Audio Archives

Masta Killa Is Releasing His First Album In 5 Years. His New Single Shares OG Wisdom (Audio)

Wu-Tang Clan’s own Masta Killa is preparing to release his upcoming album, Loyalty Is Royalty, on Nature Sounds this fall. The LP will be his first solo effort since Selling My Soul in 2012, and his fourth overall. Although the veteran Brooklyn, New York MC may not put out music... Read more

July 13, 2017 Audio

Cold 187um Claims Dr. Dre Jacked His G-Funk & Names Songs To Prove It (Audio)

This week, The Defiant Ones docu-series is telling Dr. Dre's story. Twenty-five years ago, the N.W.A. co-founder released his solo debut, The Chronic. The first album on Death Row Records is credited for galvanizing G-Funk, a type of sample-based sound in Gangsta Rap that propelled the sub-genre into the MTV/Top... Read more

July 12, 2017 Audio, Throwback

Dreamville’s J.I.D. Is Making Introductions While Saying Bye To The Competition (Audio)

J.I.D. is the latest bubbling MC on J. Cole's Dreamville roster. The Atlanta, Georgia native dropped a monster of a solo debut with this spring's The Never Story (among AFH's best of '17, so far). Of the Spillage Village crew, J.I.D. keeps a low profile, and has not relied on... Read more

July 11, 2017 Audio

Skyzoo & !llmind Make Boom Bap With Finesse (Audio)

Skyzoo & !llmind have made some very significant music together. The New York/New Jersey connect made 2010's Live From The Tapedeck collaboration, with a number of works on albums before, and after. Skyzoo’s New Video Plays Out A Childhood Dream Of Performing On Stretch & Bobbito’s Show "Finesse Everything" is... Read more

July 11, 2017 Audio

A New Show Is Bringing Conscious Hip-Hop Back To Radio (Audio)

In recent years, Rap radio has been heavily criticized for being washed out and repetitive, playing only what's hot right now and providing listeners with the same content over and over. But Hip-Hop's relationship with radio hasn't always been so disjointed. For much of its lifespan, the culture was promoted... Read more

July 10, 2017 Audio

Dr. Dre Comes Out Blasting On His First Song In Nearly 2 Years (Audio)

It's been 23 months since Dr. Dre released his Compton album. Save for popping up on The Game's Documentary 2, the Aftermath Entertainment producer/MC has stayed away from the microphone, at least as far as what the public gets to hear. Reports indicate that the 35-year veteran has been busy,... Read more

July 10, 2017 Audio

A New Mix Tells Rakim’s Story Through His Spoken Words & Music (Audio)

Friday (July 7) marked a major milestone for Hip-Hop. Eric B. & Rakim's debut album Paid In Full celebrated its 30th birthday. With the event, Eric and Rakim reunited at the Apollo Theater for their first concert together in approximately 25 years. In support of the anniversary, more than 20... Read more

July 10, 2017 Audio, Mixes, Throwback

Bun B Is Back & He’s Still The Trillest OG (Audio)

It's been nearly 4 years since Bun B released his last album, Trill OG: The Epilogue. In the time that's passed, Bun has been quiet on the music scene, using his voice instead to speak out on issues important to him, such as helping victims of last year's floods in... Read more

July 8, 2017 Audio

Rapsody Puts Pain To Words On A Knocking Nottz Beat (Audio)

North Carolina MC Rapsody has cemented a reputation for being equally as thoughtful as she is skillful on the mic. Her latest single “The Pain" is no exception. On it, Rap' spits reflective bars about some of the pains associated with being Black in America, from various perspectives (women, men,... Read more

July 7, 2017 Audio

Apollo Brown’s Next Collabo Album Is With Planet Asia. Check The 1st Single (Audio)

Detroit, Michigan producer Apollo Brown has become a noteworthy crossroads for the MCs he meets in the studio. From O.C. to Ras Kass, Skyzoo to Guilty Simpson, Brown's grabbing Soul samples and hard drums bring something distinct out of MCs in their catalog. Like 9th Wonder was to Buckshot and... Read more

July 6, 2017 Audio

Royce 5’9 & Kid Vishis Show Savage Lyricism Runs In The Family As They Go Off (Audio)

Pusha T and NoMalice. Kurupt and Scoe. Pete Rock and Grap Luva. E-40 and D-Shot. Dr. Dre and Warren G. Chance The Rapper and Taylor Bennet. Across the Hip-Hop landscape, there are many rapping brothers. Some have worked together in groups, like The Click or The Clipse. Others work together... Read more

July 6, 2017 Audio

Joey Bada$$ Unleashes 3 New Statik Selektah-Produced Songs (Audio)

Longtime collaborators Joey Bada$$ and Statik Selektah just dropped the digital equivalent of a 12” single, putting three brand new songs out back to back. Statik, who is also Joey’s tour DJ, has provided the MC with bangers throughout his career, including the beat for “Super Predator” (featuring Styles P)... Read more

July 5, 2017 Audio

DJ Jazzy Jeff & MICK’s Summertime 8 Mix Gets The Cookout Party Started (Audio)

2017 marks eight years since DJ Jazzy Jeff and MICK (fka Mick Boogie) started their Summertime series. From jump, these became some of the best things to look forward to in 2010s Hip-Hop. True to the sets of each acclaimed DJ, these mixes flex Hip-Hop, R&B, Rock, Funk, Jazz, and... Read more

July 4, 2017 Audio, Mixes

Dizzy Wright, Demrick & Euroz Combine High Times With Fly Rhymes (Audio)

The Still Movin label has been busy branding itself on a weekly basis. This week's Monday drop is hosted by Demrick (fka Young De). The Serial Killers member and his frequent collaborator Dizzy Wright unleash "Let It Burn." With an appreciation for mental elevation, the song is very much in... Read more

July 3, 2017 Audio

Snoop Dogg & Count Bass D Team To Relieve Stress In The Smoothest Way Possible (Audio)

In the mid-1990s, Count Bass D and Snoop Dogg were both piloting exciting careers in Hip-Hop that were built to last. While Snoop was a multi-platinum Dr. Dre-cosigned lyricist for Death Row Records, the Count was playing a multitude of instruments, fusing Jazz with Rap. By the 2000s, the traveling... Read more

July 3, 2017 Audio

Stalley Announces New LP & Raps As An Independent Agent On “Madden 96” (Audio)

In 2014, Buckeye State rapper Stalley dropped his first and only LP, through Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group, Ohio. With mixtapes dating back nearly a decade, the Massillon native has earned the respect of Hip-Hop fans through his sheer talent, though collaborations with the likes of Big K.R.I.T., Scarface, Skyzoo... Read more

June 30, 2017 Audio

JAY-Z Admits Infidelity & Explains His Issues With Kanye West On His New Album (Audio)

One of the biggest criticisms JAY-Z faced with the release of his 2013 album Magna Carta Holy Grail was that he had lost touch with the people. While Jay had always engaged in a form of aspirational Rap from the days of his "Big Willie talk" on his debut album... Read more

June 30, 2017 Audio

Kurupt’s Next Album Will Be A Funk Odyssey (Audio)

Tha Dogg Pound’s Kurupt is working on his seventh solo LP, which also happens to be his first in seven years. Since dropping Streetlights in 2010, the former Death Row EVP has yet to release a studio album. That is about to change, however, as he and longtime collaborator Fredwreck... Read more

June 29, 2017 Audio, News

Public Enemy Release Their Free Album 5 Days Early. Listen Now. (Audio)

AUGUST 16 UPDATE: The YouTube post of the album has been added below. ORIGINAL JUNE 29 STORY: Earlier this week, it announced that Public Enemy's 14th album Nothing Is Quick In The Desert (Except Death) would be releasing on July 4. Perhaps basking in the day of their own independence,... Read more

June 29, 2017 Audio

This 6 Hour DJ Premier Tribute Takes All Other Mixes Out With The Fader (Audio)

DJ Premier has had a busy June. After years upon years in the making, he and Year Round Records released MC Eiht's Which Way Iz West album. Furthermore, Preemo, Brady Watt, and the rest of The Badder Band toured the States for the first time. With PRhyme 2 confirmed to... Read more

June 28, 2017 Audio, Mixes

Eminem & Kendrick Lamar Pay Their Respects To Prodigy By Spitting His Bars (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar and Eminem paid tribute to the late Mobb Deep co-founder Prodigy by rapping some of his verses for a segment on Peter Rosenberg's Real Late HOT 97 show. Both outspoken fans of the recently deceased New York MC, Em' and "Kung Fu Kenny" opened the show with portions... Read more

June 27, 2017 Audio

MF DOOM & Danger Mouse Drop A Never Before Released Song (Audio)

When MF DOOM and Danger Mouse branded themselves as DANGERDOOM for their 2005 debut The Mouse and the Mask, the duo unleashed one of Hip-Hop's most exciting partnerships. Both somewhat mysterious and notoriously lowkey, the two innovators have yet to release another LP. A 2006 EP - Occult Hymn - whetted appetites a bit, but up... Read more

June 23, 2017 Audio

Pusha T & Jadakiss Move Major Keys On A Heavyweight Collabo With DJ Khaled (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us 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 go back... Read more

June 23, 2017 Audio

DJ Premier Releases The Official Version Of His 1992 Collabo With Mobb Deep (Audio)

As Hip-Hop continues to mourn the sudden loss of Prodigy, who passed away on Tuesday (June 20) in Las Vegas, tributes are beginning to surface that celebrate the man and his musical legacy. As was the case with many Hip-Hop legends like Nas, Biggie and JAY-Z, DJ Premier was one... Read more

June 22, 2017 Audio

Wu-Tang Clan Don’t Stop. They Release A New Song Produced By RZA (Audio)

Exactly one year ago today (June 22), news broke that any new Wu-Tang Clan project would be in the hands of Ghostface Killah. After more than 2 decades of shepherding the group, RZA was willing to step aside and let another member of the family shape their sound. At the... Read more

June 22, 2017 Audio

MC Eiht Explains How He & DJ Quik Recorded Their Historic Collaborations (Audio)

In April, DJ Quik and Problem released the full-length edition of their Rosecrans album, building on their EP of the same title (dropped a year prior). Notably, the 12 track Compton-made LP featured an unexpected guest: MC Eiht. Decades ago, what began as a Rap beef between Quik and Eiht reportedly inspired... Read more

June 20, 2017 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

Royce 5’9 Sets The Bar 4 2017 With The Best Mixtape Of The Year (Audio)

With 2016's Layers, Royce 5'9 landed the highest-performing solo LP of his career, a laudable accomplishment for an MC whose presence in the game extends back decades. Since its release, Detroit, Michigan's Nickel Nine never retreated from the mic, dropping punishing, razor-sharp features on projects from Westside Gunn & Conway, Consequence,... Read more

June 20, 2017 Audio

Royce 5’9 Announces “Bar Exam 4” & Its 1st Single Is A Lyrical Lesson (Audio)

A decade ago, Royce 5'9 released what proved to be the first installment of a mixtape series, Bar Exam, a project which showcased the former battle rapper's prodigious abilities, and the mic destroyer blood cursing through his veins. It's been seven years since its most recent chapter dropped, but today (June... Read more

June 19, 2017 Audio

JAY-Z Officially Announces His New Album & Shares A Preview (Audio)

JUNE 20 UPDATE: It has now been confirmed that No I.D. is producing JAY-Z's 4:44 in its entirety. Billboard confirmed the news. No I.D., a co-founder of group Cocaine 80s, and is best known for his work with Common, Vince Staples, and Jhene Aiko. He is a longtime Def Jam... Read more

June 19, 2017 Audio

J. Period Celebrates 35 Years Of Hip-Hop Soundtracks With A Mega Playlist (Audio)

Hip-Hop Heads can count on DJ and producer J. Period to curate consistently inventive and entertaining playlists devoted to all aspects of the culture, beyond just the music. From his work on the Hamilton mixtape, which bridged the worlds of Rap and Broadway, to his legacy playlists celebrating the musical footprints of... Read more

June 18, 2017 Audio

MC Eiht Says He Never Changed Programs…And He Never Will (Audio)

By any standard, MC Eiht is a Hip-Hop OG. For 30 years, he has been a constant presence holding down the West Coast, particularly his hometown of Compton. Over that period, Eiht also has been one of the most prolific artists in any genre, releasing 22 albums, both as a... Read more

June 16, 2017 Audio

Action Bronson Breathes Fire Over A Fat Boys Classic (Audio)

It's hard to say if Action Bronson is more recognized for his show hosting or his music at this point. Having taken his "delicious" show from web to cable, Bam Bam is a true multifaceted brand. However, the Queens, New Yorker never put down his passion for whimsical rhymes. Bronson... Read more

June 14, 2017 Audio

DOOM & Sade’s Mash-Up Bond Is No Ordinary Love. SADEVILLAIN 2 Strikes (Audio)

Last March, DJ/producer Seanh made one unlikely pairing that sounded sweet to so many music Heads. Sadevillain blended MF DOOM (care of Madvillain) with Sade, bringing the soaring voice of the "No Ordinary Love" songstress to the nimble rhymes of the "Dead Bent" MC/producer. As the modern proverb suggests: "If... Read more

June 13, 2017 Audio, Mixes

Big Boi Shows His Boomiverse Is Filled With Space Aged Funk (Audio)

For the last 25 years, Big Boi has been one of Hip-Hop's leading proponents of Funk music. Multiple times, the Outkast co-founder has even worked with "Dr. Funkenstein" himself, Parliament-Funkadelic's George Clinton. Since 2010, stepping into his solo catalog, Daddy Fat Sax struck a hit with some futuristic funking around... Read more

June 13, 2017 Audio

Outkast & UGK Redefined Southern Rap. A New Song Shows Their Work Isn’t Done (Audio)

In the early 1990s, both OutKast and UGK made some incredible records. From Atlanta, Georgia and Port Arthur, Texas, these two duos used Funk, Blues, Rock & Roll to create their brand of Hip-Hop colorful, unpredictable, and highly authentic. Both acts wanted the rest of the Rap map to know... Read more

June 9, 2017 Audio

Kendrick Lamar & SZA Leave No Doubt That Women Are In Control (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us 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 go back... Read more

June 9, 2017 Audio

Ice Cube Updates N.W.A.’s Message To Police. But Not Much Has Changed (Audio)

Ice Cube is preparing to release the 25th anniversary edition of Death Certificate this week. Cube's sophomore solo album (which actually dropped in 1991) featured Da Lench Mob MC calling out everything he believed was wrong: in his community, in government, and in the Rap industry--including his former group N.W.A. Since... Read more

June 6, 2017 Audio

Kevin Durant Has Inspired His Roc Nation Brother Jay Electronica To Release Music (Audio)

Jay Electronica certainly picks his spots. The MC/producer without an album to his name has used the last decade-plus to release verses that are forced to hold over fans. In that period, the affiliate of Just Blaze, Talib Kweli, and Nas has signed with Roc Nation, thrown high profile jabs... Read more

June 6, 2017 Audio

Ice-T Spits Punchy Bars On A Completely Different 6 ‘N The Mornin’ (Audio)

Although there are certainly other contenders, perhaps the verse of Ice-T's career is "6 'N The Mornin'." Thirty-one years ago the O.G. waxed an incredible tale about how his day begins for Techno Hop Records. The Unknown DJ (later of Compton's Most Wanted) laid down a beat that knocked as... Read more

June 5, 2017 Audio, The Bridge

Phonte Raps About How Both Men & Women Are Losing The Battle Of The Sexes (Audio)

As 2017 marches towards its midpoint, Phonte has not released much music. The MC/singer gave us plenty to work with, care of the stellar Tigallerro collaboration in '16, with Eric Roberson. Between albums, Tay has made some crucial feature appearances. Strong Arm Steady's "Best Of Times," The Roots' "The Day,"... Read more

June 5, 2017 Audio

MC Eiht & DJ Premier Make Some New Music To Driveby (Audio)

For more than 30 years, the city of Compton, California has been a Hip-Hop landmark. While N.W.A. may have first put it on the global scale, MC Eiht, King T, and others were right beside them in the '80s. A contemporary of Eazy-E and Dr. Dre who has worked with... Read more

June 2, 2017 Audio

Ice Cube Says He’s A Top 3 MC, In His First Solo Song In Years (Audio)

As Ice Cube's BIG3 Basketball season starts in less than a month, the veteran MC is driving the lane with 2017 music too. Cube has been planning to re-release 1991's Death Certificate with several new songs attached. That's reportedly arriving June 9, but today (June 1), Heads get their first... Read more

June 1, 2017 Audio

9th Wonder Releases 7 Beats Custom Made For Redman. It’s Time 4 Sum Aksion!! (Audio)

Redman's classic catalog includes some heavy-hitting producers. With a lot of co-production to his credit, Red' made many of his most celebrated hits with Def Squad mentor Erick Sermon. RZA, Pete Rock, Parrish Smith, DJ Scratch, and Rockwilder (who made a critical early appearance on Dare Iz A Darkside) are... Read more

June 1, 2017 Audio, Video

Kool G Rap Is A 30-Year Lyrical Legend. Listen To A Sneak Preview Of His New Album (Audio)

Kool G Rap is frequently considered one of Hip-Hop's greatest MCs. For 31 years, the Queens, New Yorker has helped bring Rap out of an era of simpler deliveries to compound rhyme structures, fast paced flows, and an unrivaled use of cadence. Additionally, he is one of the pioneers of... Read more

June 1, 2017 Audio, Exclusive

Elzhi-Era Slum Village Rip The Mic In A Never Before Released 2002 Freestyle (Audio)

Few Hip-Hop groups have experienced the setbacks of Slum Village. Two founding members, J Dilla and Baatin, died from health complications in the 2000s. Elzhi left the group, with reports of a less than amicable split between himself and anchor T3. Dilla's brother Illa J also had a stint in... Read more

May 26, 2017 Audio

Papoose Blacks Out On A Remix With Rick Ross That’s No Bull (Audio)

Last year, Papoose dropped one of the strongest singles of his career. Not yet attached to any album, video single "Back On My B.S." was 100% welcomed. The track featuring extended family Fat Joe and Jaquae put the Brooklyn, New York spitter's fast-rap talents on a tremendous beat, and let... Read more

May 26, 2017 Audio

Kool G Rap & Raekwon Are Out For That Life (Audio)

With June 2's Return Of The Don, Kool G Rap will share with the world his first truly solo album since 2011's Riches, Royalty, Respect. Produced entirely by MoSS, the LP features Freeway, Noreaga, Cormega, Raekwon, Sheek Louch, Saigon, Termanology, Fame, KXNG Crooked, Conway The Machine & Westside Gunn, and the late... Read more

May 25, 2017 Audio

Teddy Riley Says A Fatal Fight With New Edition Led To His Leaving Guy (Audio)

In 1990, Guy was one of the biggest R&B acts in the world. Teddy Riley, Aaron Hall, Damian Hall (following the exit of Timmy Gatling) would release two platinum albums for Uptown/MCA Records. Pioneers of the New Jack Swing, the group released an onslaught of hits like "Groove Me," "Let's... Read more

May 25, 2017 Audio, Throwback

Royce 5’9 Drops A Heat Rock. Joell Ortiz Sayz 2 Can Play That Game (Audio)

Today (May 23), both Joell Ortiz and Royce 5'9 dropped fresh material, shaking up things in what has otherwise been a relatively quiet week for major new releases. On "iLL," Royce joined Conway The Machine and DJ Green Lantern for some Get Out-inspired madness, while his Slaughterhouse cohort's offering is a solo... Read more

May 23, 2017 Audio

Royce 5’9’s Ill Rhymes Put Other MCs In The Sunken Place (Audio)

Conway The Machine is set to drop a midweek project titled Reject On Steroids tomorrow (May 25), and a new collaboration with Royce 5'9 for DJ Green Lantern will inject Hip-Hop Heads with enough bars to last a good while. "iLL" partners the Buffalo, New York rapper with the Detroit, Michigan MC for... Read more

May 23, 2017 Audio