Food for Thought Archives

Snoop & The Game Meet With The LAPD To Build Trust Between Police & The Community

On Friday (July 8), mere hours after five police officers were murdered in Dallas, Texas, and the same week two Black men were killed by police officers in separate incidents, Snoop Dogg and The Game led a march of more than 50 people to the Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters.... Read more

July 11, 2016 Food for Thought, News

DJ Premier Gives The Inside Story On The Making Of Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt 20 Years Later

Twenty years ago, Jay Z had a hustler's ambition of releasing an album and then walking away. His lifestyle already afforded the finer things in life, so he was not making the music for the money. Rather, in his 26 years of life, he had accumulated some formidable stories that he... Read more

June 13, 2016 Food for Thought

11 Must-Listen To Albums, EPs & Mixtapes So Far In 2016

Approaching this year's midpoint, there has been some incredible music that will be appreciated long beyond 2016. Like the art itself, the year that is has represented some tectonic shifts in how works are released, consumed, and ranked on the charts. Grammy Award-winning artists are dropping albums without warning—with videos ready to... Read more

June 10, 2016 Food for Thought, Fresh

Ice-T Explains Why Battling Unknown MCs Is A Bad Idea & More

Ice-T has been releasing records for nearly 35 years. Whether early independent 12" singles of platinum albums with Sire/Warner Bros. Records, the New Jersey-born, California-raised artist has enjoyed a massive entertainment career. Now known for his seminal role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the pioneering gangsta rapper appeared... Read more

June 7, 2016 Audio, Food for Thought, Fresh

King Harris II Colors His Own West Coast Reality Into An Ice-T Classic (Audio Premiere)

Oxnard, California (by way of Long Beach) MC King Harris II is gearing up for the release of his Nightmare On Wolff Street album tomorrow, on "Friday the 13th" no less. After making impactful appearances on albums by Tech N9ne and E-40, the diligent MC (who also happens to be... Read more

May 12, 2016 Audio, Food for Thought, The Bridge

Masta Ace Premieres “Young Black Intelligent” & Champions The Art Of Storytelling (Audio)

This week (May 13), Masta Ace will release his fifth solo album, The Falling Season. Although the LP follows the conceptual storyline of 2012's DOOM-supported MA_DOOM: Son Of Yvonne, it also reportedly also stands in the cult-championed lineage of 2001's Disposable Arts and 2004's Long Hot Summer. Released on Ace's... Read more

May 10, 2016 Audio, Food for Thought

New Jack City’s Creator Reveals The Story’s Original Ending & It’s Wildly Different

In the mid-1980s, Thomas Lee Wright, a creative executive at Paramount Studios left the company to pursue a career as a screenwriter. One of his first endeavors was to write a treatment for The Godfather: Part III, because he knew Paramount had a high interest in making a third installment... Read more

April 6, 2016 Food for Thought

Black Thought Speaks About The Roots Picnic And New Music On The Way With Royce, 9th Wonder & Eminem

For nearly 30 years, Black Thought and Questlove have been performing together, as The Roots. In that time, they have released 16 albums and EPs, performed at tens of thousands of shows, and entertained millions nightly, as the band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The expanse and quality... Read more

April 5, 2016 Food for Thought

Bahamadia Speaks On Artistic Integrity & Hip-Hop Womanhood, 20 Years After Kollage (Interview)

On April 2, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC known as Bahamadia celebrated the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Kollage. From her early success on radio to arriving where she is now, Bahamadia carries along with her the observations made along the way. However, the major milestones in her career are... Read more

April 4, 2016 Food for Thought

Bahamadia Speaks On Artistic Integrity & Hip-Hop Womanhood, 20 Years After Kollage (Interview)

On April 2, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC known as Bahamadia celebrated the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Kollage. From her early success on radio to arriving where she is now, Bahamadia carries along with her the observations made along the way. However, the major milestones in her career are not always... Read more

March 31, 2016 Food for Thought

The Ugly Details Of Ice Cube & Common’s Beef Show Just How Far They’ve Come

Last week, Ice Cube and Common released "Real People." The Barbershop: The Next Cut soundtrack inclusion may be promotional for the film both MC/actors star in, but the lyrics and theme of the song suggest much more. The collaboration follows a mid-1990s beef that saw both parties release dis' records... Read more

March 30, 2016 Food for Thought

This Journalist Who Was Encouraged By Eazy-E Releases A Book Comparing Hip-Hop & Chess

From the Wu-Tang Clan to Wale, Fresh to Dilated Peoples, Hip-Hop's music, film, and lifestyle maintain strong ties to chess. The 64 squares relate to many aspects of life. Northern California veteran author, speaker, scholar, and music journalist Adisa "The Bishop" Banjoko has made a career out tying Hip-Hop, chess,... Read more

March 25, 2016 Food for Thought, Lifestyle

How Organized Noize Created The Atlanta Hip-Hop Sound With Outkast & Goodie Mob

In looking at Rap superstars, their producers are never far behind in recognition. Rick Rubin was the musical architect that would have a hand in the success of Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, and Beastie Boys. Dr. Dre's "Midas Touch" with N.W.A., Snoop Dogg (and to a lesser extent) Tupac cleared... Read more

March 23, 2016 Food for Thought

Kanye West Didn’t Break The Rules With The Life Of Pablo. He Changed Them

Five weeks ago, Kanye West released his eighth solo album, The Life Of Pablo. What had long been anticipated as a follow-up to 2013's Yeezus was quite different than its predecessor. For starters, T.L.O.P. was never released to CD, vinyl, or digital download marketplaces (and reportedly never will be). For... Read more

March 21, 2016 Food for Thought

Joell Ortiz Speaks About Never Dumbing Down His Sound & Standing Up For Hip-Hop (Interview)

In the last 15 years, Joell Ortiz has climbed from a Brooklyn, New York MC releasing 12" Rawkus Records singles to the top of the Pop charts. The pride of the Cooper Houses projects still dazzles with his flow and exudes the highest love for Hip-Hop culture in his art... Read more

March 8, 2016 Food for Thought

Rhymefest Details Third Album & Updates On Reconnecting With His Father

One year ago, Chicago, Illinois MC/writer/politician Rhymefest began screening documentary film In My Father's House. The work looked at Che Smith's father, who was estranged for much of the artist's life due to homelessness and alcoholism. In the film, the Grammy Award-winning artist (who, since filming, has added an Oscar... Read more

March 8, 2016 Food for Thought

New Jack City Is Turning 25. New Revelations From Its Writer Will Blow Your Mind.

Twenty five years ago this month, New Jack City opened to the public. The film, starring Wesley Snipes, Allen Payne, Ice-T, and Chris Rock, was Hollywood's first and arguably its most enduring cinematic glimpse at the crack cocaine epidemic. At a time when Operation Desert Storm dominated the news cycle,... Read more

March 2, 2016 Food for Thought

Elzhi Discusses His Battle With Depression and It’s A Testament To His Courage (Interview)

In the nearly five years it's been since Detroit MC Elzhi has released a full-fledged solo project in the form of his Elmatic mixtape, Heads have been eager for his return. However, Lead Poison, his highly-anticipated follow up, is on its way (March 25), and with it comes Elzhi's most... Read more

March 1, 2016 Food for Thought

Elzhi Drops First Visual Dose of “Lead Poison” & Describes Deeply Personal Inspiration

In the nearly five years it's been since Detroit MC Elzhi has released a full-fledged solo project in the form of his Elmatic mixtape, Heads have been eager for his return. So eager, in fact, that many gladly contributed to the rapper's Kickstarter campaign in an effort to raise the... Read more

February 29, 2016 Food for Thought, Video

Royce 5’9″ Is Releasing a New Solo Album & It’s His Best Work Ever. This Video Shows It.

Royce 5'9" (as it is now officially stylized) is releasing his sixth solo album, Layers, on April 15, 2016, his first in nearly 5 years. Distributed through his own Bad Half Entertainment, the Mr. Porter and Royce executive-produced LP delves deeply into the many sides of the Detroit, Michigan veteran... Read more

February 26, 2016 Exclusive, Food for Thought, Video

Imagine If Jimi Hendrix & Prince Had A Guitar Prodigy Son. Meet Marcus Machado (Audio & Video)

In the life of every music lover there comes a time when a live performance reminds us of the purest form of power in talent - to reinvigorate, re-inspire, and rekindle that spark which made us fall in love with music in the first place. When coming across an artist... Read more

February 24, 2016 Food for Thought

Kanye West Explains Why He Blew Up On Sway & Just How Deep The Question “HOW SWAY??” Was

Throughout the last dozen years, Kanye West lyrics have dealt a lot with wealth and finances. On The Life Of Pablo, "No More Parties In L.A." is a series of verses: "A 38-year-old eight-year-old with rich nigga problems / Tell my wife that I hate the Rolls so I don't... Read more

February 17, 2016 Food for Thought

Fugees Producer Salaam Remi Explains How They Went From Underground MCs To Global Superstars

Twenty years ago, The Fugees released The Score. The February 13, 1996 album transformed the trio of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras from New Jersey Underground Hip-Hop hopefuls to cultural icons. The RuffHouse/Sony Records album would go six-times platinum in the United States alone, and eventually pivot to everything... Read more

February 15, 2016 Food for Thought, Throwback

Why Tupac’s “All Eyez On Me” Remains The First & Last Flawed Classic Album

Twenty years ago today (February 13, 1996), Tupac Shakur released what many would come to consider his magnum opus in All Eyez On Me. A Death Row Records double-album, the lone project 'Pac released at the label before his death is a sprawling ensemble of a man on a vendetta.... Read more

February 13, 2016 Food for Thought

Black Thought Reveals What Artists Used To Do To Get J Dilla’s Best Beats (Video)

Between 1999 and 2006, The Roots would work with J Dilla (f/k/a Jay Dee) a number of times. Then label-mates at MCA Records, Dilla produced elements of the Grammy-nominated platinum Things Fall Apart album. While "Dynamite!" would make the LP, "New Year's @ Jay Dee's" would be a hidden jewel... Read more

February 10, 2016 Exclusive, Food for Thought, Video

A.G. Reveals All-Star Lineup For Next Solo LP & Discusses D.I.T.C. Reunion (Video Interview)

A.G. was one of the performers on hand at this past weekend's second annual J Dilla Weekend in Miami, Florida. Like fellow performers T3 (Slum Village), Black Thought, Royce Da 5'9, Diamond D, and honoree Pete Rock, Andre The Giant worked with Dilla before the producer/MC's February 10, 2006 death.... Read more

February 9, 2016 Exclusive, Food for Thought, Video

Kendrick Lamar Details The Origins Of “To Pimp A Butterfly” & Why Prince Missed The Cut

In preparation for the 58th Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy's website published an oral history of this year's most nominated album. Kendrick Lamar's sophomore major label effort, To Pimp A Butterfly carries 11 nominations at the February 15 ceremony in Los Angeles, California. Hip-Hop journalist Andreas Hale spoke to K-Dot,... Read more

February 8, 2016 Food for Thought

A-F-R-O Describes Achieving “Hip-Hop Dreamland” While Still A Teenager (Video Interview)

A-F-R-O was among the performers at this past weekend's second annual J Dilla Weekend in Miami, Florida. The 18 year-old Bellflower, California representative has gotten critical cosigns from DJ Premier, GZA, Jean Grae, and others, as well as being mentored by his personal favorite MC, R.A. The Rugged Man. Speaking... Read more

February 8, 2016 Exclusive, Food for Thought, Video

Rapsody Reacts To Grammy Nomination & Confirms Guest On Next Album (Video Interview)

Last night, Rapsody and 9th Wonder performed at the second annual J Dilla Weekend in Miami, Florida. During Rap's set, her friend and collaborator Jay Electronica took the stage to publicly crown her "the best female lyricist since Lauryn Hill," and bestow her with his chain. Moments later, the Jamla... Read more

February 6, 2016 Exclusive, Food for Thought, Video

9th Wonder Explains How J Dilla Changed The Sound of Hip-Hop and Fathered “Neo Soul” In The Process (Interview)

After the ascendance of greats like DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Q-Tip in the 90s. There was a new wave of producers that would come to prominence in the 2000s who would carry the torch for Hip-Hop and take it in new directions. This new generation of beatmakers included the... Read more

February 4, 2016 Exclusive, Food for Thought

Royce Da 5’9 Answers Fan Questions & Reflects on His Idol J Dilla (Video Interview)

On Sunday, January 31, Ambrosia for Heads hosted a live-streaming conversation with Royce Da 5'9, the celebrated Detroit MC whose work as a solo artist, a member of Slaughterhouse, and a member of PRhyme makes him one of the busiest and most in-demand performers in the game. With a headlining... Read more

February 3, 2016 Food for Thought, Video

Pharoahe Monch Speaks About His New Album, J Dilla & 25 Years of Organized Konfusion (Interview)

Pharoahe Monch is - without an iota of doubt - one of music's most indelibly unique voices. Sonically and technically there is no other like him, and yet his influence lives within countless MCs who've come after him. As a solo artist he continues to excite fans with his boomerang... Read more

February 2, 2016 Food for Thought

Spotlight: Tim Gent Aims To Put Clarksville, Tennessee On The Lyrical Rap Map

Today (January 25), Clarksville, Tennessee MC Tim Gent is releasing his latest project. For The Love is a free effort by the impressive sensation, who balances precise lyricism with the trends of today. Already with individual videos reaching beyond 30,000 plays, the 22 year-old not only shows promise for putting... Read more

January 25, 2016 Food for Thought

DJ Premier Tells The Story Of This Photo With D’Angelo, Alchemist & J. Dilla, In His Words

DJ Premier tells Ambrosia For Heads the story about the night he, D'Angelo, Alchemist and J. Dilla gathered in the studio and took what would become an iconic photo. These are his words about the photo, that night, and the other supremely talented men with whom he posed: "Gang Starr... Read more

January 20, 2016 Food for Thought

Hip-Hop Man Of The Year 2015: How Kendrick Lamar Proved That He Truly Is “Chosen” (Editorial)

In large part, 2015 was a difficult year to make sense of. Around the world, there were major acts of violence, hatred, and reminders that injustice and systematic prejudice lurk in every corner. Approaching an election year, the discourse in the United States often felt polarized, with across-the-aisle messages vitriolic.... Read more

January 5, 2016 Food for Thought

Ambrosia For Heads Present…Our Picks For The 15 Best Hip-Hop Albums Of 2015

2015 watched a lot change in the music industry. Streaming culture kept Heads on the edge of their seats, as Hip-Hop superstars "pushed the button" on a whim. Reclusive legends released new product, while patient veterans made massive breakthroughs. No matter large or small, burgeoning or veteran, all artists seemed... Read more

December 22, 2015 Food for Thought

Hip-Hop’s Shining Moments of 2015: The Big, The Small, & The Revolutionary

Each and every year, there is no shortage of moments in time which crystallize the development of Hip-Hop's growth, and 2015 is no different. Over the course of the previous 12 months, the culture played larger-than-life roles in film, health, politics, television, and of course, music history. Here are just... Read more

December 21, 2015 Food for Thought

G-Eazy Bared His Soul on His Latest Album, & He’s Got More to Say (Interview)

On December 4, Oakland, California MC G-Eazy released his sophomore album for RCA Records called When It's Dark Out, and with it he continued the chart-topping success he found with his 2014 major label debut, These Things Happen. The 26 year-old has already worked with giants like E-40, Big Sean,... Read more

December 15, 2015 Food for Thought

15 Years Ago, Xzibit’s Restlessness Helped Make Him a Household Name (Editorial)

On December 12, 2000, Los Angeles, California-based MC Xzibit dropped his third album, one that arrived at a curious juncture in his musical and professional careers. Already considered a West Coast favorite thanks to the grassroots and Underground support of his sophomore effort 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz, the streets... Read more

December 12, 2015 Food for Thought

How The Grammy Nomination of a Diss Song May Be Their Greatest Hip-Hop Misstep, Yet

This week began with the 2016 Grammy Award nominations. For Hip-Hop fans, this year's noms included 11 in the direction of Kendrick Lamar, thanks to his March, 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly. Two years removed from controversial wins by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis in the 2014 "Best Rap Song,"... Read more

December 8, 2015 Food for Thought

10 Years Ago Lil Wayne Released Tha Carter II & It Made Him A Hip-Hop Superstar

A decade ago, it could certainly have been argued that Lil Wayne had nowhere near the body of work to be considered one of the game's best lyricists. However, 10 years after releasing Tha Carter II, he helped Billboard break the Internet after taking the 10th slot on the publication's... Read more

December 6, 2015 Food for Thought

25 Years Ago, Brand Nubian Propelled Us Forward by Looking Back (Editorial)

One need not look far to witness the enduring influence Brand Nubian has had on Hip-Hop. It's in today's fashion trends, in all of today's nods to the '90s, and it's most certainly in the music of today's up and comers. The New Rochelle, New York group's featured MCs, Grand... Read more

December 4, 2015 Food for Thought

Sheek Louch Discusses Silverback Gorilla 2 & Talks Working With Biggie and DMX (Interview)

Whereas speaking to Jadakiss or Styles P is often a lower key experience, their LOX band-mate Sheek Louch is high-energy. The Yonkers, New York veteran MC did not equate himself to one of the most ferocious members of the animal kingdom by being docile. In the Tommy Boy Entertainment conference... Read more

December 1, 2015 Food for Thought

15 Years After Releasing “Mama’s Gun,” Erykah Badu Remains As Cleva As Ever (Editorial)

At the time of its release, Erykah Badu's sophomore album was often labeled as the sister album to D'Angelo's Voodoo, which had dropped 10 months earlier. Released on November 21, 2000, Badu's Mama's Gun was intimate, soul-baring, and one of the leaders of the Neo-Soul movement that presented an alternative... Read more

November 22, 2015 Food for Thought

Tech N9ne Evaluates Role Of Cyphers & Talks Next Solo Album (Interview)

Tech N9ne crams as many words and ideas into his energetic bars as he possibly can. It is this feat that has made him one of the most revered MCs of the last 15 years. He has become an independent deity, simultaneously skyrocketing in status, wealth, and respect, while much... Read more

November 20, 2015 Food for Thought

20 Years Later, The Pharcyde’s “Labcabincalifornia” Is Far Greater Than The Credit It Received (Editorial)

20 years ago today (November 14, 1995), The Pharcyde released its second album, Labcabincalifornia. Coming a full three years after their Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde debut, the LP was highly anticipated, but for many, it didn't live up to the expectations put forth by the group's first release. Home... Read more

November 14, 2015 Food for Thought

Anderson .Paak’s Music Excited Dr. Dre & DJ Premier. His Story Is One Of Paid Dues. (Interview)

Although he was born Brandon Anderson Paak, most people who are close to the Southern California artist know him best as Breezy. A nickname that has stuck throughout most of his life, this association eventually became .Paak's handle as an artist, and thus, giving birth to the first chapter in... Read more

November 11, 2015 Food for Thought

Masta Ace Reflects On A Long Hot Summer & Offers This Re-Release Bonus Track (Premiere)

Tomorrow (November 10), Masta Ace's 2004 LP, A Long Hot Summer is being re-released on CD by Below System Records. Originally released on Ace's M3 imprint, the critically-acclaimed album followed up Disposable Arts with the Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York MC making another conceptual, story-driven LP. 9th Wonder, The Beatnuts, Edo.... Read more

November 9, 2015 Audio, Exclusive, Food for Thought

Outkast’s Stankonia Showed Miss Jackson & The World They Were For Real

Year 2000 was forced to be big in Hip-Hop. As the whole world saw the changes that came with a new millennium, the culture used the newness of things to seemingly reset from the troubling actions, tones, and violent mistakes of the late 1990s. Hip-Hop as a whole seemed to... Read more

October 31, 2015 Food for Thought

Vince Staples Clarifies “Golden-Era” Remarks. In Doing So, He Raises Some GREAT Questions (Audio)

Vince Staples appears in a Time magazine video that published online yesterday (October 27). In it, the Def Jam Records artist from Long Beach, California was asked to reflect on 1990s pop culture. While admitting that he has never heard an album of Justin Timberlake's work with N*SYNC or Mel... Read more

October 29, 2015 Audio, Food for Thought, News