Fresh Archives

Sheek Louch Gets Manic and Torches His Latest Freestyle (Audio)

Only a week after bringing his own heat to a toxic Mack Wilds beat with "Forest Fire," Sheek Louch comes back spitting flames on his new single "Bipolar Gorillaz." The instrumental comes from Jay Z's 1998 "Murdergram," which featured an up and coming DMX and Ja Rule. The song was... Read more

June 17, 2015 Audio

Skyzoo & Jadakiss Put Their Weight Into an Awesome Lyrical Display (Audio)

Skyzoo's Music For My Friends released a week early. Today (June 17), the Brooklyn, New Yorker let fans have it. For those unaware, Sky's self-released affair is largely based on his BK childhood and friendships. While he chose the microphone, some of Skyler's friends chose more literal hustles. The MC... Read more

June 17, 2015 Audio

Want To See How Hip-Hop Started? Two New Shows Document Its Beginnings (Video)

It's New York City in the late '60s and early '70s, and there is an underbelly of criminal and gang activity plaguing the Big Apple's neighborhoods, a combination of socioeconomic and political environments that, years later, will help birth what is today the world's most influential culture. This particularly dangerous... Read more

June 17, 2015 Lifestyle

Jeb Bush Turns a Political Speech Into a Slow Jam with The Roots & Jimmy Fallon (Video)

In 2011, The Roots found themselves in hot water when then-Republican Presidential Candidate Michelle Bachmann stopped by "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon." The Minnesota State Representative appeared on the late-night TV show, as Roots band-leader Questlove queued the clique to play the instrumental to "Lyin' Ass Bitch" by Fishbone as... Read more

June 17, 2015 Video

The Eminem Show: Marshall Mathers To Produce & Music Supervise New Series

As one of Motor City's most well-known representatives in Hip-Hop, Eminem has put Detroit, Michigan on the proverbial map with projects like the 2002 blockbuster film 8 Mile and its soundtrack (quintuple-platinum selling "Lose Yourself," anyone?). Thirteen years later, he's doing it again - this time for television - taking... Read more

June 17, 2015 TV/Film

The Robert Glasper Trio Has Got It Covered When It Comes To Jhene Aiko (Video)

Grammy Award-winning Jazz pianist and composer Robert Glasper has a long history of blending his own musical stylings with Hip-Hop, and his latest release embodies his appreciation for both. Covered: The Robert Glasper Trio Recorded Live at Capitol Studios features renditions of Jhené Aiko, Bilal, Kendrick Lamar, John Legend, Musiq... Read more

June 17, 2015 Video

$48,000 Sunglasses??? 2 Chainz Says They Better See The Future (Video)

2 Chainz has a fun and outrageous web series where he travels the world to see some of the most expensive things on earth. Typically joined by a famous friend, he's experienced everything from $2 million shoes to a $100K martini. In the latest episode of the show, aptly-titled Most... Read more

June 17, 2015 Video

Imagine Classic Rap Records In A Vinyl Jukebox? It’s Happening (Video)

Regardless of whether it's a cocktail lounge or a dive-bar, jukeboxes have been a staple of nightlife for more than 80 years. Like a DJ or a curated playlist, these public vending machines are great ways to expose yourself and others to new music, while hearing exactly the music you... Read more

June 17, 2015 Throwback

Roc Marciano’s Intricate Verse Illuminates Alongside Ka & Preservation (Video)

Brownsville Ka and Roc Marciano have a ton in common. These two sparse New York City spitters have been riding together for years, two veteran underdogs, who helped each other make a penetrating comeback into Rap's digital era. Each are skilled MCs who can cook up their tracks. Within the... Read more

June 17, 2015 Video

Take A Walk Through Grand Daddy I.U.’s Neck Of The Woods (Video)

MC/Producer Grand Daddy I.U. has released a video for his single "Neck Of The Woods." The record is from his latest album P.I.M.P (Paper Is My Priority), which was released this past February. "Neck Of The Woods" is a smooth cut that showcases the Hempstead native's longevity and continued relevance.... Read more

June 16, 2015 Video

Large Professor Names His Top 5 Producers & Details Rakim’s Recording Process (Video)

Large Professor recently released his new album titled Re: Living. He joined the Sway in the Morning show to discuss the album and his career, generally. The conversation between Extra P and Sway begins on the subject of P's new album. He explains that after touring, he returned to Queens... Read more

June 16, 2015 Video

Joey Bada$$ Shows the Dark Side of Chasing Money in Paper Trail$ (Video)

Though it was released in early January, Joey Bada$$'s B4.Da.$$ has held up as one of the strongest albums of the year. The LP is packed with stellar production and dense rhymes that tell the story of Joey's journey, thus far. One of the album's standouts is the DJ Premier-produced... Read more

June 16, 2015 Video

Killer Mike Speaks About the Rachel Dolezal Fiasco on The Nightly Show (Video)

On the heels of an announcement earlier this week that he was running for George State Representative, and an abrupt end to the campaign, rapper and political activist Michal Render (also known as Killer Mike) made an appearance on last night's The Nightly Show. No stranger to the realm of... Read more

June 16, 2015 Video

Happy Birthday Tupac. Watch One of His Earliest TV Interviews (Video)

Happy birthday to Tupac, who would have been 44 years old today. To celebrate his life, here's a look back at one of his earliest TV interviews. Shortly after the release of his film Juice, Pac paid a visit to the set of BET's Video LP. He discusses his complexity... Read more

June 16, 2015 Throwback

Black Milk Finds & Loses Unrequited Love In “Story and Her” (Video)

Still promoting his 2014 album If There's A Hell Below, Detroit producer and rapper Black Milk took a break from the second half of the North American leg of his Play Like Hell Tour to shoot a video for his latest single, "Story and Her." The song tells the story... Read more

June 16, 2015 Video

Return Of The Great: Czarface Is Back On The Scene (Video)

Today (June 16) marks the official release date of Inspectah Deck, 7L & Esoteric's follow-up to their self-titled debut as Czarface: Every Hero Needs A Villain. With the release of their sophomore album together, they've also put out a new music video for the song "The Great (Czar Guitar)." The... Read more

June 16, 2015 Video

Skyzoo & Elzhi Fold Hands & Dissect a Beat Together (Audio)

In the last five years (and truly, going back into the mid-2000s), Skyzoo and Elzhi are two of the most consistent do-it-yourself MCs. Brooklyn, New York—meets—Detroit, Michigan beyond Random Axe, as Sky' and El' freak "Hands Folded Together." The song features that linear, detailed imagery both rappers deliver regularly. The... Read more

June 16, 2015 Audio

Raury Dances With The Devil, Making Refreshingly Original Music (Audio)

Atlanta, Georgia's Raury defies genre in so much of what he does. The just-released "Devil's Whisperer" is a testament to that. Immersed in American Roots music, Raury knows how to weave in an Electronic bassline, hard drums, and then chant, spit, and master the ceremony on the song. Timeless, this... Read more

June 16, 2015 Audio

David Banner & 9th Wonder Planning Death Of A Pop Star 2 (Interview)

Recently, Ambrosia For Heads spoke with David Banner. The Jackson, Mississippi native MC/producer/actor spoke about DJ EFN's Another Time album, particularly his "Warrior" verse. However, while speaking with AFH, the veteran Crooked Lettaz alum spoke about one of his most beloved works, 2010's Death Of A Pop Star LP, a... Read more

June 16, 2015 Exclusive, Food for Thought

J. Cole Celebrates “Friday Night Lights” With Dollar & A Dream Tour III

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the release of J. Cole's Friday Night Lights, a retail mixtape for which the word "success" is an understatement. Cracking the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 charts, it was the second Roc Nation release for Cole and the lead-in to his 2011... Read more

June 16, 2015 Video

Twitter Is Making Moves. And Even Snoop Is Down For The Next Episode

Last week, Snoop Dogg jokingly tweeted "First Order of Business! Get that Moolah! #SnoopforCEO." He was referring to the recent news of a change in leadership at Twitter, where former CEO Dick Costolo stepped down amid a slump in the social media network's expansion as of late. Yes, the online... Read more

June 15, 2015 Lifestyle

Dizzy Wright Is Making Real Message Music…But Where’s The Love? (Video)

Dizzy Wright's The Growing Process is quite quietly, one of the most substantial Rap albums of 2015. A Top 50 debut on the charts, the Las Vegas, Nevada MC showed multiple facets of himself on his sophomore Funk Volume full-length. "Higher Learning" showcases Dizzy's strengths as an evocative songwriter, with... Read more

June 15, 2015 Video

Bilal & Big K.R.I.T. Get Loose Over Some Retro Electro Funk (Audio)

Bilal has had an amazing renaissance over the last year. The Neo Soul singer burst onto the scene in 2001 with close ties to The Soulquarians, Dr. Dre and J. Dilla, delivering his critically-acclaimed 1st Born Second debut album. However, it would take nine years for him to release his... Read more

June 15, 2015 Audio

Cory Gunz Shows That Funky Flows Thrive In Any Style & Era (Video)

27-year-old Cory Gunz may still be a relative newcomer, but the Bronx, New York rapper is no stranger to those who came before him. As the son of Peter Gunz (best known for his 1997 single "Déjà Vu (Uptown Baby)" with Lord Tariq), there is little doubt that his upbringing... Read more

June 15, 2015 Video

Yelawolf Speaks With Brutal Honesty About His Alcoholism and Why He Will Not Stop Drinking (Video)

Yelawolf was recently a guest on ESPN's Highly Questionable. The show has yielded several noteworthy Hip-Hop-related moments over the last year, including John Starks' revelation that Biggie's "I Got a Story to Tell" was a true story, and ScHoolboy Q discussing his scariest moment as a gang banger. Yelawolf's appearance... Read more

June 15, 2015 Video

Was Native Tongues An Official Collective? De La Soul Weighs In (Video)

For many Heads, the motley crew known as the Native Tongues embodied the qualities of Hip-Hop's heyday best. With its emphasis on lyricism, afrocentrism, love, unity, and respect, the collective was an easily identifiable presence in the late '80s and early '90s despite never forming a cohesive "group" as we... Read more

June 15, 2015 Video

Happy Birthday Ice Cube. May It Be A Good Day…

Today (June 15), MC/actor Ice Cube turns 46 years old. As he gears up for the Straight Outta Compton N.W.A. biopic (August 14), an on-stage reunion with MC Ren and DJ Yella, and a Barbershop 3 costarring Common, it seems safe to say it will be a good year for... Read more

June 15, 2015 Fresh

What If A Classic Silent Film Was Re-Scored By A Master DJ? (Video)

Before technology brought sound to film, Hollywood still made blockbusters. The "Silent Film" era produced stars like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. While Chaplin's facial expressions made him a sympathetic "tramp," Keaton maintained a trademark deadpan in action sequences. Lloyd was something of a Jackie Chan of the... Read more

June 14, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Ever See This Kurupt Freestyle With DJ Quik Beatboxing in a Tuxedo? (Video)

Back in 2009, two of the West Coast's OGs teamed up for a collaborative album. DJ Quik and Kurupt's BlaQKout featured both MCs on the mic and Quik holding it down on the boards with his patented G-Funk. Here's a look back at a behind the scenes moment of the... Read more

June 13, 2015 Video

Lil Dicky TORCHES a Sway in the Morning Freestyle. Bars Like Federal Prison…(Video)

Lil Dicky is a funny MC. He smiles, cracks jokes and has a good time with his rapping. But, when it's about those bars, he is deadly serious. Many first saw Dicky in his hilarious video for "Ex-Boyfriend," a song where he comically vents about the insecurities he as about... Read more

June 13, 2015 Video

Method Man Releases His Next Single and It’s Oh So Serious (Audio)

Method Man is wasting no time. Less than 2 weeks after announcing he'll be releasing an album titled The Meth Lab on August 21, via Tommy Boy Entertainment, he's released his third song. After dropping the title track, followed up by "88 Coupes," the next bullet from his sonic chamber... Read more

June 13, 2015 Audio

At 20 Years Old, Fresh Remains an Underrated Classic Hip-Hop Film (Video)

As a part of the 2015 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, The Dummy Clap Film Festival will be hosting a special screening of the 1994 film Fresh. The film, which turns 21-years old in August, is perhaps the most underrated of a series of classic Hip-Hop themed films from the 1990s, which... Read more

June 12, 2015 Video

Styles P Shows His Love for the West Coast on His Latest Freestyle (Audio)

In a game where MC's regularly stick their necks out to prove their talents to the rest of the competition, Hip-Hop can be an unforgiving, constant grind. Styles P is one of those MCs who has stood the test of time and continues to drop quality lyricism as a potent,... Read more

June 12, 2015 Audio, Fresh

Whether It’s His Beat Or Kendrick Lamar’s, Fabolous Will Be Awwright (Video)

Fabolous has been on a freestyle tear recently, making his lyrical moves and laying them to waste over classic jams from the likes of fellow New Yorkers Nas, Mobb Deep, and the Wu-Tang Clan. Now, just days after jumping on the same stage as Kendrick Lamar and taking down Summer... Read more

June 12, 2015 Fresh, Video

Ludacris Has A Dope & Duplicitous Visual For Grass Is Always Greener (Video)

From springtime's Ludaversal, "Grass Is Always Greener" is one of the album's highlights. In an LP that strips down some of Luda's fame and fortune and gets back to the heart of why he raps, this song chronicles the tightrope that is celebrity, and happiness. For the visual, Ludacris seems... Read more

June 12, 2015 Video

Did Hollywood Forget N.W.A. Had 5 Members? Here’s Some Love for MC Ren & DJ Yella.

This week has been a roller-coaster for fans of "Rap's Most Dangerous Group": N.W.A. On Monday (June 8), it was revealed that Ice Cube will reunite on stage with DJ Yella for the first time since 1989. MC Ren will be there too as part of Los Angeles, California's BET... Read more

June 12, 2015 Food for Thought

Cormega & Roc Marciano Flex Rugged Flows With No Filter (Audio)

From Queensbridge to Hempstead, Cormega and Roc Marciano represent that old New York City. Both MCs have been able to stay fresh and innovative, while always tapping into the sounds and the maneuvers of the 1980s and 1990s. Their music has bravado, street-wise sensibility, and a slickness that's hard to... Read more

June 12, 2015 Audio

TiRon & Ayomari’s “The Great New Wonderful” Resonates As 30-Minute Film (Video / Album Stream)

One of the most quietly consistent emerging Hip-Hop artists of the last five years is TiRon & Ayomari. Whether together or apart, this Los Angeles, California pair makes far-reaching, dynamic music that speak to issues most people live through. Today (June 12) marks the release of T&A's fifth album, The... Read more

June 12, 2015 Audio, Video

The Roots Go Psychedelic, Performing Two Nuggets With A$AP Rocky (Video)

For the second time, A$AP Rocky has a #1 album. The Harlem, New York MC took leaps in the tone and feel of May's At. Long. Last. A$AP album. The A$AP Worldwide/RCA/Polo Grounds release is a wavy presentation that deals with fame, fortune, and fashion—but with a differing sound than... Read more

June 12, 2015 Video

Beanie Sigel & Jadakiss Are Way Past Beef. Now, They Bully Mics Together (Audio)

One of Rap's beefs that feels so distant it's hard to imagine it ever even existed is Roc-A-Fella and Ruff Ryders. Truly a byproduct of a rift between Beanie Sigel and Jadakiss, the two enforcers for Jay Z and DMX continued to throw spicy criticism of each other in subliminal... Read more

June 12, 2015 Audio

Do Remember: Pumpkinhead’s Emcee (Audio)

On Tuesday (June 9) of this week, Brooklyn, New York MC Pumpkinhead passed away. The 39 year-old Brooklyn, New York native born Robert Alan Diaz left behind more than a 15-year legacy in Hip-Hop. He was an MC, a songwriter, a battle rapper, and a member of Brooklyn Academy, among... Read more

June 11, 2015 Throwback

Method Man Gets 100% Real About His Album, The Media & Why He No Longer Curses on Songs (Interview)

We had the opportunity to speak at length with Method Man to discuss his forthcoming new album, The Meth Lab, and more. The veteran MC had a lot on his mind and did not hesitate to touch on several issues with candor and depth. In addition to talking about his... Read more

June 11, 2015 Audio

Kendrick Lamar Watches Vintage Tupac Shakur Footage & Reacts Powerfully (Video)

Long before To Pimp A Butterfly, comparisons have been made between Kendrick Lamar and Tupac Shakur. Both MCs promote sensitivity, amidst surroundings and times where that is most certainly not the norm. Each poet is fiercely competitive, and not above throwing his weight around in the Rap community, albeit for... Read more

June 11, 2015 Video

Havoc Makes A Rumbling Beat Evoking Papoose & Troy Ave’s War Cries (Audio)

Every few years, Havoc switches it up on us. The Mobb Deep producer/MC's sound on the boards changed greatly from The Infamous to Infamy, and both ways, the M-O-B-B still had grime that wiped across the charts. Gearing up for Papoose's You Can't Stop Destiny (July 17), Hav' hits the... Read more

June 11, 2015 Audio

From Big Pun & Fat Joe’s Takeover To Miami Bass, The Latino Hip-Hop Legacy Is Examined (Audio)

The great Hip-Hop photographer and documentarian Joe Conzo, Jr. recently told Latino USA, "I'd go toe-to-toe with anybody that says Latinos weren't there in the beginning." Joe was dubbed as the photographer of "Hip-Hop's baby pictures" by The New York Times, which means he was there when it all started... Read more

June 11, 2015 Audio

Slum Village’s YES! Completes The Circle With 9 J Dilla Productions (Album Stream)

One week early, Slum Village is sharing their eighth studio full-length, YES!. Founding S.V. member T3, along with trusted production confidant Young RJ (who came to the collective in the early 2000s with Black Milk as BR Gunna) made an album that follows the Villa's journey. Late co-founding member of... Read more

June 11, 2015 Audio

Run The Jewels Turn The Back Of A Taxi Cab Into A Stage (Video)

Taxis are held up for robbery often. But for once, Run The Jewels in a cab is a great thing. Killer Mike, El-P, and Boots are the latest in Black Cab Sessions. In a crammed taxi cab, the three artists perform "Early." One of the most pointed (and topical) songs... Read more

June 11, 2015 Video

Sheek Louch Takes a Mobb Deep Beat and Sets It On Fire (Audio)

As a collective, The LOX have had a lock on freestyles over the last couple of months. Styles P and Jadakiss kicked things off with their regular Friday drops but, as of late, Sheek Louch has been adding some real heat to the collection. In addition to taking on 90s... Read more

June 10, 2015 Audio

Shad Remains One Of Hip-Hop’s Best Kept Secrets, 10 Years Deep

Ten years ago today (June 10), Shadrach Kabango, more widely known as Shad, had a box delivered to his parent’s house in London, Ontario, Canada. As he recalled today via Facebook, the box contained the first CD pressings of his debut album, When This Is Over, which he would take... Read more

June 10, 2015 Food for Thought

Method Man Releases the First Visual From His New Album The Meth Lab (Video)

Last week, Method Man announced he was releasing a new album, The Meth Lab, and set the internet on fire. The album title leverages a clever reference to both the dopeness Meth cooks up in the studio, as well as a nod to Breaking Bad, one of his favorite television... Read more

June 10, 2015 Video