Fresh Archives

Tony Touch’s Latest Tape Compiles Hot Raps From KRS, J. Cole, Nas & More

One year to the week after Tony Touch released the popular Hip Hop 101 mixtape, Toca returns with Hip Hop 102. This mix (available for free download as well) features many, many reasons to believe the music of the people is going on strong. Tony's needles glide over the latest... Read more

January 9, 2016 Mixes

Channing Tatum Lip Sync Battles With “Run The World (Girls) & Beyonce Appears…(Video)

Last night (Jan 7), Spike TV's show, Lip Sync Battle, hosted Channing and Jenna Dewan-Tatum. The spouses went head to head in an epic showdown. Given that they both had the chops to star in the dance film, Step Up, each was able to execute both elaborate lip-synching and choreography.... Read more

January 8, 2016 TV

Petition Seeks to Exonerate “Making a Murderer” Subject. The White House Responds.

Netflix's continued dominance in the streaming media market is no longer news to anybody, but nevertheless the company's growing list of accomplishments is hard to ignore, even to the most jaded media aficionado. Earlier this week, it was announced that Netflix is expanding its market to 190 countries, setting the... Read more

January 8, 2016 Lifestyle

Kendrick Lamar Premieres A New Song With An Absolutely Monstrous Performance (Video)

Kendrick Lamar performed on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon just hours ago (January 7). The Top Dawg Entertainment platinum star's first televised appearance of 2016 was nothing small. "Cornrow Kenny" (as he refers to himself by) closed out the NBC appearance with an all-new song, "Untitled 2." Supported by... Read more

January 8, 2016 Video

Mick Jenkins Eloquently Makes Sense Out Of His Windy City (Audio)

Mick Jenkins has been fast at work entering the new year. The Chicago, Illinois MC has been recording a lot with producer THEMpeople. Today (January 7), Mick unveiled "Grenade Theory," and pulled a pin, before exploding some profound thoughts and rhymes into the microphone. The song is a here-and-now for... Read more

January 7, 2016 Audio

In Y2K, DMX Freestyles Went Down Like Mike Tyson Victims. Here’s One. (Audio)

The barks, the growls, the yelling...DMX brought a totally different kind of anger to Rap music than peers like ONYX, M.O.P., or Tupac Shakur. The Ruff Ryders flagship MC was "rage in the cage," when he stepped in many studio booths. Tim Westwood was one DJ/Hip-Hop personality on the map... Read more

January 7, 2016 Throwback

Kendrick Lamar Brings Two of “T.P.A.B.”‘s Deepest Cuts to Life on Stage (Videos)

As the one-year anniversary of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly inches closer and closer, the Compton MC is still dominating conversations about the best in the game. Tonight (January 7), he will be a guest and performer on The Tonight Show, where he will likely provide viewers with a... Read more

January 7, 2016 Video

Stream “The Breaks” and Hear DJ Premier’s First Film Score (Video)

On Monday night (January 4), Vh1 premiered The Breaks. The film, inspired by Dan Charnas' book, The Big Payback, dramatically captures three Hip-Hop hopefuls living in 1990 New York City. One dreams to work at a hit Rap management firm. Another character wants to be a successful producer, and discover... Read more

January 7, 2016 TV/Film, Video

Andre 3000 Discusses His First Starring TV Role & Wanting To Put Out New Music

Over the last decade, Andre 3000 has been incredibly sparing in his output of new music. The Atlien has not put out an album since Outkast's 2003 Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, choosing instead to release jaw-dropping feature verses here and there and also work on his acting career. On the eve... Read more

January 6, 2016 Fresh

RZA Responds To Martin Shkreli’s Hostile Words And Encourages Him To Let Wu Fans Hear Album

Last month, it was revealed the controversial business leader Martin Shkreli is the owner of the sole copy of Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon A Time In Shaolin album. After Bloomberg Business reported on the $2 million purchase of the special album, Shkreli began criticizing the RZA for his reaction to the purchase. At... Read more

January 6, 2016 Video

The New Dramatic Series Surrounding Hip-Hop’s Genesis Gets A Full Trailer (Video)

In early summer, AFH reported on upcoming series The Get Down. Directed by Baz Luhran (The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge), the upcoming episodes are set in the late 1970s Bronx, New York where Hip-Hop was born. Indicative of the Incredible Bongo Band "Apache"-scored trailer, the culture is at the... Read more

January 6, 2016 TV/Film, Video

Ice Cube, Kevin Hart & Conan Go for a Ride Along With a Student Driver (Video)

Ice Cube and Kevin Hart are on a media blitz, promoting their upcoming film, Ride Along 2. Arriving in theatres on January 15, it serves as a sequel its very successful 2014 predecessor, Ride Along. In promoting that film, the legendary MC and megawatt star comedian visited Conan O'Brien's self-titled... Read more

January 6, 2016 TV/Film, Video

MC Eiht & Beneficence Drop Coast To Coast Wisdom On A Scratch-Driven Beat (Audio)

Newark, New Jersey's Beneficence keeps the interesting collaborations coming. Following his Masta Ace-featured "When The Sun Come," Bene' brings in another 1980s alum in MC Eiht. While Brick City and Hub City are more than 3,000 miles apart, the two rhyme veterans find common ground on "Anyway It Goes." The... Read more

January 6, 2016 Audio

New Year, So Black Milk Takes His Sound To A Whole New Place (Audio)

Black Milk's artistic evolution is interesting, and often tends to be demarcated by the calendars. Entering 2016, the Random Axe co-founder keeps his Electronic-tinged sounds in tact. However, B.M.'s arrangement and accents get a bit more spacey and celestial in making "Like I Need It All." The self-produced track takes... Read more

January 6, 2016 Audio

Murs & 9th Wonder Cover Pharcyde’s “Otha Fish” with Beachy Sensuality (Video)

Murs and 9th Wonder, longtime collaborators who have forged one of the most enduring musical partnerships in Hip-Hop, surprised Heads with a New Year's Eve release. Brighter Daze arrived at midnight on January 1, 2016, and kicking off the year correctly is an understatement. The free LP stars Rapsody, Mac... Read more

January 6, 2016 Video

Killer Mike Schools Stephen Colbert on Systemic Racism in America & How To End It (Video)

On last night's episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Killer Mike (born Michael Render) dropped some knowledge on the state of race relations in this country, something he's been doing for years through his music but which has only recently become something that mainstream media have begun to acknowledge.... Read more

January 6, 2016 TV/Film

Plenty MCs Aim To Bring Back ’90s Vibes, But Red Pill Has More Specific Plans

Michigan MC Red Pill has amassed a five-year body of work, producing savvy, Everyman Rap music. The Mello Music Group artist rhymes about wishing for sustainability in a career he's dreamed to achieve, self-medicating through stress, and wishing more talented artists got the limited amount of industry shine. "90s Money"... Read more

January 5, 2016 Video

Rapsody’s Tiny Desk Concert With A Full Band Is Must Watch Music (Video)

Rapsody kicks off NPR's "Tiny Desk Concerts" series for 2016. Joined by mentor 9th Wonder (on the drum/sample pads) and a full band, Rapsody pulls three songs from different places in her discography. With Howard University students in attendance, Rap' performs "Godzilla," "The Man," and "Hard To Choose." There is... Read more

January 5, 2016 Video

Watch Phonte & Antoine Harris Perform Their Battle Raps From “The Breaks” (Videos)

Last night, Vh1 aired The Breaks, a Hip-Hop inspired film set in 1990s New York City. Featuring DJ Premier as music supervisor, Phonte Coleman as lyrical ghostwriter, actor Wood Harris, MC Torae, and many others, the movie serves as an homage to the formative years of Hip-Hop's rise to pop-culture... Read more

January 5, 2016 Video

“12 Years a Slave” Writer John Ridley Is Turning Real-Life Tragedy Into Powerful Forms of Art (Audio)

John Ridley is an award-winning screenwriter whose celebrated works in film include 12 Years a Slave, a powerful film for which he won the 2013 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Longtime fans of his love him for the writing he did on iconic television shows like The Fresh Prince... Read more

January 5, 2016 Audio

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

President Obama Is Taking Gun Control Seriously With New Regulations. Hear Them In His Own Tearful Words (Video)

Earlier today, President Obama outlined his new executive actions on gun control, putting into motion one of the most aggressive plans to curb the frequency with which Americans are killed by gun violence in recent memory. In his speech, he stated his explicit support for the 2nd amendment, which gives... Read more

January 5, 2016 Lifestyle

Freeway’s Soulful Mixtape Features Beats By J Dilla & A Jake One Reunion (Audio)

It has been nearly four years since Freeway released an official mixtape. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC and State Property member returned to the medium in early 2016 with Fear Of A Free Planet. Following a year that witnessed Freezer publicly battle kidney disease and lose close friend and collaborator The... Read more

January 5, 2016 Audio, Mixes

Listen To The Best Hip-Hop Of December 2015 In One Playlist (Audio)

The number of Hip-Hop releases in December slowed, but the quality did not. In fact, it was one of the densest months of the year in terms of audio dope. Here's a playlist of the best the month had to offer. You'll hear music from PRhyme (DJ Premier & Royce... Read more

January 4, 2016 Audio

Nappy Roots Expertly Blend That Southern Soul With Concrete Grit (Audio)

While it's been more than a decade since the Nappy Roots were shooting up the charts with major label backing, the Bowling Green, Kentucky collective has pushed on consistently. In the last six years, Skinny DeVille, B. Stille, and Fish Scales have made several albums, including Nappy Dot Org, with... Read more

January 4, 2016 Audio

One Year Later The World Misses Stuart Scott, But No One More Than His Daughters (Video)

It's been one year since the world lost Stuart Scott, a trailblazing sportscaster whose love for his industry was trumped only by the love of his fans. He became a household name and a personality with whom millions shared countless hours, thanks to his many years as an integral part... Read more

January 4, 2016 Video

Why Are Armed Whites Getting Treated Better than Unarmed Black & Brown Americans?

Over the weekend, news broke of an unusual event taking place in Oregon, a state most commonly associated with nature, liberalism, and the television series Portlandia. As such, the revelation that armed ranchers had quite literally taken a federal building hostage on Saturday, January 2, struck an odd chord for most... Read more

January 4, 2016 Lifestyle

Fat Joe, Diamond D & A.G. Show They’re Still Diggin’ For Perfection (Audio)

2016 is off to a promising start for the storied collective known as Diggin' In The Crates. First, D.I.T.C.'s "underboss," Lord Finesse released a top-of-year DJ mix. Now, three members are back in action, together. Fat Joe and his onetime mentor, Diamond D join A.G. for "Make Em So Proud."... Read more

January 4, 2016 Audio

This Feel-Good Lord Finesse Mix Is The Cure For The Post-Holiday Hangover

Let's face it, the first Monday of the new year can often be a drag. For many, this means (fully) back to work, often some challenging weather, and a long haul to the next reason to celebrate. The all knowing Lord Finesse seems to have forecast such a feeling. The... Read more

January 4, 2016 Mixes

9th Wonder Protege GQ Delivers A Powerful Sidewalk Freestyle (Video)

Previously, Jamla Records artist GQ has made poignant poetry in natural elements. Less than one year ago, the Oakland, California basketball star-turned-MC appeared rapping alongside Locksmith in a Lyft. This time, under a Grand Avenue Oaktown movie-house marquee, GQ demonstrates a deft freestyle, with some powerful lines about race, mortality,... Read more

January 3, 2016 Video

Ever Hear When Ghostface Killah, Jeru The Damaja & Cappadonna Blazed Freestyles Together? (Audio)

Wu-Tang Clan and Gang Starr Foundation appeared to run in different circles in the late 1990s. While RZA and DJ Premier reportedly go back to the Prince Rakeem days, Gang Starr only worked with Inspectah Deck by Y2K (care of "Above The Clouds"). That does not mean, however, that two... Read more

January 2, 2016 Throwback

BJ The Chicago Kid Celebrates D’Angelo On A Special Anniversary (Audio)

BJ The Chicago Kid has stepped into the role of one of Motown Records' biggest male soloists. While the Illinois native's albums have been lower-key in the case of 2012's Pineapple Now-Laters, he is gearing up for a hefty 2016 care of In My Mind. Meanwhile, as BJ's discography is... Read more

January 2, 2016 Audio

MC Eiht Gives The Raw & Uncut Story Of What Turned Compton Into A “War Zone” (Video)

For nearly 30 years, MC Eiht has been delivering raw and uncut stories from the streets of Compton. Whether as part of Compton's Most Wanted or solo, songs like "Growin' Up In The Hood" and "Hood Took Me Under" gave the world a look into a scene that was far... Read more

January 2, 2016 Video

This Quiz About 2015 May Leave You Feeling Beaten. See How You Fare.

Regardless of what part of the globe you call home, 2015 is officially a wrap. Plenty happened in the year that was, especially in Hip-Hop. There was some great music, care of albums, freestyles, and videos. Artists reached new milestones and commercial benchmarks. Sadly, the culture also lost more of... Read more

January 1, 2016 Fresh

Stream Murs & 9th Wonder’s Brighter Daze Album (Audio)

Just hours ago, it was announced that Murs & 9th Wonder's sixth album would release today (December 31). Heads can now dive right into Brighter Daze, the first in the duo's catalog, since 2012. Rapsody, Problem, Mac Miller, Bad Lucc are the guests among the Jamla Records LP's 12 tracks.... Read more

December 31, 2015 Audio

Skillz’s Rap Up Masterfully Covers The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Of 2015 (Audio)

Like clockwork, Skillz serves up his annual summary of the year that was, with a masterful rap. There is nothing like his blow by blow rhyme to remind us all of the good, bad and often bizarre happenings of 2015. In his latest installment, Skillz covers seemingly everything that dominated... Read more

December 31, 2015 Audio

RZA Raps On A Razor Sharp Remix Inspired By The Hateful 8 (Audio)

Adrian Younge has become one of the most successful Wu-Tang Clan affiliates of the 2010s. The producer/musician (and member of PRhyme) has made several heralded albums with Ghostface Killah in the 36 Reasons To Die saga. Additionally, the Los Angeles, California native has worked extensively with RZA and other Clansmen... Read more

December 31, 2015 Audio

Kendrick Lamar Ends 2015 With 1 Of The Most Emotionally Raw & Visually Stunning Videos

When we look back at 2015 years from now, the annum for Kendrick Lamar will be viewed as one of the most complete for any artist in any genre or medium. Lamar achieved levels of success by any metric--commercial, critical, social importance--with the release of his album To Pimp A... Read more

December 31, 2015 Video

Logic, Slug & Killer Mike Show All Hip-Hop Is Fruit From The Same Tree (Audio)

There's a lot of intolerance in Hip-Hop these days. The youth are accused of having a lack of respect for the history of the culture, and Heads who are older often look down on current Hip-Hop, glorifying the past and incorrectly lumping all of today's music together. The truth is,... Read more

December 30, 2015 Video

J. Cole Explains Keeping Friday Night Lights A Shining Part Of His Career (Video)

In the last year, J. Cole has stacked his career accolades with a gold-certified, #1 charting album with no features in 2014 Forest Hills Drive. The Roc Nation MC continues to complement his benchmarks with a steadfast connection to his fans and causes. When marches and protests have taken place,... Read more

December 30, 2015 Video

KRS-One Interviews Rakim About The Genesis Of His Rhyme Style (Video)

In a moment that can only be described as "surreal," Rakim and KRS-One had a conversation about the genesis of Rakim Allah's rhyme flow, while observers looked on in reverent silence. KRS-One took on the role of interviewer, saying that he'd heard part of Rakim's rhyme writing style came from... Read more

December 29, 2015 Video

Kendrick Lamar Witnessed His First Murder When He Was 5 Years Old (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar recently spoke, at length, with NPR. While fans of Kendrick likely have heard bits and pieces of a number of the subjects Kendrick addressed in the interview, he reflected on a number of deeply personal topics in greater detail than he often does, outside of his most introspective... Read more

December 29, 2015 Audio

The Best Freestyles of 2015 Left Heads Spinning and Microphones Smoking (Video)

In Hip-Hop, there are few things more exciting than watching an MC get on the mic and spit a freestyle. The definition of the word "freestyle" has been fluid over the years. Originally, the term was used to denote any rhyme, written or off the top, that was not about... Read more

December 29, 2015 Video

DJ Chuck Chillout Has “The Breaks” To Revisit 1990 In Style (Mix)

DJ Chuck Chillout has nearly 35 years of making soundwaves special and parties pop. The Bronx, New York DJ/producer brought his sonic style to New York City signals such as KISS and WBLS in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the biggest clubs. Also a mentor to Buckshot and... Read more

December 28, 2015 Mixes

Ghostface & MF DOOM Aren’t Masking Their 2016 Release Plans… (Video)

This past February, Ghostface Killah and MF DOOM added to their storied collaborative discography with "Ray Gun." The video single from Sour Soul further whetted the appetites surrounding a DOOMstarks album. According to the Wu-Tang Clan MC (who released two 2015 LPs), the album is just months away. Speaking with... Read more

December 28, 2015 News, Video

Mobb Deep Revisted a Classic Eminem Track to Show Off a Different Flow (Audio)

For 21 weeks, DJ Absolut has been dropping heat for his ongoing Mixtape Mondays series and today's installment features infamous Queensbridge duo Mobb Deep. Havoc and Prodigy can be heard delivering some serious freestyle measures over Eminem's 2000 sinister single, "The Way I Am." In its original form, the song... Read more

December 28, 2015 Audio

Obama is Overturning Life Sentences to Combat the War on Drugs.

President Obama has been proactive in addressing some of the major concerns of Americans, many of which were issues he campaigned on before his inauguration into the White House. One of those issues was that of incarceration, namely the exceedingly high rates of imprisonment of Americans, the overwhelming majority of... Read more

December 28, 2015 News, Throwback

These Videos Made Us Feel Like We Could Fly In 2015 (Video)

2015 might very well be remembered as the year the video took over the song in Hip-Hop. While audio platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music are growing in strength, high profile mixtapes decreased in number, and an increasing amount of releases were presented as videos even before the audio-only... Read more

December 28, 2015 Video

This 1998 Cypher By Eminem & Royce Da 5’9″ Was A Preview Of Much Greatness to Come (Mix)

As a DJ at NYC's legendary Fat Beats record store, as well as on college radio and about town, during the 90s and beyond, DJ Eclipse had a critical role at helping to break some of the most acclaimed MCs in Hip-Hop history. Similar to the Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito... Read more

December 27, 2015 Mixes, Throwback

Every Holiday Season, Funkmaster Flex, DJ Red Alert & Chuck Chillout Make Radio Amazing (Mix)

Every Christmas Eve (December 24), Funkmaster Flex assumes his HOT 97 post as usual, but invites in two fellow legends of radio. Funk Flex brings in DJ Red Alert and DJ Chuck Chillout, two masters of the 1980s airwaves. There, the trio ring in Christmas by playing hours upon hours... Read more

December 26, 2015 Mixes