more simplistic MC style, he released a mixtape and several tracks in 2014 where he truly went hard in the paint, lyrically. Now, in a moment that is... Read more

August 6, 2015 Audio

After 25 Years, Scarface Is Still Making Music For Your Mind (Audio)

His name may not be mentioned as often as some, but Scarface has earned the right to be a perennial contender on any top 10 MC list. Whether as part of The Geto Boys or solo, Brad Jordan has been a consistent storyteller, metaphor flipper and straight spitter for the... Read more

August 6, 2015 Audio

Dr. Dre Put Compton On The Map. Now He’s Immortalizing Its Legacy (Album Stream)

Announced just days ago, Dr. Dre's third studio album, Compton, has released as planned. The N.W.A. co-founder named his first LP in nearly 16 years after the Hub City that he hails from. Now, the Beats By Dre namesake drops off the deeply-anticipated work to Apple Music for an exclusive... Read more

August 6, 2015 Audio, Fresh

Method Man, Raekwon & Inspectah Deck Pay Homage To The Purple Tape Era (Audio)

Two weeks removed from The Meth Lab (August 21), Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man, Raekwon, and Inspectah Deck team up. Optimally timed, "Purple Tape" arrives following the 20-year anniversary of Rae's benchmark solo debut, which Meth' and Rebel I.N.S. both worked on as well. The 2015 track uses '95 as inspiration.... Read more

August 6, 2015 Audio

Curren$y & Chase N. Cashe Form A Holy Union In Audio (EP Stream)

Earlier this year, New Orleans' resident Spitta Curren$y released Pilot Talk 3, his fifth studio album and one that was highly anticipated, as it had been five years since the first two albums of the Pilot Talk series were released. Only a few weeks later, he dropped the E.P. Even... Read more

August 6, 2015 Audio

CyHi The Prynce Puts Kanye West on Blast…But It’s All in the Family (Audio)

Over the years, Kanye West has gone on some memorable rants. Now, it appears the quality has rubbed off on his G.O.O.D. Music signee, CyHi The Prynce. Much like Kanye did with Jay Z on "Big Brother," CyHi takes Kanye to task for several transgressions he believes he's suffered over... Read more

August 5, 2015 Audio

Celebrate Warren G’s New EP a Day Early & Listen to ‘Regulate…G Funk Era Pt. 2’ (Album Stream)

It's been 21 years since Long Beach, California MC and producer Warren G released his debut album, Regulate...G Funk Era. The triple-Platinum selling LP is home to his duet "Regulate," a West Coast classic featuring the late Nate Dogg that remains his most successful track to date. Also housing the... Read more

August 5, 2015 Audio

M.O.P. & Apollo Brown Collaborate on Detonate and It’s Explosive (Audio)

In recent years, M.O.P. have explored with their sound. The Brownsville, Brooklyn duo of Lil Fame and Billy Danze have made some of their hit records with the likes of DJ Premier, D/R Period, Just Blaze, and manager/producer Laze E. Laze, in addition to board-work with Statik Selektah, Snowgoons, and... Read more

August 5, 2015 Audio

Macklemore & Ed Sheeran Present Lessons To His Daughter & All Of Us (Audio)

After dominating 2012-2014, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are back. The Seattle, Washington MC and producer tandem are masters at finding Pop sensibility through making Hip-Hop songs about issues that seemingly relate to us all. Mack' and his wife recently welcomed their daughter Sloane Ava Simone Haggerty into the world (in May,... Read more

August 5, 2015 Audio

Foreign Exchange Turn The Work Space Into A Party Place (Video)

Later this month, Foreign Exchange will release their sixth album, Tales From The Land Of Milk And Honey (August 21). For the premier video, "Asking For A Friend," Phonte, Nicolay and company awaken the monotony of corporate life. With a House-tinged beat, the infectious hi-hats seduce an office floor to... Read more

August 4, 2015 Audio, Video

Warren G Releases “Keep On Hustlin'” Featuring Young Jeezy, Bun B & Nate Dogg (Audio)

For fans of West Coast Hip-Hop, this week is about to be EPIC. Not only will Dr. Dre be releasing Compton: The Soundtrack, his first album in nearly 16 years, Warren G, will be releasing Regulate...G Funk Era II, a sequel to his 1994 classic, as well. Warren's release arrives... Read more

August 3, 2015 Audio

Guilty Simpson Fights Back Against Police Treating People Like Animals (Audio)

Guilty Simpson's Stones Throw Records return is shaping up. The Random Axe MC who made a lot of noise upon 2008's Ode To The Ghetto is back in form. "Animal" puts racist cops in the cross-hairs, as the Detroit, Michigan native looks at recent events as an awakening to a... Read more

August 3, 2015 Audio

Large Professor Chats with Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Teaches Hip-Hop History Lesson (Audio)

In 2014, Large Professor - the legendary Queens, New York producer who has worked with Eric B. & Rakim (while he was still in high school, no less), Nas, Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz, Public Enemy, and dozens more - visited hosts Frannie Kelly and A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed... Read more

August 3, 2015 Audio

Dr. Dre’s New Album Will Not Be Released Today…But It’s Coming Soon (Audio)

Earlier this week, Ice Cube set the web on fire when he stated during an interview that Dr. Dre had created an album inspired by the forthcoming motion picture Straight Outta Compton (8/14), and that it would be released on August 1. However, new information suggests the album will not... Read more

August 1, 2015 Audio

Gangrene Markets Their New Single With A Clever Reversal (Audio)

Alchemist is a marketing genius. In the midst of plenty of Rap diversions this week, the Gangrene cofounder launches latest single "Reversals" into the digital super-highway with some sarcasm-marketing. No, the Mass Appeal Records single does not feature Drake, Meek Mill, or Jay Electronica, but it absolutely packs potent punches... Read more

July 31, 2015 Audio

A DJ Blends 3 Pete Rock Verses With 7 Petestrumentals (Audio)

Pete Rock is one of Hip-Hop's most lethal triple-threats. The Mount Vernon, New Yorker produces, he DJs, and he raps—doing all of the above at a high level over the last 25-plus-years. In response to his recent Petestrumentals 2 release with Mello Music Group, Brooklyn, New York-based DJ Rashiiid cleverly... Read more

July 31, 2015 Audio

Meek Mill Responds, At Last. Is It Drake’s Nightmare Or Is Meek Dreamin’? (Audio)

Tonight (July 30), Meek Mill was expected to formally reply to Drake by verse. More than one week since the Maybach Music Group MC began a social media attack on his recurring collaborator, he has yet to record a record—that even he has promised the public. In that span, Drake... Read more

July 30, 2015 Audio, News

Can You Hear JAY-Z’s Influence in This Previously Unreleased Early Kendrick Lamar Song? (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar often has cited JAY-Z as one of his biggest influences. In a 2013 piece with Interview magazine, his response to interviewer Erykah Badu's question about whether there was an MC who influenced him or whose level he could never attain, Kendrick stated "That I feel I'll never reach?... Read more

July 30, 2015 Audio

Oddisee’s Drum Programming Beautifully Accentuate Finale’s Encore (Audio)

Heads may not be up on Finale. However, the Detroit, Michigan MC is worth every bit of your time. A former auto-plant worker, Finale's 2009 LP, A Pipe Dream And A Promise boasted beats by J Dilla, Flying Lotus, Black Milk, and Oddisee. Now finding a home at Mello Music... Read more

July 30, 2015 Audio

Vic Mensa Ends All Questions About Why Jay Z Signed Him With This Freestyle Over Classic Biggie (Audio)

Over the past few months, Vic Mensa has been adding his own flavor to the work of others, including his re-imagining of Future's "Codeine Crazy," his "Breakfast Bars" segment attacking some vintage Ice Cube beats, and his chance to pay homage to his current boss, Jay-Z, by freestyling over the... Read more

July 30, 2015 Audio, Fresh

King Magnetic Hops On DJ Premier Production To Prove Status Is Irrelevant (Audio)

King Magnetic may be a newer name to some, however the Allentown, Pennsylvania native has been active on the charts. The onetime Reef The Lost Cauze protege joined the East Coast Hardcore Rap collective Army Of The Pharaohs for 2010's The Unholy Terror and 2014's In Death Reborn, both of which... Read more

July 29, 2015 Audio

Drake Accuses Meek Mill Of Riding On Nicki Minaj’s Coattails In New Diss Record (Audio)

One week later, Drake and Meek Mill are still at it. Meek may have started things, with a social media rant that called out his collaborator for relying on writers as well as an inferred line regarding Nicki Minaj. However, Drake is still the only half of the sides at... Read more

July 29, 2015 Audio

Freddie Gibbs, Apollo Brown & Verbal Kent Team With Aggression (Audio)

In an upcoming release through the Mello Music Group imprint, Chicago, Illinois MC Verbal Kent will be showcasing his skills on Anesthesia, a new solo album featuring contributions from Skyzoo, Torae, Red Pill, Marco Polo, and others. As a founding member of the Ugly Heroes with Red Pill and Apollo... Read more

July 28, 2015 Audio

Do or Die Are Releasing a Sequel to Picture This. Love in the Sky is the First Single (Audio)

After a nine year hiatus since the release of their last album, Get That Paper, Chicago's Do or Die returned to the scene earlier this year with Withdrawal, a joint EP with Twista. Prior to that, in September of 2014, we spoke with group member Belo, who revealed Do or... Read more

July 28, 2015 Audio

From the Court to the Mic, NBA Star Damian Lillard Brings the Heat (Audio)

As a Trail Blazer for Portland's NBA team, Damian Lillard is a point guard and Oakland native whose talents extend beyond basketball games. Earlier this year, the 25-year-old former Rookie of the Year and two-time All Star visited Sway Calloway over at SiriusXM's Shade 45 radio show and surprised listeners... Read more

July 28, 2015 Audio