Audio Archives

Fabolous Jumps on Mobb Deep’s Shook Ones II and Goes Berserk (Audio)

What is it about Mobb Deep's Shook Ones II instrumental that brings out the best in MCs? Prodigy and Havoc's original version is an enduring classic and, of course, the track also elicited Kendrick Lamar's epic 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher. Now, Fabolous has chosen the track as the... Read more

March 28, 2015 Audio

Bumpy Knuckles & Big Daddy Kane Scorch Mics Over An Oddisee Beat (Audio)

For Heads paying attention, Bumpy Knuckles' Soundcloud page is the place to be. The Long Island, New York MC/producer regularly shares gems from his 29 years of catalog. From circa the mid-2000s, Freddie Foxxx shares a track ("The Fires Gettin' High") he made with his longtime friend Big Daddy Kane.... Read more

March 27, 2015 Audio

Styles P Snatches Drake’s Beat For An Energetic Freestyle (Audio)

Drake's given everybody "Energy" on If You're Reading This It's Too Late. Styles P has energy to give, and he takes the Boi-1da-produced beat, and gives a 90 second verbal massage. With emphasized bars and that signature cadence, S.P. The Ghost has really dazzled late March with a series of... Read more

March 26, 2015 Audio

Joey Bada$$ Goes To Town With A Freestyle Over Dre & Premier Beats (Audio)

Joey Bada$$ seemingly never is too fatigued for a freestyle. The Brooklyn, New Yorker who emerged from hallway cyphers and throwback-minded Rap activities is true to form. Stopping through the L.A. Leakers radio show, the hosts throw down some plates of production from the era Joey pulls from. Nimbly, he... Read more

March 26, 2015 Audio

Did You Know DJ Premier & Large Professor Share A Birthday? DJ Eclipse Does (Mix)

While DJ Premier remixed plenty of classic artists spanning three decades and nearly every genre, when it came to Gang Starr, remixes weren't typically the move—especially by another beat-maker. There were some exceptions however, and one trusted person who remixed one particular rare a la carte 1992 single ("Gotta Get... Read more

March 26, 2015 Audio

Kurupt’s In A Foul Mood. He, J. Wells & Roscoe Make A Groove About It (Audio)

Sometimes MCs benefit from having a chip on their shoulder. Nearly 15 years ago, Kurupt took his frustrations with people trying to holler at his girl (then Foxy Brown), feeling neglected as a West Coast artist, and not feelin' the 2Pac imitations, and made "Callin' Out Names." While the song... Read more

March 26, 2015 Audio

A Kendrick Lamar/Jerry Seinfeld Mashup? So Wrong…But Hard Not to Listen (Audio)

You know an album has impact when mashups of its songs are being created just a week after its release. Last week, in a sneak attack, Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly album took critics and fans alike by storm. The album has been nearly unanimously praised for the depth... Read more

March 25, 2015 Audio

Action Bronson & Earl Sweatshirt Are The Talk Of Rap. Alchemist Got ‘Em Together (Audio)

This week saw the release of Action Bronson's Mr. Wonderful and Earl Sweatshirt's I Don't Like Shit: I Don't Go Outside. Joined by last week's To Pimp A Butterfly album by Kendrick Lamar, and March will be a hard month to top for 2015 Hip-Hop. Rather notably, all of these... Read more

March 25, 2015 Audio

Sean Price Has Fun With Words. Check The Intricacy Of His Latest Verbal Scribble (Audio)

Sean Price, for 20 years deep in the game being arguably the sharpest lyricist within Boot Camp Clik, isn't somebody who loves grand explanations. After all, 10 years ago, the Heltah Skeltah MC made an incredible comeback with a straightforward, deadpan, and self-deprecating LP in Monkey Barz. While there were... Read more

March 25, 2015 Audio

There’s a Reason Why Nas Signed Bishop Nehru. Just Listen (Audio)

Imagine you're an 18-year old up and coming MC and you get the opportunity to work with DOOM...and Nas decides to sign you. Those dreams come true represent just a portion of the good tidings that have come to Bishop Nehru over the last few years. The Rockland County, NY... Read more

March 24, 2015 Audio

The LOX Tear Down a Classic Gap Band Beat (Audio)

In seemingly any situation, The LOX show up. Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch give emerging MC/producer Duane DaRock all the right moves on Da Resume, Vol. 2 mixtape cut "That Money." The song, which basically lifts a timeless bassline from Charlie Wilson and The Gap Band has that blend-tape... Read more

March 24, 2015 Audio

Rapper Big Pooh Releases His Finest Music Since Little Brother (Album Stream)

Rapper Big Pooh has had a host of quality releases since his days with vaunted group Little Brother with Phonte and 9th Wonder. From 2005's Sleepers to his entire Fat Boy Fresh series, Pooh has stayed working. However, his recent union with Apollo Brown has produced some of the best... Read more

March 24, 2015 Audio

Ludacris Deploys A Slow Flow To Talk About The Smoke & Mirrors Of The Rap Game (Audio)

Ludacris' ninth solo LP, Ludaversal (March 31) is one week away. Within the album, the Rap mainstay has one song that reflects on his journey, and the stresses that come with a sustainable career in the industry. Listening to a superstar whine might not be appealing or original in theory,... Read more

March 24, 2015 Audio

Kool G Rap & Mic Geronimo Support Nutso On A Hardcore Queens Cut (Audio)

Kool G Rap may have the Midas touch of cosigns. From Nas to Papoose, Large Professor to MF Grimm, the Kool Genius has an ear for fellow lyricists on the come-up. Fellow Queens, New Yorker Nutso is far from new, having worked with G, along with Trae Tha Truth, Psycho... Read more

March 22, 2015 Audio

From Beats To Rhymes, Breakin’ To Graffiti, The Latino Contribution To Hip-Hop Is Explored (Audio)

One of the more anticipated pieces of Hip-Hop coverage over the last week was Latino USA's (an NPR-backed podcast show) "A Latino History Of Hip-Hop." As promised by video trailer, part 1 premiered yesterday (March 20), with part 2 reportedly coming online by late April. Producers Daisy Rosario and Marlon... Read more

March 21, 2015 Audio, Food for Thought, Fresh

Styles P Calls In A Ghost Attack With 2 New Freestyles (Audio)

For the second consecutive weekend, Styles P refuses to go quietly. Following last week's "Still Bangin' Freestyle," the Yonkers, New York blesses some industry beats with his street-tested wisdom. Dropping two Friday efforts, "Ghost Pills" adds the D-Block touch to Nicki Minaj's "Pills N Potions." "Bad Ass Ghost" is a... Read more

March 20, 2015 Audio

MC Eiht, Blu & Kam Come Together To Throw A Lyrical ‘W’ (Audio)

Growing up in the same backdrop of Los Angeles, California, MC Eiht, Kam, and Blu all illustrated the dichotomy of being a wordsmith and a gangsta rapper at the same time. For Eiht, those examples stem back to the mid-1980s in the rise of Comptons Most Wanted, reporting live about... Read more

March 20, 2015 Audio

Skillz’ Storytelling Is Vivid On This Bigger Than Life Track By BINK! (Audio)

A master of freestyles and concept tracks, sometimes it can be easy to overlook Skillz (f/k/a Mad Skillz) straightforward songs. However, one fast revisit of From Where??? and it's apparent that the Richmond, Virginia MC has many clubs in his bag of tricks. Currently doing a European arena run (as... Read more

March 19, 2015 Audio

From DJ Quik’s Late Protege Mausberg To Sufjan Stevens, Kendrick Lamar’s Butterfly Samples Plenty (Mix)

Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly continues resonating with Heads, many of whom are still giving the just-released album a first listen. Overall, the reaction appears extremely favorable to the body of work from the Compton, California MC who in 24 hours, broke Spotify's all-time per diem stream record. With... Read more

March 18, 2015 Audio

Black Milk’s Sound Can Never Sit Still For Long. Check His Latest (Audio)

Black Milk slammed 2014 with not one, but two acclaimed albums. If There's A Hell Below is still very much a new release in heavy rotation. However, the Detroit, Michigan multi-threat cannot not make music. "I Guess" is some hear-and-now raps that reflect on Black's accomplishments, his attitudes about performing,... Read more

March 18, 2015 Audio

Pusha T Joins Raz Simone & Leezy Soprano For A Cold-Hearted Power Play (Audio)

Although he's a thoughtful songwriter, Raz Simone has some big chips on his shoulder. The Seattle, Washington MC is coming out swinging, apparently on his April 7 EP/mixtape, Baby Jesus. For "That Ain't Love," Raz calls upon one of the archetypes of cold rap, Pusha T. The Clipse MC joins... Read more

March 17, 2015 Audio

Yelawolf Gets The Led Out As He Uncoils A Dazed & Confused Freestyle (Audio)

In 2014, Yelawolf revived his tradition of busting raps over Classic Rock tracks. Pink Floyd, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and a more contemporary backdrop in Primus were some of the textures the Alabama MC/singer sourced. In 2015, he's back at it yet again. Led Zeppelin's "Dazed & Confused" was one... Read more

March 17, 2015 Audio

Ludacris, Big K.R.I.T. & Mike WiLL Make Another One For The Trunk (Audio)

While Ludacris put his first car and oft-daily driver 1993 Acura Legend on the cover of Ludaversal (which has since been altered for some reason), don't get it confused. The Disturbing Tha Peace founder, and longtime Def Jam Records superstar has a garage that looks like a baseball roster. In... Read more

March 17, 2015 Audio

Ameriie Returns With An Electrified Jam That Challenges Wallflowers (Audio)

Amerie or Ameriie—however you want to spell it in 2015, the veteran songstress still has plenty of vocal chops. Thirteen years after "Why Don't We Fall In Love," the crooner reunites with her hit-making partner Rich Harrison. "Out Loud" pulls from the Pop pocket, with a lot of energy. Ameriie... Read more

March 16, 2015 Audio

Did Planet Asia & Durag Dynasty Earn Just Blaze’s Liberated Instrumental? (Audio)

Three weeks ago, Just Blaze shared an illusive instrumental track in "Miracle." Courted by everybody from Jay Z to Rick Ross to Chris Brown, the song (apparently even sold at one point), the track never was recorded—so the New Jersey DJ/producer shook things up and liberated it. Demanding only MCs... Read more

March 16, 2015 Audio

Joey Bada$$ Waxes Philosophical About Perception vs. Reality (Audio)

"If we are what we eat, then we're already deceased..." Joey Bada$$ waxes philosophical on his latest release, "Perception vs. Reality." The song was produced by his Pro Era brother Kirk Knight and features a dark and menacing track that is a fitting accompaniment to Joey's meditative and probing rhymes.... Read more

March 15, 2015 Audio

Styles P Freestyles Over a Classic Dr. Dre Beat and PUMP PUMPS (Audio)

Styles P has a battery in his back! Fresh off of "Bring That Beat Back" with his LOX family earlier in the week, Holiday Styles lights up with a "Still Bangin'" freestyle. Often agreeable and humble in the 2010s, this is a flashback to the Interscope Records days, shortly after... Read more

March 14, 2015 Audio

Big K.R.I.T. Gets Autobiographical About His Struggle To Climb Mt. Olympus (Audio)

Big K.R.I.T. is five years in on a journey to his own private "Mount Olympus." However, for the Merdian, Mississippi native, the journey goes back a long ways before 2010's Kritzwuzhere. On "K.R.I.T. 4eva (Chapter One)," the MC/producer channels the hunger—literally "a sandwich a day" as he recalls Greyhound bus... Read more

March 13, 2015 Audio

Roc Marciano Tears Up A New Purist Beat (Audio)

London, UK-based producer The Purist is getting ready to release a new album, Pyrex Scholar, on March 17. He recently released the first song on the album, "Patina", which features Roc Marciano spitting dense rhymes over a mellow, soulful beat. The song has no hook, just straight rhyming with a... Read more

March 13, 2015 Audio

AZ Paints a Vintage Picture on a Beautiful and Timeless Track (Audio)

Earlier this week, Ambrosia For Heads premiered episode 1 of Learn From Legends, a new web series where up and coming producer Rodney Hazard sits with iconic Hip-Hop producers to perfect his craft. It seems Hazard is already applying his learnings, as he's produced a masterful and beautiful track for... Read more

March 12, 2015 Audio

Oddisee’s Songmaking Is Reaching New Levels. Mainstream, Take Notice… (Audio)

Oddisee is more than 10 years deep in the music game. Still, the Diamond District front man always seems to put his most interesting sounds in the now. "That's Love" takes the expression commonly heard and often diluted and restores its essence. A love song, a life song, this funky... Read more

March 12, 2015 Audio

Now Back In The Studio With Puff, The LOX Bring It Back (Audio)

The LOX continue to win with retro-minded approaches. "Bring It Back" is a simple concept built around a classic live recording of Hip-Hop in its purest essence. The trio hits the mic with confidence, keen wordplay, and that gritty attitude that makes this feel like a D-Block tape highlight from... Read more

March 12, 2015 Audio

Da Brat Rhymes on Big Sean’s Blessings and ABSOLUTELY SMASHES IT (Audio)

MC Lyte. Queen Latifah. Lauryn Hill. Missy. Those names are often mentioned in the discussion of great MCs who happen to be women, but now-a-days people act like they forgot about Da Brat...The first lady of So So Def Records was actually the first solo female rapper to have an... Read more

March 12, 2015 Audio

3 of Cali’s Finest: Kurupt, King T & Fashawn Unite, On A K-Def Remix (Audio)

For his Another Time album, Miami, Florida's DJ EFN created a California super collaboration. "Selfish" features King T, Kurupt, and Fashawn—three masters from the last 25 years of Hip-Hop. With a new album fresh in stores, EFN calls upon veteran producer K-Def for the remix. New Jersey's K-Def is a... Read more

March 11, 2015 Audio

John Forte Responds To Oklahoma’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon In With His Heart & Mind (Audio)

University of Oklahoma's Sigma Alpha Epsilon showed the world watching why we, as a people, have so far to go. The racial slurs, light made of murderous histories, and proud discrimination serve as a wake up call that hate lurks. Most wake up calls come at dawn. Two of those... Read more

March 10, 2015 Audio

Oddisee, Apollo Brown & More Show Off Their Persona On New Compilation (Album Stream)

Today (March 10), indie record label Mello Music Group is releasing their annual compilation album, Persona. Celebrating eight years of being in business, Mello Music Group has prided themselves on their focus on artist development, and Persona is meant to show how the label has grown and developed over the... Read more

March 10, 2015 Audio

Ludacris Goes Beast Mode On Ludaversal (Audio)

Ludacris just tweeted out a link to another song off his upcoming Ludaversal album, which is set to drop on Def Jam/DTP on March 31. The new track, "Beast Mode", isn't as fast-paced or bouncy as the previously released "Call Ya Bluff", but it confirms that Luda is definitely returning... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Rapper Big Pooh Provides Heartfelt, Soulful Accounts Of Hard Livin’ (Audio)

Two weeks removed from Words Paint Pictures (March 24) Rapper Big Pooh & Apollo Brown continue to show that the Mello Music Group album may be a critical milestone for the Little Brother co-founding MC. Pooh gets deep, soulful, and especially thoughtful in much of what Heads have heard. "How... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Sky’s The Limit When Kendrick Lamar Crushes A Freestyle Over Notorious B.I.G. Beats (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar verses can perform miracles. It's easy to imagine The Notorious B.I.G. smiling big, 18 years to the day after he physically left the world, as Kendrick Lamar touches some of the same kicks and snares he helped make famous. Appearing on opening day of Big Boy's Neighborhood on... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Slum Village & Phife Dawg Make A Collaboration That Measures Up To The History (Audio)

Slum Village and A Tribe Called Quest's fates are forever tied. Thousands of miles apart geographically, A.T.C.Q. would be the archetype that T3, Jay Dee, Baatin and aspired to follow in the mid-1990s. Moreover, those early Villa tapes were what Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad were playing around... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Freddie Gibbs Drops 3 Songs At Once & He’s Focused On His Quality (EP Stream)

Freddie Gibbs released two albums in 2014. The Gary, Indiana MC grabbed acclaim and a Top 40 chart foothold on his Madlib tandem, Pinata. The MC followed, less than two months later, with The Tonite Show. Like his flow, Gangsta Gibbs likes to move fast in a career that's made... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise Is #1 On The Charts. The Samples Played A Role (Mix)

More than five years in the making, Big Sean grabbed #1 album honors this past week with his third studio LP, Dark Sky Paradise. The G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Records star is bidding for a permanent place at Rap's upper echelon, and this album—boasting production from Kanye West, DJ Mustard, Mike... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Prince Paul’s Back, Blending Very Rare KRS-One, MF DOOM, Eminem & Alkaholiks (Mix)

Prince Paul's "It’s Not The Size of Your Mix It’s How You Use It" turns out to be a series after all. Following February's free-form mix of whatever the hell the Long Island, New Yorker wanted to spin, the Grammy Award-winning jokester is back with a second series. Volume 2... Read more

March 8, 2015 Audio

Gangrene Sound Bigger Than Life Without Losing Their Grimy Edge (Audio)

Gangrene played it especially cool in 2014. Alchemist got busy with Evidence as Step Brothers, while Oh No freaked his own brand of Funk alongside Prince Po for Animal Serum. A new year brings new moves for the California duo known for hallucinatory Hip-Hop, raw to the core. Alc' and... Read more

March 8, 2015 Audio

Tupac Mashed Up with Gwen Stefani? Holla Back Girl If Ya Hear Me (Audio)

On paper, mixing Tupac with Gwen Stefani sounds like sacrilege. But, the end result works shockingly well. Sadly, Pac's career did not overlap with The Neptunes' dominant era, but this 2012 HipHopFightsBack fusion of Tupac's "Holla If Ya Hear Me" with Chad Hugo and Pharrell's production of Stefani's "Hollaback Girl"... Read more

March 7, 2015 Audio

It’s a Gangsta Party with Game and Meek Mill, But Nobody’s Celebrating (Audio)

Game and Meek Mill release some modern day reality Rap with their latest collaboration, "The Soundtrack." The two rekindle the chemistry they displayed on Game's "Scared Now," from his 2012 Jesus Piece album. Both Game and Meek Mill are two of the few MCs with the range to release club... Read more

March 6, 2015 Audio

Jay Electronica Breaks The Ice On 2015 with Road to Perdition (Audio)

Jay Electronica loves the suspense. The New Orleans, Louisiana MC announced European and Chinese tour dates earlier this week. Without warning, the Roc Nation MC/producer follows with a song that was rumored to be included on Act II: Patents Of Nobility, per 2012 tracklist reports. Although Jay Z was claimed... Read more

March 6, 2015 Audio

Go Home With The Smooth Style & Slick Talk Of Grand Daddy I.U. (Audio)

Before A+ or Roc Marciano, it was Grand Daddy I.U. that put Hempstead, Long Island on the Hip-Hop map. An MC down with the Cold Chillin' Records fold, I.U. was an early innovator of the mafioso fashion, slang, and demeanor, and also an early act to incorporate Dancehall and Reggae... Read more

March 6, 2015 Audio

Murs & Slug Serve Up a Reminder That They Wrote the Book For This Generation of MCs (Audio)

In addition to his many solo albums, Murs has released several noteworthy collaborative projects over the years. He's worked with 9th Wonder, Terrace Martin, Fashawn and, more recently, ¡Mayday!. However, one of his most frequent collaborators is Atmosphere's Slug. Together, Murs and Slug form Felt, and they've three albums with... Read more

March 5, 2015 Audio

Talib Kweli Lights the Way to the Premiere of Game of Thrones (Audio)

HBO's epic series Game of Thrones returns a little over a month from now on April 12th. As they did before last season's premiere, HBO has commissioned some esteemed MCs for a thematic mixtape leading up to Episode 1 of Season 5. The first release from the second installment of... Read more

March 5, 2015 Audio