Exclusive Archives

Reason Describes His Journey From Hungry MC To TDE’s Next Top Dawg (Video)

Six weeks ago, the dominant Hip-Hop label of the 2010s announced that it had added a new MC to its tight-knit family. Carson, California's Reason signed to Top Dawg Entertainment. The imprint with five #1 releases, including this year's Black Panther soundtrack held no press conferences nor staged a chain-awarding... Read more

September 25, 2018 Exclusive, Interview, Video

Lupe Fiasco Still Refuses To Dumb It Down With A New LP That’s Deeper Than Rap (Video)

Lupe Fiasco released his DROGAS WAVE album on Friday (September 21). Due to leaks, the long-awaited project dropped a week earlier than intended. Already it is impressing quite a few of those that have encountered the 1st & 15th release. Featuring the likes of Damian Marley, Nikki Jean, Crystal Torres,... Read more

September 24, 2018 Exclusive, TBD, Video

Pharoahe Monch Discusses Early Hip-Hop Experiences & Why He Still Loves H.E.R. (Video)

Last week, respected DJ/producer J. Period orchestrated a "live mixtape" Hip-Hop event featuring Rap performances by Rakim, Black Thought, and Pharoahe Monch. Surprise guest performers included Smif-n-Wessun, Dres and Chi-Ali, Eric B., as well as Mumu Fresh. Yasiin Bey appeared on stage, but did not perform. In addition to rapping and... Read more

September 18, 2018 Exclusive, Interview, Video

An Argument For Why J. Cole’s KOD Is Already The Album Of The Year (Video)

There are three and a half months left in 2018. However, one album has proven to rise from the pack with time, less than six months since its release. J. Cole's KOD is a compelling body of work that stands to be among the best art from a consistent source.... Read more

September 15, 2018 Exclusive, TBD, Video

Eminem’s Rage Against The Machine Has Overshadowed The Sad Demise Of D12 (Video)

In less than a week, Eminem's Kamikaze created a chain reaction of events in the Rap space. From one sneak-attack 13-track album, Marshall Mathers stirred the pot. On Labor Day, MGK responded to Em's verse on "Not Alike" with some blistering bars and personal attacks on "Rap Devil." Then, two... Read more

September 6, 2018 Exclusive, TBD, Video

Queens, NY Has Named August 19 “Ralph McDaniels Day” (Videos)

Today (August 19) will forever be Ralph McDaniels Day in the borough of Queens, New York. The confirmation was made this evening, during Uncle Ralph's second 35th-anniversary celebration for Video Music Box. A free event took place at Jamaica, Queens' Roy Wilkins Park, and Ambrosia For Heads was on hand... Read more

August 19, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Ace Clark Shows Signs Of Greatness On A Jazzy Collabo With Talib Kweli & Joell Ortiz (Audio)

Gang Starr's Guru once professed on "Moment of Truth", “Cultivate, multiply, motivate or else we’ll die.” Twenty years later in a progressively demanding and often times burdensome social climate, these lyrics ring truer than ever. To remain positive, inspired, and purposeful in an atmosphere that can easily wear you down... Read more

August 15, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

Royce 5’9 Performs Caterpillar & Infests Red Rocks With His Wordplay (Video)

Already this year, Royce 5'9 has released two hearty albums. The first is the second installment of his collaboration with producer DJ Premier, PRhyme 2. He quickly followed with his latest solo set, Book Of Ryan, which featured a smorgasborg of A-list MCs including Eminem, J. Cole, Jadakiss, and others.... Read more

August 1, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Black Star Show Why One Of Their Defining Messages Remains Timeless (Video)

Black Star represented a needed voice in the late 1990s when Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) and Talib Kweli first emerged under the group name. Their “Definition” single and its next track reprise, “RE:DEFinition,” spoke out against violence in Hip-Hop at a time when the community was mourning the losses... Read more

August 1, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Tragedy Khadafi Says Marley Marl Did Him Dirty. His New Song Tells All (Audio Premiere)

Tragedy Khadafi (fka The Intelligent Hoodlum) has been releasing music steadily over the three decades but it's been nearly four years since he released his last solo album. That's all changing now though. The Queensbridge legend has been in the booth heavy since 2014's Pre Magnum Opus and is slated... Read more

August 1, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

J. Prince Reveals How He & Mike Dean Got Dr. Dre’s Secret Production Formula (Video)

From the somber swing of Scarface’s The Diary to the flamboyant complement to JAY-Z & Kanye West's Watch The Throne, Grammy Award-winning producer, mixer, engineer, and musician Mike Dean has been a versatile sound provider for 25 years. Few creators can do as much as Mike in the genre, across... Read more

July 26, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Tonedeff Never Got All Of His Props As An MC. Many Can Relate To His Powerful Story (Video)

The late 1990s Underground Hip-Hop movement produced would-be stars like Eminem, Yasiin Bey, El-P, and Aloe Blacc. However, for every one of those examples of the mainstream embracing a particular voice, style, or message, there are hundreds of artists who seemingly never got their just due. Tonedeff is one of... Read more

June 25, 2018 Exclusive, TV/Film, Video

Does Rhyme Still Pay? Slug & Evidence Weigh In On A Dope Vanderslice Beat (Audio Premiere)

Producer Vanderslice has been a source of dusty sounds for years. From the town of Phoenixville, outside of Philadelphia, the beat-miner has worked with Prodigy, Freddie Gibbs, Apathy, Roc Marciano, and others. He has released a string of instrumental and producer-compilation style albums. 'Slice's next LP is called The Best... Read more

June 18, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

Kooley High Keep Ascending & Will Never Come Down (Video Premiere)

From the hills of Raleigh, North Carolina, Kooley High have ascended with Never Come Down, a 14-track album with features from fellow Tar Heels Rapsody and Carlitta Durand and 9th Wonder as executive producer. The quintet made up of MCs Charlie Smarts and Tab-One; producers Foolery and The Sinopsis; and DJ... Read more

June 13, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Eligh, R.A. The Rugged Man & Eamon Chase The High Of Self-Love (Audio Premiere)

Eligh is one of the busiest members of the ultra-prolific Living Legends crew. This MC/producer has released more than 20 solo and collaborative albums since 1996. After a hiatus from 2006-2009, the Los Angelino came back reinvigorated and with a new perspective—thanks in large part, to sobriety. While he didn’t... Read more

June 6, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

Bumpy Knuckles & Biz Markie Team Up For A Video With A Purpose. Check It Out, Y’all.

Today (May 18), Bumpy Knuckles releases Pop Duke, Vol. 1. The 10-song concept project is produced by Nottz, and it features a cast of Rap O.G.'s such as Chuck D, Kool G Rap, and M.O.P.'s Lil Fame. It also includes a fellow Long Islander, Biz Markie, who makes a rare... Read more

May 18, 2018 Exclusive, Food for Thought, Interview, Video

Royce 5’9 & Eminem Remind Hip-Hop That They Are Still The Best MCs In The World (Video)

Tomorrow, Royce 5'9 will release his anticipated Book Of Ryan album. Now, Nickel Nine and Eminem's "Caterpillar" music video is made available for the masses. The latest Bad Meets Evil link-up is a fierce reminder that if it is indeed "Detroit vs. Everybody," the odds are with them. The song... Read more

May 3, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Apollo Brown & Locksmith Are Releasing An EP. The 1st Song Leaves No Question It Will Be Dope (Audio)

Locksmith has been in the game long enough to go from prodigious street poet to battle MC, to prolific recording artist. Although Lock' is straight out of Richmond, California, his music is not what many might expect from the region. His lyrics do not glorify drugs, sideshows, or violence. Instead,... Read more

May 1, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

Pete Rock Gives A Fantastic Update On The De La Soul Project He & DJ Premier Are Producing

Hip-Hop luminary and Grammy-winning producer/DJ Pete Rock was on hand for the Seattle, Washington Museum of Pop Culture’s grand opening of their new exhibit, Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes. The legendary beat creator was invited to DJ the engagement and was also an honored guest. While Rock wasn’t conducting interviews... Read more

April 24, 2018 Exclusive, News

Talib Kweli Discusses The Genius Of Madvillainy & Its Impact On Hip-Hop (Audio)

Last month, Madvillain's album celebrated its 14th birthday. In the early 2000s, MF DOOM and Madlib formed the group and recorded Madvillainy in the latter's bomb shelter studio in Glendale, California. The resulting Stones Throw Records album was a game-changer in the careers of two elusive, decorated veterans, both creatively... Read more

April 23, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

Naturally 7’s Acapella Remake Of Digable Planets’ Hit Is Slick & Cool Like That (Video)

Naturally 7 are a seven-man acapella group out of New York City. However, the septet strafes the line between traditional vocal group and beat-boxers. They don’t simply sing. Each member has also all mastered imitating a specific instrument. While they have dropped eight albums full of original material since they... Read more

April 13, 2018 Exclusive, Video

DJ Premier Speaks About How Real Moment Of Truth Was For Hip-Hop & Gang Starr (Video)

On March 30, 1998, Gang Starr stepped forth with Moment Of Truth. Guru and DJ Premier had taken four years since giving the masses their seminal album, Hard To Earn, and Hip-Hop was at a pivotal place in history. "We had platinum-respect. You'd think we were platinum artists that sold... Read more

April 4, 2018 Exclusive, Food for Thought, Interview, Throwback, Video

Del The Funky Homosapien & Amp Live Form A Duo. They Did Not Come To Play. (Video)

This month, Oakland, California's Del announced the collaborative project with renowned producer/musician, Amp Live (formerly of Zion I). It represents a merging of two very meaningful Hip-Hop artists, especially to the Bay Area. The duo's debut album, Gate 13 is due to drop on April 20, and they teased its... Read more

March 22, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Murs Says Hip-Hop Can’t Be Dead If Wu-Tang Is Forever & He’s Still Rapping (Video)

In celebration of his 40th birthday (March 16), Murs drops his latest solo album, A Strange Journey Into The Unimaginable with Strange Music. The project is exclusively produced by longtime Tech N9ne producer Michael "Seven" Summers. Leading up to today, ("Murs 3/16"), the Los Angeles, California veteran MC has leaked... Read more

March 16, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Saukrates, Pharoahe Monch & Shad Show Why They Are MCs Who Stand The Test Of Time (Audio)

JUNE 25 UPDATE: An official lyric video for "Father Time (2018 Version)" has been created: ORIGINAL MARCH 15 STORY: Last summer Saukrates re-released his 1999 album The Underground Tapes, making it available in digital formats for the first time, while delivering some new remixes and updated versions of those old... Read more

March 15, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

Tech N9ne Knows The Plan To End Racism But Questions Whether We Can Follow It (Video)

Last Friday (March 2), Tech N9ne released his album, The Planet. It is a fitting title for the 46-year-old Kansas City, Missouri MC-turned-mogul. With platinum and gold singles now under his belt, Aaron Dontez Yates labored to create a bustling universe that existed beyond commercial radio, music video channels, and... Read more

March 8, 2018 Exclusive, Food for Thought, Interview, Video

Ladybug Mecca, Prince Paul & Don Newkirk Bring The Warm Sounds Of Brazil To Brooklyn (Video)

BROOKZILL!, the quartet made up of Digable Planets' Ladybug Mecca, legendary producer Prince Paul, keyboardist Don Newkirk, and Brazilian MC Rodrigo Brandão, is a globally-minded outfit. Nearly two years after their album releases, this exciting group is still spinning its powerful messages. Their 2016 effort Throwback To The Future bridged... Read more

March 5, 2018 Exclusive, Video

DMX, KXNG Crooked & Royce 5’9 Show King Kong Ain’t Got Nothin’ On Them (Audio Premiere)

For those who favor rugged, confrontational Rap, drenched in wordplay Forever M.C. knows how to assemble exciting lineups. The March 30 compilation-style album arrives on March 30, and involves some of the most aggressive lyricists of the last 20 years. Having previously showcased "Terminally Ill," (featuring Tech N9ne, Chino XL,... Read more

February 22, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

Blu & Exile’s Video Imagines Their Playful Chemistry 20 Years Before “Below The Heavens”

Blu and Exile are back with heartfelt visuals to match the pensive rhymes and nostalgic sounds. "Constellations" weaves a visual tapestry that explores the essence of youth and the knowledge of being star-born. The song is off of their recent album In The Beginning: Before The Heavens. The video takes viewers back... Read more

February 15, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Planet Asia Shows Exactly Why His New Album Is Titled The Golden Buddha (Video Premiere)

Stretching back to its foundations, Hip-Hop has often put the spiritual beliefs of its makers front and center. Whether it is adherence to the basic tenets of Islam, the Five-Percent Nation, Rastafari, Pan-African-inspired mysticism, or Christianity, one of the genre's key aspects is the way MCs seek to merge the... Read more

February 13, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Evidence Explains How Weather Or Not Is A Personal & Therapeutic Album (Video)

Just days ago, Evidence released his fourth solo project, Weather Or Not. Featuring Styles P, Alchemist, Rapsody, and his Dilated Peoples cohorts Rakaa and DJ Babu (among others), the Rhymesayers release closes out a nearly 11-year-old album series from Mr. Slow Flow. Last night (January 31), on a Midtown Manhattan... Read more

February 1, 2018 Exclusive, Interview, Video

Rapsody Explains How Erykah Badu’s “Mama’s Gun” Inspired “Laila’s Wisdom” (Video)

On Sunday, January 28, Rapsody will attend the 60th Annual Grammy Awards as a nominee. Having won trophies for past feature contributions (Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly), the Roc Nation/Jamla MC is up for Best Rap Album for Laila's Wisdom, the only woman in a category which also nominates... Read more

January 26, 2018 Exclusive

Melle Mel Explains Why He Didn’t Think “The Message” Would Be Successful (Video)

Grandmaster Melle Mel is regarded as one of Hip-Hop's first generation MC icons. The lyrical front-man of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five helped move the fledgling genre of Rap from the party to a reflection of street reality. In his staggering discography, Melvin Glover was successful in both realms.... Read more

January 18, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Planet Asia Recruits AZ For One Of His Biggest & Best Collabos (Audio Premiere)

Two qualities define and distinguish the two-decade-plus career of Fresno, California MC Planet Asia. First, his central role within the independent Hip-Hop scene on the West Coast (he is credited with helping reinvigorate the movement back in the late '90s), and his bold production choices. Planet Asia’s 2017 collaboration with... Read more

January 18, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

Apathy Battles Aliens With Battlestar Bars On A Nottz Beat (Audio Premiere)

It doesn’t matter what planet you’re from, no one is safe from Apathy in “Alien Weaponry.” The first single off his forthcoming LP, The Widow’s Son is produced by Nottz, and the beat is just bizarre enough to take the edge of Ap’s sharp tongue. This track nods to the... Read more

January 18, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

Lupe Fiasco vs. Kendrick Lamar: Why “Stealing” Is Not A Crime For Artists (Video)

Lupe Fiasco took umbrage with Marvel's upcoming Black Panther soundtrack on social media last week, arguing the cover artwork for the film's Kendrick Lamar and SZA-led soundtrack single, "All the Stars," bears a remarkable resemblance to the artwork for his forthcoming album Drogas Wave. Visual grievances aside, Lupe's and Kendrick's... Read more

January 15, 2018 Exclusive, TBD, Video

Scarface’s Life Story Is Told Against The Soundtrack Of His Latest Song (Video)

Plenty of Hip-Hop legends are living, but not nearly as many are releasing consistent, quality product. Scarface is approaching 30 years on wax, and his newest single, "Black Still," finds him spitting hard, political rhymes with fire in his belly. The just-released Deeply Rooted: The Lost Files contains six new... Read more

December 21, 2017 Exclusive, Now You See Me, Video

Joell Ortiz & Raekwon Join Forces For A Rap Tale Of Love & Revenge (Audio)

Five years ago, Joell Ortiz and Raekwon joined Pusha T plus Danny Brown on "Tick, Tock." The hard-hitting collaboration was just the right combination for The Man With The Iron Fists soundtrack. With Raekwon hailing from one of Rap's super-crews of the 1990s, and Joell as one-fourth of one of... Read more

December 15, 2017 Audio, Exclusive

All Eyez On The Score: A Breakdown Of The Beef Between Tupac & The Fugees (Video)

On February 13, 1996, two of the biggest, and best-selling Hip-Hop albums of all time were released. That Tuesday, Tupac Shakur made his Death Row Records debut with double LP All Eyez On Me. The Fugees followed a tepid response to 1994's Blunted On Reality with a critical and commercial... Read more

November 25, 2017 Exclusive, TBD, Video

RZA Believes ODB’s Death Could Have Been Prevented & Regrets Not Doing More To Save Him (Video)

RZA stopped by the brand new Touré Show this week in what inevitably evolved into one of the more transparent and insightful discussions of the iconic Wu-Tang Abbott’s recent past. Touré's podcast, which just launched on November 15, focuses on diving into the mindsets and paths of accomplishment of various celebrated and successful individuals.... Read more

November 22, 2017 Exclusive, Last 7, Video

GQ Is Next Up In 9th Wonder’s Jamla Army (Video Premiere)

GQ is the artist 9th Wonder calls his “secret weapon” at Jamla Records. Over the past few years, the Bay area native has released several records (including 2014's Rated Oakland) as part of the label roster that have cemented his reputation as an artist with fine lyricism and a clearly defined... Read more

November 14, 2017 Exclusive, Video

Standing Tall: Colin Kaepernick Is GQ’s 2017 Citizen Of The Year (Video)

In September, the NFL Players Association gave Colin Kaepernick "The Community MVP" award. The gesture came during a season where the former NFC champion is not playing and is not even attached to any team in the league. Today (November 13), those humanitarian efforts are echoed as GQ magazine crowns... Read more

November 13, 2017 Last 7, Lifestyle

Why Eminem Is His Own Toughest Critic (Video)

After great anticipation, Eminem began his Revival yesterday (November 10). "Walk On Water" is a single with a fitting title. Until the song released, no one knew that Beyoncé would be on the track, or that its production would be unlike anything Marshall Mathers ever rocked from Dr. Dre, the... Read more

November 11, 2017 Exclusive, TBD, Video

Meek Mill Is Back In Jail Even Though The D.A. & Police Don’t Want Him There (Video)

Today (November 8), Meek Mill turned himself into processing with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. He begins a sentence ordered Monday (November 6) of two-to-four years for probation violation. Meanwhile, Meek Mill’s lawyer is upping the ante in his battle of words against the judge overseeing the case. Joe Tacopina,... Read more

November 8, 2017 Exclusive, Last 7, News, Video

A Tribe Called Quest Are Releasing Their Own Line Of Sneakers For Kickin’ It (Video)

A Tribe Called Quest is a legendary Hip-Hop group which has had a major impact on fashion. In their earliest days, the group helped usher in a new era of afrocentrism and, in later years, as they moved, so did their listeners. A year later, Phife Dawg he had legions... Read more

November 6, 2017 Exclusive, Last 7, Video

How Nas & De La Soul Battled For The Future Of Hip-Hop & Splintered It Forever (Video)

Last month, producer 9th Wonder remembered July 2, 1996's impact on the Hip-Hop community. During one of the biggest commercial booms of Rap albums, Nas released It Was Written the same Tuesday that De La Soul dropped Stakes Is High. Those two releases, coming from artists running in the same... Read more

November 4, 2017 Exclusive, TBD, Video

Slaine & Termanology Confront Addiction Over Stellar Evidence Production (Video)

Last month, Slaine and Termanology combined forces for a star-studded LP. The artists who rep La Coka Nostra, 1982, and Special Teamz find a unique energy together, coming from a place of realness. With the Evidence-produced beat that keeps everything contained within a cycle of a few notes, Slaine and... Read more

November 2, 2017 Exclusive, Video

All Signs Say Eminem’s New Album Is Less Than 3 Weeks Away (Video)

Hip-Hop news and culture move fast, and it’s easy to miss significant developments. Every week, Ambrosia For Heads takes a look back at the LAST 7 days. This video series, hosted by Justin “The Company Man” Hunte examines the current issues with a colorful rundown of the what, where, and why. While the LAST... Read more

October 31, 2017 Exclusive, Last 7, Video

An Argument For Why Ghostwriting Is Good Starting With Exhibit D-R-E (Video)

The biggest MCs in Hip-Hop are talking about ghostwriting more than ever right now. Sixteen years after Puff Daddy proudly proclaimed, "Don't ask me if I write rhymes, I write checks," authorship in Rap verses is not something that anybody takes lightly. Since Meek Mill outed Drake's involvement of emerging... Read more

October 28, 2017 Exclusive, TBD, Video

9th Wonder Explains Why Soundbombing & Rawkus Kept His Hip-Hop Dreams Alive (Video)

Hip-Hop news and culture move fast, and it’s easy to miss significant developments. Every week, Ambrosia For Heads takes a look back at the LAST 7 days. This video series, hosted by Justin “The Company Man” Hunte examines the current issues with a colorful rundown of the what, where, and why. While the LAST... Read more

October 24, 2017 Exclusive, Last 7, Video