Audio Archives

Nipsey Hussle & Rick Ross Enjoy The Perks Of The Spotlight On A Hit-Boy Track (Audio)

Following the precise wordplay and honesty of "50 Niggaz," Nipsey Hussle returns to his (other) form on "1 Hunnit A Show." The sophomore Mailbox Money (December 20) look also incorporates numbers, as the Crenshaw District MC joins Rick Ross on a thumping Hit-Boy track. The two MCs have found fame... Read more

December 11, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Shady Records Gathers a Gang of MCs for the Detroit vs. Everybody Remix (Audio)

Shady Records continues the Detroit takeover with a remix to their "Detroit vs. Everybody" anthem. This version features Trick Trick,Dej Loaf, Guilty Simpson, Black Milk, Sino, Marv Won, Payroll, Hydro, Boldy James, Big Gov, Kid Vishis, Big Herk, Icewear Vezzo, Detroit Che, Calicoe, and Diezel The Hitman. It also weighs... Read more

December 10, 2014 Audio

Kurupt Projects Are A Welcomed Treat. Moon Rock Weighs A Ton (Mixtape)

Although Tha Dogg Pound has been enjoying the free music circuit as of late, co-founder Kurupt is a Rap veteran not typically associated with mixtapes. Out of nowhere, Kuruption's Moon Rock hit Earth today. The 23-track free tape features a plethora of new music from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-born, South Central... Read more

December 10, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Mixes

Ludacris Slows Things Down & Joins John Legend In A Personal Revelation (Audio)

Ludacris is not an artist typically associated with being highly-personal. The Atlanta, Georgia superstar has built a career by making smash hits for the club and radio, and executing thoughtful concept albums that rely more on theme than revelation. After taking a hiatus from making a body of solo work,... Read more

December 10, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Punch Makes A Potent Song About Living Past 25, With Kendrick Lamar On The Hook (Audio)

President Punch of Top Dawg Entertainment has begun transitioning from independent label executive to a thoughtful MC in 2014. No stranger to TDE's pre-Interscope releases of the early 2010s, Punch was part of the ensemble that made albums by Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, and ScHoolboy Q so potent. His... Read more

December 10, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Cormega Releases a Dream Team Remix with AZ, Redman & Styles P (Audio)

This past Summer, Cormega released "MARS (Dream Team)" featuring AZ, Redman and Styles P. Just the lineup was enough to make Heads explode, but it actually lived up to its billing. Each MC flexed on the Large Professor beat which was one of the crown jewels on Cormega's stellar Mega... Read more

December 9, 2014 Audio

Blu’s soul amazing Returns, With A 31-Track Part Four (Album Stream)

For the fourth time in two years, Blu has released a soul amazing collection. Part Four, as it were, includes 31 songs, stemming from a host of projects, well known and otherwise. Those collaborative efforts include work with Black Milk, Nottz, Cunninlynguists, Rapsody, and even a rare Large Professor remix.... Read more

December 9, 2014 Audio, Fresh

LL Cool J Refutes Battling Jay Z, Talks 2 Types Of Album Styles & Some Amazing Rumors (Audio)

The Combat Jack Show has left Hip-Hop journalism better than they found it in 2014. In the closing weeks of the year, the show invited LL Cool J for what immediately feels like one of the finest sit-downs. At nearly two hours, LL turns towards his devout Hip-Hop fans, his... Read more

December 9, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

DJ Spinna & J. Rocc Cross The Coasts In 2 Separate ’90s Mixes (Audio)

Two veteran masters of the mix are DJ Spinna and J. Rocc. AFH's faithful are quite familiar with J. Rocc, the SoCal spinner who is part of JayLib, The Beat Junkies, and a frequent affiliate with Stones Throw Records. Across the country, in the borough of Brooklyn, DJ Spinna was... Read more

December 9, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

Fashawn Finds His Boy Meets World Form Alongside Evidence (Audio)

Now with Nas in the fold, things look especially interesting for Fashawn's studio sophomore LP, The Ecology (February 24). After two tracks have rolled out in the course of the last year and a half, Mass Appeal Records dropped off an ear-grabber in "Dreams." This track, touted to be an... Read more

December 9, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Diamond D Remixes Diamond District & It’s A Gem (Audio)

Diamond D is an exceptional producer at those guitar-driven tracks, with dusty, accentuated grooves. He's given these type of joints to Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs, Ras Kass, and of course, The Fugees. In 2014, he hits off his shelf-mates in the record store, Diamond District, with a remix to... Read more

December 9, 2014 Audio, Fresh

J. Cole Releases One of His Realest Songs Yet with Adolescence (Audio)

Witness the re-birth of J. Cole. With very little fanfare, he has released one of his finest works yet with his 2014 Forest Hills Drive album. Contrary to what the title suggests, this is a return to the J. Cole of 2009--the North Carolina MC whose Warm Up mixtape restored... Read more

December 9, 2014 Audio

Rick Gonzalez Makes A Spacey Street Track With Infamous Mobb’s Big Twins (Audio)

Rick Gonzalez pulls in some heavyweight collaborations for his growing discography. Fresh off of a Kool G Rap link, and a Blu collabo last year, the newly-inked ShowOff Records artist teams with another Queens, New York veteran bully rapper in Big Twins for "Cross The Line." Mobb Deep and Alchemist... Read more

December 9, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Termanology’s Shut Up And Rap Features Lil Fame, Inspectah Deck & Slaine (Album Stream)

Twelve hours before it's available for sale, 1982's Termanology offers up Shut Up And Rap for free, full stream. This LP, the latest from the Massachusetts-to-New York MC, features REKS, Lil Fame, Inspectah Deck, Torae, Skyzoo, Slaine, Willie The Kid, and others. Alchemist also drops in on production. Sample the... Read more

December 8, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Joey Bada$$ Unleashes A New Album Single. He & Statik Selektah Have Chemistry (Audio)

For an artist who puts art above image, music above interview antics, and the engaged live show above dedicated social media presence, January is a great month to release an album. Slow burn and long consideration will go a long way for Cinematic's longtime emerging star. With January 20, 2015... Read more

December 8, 2014 Audio, Fresh

A Chronology Of Rap Criticism Of Police Featuring P.E., dead prez & Dilla (Mixtape)

In the midst of a troubling, if not challenging year with police brutality, Hip-Hop's discography carries a lot of the frustrations in the archives. As today's Hip-Hop artists reflect on the 2014 murders of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, and look for the expression, let alone the words of the... Read more

December 7, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

Your Old Droog Spits Fire on Porno for Pyros (Audio)

When all is said and done, what may have been lost in the Nas comparisons is that Your Old Droog is a HIGHLY skilled MC. The similes he uses and the pictures he paints with his metaphors are more than deserving of the attention he commandeered this Summer. "Porno for... Read more

December 6, 2014 Audio

YG Has a New Album Coming. Here’s the First Single (Audio)

Many believe YG has an album of the year contender with My Krazy Life (but not the Grammy Awards). With it's club and car-friendly beats and raw, unfiltered lyrics, he and DJ Mustard established a new Cali sound for a new era in Hip-Hop. Not one to rest on his... Read more

December 5, 2014 Audio

KXNG Crooked Releases the Powerful and Reflective I Can’t Breathe (Audio)

KXNG Crooked (formerly Crooked I) is the latest to step to the forefront of Hip-Hop and speak out against the failure to indict officer Daniel Pantaleo in the choking death of Eric Garner. Crooked starts off softly, meditatively rapping about what he feels is a complete devaluation of the lives... Read more

December 5, 2014 Audio

KRS-One Teams With Torae To To Break Down The Contrary Meanings Of Clique (Audio)

Champagne to some, a posse to others, and the sign of a hung up phone to others, "clicks" are everywhere. KRS-One and Torae bring it from the Bronx to Brooklyn alongside the Rocksteady Crew's DJ JS-1 for his recently-released It Is What It Isn't album. On "Klick Clique," Kris and... Read more

December 5, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Yasiin Bey On Recent US Events: “We Are At A Watershed Moment For Humanity”

Besides rapping, singing, and acting, Yasiin Bey (f/k/a Mos Def) is a Spoken Word artist and a self-proclaimed humanitarian. Deliberately out of the spotlight for much of the last five years, Yasiin opted to put his thoughts to audio, surrounding the murders of Michael Brown and Eric Garner (among others),... Read more

December 5, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Rapsody Drops An Insightful Illustration Of Injustice Today In 2 Songs (Audio)

Throughout the headlines of the last month, oppression appears to be at the root of the biggest stories of the day. Whether racism, sexism, police brutality, domestic abuse, social unrest, all of these topics trace down to people being oppressed by another—another person, a people, an institution, a governing body,... Read more

December 4, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Happy Birthday to Jay Z. Take (Another) Listen to The Brown Album (Audio)

Salute to Jay Z who turned 45 today. To celebrate his birthday, here's a look back at Kev Brown's remix project, The Brown Album. As many know, Jay released the a cappella vocals to The Black Album with the hopes that producers take them and create their own spins on... Read more

December 4, 2014 Audio

Not Up On Vic Spencer? Watch Him Rock Precise Alongside Sean Price & Illa Ghee (Audio)

In his thirties, Chicago, Illinois' Vic Spencer is pushing through. For years before he released 2013's The Rapping Bastard, Vic was getting prime exposure on albums by Kidz In The Hall's Naledge, in addition to work with MC Tree and Sean Price. After an appearance on A-Villa's recently-released Carry On... Read more

December 4, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Nipsey Hussle Uses Gangsta Rap As An Indictment Of The Court’s Double Standards (Audio)

Nipsey Hussle has announced that he will release an album, Mailbox Money, before year's end (December 20 to be exact). The California MC sets the project up with "50 Niggaz." The song looks at the 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin, and compares it to... Read more

December 4, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Common & John Legend Honor The Civil Rights Movement Of The ’60s & Today (Audio)

Need some chicken noodle soup for the soul today? This may be it... Old G.O.O.D. Music brothers Common and John Legend come together for "Glory." Holding 2014's Ferguson protestors up alongside Rosa Parks' Birmingham, Alabama bus incident and subsequent boycott (59 years ago this week), this uplifting song is about... Read more

December 4, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Terrace Martin Flips SZA & Chance The Rapper’s Child’s Play On Its Head (Audio)

Terrace Martin remixes are more than just half-baked re-purposed hits. Instead, the Locke High alum breaks out his arsenal of instruments, and bends a song's form, feel, and genre. An affiliate of the Top Dawg Entertainment family, the onetime Snoop Dogg protege undresses SZA's "Child's Play" single, which features Chance... Read more

December 2, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Shady XV Is Expected To Debut At #1, Nobody’s Happier Than Crooked I (Audio)

Even with Eminem's backing of Slaughterhouse, Crooked I has never enjoyed a #1 album. The Long Beach, California MC veteran is a long way from those mid-2000s pitfalls he suffered while stranded on Death Row. However, if skills equated to sales, Kxng Crooked would have been #1's, with plaques covering... Read more

December 2, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Big Pooh Is In The Zone, Is He Hinting At A New LP As He Drops Off Hotness? (Audio)

Was anybody paying attention to Twitter or Tumblr the last few days? Rapper Big Pooh was/is in Detroit, Michigan. While Pooh and Slum Village's T3 are tight homies, that's not why. In between the tweets, it could be hinted that the Little Brother alum is the next subject to sit... Read more

December 2, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Action Bronson & Danny Brown Bring The Bad News On An Alchemist Jam (Audio)

Traditionally, Action Bronson favors retro-styled production, whether it's the dusty loops of Tommy Mas or the hazy '60s psychedelia of Party Supplies. Close affiliate and Rare Chandeliers collaborator Alchemist has a style all of his own, but has provided sounds somewhere in the middle. For the GTA V game, which... Read more

December 2, 2014 Audio, Fresh

There’s a Lullaby Version of Eminem’s Lose Yourself and It’s Shockingly Comforting (Audio)

Some things just aren't meant to go together, like oil and water and cats and dogs, to name a few. Another combo most would add to the list would be Eminem and lullabies. However, the folks at Rockabye Baby would disagree and, oddly, they have a point. The company which... Read more

December 2, 2014 Audio

A 1997 Eminem Freestyle Surfaces, With Some Slick Slim Shady Rawness (Audio)

Seventeen years ago this month, Eminem was not a diamond, platinum, or gold-selling artist. He was not down with Dr. Dre. Eminem did not have a gated home in Detroit, or a radio platform. Instead, Eminem was just Marshall Mathers, a fast-talking MC with quick wit, sticking similes, and a... Read more

December 1, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

Black Milk, Large Professor, Nottz & Diamond D Are Remixing A 2014 LP, But Which? (Audio)

True remixes are a rarity these days. Remember the days when The Beatnuts might remix PMD, Diamond D might remix Outkast, or Marley Marl remix DJ Pooh? It's a little different in 2014. However, when Black Milk spins his take on an Oddisee-produced track, it's worth noting, and absolutely worth... Read more

December 1, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Ghostface Killah Unleashes a Full Album Stream of 36 Seasons (Audio)

Over the last few weeks, Ghostface Killah has released banger after banger after banger from his forthcoming 36 Seasons album. Few, if any, projects have been more anticipated. Now, the wait is over. Similar to DJ Premier & Royce Da 5'9" with their PRhyme EP, Ghost has released a full... Read more

December 1, 2014 Audio

Hus Kingpin & Median Channel The Warriors & Nas At Once, Still Comin’ Original (Audio)

Now based in Los Angeles, California, Hus Kingpin brings the shivery East Coast sound with him. On "The World Is Yours," the New Yorker travels back to a treacherous 212/718/917 sound, with vivid images, cold slang, and sharp accounts of street maneuvers. After Hus' Treach assist last month, this joint... Read more

December 1, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Hear All of DJ Premier & Royce Da 5’9″‘s PRhyme EP a Week Early (Audio Stream)

Since announcing they would be releasing a joint project as a super group named PRhyme, DJ Premier & Royce Da 5'9" have had the Hip-Hop world at the edge of their collective seats. The duo have since released singles, videos and teasers that have stoked the fire. Now, a week... Read more

December 1, 2014 Audio

Here’s a Playlist of the Best Hip-Hop of November 2014 (Audio)

November was dominated by members of Wu-Tang Clan and Shady 2.0. Eminem, the Wu, Royce Da 5'9" & DJ Premier, Ghostface Killah and Slaughterhouse all had big records (or several). Here's a playlist featuring music by them, as well as De La Soul, Chuck D, Juvenile, Big K.R.I.T., M.O.P., AZ,... Read more

November 30, 2014 Audio, Featured-homepage, Playlists

Timbaland Signee Tink Makes a Strong Statement About Chicago & Ferguson (Audio)

Over the last month and a half, Chicago MC Tink has been associated with Jay Z, Rick Ross, Andre 3000 and Timbaland...Not bad for an up and coming MC, right? But, don't let the big names fool you. Tink is a talented MC and singer who stands out in her... Read more

November 30, 2014 Audio

Bumpy Knuckles Takes the Cake and Will Eat Yours Too (Audio)

After dropping a fiery verse in DJ Premier's Bars in the Booth, Bumpy Knuckles closes out a strong week by beating up on another track. He and DJ Wayne Ski link up again on "Cake Remix." Bumpy Knucks talks tough and is one of the few MCs who can back... Read more

November 29, 2014 Audio

Ghostface Killah Is Back On His R&B Ish Thanks To Jagged Edge, But No Holds Barred (Audio)

Ghostface Killah's most polarizing album is undoubtedly 2009's Ghostdini: Wizard Of Poetry In The Emerald City. The LP not only marked Ghost's final dance after nearly a decade with Def Jam Records, it also is largely considered his R&B album. The album featured Dennis Cole's talents in singing form in... Read more

November 29, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Blu Makes A Trippy Track That Seems Inspired By De La Soul (Audio)

Although he represents a coast across the country from Amityville, Long Island, Blu is definitely a De La Soul disciple. Johnson Barnes' vulnerability, his love of far-reaching concepts, interludes and skits are surely inspired by Posdnuos, Maseo, and Dave (as well as Prince Paul). A lover of Jazz, Funk, and... Read more

November 29, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Ghostface Killah Commits a Homicide on Wax (Audio)

Ghostface Killah's 36 Seasons album is sounding more epic every day. Each release has presented like a chapter in what is seemingly Tony Starks' audio graphic novel. "Homicide" is the latest adventure and it features Nems and Shawn Wigs. It gets no grimier. Check it out. Related: Ghostface Killah &... Read more

November 28, 2014 Audio

De La Soul & Chuck D Make a Powerful Statement for The People (Audio)

De La Soul and Chuck D have come together on one track to make a powerful statement together. Here's what De La had to say about "The People": "The idea for the song came from a couple of samples, and the track’s vibe is earnest and has a pressing tone... Read more

November 28, 2014 Audio

Wu-Tang Clan Give Thanks to Fans with a Free Stream of A Better Tomorrow (Audio)

After many fits and starts, squabbles and squashes, Wu-Tang Clan put their differences aside and have come together to release their first album in 7 years. A Better Tomorrow hits stores on Tuesday, but the Wu are giving thanks to fans on Thanksgiving by releasing a full stream of the... Read more

November 27, 2014 Audio

Wu-Tang Clan Is Right On Time With The A Better Tomorrow Title Cut (Audio)

After a weary week, Wu-Tang Clan unloads their title song from A Better Tomorrow (December 2). While the album may have been met with some skepticism thus far, "A Better Tomorrow" certainly feels to be on a deeper level than much of what Heads have heard from the Wu clique... Read more

November 26, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Raekwon Slices Off A Piece Of The New Dej Loaf Single In A Freestyle (Audio)

Chef Raekwon is far from resigned in giving Heads some mid-week freestyle looks. While it was '70s, '80s, and '90s Pop-R&B earlier in the calendar, Rae' is now about the hot street records from new voices. After he and Ghostface Killah gave Troy Ave the nod, Shallah takes aim at... Read more

November 26, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Your Old Droog Makes An Ode To His Guitar Playing & Studio Gear (Audio)

From Wyclef Jean to Lil Wayne to B.o.B., plenty of top rappers play guitar these days. You might not know it, but Your Old Droog is keen on the strings too. "48th Street" honors the days of hittin' Sam Ash, Guitar Center, and all the bygone Manhattan music shops (Manny's... Read more

November 26, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Chance The Rapper Surfs In With His First Album Single (Album)

Just over a month ago, details broke surrounding what is perceived to be Chance The Rapper's first album, Surf. Although no release dates have been confirmed, the Chicago, Illinois MC has been actively working with his Social Experiment homies. For the first look from Surf (according to The Fader), "Sunday... Read more

November 25, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Get A Deeper Look At A Joint From M.O.P.’s New EP With Cuts By DJ Premier (Audio)

M.O.P.'s new EP, Street Certified is now available. Within the Nature Sounds-released effort, executive produced by DJ Premier is "Heistmasters (Still At It)." The cut is produced by DJ Skizz (Your Old Droog, O.C., Roc Marciano), with Preem on the cuts. Within, Billy Danze and Lil Fame kick some classic... Read more

November 25, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Chris Rock Says Pootie Tang Is His Junior M.A.F.I.A. LP, Debates PM Dawn’s & J Dilla’s Impact (Audio)

If you enjoyed Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan naming their Top 5 MCs in honor of the film, Top 5, you'll love this. Chris Rock, joined by Questlove, swung through Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg's Juan Epstein podcast. There, the four Heads engage in a casual, very free-flowing discussion about... Read more

November 25, 2014 Audio, Fresh