Audio Archives

GQ & Khrysis Pick Up Where Slick Rick’s Mona Lisa Left Off (Audio)

It was cold how Mona Lisa sang (courtesy of a cut-in Dionne Warwick) to "walk on by." Well, 25 years later Jamla's basketball star-turned-professional MC GQ picks up in that same frame of mind, rappin' on a Khrysis flip of the beat that Heads have known for years. This comes... Read more

January 22, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Tito Lopez Earns The Pound Cake Beat With A Straight Talk Freestyle (Audio)

With so many artists, once in a while they make those real, talking to you tracks every so often, and Heads rejoice. Since 2010, Gulfport, Mississippi's Tito Lopez never seems to step out of that late. From Dr. Dre co-signs and Capitol Records deals, people are recognizing. Overtop the Boi-1da... Read more

January 22, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Astro Buries The Sound Boys In Brooklyn (Audio)

"I'm reppin' my Brooklyn legends" - Astro Astro is getting sharper by the minute. The Brooklyn, New York MC unveiled "Sound Boy Burial." Not a Smif N Wessun cover at all (the flow is more Reasonable Doubt-era Jay Z, if anything), the record essentially honors all of the above. Over... Read more

January 22, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Trae Tha Truth Raps As DJ Fresh Reworks Some Familiar Sounds Into Dope Beats (EP Stream)

Trae Tha Truth pumps out music at a rate that rivals only Statik Selektah. The Screwed Up Click alum and ABN (Asshole By Nature) general makes mixtapes, albums and a steady stream of collaborations that have taken him from cult-followed obscurity to a nationally-televised face, courtesy of his Hustle Gang... Read more

January 22, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Bishop Nehru Follows in the Footsteps of DJ Premier & Creates a Blazing Collabo with Disclosure (Audio)

Last month, DJ Premier did a remix to Disclosure's song Latch that both introduced the UK duo to a completely new audience and showcased a whole new soulful sound for Premier. Now, Disclosure has linked with up and coming MC Bishop Nehru and the results are equally amazing. The song... Read more

January 21, 2014 Audio

How Do You Make an 80’s Slow Jam Gangsta? Let Nipsey Hussle Show You (Audio)

Nipsey Hussle's grind never stops. The Crenshaw MC just dropped a mixtape last fall and is on tour but he's still dropping jewels for the fans. His latest release is a slow jam called Hotel Suite but don't get it twisted. He still keeps it 100% G. Check it out... Read more

January 21, 2014 Audio

DJ Brans Blesses Roc Marciano with a Remix That Would Make DJ Premier Proud (Audio)

Last week, Roc Marciano released a joint EP with DJ Brans. The project includes a remix to Marci's Do the Honors that would make DJ Premier proud with its boom bap drums and cuts on the chorus. Check it out below. Related: Action Bronson & Roc Marciano Mix Up Something... Read more

January 21, 2014 Audio

Crooked I Has Been Beating Up Tracks Harder Than Ever. DJ Mustard’s Is the Latest Victim (Audio)

Crooked I has been on a tear the last 6 months. The Long Beach MC has always been nice on the mic, but he's stepped it up even by his standards. His latest release is a re-take on YG's DJ Mustard-produced My Ni**a. Check it out below. Related: Crooked I... Read more

January 21, 2014 Audio

50 Cent & Fat Joe on the Same Track?? The Beef is Really Over…Check Out Free Again (Audio)

Shortly after the tragic death of their manager, Hip-Hop mogul Chris Lighty, 50 Cent and Fat Joe came together on the same stage to pay tribute to the man who played such a vital role in their careers. Though the union was peaceful, it was unclear whether the truce was... Read more

January 21, 2014 Audio

Check Out Schoolboy Q’s New Alchemist-Produced Song & the Artwork for Oxymoron (Audio & Photos)

OXYMORON is just over a month away (February 25th), and it’s taking shape. ScHoolboy Q has released the artwork for the album (pics below) and he teams with Alchemist on the latest release from the project. Q turns up on Alchemist's haunting strings. Check out Break the Bank. Here's the... Read more

January 21, 2014 Audio

A Tribe Called Quest’s Phife Dawg Pens A Letter To J Dilla In Song (Audio)

A Tribe Called Quest played a critical role in the career of J Dilla. Back in his days as Jay Dee, it was Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed that gave some early credits and opportunities to the thump-maker from Detroit, Michigan. By virtue of Dilla Dog's work on Beats,... Read more

January 21, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Big K.R.I.T. Reworks A Gary Clark, Jr. Single & It Sounds Amazing (Audio)

Big K.R.I.T. and Gary Clark, Jr. have both stepped into the mainstream around the same time. Both major label artists bring cult audiences with them since their Internet-obscure days, and a sound that few could replicate. While people tend to associate K.R.I.T.'s sounds less with guitars as much as pounding... Read more

January 21, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Curious If Organized Konfusion’s Prince Poetry Still Has It? He & Oh No Get Toxic (Audio)

Although Pharoahe Monch has had a higher profile career than Prince Poetry since Organized Konfusion parted ways, Heads can't say that either MC outshined each other consistently over the group's three albums. While Monch went to Rawkus Records and reinvented himself courtesy of a smash single later hurt by legalities... Read more

January 21, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Kool G Rap Hits That Roots Of Evil Flow On A New Track With Maffew Ragazino (Audio)

Kool G Rap has many styles. From his social consciousness on "Erase Racism," to his dazzling MC bravado on "Men At Work," to those grimy street tales heard on "Thug Love Story." Along the way, Giancana's flow has evolved, as he's staked a claim as one of Hip-Hop's best, dating... Read more

January 21, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Talib Kweli, Phonte & Elzhi Come Together For Some Fly Wordplay On A Khrysis Beat (Audio)

In 2000s, some of the most elite MCs have come from three crews that run in the same circles. Reflection Eternal's Talib Kweli, Little Brother's Phonte, and Slum Village's Elzhi have all successfully built identities outside of the groups they came up in. Years later, after a bunch of overlapping... Read more

January 21, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Black Rob Makes A Stream Of Consciousness Track, Talking To ‘Em (Audio)

Eighteen years after he signed to Bad Boy Records, Black Rob's still very much got it. The charismatic Harlem O.G. has a gift for talking about street ills in a way that people just out for a catchy song can process. Such is the case with "Have A Nice Day."... Read more

January 21, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Here’s an MLK Day Playlist That Looks at the State of the Nation Through Hip-Hop (Audio & Video)

As we've done on MLK day over the last few years, we've put together a playlist that reflects the increasingly complex state of the nation more than 50 years since Dr. King's march on Washington. There's cause for celebration and reason for lamentation, and everything in between. Here are various... Read more

January 20, 2014 Audio, Video

Mikkey Halsted & No ID Serve Up Some Raw Salmon Croquettes (Audio)

Chicago, Illinois' Mikey Halsted has been consistently putting out great music for 15 years. A former Cash Money Records artist in waiting, a Virgin Records artist in waiting, and a former rhyme-partner of Rhymefest, Mikkey has a track record paved in almost's. However, if you do some digging, you'll find... Read more

January 20, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Alchemist & Evidence Open Up The Doors To Their Step Brothers’ Lord Steppington (Album Stream)

One of the more exciting albums under way in 2014 is Alchemist & Evidence's Step Brothers collaborative debut, Lord Steppington. The Rhymesayers Entertainment release features the pair's extended family such as Oh No, Action Bronson, Fashawn, Blu, Styles P, Roc Marciano, Domo Genesis, and Rakka Iriscience. Dropping tomorrow on all... Read more

January 20, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Killer Mike & El-P Recruit Blue Sky Black Death For An Official Run The Jewels Remix (Audio)

Killer Mike & El-P's Run The Jewels bullied 2013 year-end lists far and wide. This came after 2012's dominance from both Hip-Hop artists on solo projects, R.A.P. and Cancer4Cure, respectively. Although their official debut group LP, Run The Jewels was released to free stream online long before it was available... Read more

January 20, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Spice-1, Kokane, Young Bleed, C-Bo, JT Money & Gangsta Pat Reminisce on Hip-Hop (Audio)

From the South and the West, the '90s and 2000s delivered some excellent artists who thrived without relying on the support of mainstream radio or video. These artists, who may have had hits, cultivated loyal audiences and made albums for their core. Prezident Bejda, a longtime Murder Dog magazine contributor,... Read more

January 18, 2014 Audio, Throwback

Diamond D Digs in the Crates and Pulls Out a Tough Beat for Big Rec (Audio)

Like D.I.T.C. brethren Lord Finesse and Showbiz, Diamond D is not big on a ton of production of output. The Bronx "best producer on the mic" responsible for Fat Joe's discovery has worked with everybody from Natalie Cole to Aim, but the Atlanta-based O.G. is a Head first. Over the... Read more

January 17, 2014 Audio

Murs Makes A Soulful Song With Apollo Brown About Getting Over Pain (Audio)

Almost a decade after making "The Pain" on Murs 3:16 with 9th Wonder, Murray now says "The Pain Is Gone." The Tucson, Arizona-based MC teams with Tucson, Arizona-based label Mello Music Group to release a single with the imprint's producer, Apollo Brown. As Murs has carved a niche for, Murray... Read more

January 17, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Canibus Drops The Kind Of Verse That Made Him Famous In New Song (Audio)

So many artists can never seem to find the pocket that made them notable in the first place. Changing time, circumstances, and influences can pull any talent away from their origins. With Canibus, the onetime Fugees/Def Squad/Lost Boyz affiliate certainly has explored conceptually and with his beats. However, the Jamaican-born,... Read more

January 17, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Smoke DZA Puts Record Labels on Blast on His New Song Black Independence (Audio)

Smoke DZA details the pitfalls of being signed to a record label and celebrates his Black Independence on his latest release. Related: Curren$y & Smoke DZA Release The Stage EP (Prod. Harry Fraud) (Mixtape)... Read more

January 16, 2014 Audio

Happy Birthday to Aaliyah. Here’s Mister Cee’s Baby Girl Bday Mix (Audio)

Happy Birthday to Aaliyah. Here's a mix by Mister Cee celebrating her life and music. Related: Aaliyah Video Tribute (Playlist)... Read more

January 16, 2014 Audio, Throwback

Homeboy Sandman Puts A Hip-Hop Spin On A Choir Classic (Audio)

Homeboy Sandman never seems to slow down. After one or more projects every year dating back to 2009, BoySand moves from 2013 acclaim of Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent and right into WHITE SANDS, with frequent producer/collaborator, Paul White. To kick things off proper, H.B.S. and Paul drop "Wade Into The... Read more

January 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Alchemist & Evidence’s Step Brothers Have A Crooked Cousin In Action Bronson (Audio)

Less than a week before Alchemist & Evidence long-awaited Step Brothers debut, Lord Steppington releases, Rhymesayers Entertainment liberates "Mums In The Garage." The track, led by hard drums and reckless rhyming, welcomes Rare Chandeliers partner Action Bronson to the cypher. The results are as expected on this one: Related: Action... Read more

January 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Just Blaze Merges His Roc-A-Fella Sound With Recent Work In Collab With Sinjin Hawke (Audio)

Great Hip-Hop producers can bring back certain movements in their evolution at special times. Dr. Dre touches on some G-Funk when it's called for, as Heads heard on Game's The Documentary breakthrough. DJ Premier, over 15 years removed from Moment Of Truth, can piece together a sharp scratch-chorus for certain... Read more

January 15, 2014 Audio, Fresh

DJ Kay Slay Unifies Members Of Wu-Tang Clan, LOX, Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga & M.O.P. To Honor The ’90s (Audio)

DJ Kay Slay has a deep network, in and out of New York City. From his appearance in Style Wars to his longtime Thursday night show on HOT 97, the Uptown DJ has fought to keep his city rugged. That quest is ongoing on "90s Flow," which features Ghostface Killah,... Read more

January 15, 2014 Audio

Jean Grae’s 5 Song jeannie. EP Is Available For Listen (EP Stream)

Jean Grae keeps her promises. The Brooklyn-based MC dropped jeannie. as planned. The five-song EP, released to her Bandcamp, includes early preview "The Mask," as well as four other tunes sans guests. Check it out here: jeannie. by Jean Grae While Jean Grae's partnered with labels for some of her... Read more

January 15, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Stream Zion I’s New EP The Masters of Ceremony (Audio)

One of Oakland's most unheralded groups is Zion I. In 2000, they released the sonic tour de force, Mind Over Matter, and they've been representing quality underground Hip-Hop ever since. Now, the duo of AmpLive and MC Zumbi is back with a new EP that you can stream in its... Read more

January 14, 2014 Audio

TDE’s Isaiah Rashad Releases a Dark and Brooding New Song Named After Master P’s Late Brother (Audio)

From Shot U Down to Ronnie Drake, TDE's Isaiah Rashad his demonstrated a taste for dark and brooding beats accompanied by pensive and deceptively-layered lyrics. His latest song, RIP Kevin Miller, is no exception. The song, which is named after Master P's brother, is part aspirational and part cautionary tale.... Read more

January 14, 2014 Audio

Here’s an Incredible Interview of Queen Latifah by Howard Stern…Oh, and She Says OutKast is Working on a New Album (Audio)

Queen Latifah sat down with Howard Stern for an hour+ long video and there is little ground they didn't cover-- Latifah's family life, her music and acting careers, her new talk show, past drug use...and, ever so briefly, Latifah, who used to manage OutKast, casually mentioned that the duo is... Read more

January 14, 2014 Audio

Nipsey Hussle Freaks a Soulful Track with Aggression on His Latest Release, Count Up That Loot (Audio)

Nipsey Hussle remains true to his name by staying steady on the grind. Mere months after releasing his Crenshaw mixtape, he's back with another song. On Count Up That Loot, Nipsey attacks the track with the same fervor with which he hustles. Check it out. Related: Nipsey Hussle Salutes His... Read more

January 14, 2014 Audio

Joell Ortiz Breaks His Silence, Bodying Pusha T & Kendrick Lamar’s Nosetalgia Instrumental (Audio)

In the crop of MCs who can snatch an instrumental and breathe new life into it, Joell Ortiz rings plenty bells. Even before his Slaughterhouse days, the Brooklyn MC had a habit of bodying beats bought by others. On a rendition of Pusha T and Kendrick Lamar's "Nosetalgia," Ortiz shows... Read more

January 14, 2014 Audio, Fresh

The Cool Kids Are Back Together, And Return In Style With Two New Songs (Audio)

Some groups seem to go a lot farther together than apart: arguments could be made for Black Sheep, Outkast, Young Gunz, and Tha Dogg Pound. One contemporary clique that may fit into that description is Chicago, Illinois' The Cool Kids. The mid-2000s MySpace success group, combining fashion with '80s-styled boom-bap... Read more

January 13, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Blu Suddenly Drops A 44-Track Album Featuring Miguel, Talib Kweli & Joell Ortiz (Album Stream)

Blu is the opposite of conventional. The reclusive Los Angeles preacher's kid bootlegged his own major label album a few years back, he's reportedly stepped to Nas at a club about a battle, and he's deliberately recruited U-God above all other members of the Wu. What's not to love? Today,... Read more

January 13, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Big K.R.I.T. & Kenneth Whalum Make A Soulful, Wisdom-Drenched Collaboration (Audio)

Big K.R.I.T. works with a lot of artists, new and established. The same week he hit the studio (again) with Ludacris, Big Krizzle was heard on a powerful song from emerging singer, Kenneth Whalum. "Away" is a dreamy, pensive song that works on many levels. K.R.I.T. splits the song with... Read more

January 13, 2014 Audio, Fresh

What’s Master P Sounding Like In 2014? He’s Linked With Game’s Producers (Audio)

Early this month, AFH looked at the understated impact Master P and No Limit Records had on Hip-Hop. Moreover, the published essay stresses that P's influence will ring strong in the road ahead, especially as the onetime mogul plots a comeback. Well, not even two weeks later, P's giving us... Read more

January 13, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Bun B for Mayor in Houston? It Just Might Happen…(Audio)

Rumors have been swirling about Bun B making a run for mayor of Houston in 2015. Bun B addressed those rumors and his political aspirations, generally, in an interview with New York's Hot 97. Whether he runs or not, he's sounding pretty official... Related: Bun B Discourages Young Artists From... Read more

January 12, 2014 Audio

Vado Flips Black Rob’s Whoa Track on His New Single. Here’s Be Like (Audio)

Vado is back with a hard-hitting new single that interpolates Black Rob's 2K club banger, Whoa, and updates it for 2013. The title plays on a popular current day meme catchphrase. Check out Be Like. Related: Vado – Fast Lane ft Raekwon (Video)... Read more

January 12, 2014 Audio

I Got a Story to Tell…Here’s a Playlist Dedicated to the Art of Storytelling in Rhymes (Audio)

Many MCs have witty punch lines, but a rare few have the ability to tell a full and engaging story over 48 bars and 3 hooks. Here's a playlist dedicated to some of Hip-Hop's artful storytellers. You know the names: Nas, Biggie, Slick Rick, Eminem, KRS-One, Ice Cube, Jay Z,... Read more

January 12, 2014 Audio, Featured-homepage, Playlists

Grap Luva, Rob-O and EDO.G Celebrate Pete Rock on Living Legend (Audio)

EDO.G links up with longtime Pete Rock collaborators Grap Luva (Pete Rock's brother) and Rob-O on a song honoring Soul Brother #1. Check out Living Legend. Related: DJ Premier and Pete Rock Are Doing a Joint “Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier” Album (Video)... Read more

January 10, 2014 Audio

Freddie Gibbs & Problem Are At It Again, This Time Thanks To Trae Tha Truth (Audio)

Two days ago, the Gary-to-Compton connection of Freddie Gibbs and Problem kicked their 2014 gangsta boogie on "One Eighty Seven." Now the tandem stays in tact on Hustle Gang/ABN/Screwed Up Click's Trae Tha Truth's "Wid It." Trae goes back into his bag and brings out the kind of track that... Read more

January 10, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Guilty Simpson & Planet Asia Switch Seats With Apollo Brown & Gensu Dean (Audio)

Mello Music Group loves MC/producer tandem projects—especially combining complete strangers. They took veteran D.I.T.C. MC O.C. and introduced him to Detroit, Michigan producer Apollo Brown for 2012's Trophies. In the last 12 months, they took Fresno, Cali vet Planet Asia and linked him with New Yorker Gensu Dean for Abrasions.... Read more

January 8, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Two Of Statik Selektah’s Star Rhymers, Ransom & Termanology Set It Off Together (Audio)

For over five years, Statik Seletah and his 1982 partner Termanology have been incredibly busy on a seemingly ceaseless stream of EPs, mixtapes, albums, and compilations. After success in '13 with North New Jersey's Ransom (as The Proposal), Statik combines worlds for "Set It Off." The joint features some hard-edged... Read more

January 8, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Dag Savage, Blu, Co$$ & Gonja Sufi Are God Body (Audio)

Exile & Johaz's Dag Savage outfit made plenty of noise in 2012 and 2013. The duo invites close affiliates Blu and Co$$ along, as well as fellow Golden Stater Gonja Sufi for "God Body." The O.G. track pulls from the kind of righteous Hip-Hop that influenced the collective. Related: Blu... Read more

January 8, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Papoose Gives You The True 2014 Brooklyn Tour Over Roy Ayers Ubiquity (Audio)

Roy Ayers Ubiquity' "We Live In Brooklyn" is a record that makes you feel the 1970s NYC that wasn't regularly on TV. When Roy said, "we tryin' to make it, baby," you could feel the working class struggle of New York City's largest borough. It's little wonder that Mos Def... Read more

January 7, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Hit-Boy Brings Audio Push & Logic Together For Juveniles (Audio)

With the new calendars, everybody is seemingly identifying the major prospects of 2014 Hip-Hop. As few could have predicted the stellar 2013 enjoyed by Chance The Rapper, Vic Mensa and Bishop Nehru, this new year is anybody's for the taking. Two artists poised to assume such a position are Inland... Read more

January 7, 2014 Audio, Fresh