Fresh Archives

Talib Kweli Says Eff The Money & Then Proves It. He Gives Away Free LP. (Album Stream)

August 15 UPDATE: Talib Kweli has also offered an official album stream of F**k The Money: Earlier today (August 14), Talib Kweli offered a powerful indictment on greed and materialism. The Reflection Eternal/Black Star co-founder release "(Eff) The Money," a Cassper Noyvet-assisted track that showed that signature fire inside the... Read more

August 14, 2015 Fresh

JAY-Z Had A Diss Reply Ready For Tupac In 1996. He Even Performed It.

When Nas and Jay Z were entrenched in one of Hip-Hop's most famous battles and beefs, it is Tupac Shakur's words that open up one of the crossfire's most scathing attacks, Nas' "Ether." It was an unusual move for one rival of Tupac to use the slain rapper in his... Read more

August 14, 2015 Throwback

One Week From His Album Release Method Man Leaks More Heat From The Meth Lab (Audio)

It is one week (August 21) until Method Man releases The Meth Lab on Tommy Boy Entertainment. The Wu-Tang co-founder teams with several of his Clansmen on the upcoming project, as well as Cory Gunz, Uncle Murda, and Mack Wilds. However, a key ingredient to The Meth Lab is the... Read more

August 14, 2015 Audio

Talib Kweli Tells Money-Lusting MCs What They Can Do With It…(Audio)

So much of Hip-Hop is centered around money. There are songs about how much money MCs are making through illicit means, whether it be through the sale of drugs, stick ups or pandering. Others flaunt how much money they have through boasts about their cars, homes, fine art and ability... Read more

August 14, 2015 Audio

Chris Rivers Maintains East Coast Flow Over West Coast Flavor With A Dr. Dre Beat (Video)

As thousands flock to movie theaters across the country to catch the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, fans are expressing their appreciation for the group, even those who are artists themselves. In his latest Friday freestyle, Chris Rivers channels the visual aesthetics of West Coast Hip-Hop flavor from the '90s,... Read more

August 14, 2015 Video

Eligh Attacks 808 Drums With Dazzling Lyricism In A Creative Uprising (Video Premiere)

Today (August 14), Eligh released 80 HRTZ, his latest album in an extensive solo and collaborative catalog. The Los Angeles, California native MC/producer and founding member of the Living Legends, G&E (The Grouch & Eligh), and 3 Melancholy Gypsies. Since the mid-1990s tape culture, Eligh has risen the ranks to... Read more

August 14, 2015 Video

Yasiin Bey Uses Basquiat as His Ghostwriter For an Inspired Song About Injustice & Hope (Audio)

For years, Yasiin Bey (pka Mos Def) has shown he is an artist who walks his own path. Whether advocating for social justice or lyrically taking out sucker MCs, he has proven to be equally adept. After a private video where he challenged the entire industry to battle himself, King... Read more

August 14, 2015 Audio

It’s a Doggy Dog World: Pet Stores Across the Country Are Now Required to Sell Rescued Animals

In late 2014, an Arizona judge took a big step in the fight against puppy mills, upholding a law requiring pet stores to sell dogs rescued from shelters. If you recently bought a dog from such pet store but are worried to leave them behind whenever you're away, a service... Read more

August 14, 2015 Lifestyle

Warren G Recalls Trying To Mediate Tupac & Biggie, An Untold Feud Behind Regulate (Audio)

In honor of his just-released Regulate…G Funk Era Pt. 2 EP, Warren G took the guest seat on the Combat Jack Show. The Long Beach, California MC/producer/DJ tells the show several times, that he is planning a book. This interview, (later featuring actor R. Marcus Taylor ("Suge Knight" in Straight... Read more

August 14, 2015 Audio

Kevin Hart & Ice Cube Are Going For Another Ride and It’s a Wild One (Video)

After the blockbuster success of their movie Ride Along, the sequel to Kevin Hart and Ice Cube's buddy/cop movie was fast-tracked. Ride Along 2 is set to hit theaters in January 2016 and it looks to be a wild ride. Unlike with the first installment which was set in LA,... Read more

August 13, 2015 Video

Disclosure Are Willing & Able to Keep the Soulful Music Coming (Video)

The brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence, who form the duo Disclosure, have shown a taste for soulful beats and voices, from Sam Smith to Mary J. Blige. Even when they've turned the reins over for remixes of their smash "Latch," by the likes of DJ Premier, they've maintained the same... Read more

August 13, 2015 Video

Imagine Losing the Right to Biggie’s Record Deal Over a Dice Game. Bonz Malone Speaks (Video)

Bonz Malone has one of the most distinguished pedigrees in Hip-Hop journalism. In addition to the screenwriting and acting accolades he's amassed for films like Slam and Brooklyn Babylon, he is an author and has written for Vibe, Spin and The Source. After his stint at The Source in the... Read more

August 13, 2015 Video

Re: Definition: How Toys Are Changing the Conversation About Gender (Video)

Earlier this month, a major retailer announced it would be doing away with gender-specific signage in some of its aisles, which means that no longer will things like bedding or toys be organized by "Boy" or "Girl." It is the latest development in a nationwide conversation about gender that has... Read more

August 13, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Prince Paul Slices Into A Stack Of Wax By Camp Lo, Inspectah Deck & Big L (Mix)

It's been since April that the devastating Prince Paul gave Heads another latest installment of It's Not The Size Of Your Mix, It's How You Use It. The free-form mix series by the Stetsasonic/Gravediggaz member returns, with #4. Clocking just under 40 minutes, this version finds the onetime Tommy Boy... Read more

August 13, 2015 Mixes

Kendrick Lamar Interviews N.W.A. & Asks All The Right Questions (Video)

It is fitting that N.W.A.'s first full-length interview in conjunction with Straight Outta Compton be conducted by none other than Kendrick Lamar. On behalf of Billboard, Lamar sits down for an intimate conversation with Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella. Nearly 30 minutes, this interview transcends a... Read more

August 13, 2015 Video

Special Ed’s I Got It Made Remains Ahead Of Its Time In Flow & Style (Video)

One of the forefathers in Brooklyn, Hip-Hop is Special Ed. More than five years before he joined the inaugural lineup of the Crooklyn Dodgers, the Flatbush native Edward Archer made one of Hip-Hop's most enduring opening verses in "I Got It Made." Part of Ed's 1989 debut album, Youngest In... Read more

August 13, 2015 Do Remember, Video

Celebrate the Life & Legacy of Sean Price with New Single (Audio)

It's been less than a week since Sean Price passed away, and the collective mourning in the Hip-Hop community has crystallized how much love and influence he left behind. Since his death on August 8, countless homages to the bar-barian have appeared, from tribute pages on social media platforms, to... Read more

August 13, 2015 Audio

Mick Jenkins’ Wave[s] Continues To Hydrate Minds After The Water[s] (EP Stream)

One year to the day after The Water[s], Chicago, Illinois MC Mick Jenkins returns to the shore with The Wave[s]. The Cinematic Entertainment artist follows his acclaimed breakthrough with 29 minutes, and nine tracks. Production duties include Sacramento, California veteran Lee Bannon (Joey Bada$$, Souls Of Mischief) and Montreal, Quebec's... Read more

August 13, 2015 Audio

The Foreign Exchange Report Back from Love’s Promised Land with their Latest LP (Album Stream)

It's been been more than ten years since the Foreign Exchange began sharing their brand of musical fusion with the world, and now the duo is gearing up to release Tales From the Land of Milk and Honey. Phonte and Nicolay began their artistic partnership with 2004's Connected and have... Read more

August 13, 2015 Audio

Mac Miller Unleashes a Previously Unreleased Track Featuring Sean Price (Audio)

Given Sean Price's tireless work ethic as an MC, there are bound to be a number of unreleased tracks featuring his grizzly vocals that surface over the next several months, if not years. One of the first such gems comes courtesy of Mac Miller, with whom Price previously collaborated on... Read more

August 12, 2015 Audio

Monie Love Blasts Degradation & Perpetuation of Stereotypes in Hip-Hop Media (Video)

From the moment she burst onto the scene in 1989 for her standout performance on Queen Latifah's "Ladies First," Monie Love has been an advocate. On that song, she and Latifah were loud and proud about how essential women and their contributions are, not only in Hip-Hop, but to the... Read more

August 12, 2015 Video

2 Chainz Showcases His Often Underrated Lyrical Abilities on Goat (Audio)

2 Chainz is preparing the release of TrapAVelli Tre, the next installment in his TrapAVelli mixtape trilogy. The project will feature a variety of guest artists, including Wiz Khalifa and Kevin Gates, as well as production from Mike Dean and more. His latest leak is "Goat," featuring The-Dream, and production... Read more

August 12, 2015 Audio

Quentin Tarantino & Sam Jackson Are Re-Teaming For The Hateful Eight (Video)

Today (August 12), filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has released the trailer for his eighth studio film, The Hateful Eight. Set in the 1800s, the Western stars leading men Samuel L. Jackson (who has worked with the writer/director for more than 20 years), along with Kurt Russell (Escape From New York, Tombstone).... Read more

August 12, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Chance The Rapper & Noname Gypsy Exercise Their Poetic Licenses With Wild Wordplay (Audio)

Chance The Rapper and Noname Gypsy made "Lost" on 2013's Acid Rap. The two versatile Chicago, Illinois voices are back for another intersection. "Israel (Sparring)" elevates the craft of collaboration with this amazing display of stylized wordplay. C.T.R. conjures images of Africa, The Bible, along with his own surroundings. In... Read more

August 12, 2015 Audio

Stones Throw Drops Guilty Simpson’s Album Early, With A Rock-Infused Single (Audio)

Earlier today (August 12), Stones Throw Records announced it was releasing the latest album from Guilty Simpson nearly a month early. Detroit's Son will be universally available on September 11, but Heads can purchase it right now by visiting the label's website. Produced entirely by Australian producer Katalyst, the album... Read more

August 12, 2015 Audio

From MPCs to Robots? Technology is Changing How Music is Created

The marriage of music and technology has been around for millennia, but the major strides made in the last few decades alone have brought music tech to more exciting and progressive places than ever before. In a recent development, a program has been developed that is exploring the realm of... Read more

August 12, 2015 Lifestyle

Styles P Gets the Party Started For His New Album and Invites Jadakiss to the Celebration (Audio)

For several years, Styles P has been one of the most consistent artists in Hip-Hop. Whether with his LOX brethren Jadakiss and Sheek Louch, or solo, Ghost releases quality product, year round. After treating fans to a slew of Friday freestyles that spanned the entirety of Spring, Styles turns his... Read more

August 12, 2015 Audio

Remember the Classic Board Game Guess Who? Here’s a Wu-Tang Inspired Version

Childhood nostalgia for board games and the old-school have merged in a Noisey-developed rendition of Guess Who?, a guessing game that became popular in the United States in the early '80s. Called "Guess Wu?", their version uses te same concept behind the original, only the faces adorning the game board... Read more

August 12, 2015 Fresh

The Documentary About The Real “KIDS” Who Inspired The Movie Has a Trailer (Video)

The movie KIDS has resonated in the collective consciousness for more than twenty years, not just because of the controversial issues it addressed--HIV, teen sex, teen drug use--but also because of the authenticity in which those topics were covered. Many of its stars were first time actors and they fully... Read more

August 11, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Ice Cube & MC Ren Explain Why Rap Groups Are Hard To Sustain

This week, Straight Outta Compton opens to theaters. Presumably, millions of movie-goers will see Hollywood's take on the formation, rise, and eventual break-up of one of Hip-Hop's most influential and iconic groups: N.W.A. While the surviving members of N.W.A. (Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, DJ Yella, and MC Ren) all participated... Read more

August 11, 2015 Fresh

Ma$e Rallies For Hardcore NYC Hip-Hop On Tupac & Dr. Dre’s Track (Audio)

With reports lingering that the 1990s Puff Daddy & The Family/Bad Boy Records team may be reuniting for a tour following the BET Awards performance, Ma$e cracks the mic once more. The former multi-platinum, #1 album-maker aims to return to his roots with "When NY Was NY." A freestyle over... Read more

August 11, 2015 Audio

Lil Dicky Has the #1 Rap Album In The Country. He Reveals the Story of Its Creation (Video Interview)

In just a little more than two years, Lil Dicky has gone from being an unknown artist to having the number one album in the country on the Rap Album Chart. His success has been instant, starting with the first music video he ever released ("Ex-Boyfriend") generating more than a... Read more

August 11, 2015 Video

Remember The 50th Anniversary Of The Watts Riots By Revisiting Wattstax (Video)

Fifty years ago today (August 11, 1965) the Watts Riots began. In South Central Los Angeles, California, the Watts Rebellion (as it also known) would last one week. The historic event followed a Black motorist, Marquette Frye's traffic arrest by a white Los Angeles Police Department officer Lee Minikus. Frye was... Read more

August 11, 2015 Throwback, TV/Film, Video

New Orleans Triple-Threat Pell Showcases His Signature Versatility on Latest Single (Audio)

As an MC, singer, and producer, Pell is an artist whose talents are seemingly unlimited, and he manages to transition seamlessly from genre to genre. Having been labeled "cloud rap," "future bounce," and various other terms, this New Orleans native is a musical hybrid whose 2014 album Floating While Dreaming... Read more

August 11, 2015 Audio

If Raekwon Was a Super Hero, He Would Help People Help Themselves (Video)

"Give a person a fish and you feed him or her for a day. Teach a person to fish and you feed him or her for a lifetime." To many, Raekwon is already a super hero, at least as an MC. But, what would the Wu-Tang Clan veteran do if... Read more

August 11, 2015 Video

A Previously Unreleased Fat Joe Track Surfaces, With T.I. On The Hook (Audio)

Fat Joe is a master of reinvention. Whether it's his "Da Fat Gangsta" era of the early 1990s, or his crossover hits like "New York" (alongside Ja Rule and Jadakiss) or "Lean Back" (with Terror Squad), Joe Crack can find his many styles, seemingly on-call. The Bronx, New York veteran... Read more

August 11, 2015 Audio

Ice Cube Responds To Lyric Annotations Of His Hit Songs (Video)

With Straight Outta Compton's theatrical release date only a few days away, much attention has been paid to N.W.A. and their legacy, and now the film's title inspiration is being addressed by Ice Cube. On a video feature for Vanity Fair magazine's website, the founding member of the historic rap... Read more

August 10, 2015 Video

Who Run the World? Latin-American Women Are Having a Powerful Impact on Hip-Hop (Audio)

In a recent feature for the Guardian, a Female MC from Quito, Ecuador shares her experiences breaking into and representing Hip-Hop culture on a global level, but her story is far from anecdotal. Mariela Salgado (whose stage name is Roja) provided writer Claire Rigby with insight into the male-dominated scene... Read more

August 10, 2015 Audio

Fabolous’ New Visual Recreates “Juice” and Guess Who’s Bishop? (Video)

After a series of weekly freestyles, and a comprehensive throwback mixtape alongside DJ Clue, Fabolous is back to work. The Def Jam/Desert Storm MC returns to promoting his The Young O.G. Project. For "Gone For The Winter," Fab' continues a popular trend of honoring 1990s films through contemporary music culture.... Read more

August 10, 2015 The Bridge, Video

Mike Dean Works With Rap’s Masters. So Who Does He Consider The Best? (Video)

Mike Dean is one of Rap's most prolific producers of the last 25 years. Dean has been responsible for much of Rap-A-Lot Records 1990s and early 2000s successes, before joining Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music production team, and relocating to New York City. From Scarface and Devin The Dude, to Seagram... Read more

August 10, 2015 Video

Here Is a Previously Unreleased Sean Price Cypher & A Way to Help His Family (Video)

As the Hip-Hop world still processes the shocking and tragic loss of Sean Price over the weekend, tributes to the Heltah Skeltah co-founder, Boot Camp Clik member and all-around dope MC, are starting to surface. Sean P has already been immortalized by a mural in his hometown of Brooklyn by... Read more

August 10, 2015 Video

Souls Of Mischief’s Opio & Free The Robots Recorded An LP In A Redwoods Forest. Hear Some (Audio Premiere)

Earlier this year, Souls Of Mischief/Hieroglyphics MC Opio and producer Free The Robots teamed for The Subconscious Mind EP, including "Let The Bass Go." Moving forward, the Oakland, California veteran and the accomplished producer (Capital STEEZ, Nocando, Busdriver) merge towards Sempervirens (September 18). The duo recorded this full-length in a California... Read more

August 10, 2015 Audio, Exclusive, Fresh

A$AP Rocky’s Jukebox Joints Visual Shows The Timeless Response To Good Music (Video)

From A$AP Rocky's At. Long. Last. A$AP, "Jukebox Joints" is a standout. The Kanye West and Che Pope (a longtime Dr. Dre ensemble producer)-created track infuses Soul sampling with Rocky's brand of psychedelia. Moreover, A$AP masters the ceremony with command in the single's lyrics. For the video, Kanye (who also... Read more

August 10, 2015 Video

The Making of Sean Price’s Tribute Mural Was Captured On Film (Video)

UPDATE: A tribute video, by Rugged Vision, has been added. The visual captures the making of the mural, along with vigil. Sean Price's wife Bernadette, Illa Ghee, General Steele, Skyzoo and others are shown: Over the weekend, Hip-Hop lost one of its true giants with the death of rapper Sean... Read more

August 10, 2015 News, Video

Homeboy Sandman’s Arrows Penetrate The Eardrums While Stating His Top 5 MCs (Audio)

After leaving Heads with a joint project with Blu in the closing week of 2014—Homeboy Sandman has been quiet, relatively speaking. The Queens, New York MC is plugging away as Stones Throw Records' flagship Rap acts, alongside the returning artist, Guilty Simpson. "Arrows" hits the center of the board. H.B.S.... Read more

August 9, 2015 Audio

Illa J & His Booming Sound Are Versed In The Art Of Sidewalk Seduction (Video)

Illa J raps, he produces, and now he's trying to veer into new territory. "Universe" is J Dilla's younger brother's latest single. The Detroit, Michigan native applies that booming bounce into a seductive Dance/R&B track. For the video, one half of the Yancey Boys beckons a female with his beat... Read more

August 9, 2015 Video

SKAM2? Made A Tribe Called Quest’s Beats, Rhymes & Life Artwork. He Remixes It For Deadpool

Back in 1996, Miami, Florida native MC/illustrator SKAM2? made one of Hip-Hop's most iconic covers: A Tribe Called Quest's Beats, Rhymes & Life. A chance meeting with Q-Tip prompted SKAM to lace the artwork for the would-be platinum-certified album on Jive Records. At the time, as an MC living in... Read more

August 9, 2015 Audio, Fresh

STS & RJD2 Find The Record-Hustler’s Mentality In The Digital Age (Video)

Perhaps the upcoming Straight Outta Compton N.W.A. biopic will show the Gangsta Rap group selling 12" singles and tapes out of Eazy-E's car. This is a documented part of history in the careers of not only N.W.A., but also T La Rock and DJ Jazzy Jay, E-40 and The Click,... Read more

August 9, 2015 Video

On the 1-Year Anniversary of Mike Brown’s Death, Run the Jewels Explain Why Riots Work.

One year ago today, Michael Brown, an 18-year old unarmed Black man, was shot and killed by officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, MO. The event, and the subsequent failure to indict Wilson for the shooting, set off widespread rioting in Ferguson and across the country, and also marked the commencement... Read more

August 9, 2015 Video

Yasiin Bey Clarifies His Rap Challenge & Questions Hip-Hop’s Battling Tradition (Audio)

Yesterday (August 7), the Internet was rattled with a video of Yasiin Bey (f/k/a Mos Def) challenging "anybody and everybody" against a team of himself, The Roots' Black Thought, and King Los. One day later (August 8), an upset Bey released a nearly 10-minute audio clarification. In the message, Yasiin... Read more

August 8, 2015 Audio