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As the World Mourns the Death of Nelson Mandela, Here’s a Look at His Life and the Incredible Legacy He Leaves Behind (Video)

The New York Times has done a short film that explores the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela who passed away earlier today. Related: Pharoahe Monch & Jean Grae experience South Africa (Video)... Read more

Talib Kweli Delivers an Amazing Video for One of His Best Songs in Years. Get a True Taste of Brazil with Favela Love (Video)

Just when you think the year is winding down, Talib Kweli drops one of the finest gems of 2013. The video for Favela Love is set in Rio De Janeiro and is a short film about love, filled with vibrant colors and exquisite shots of the city. And the SONG.... Read more

Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar Star in One of the Illest Commercials in Years. Could the Song Be a Preview of What to Expect From Kendrick’s Next Album? (Video)

Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar star in a new commercial for the Beats line. It features the 2 in the studio with Kendrick spitting a new verse over a hard-hitting new Dr. Dre beat. Could this be a preview of what's to come on Kendrick's new album? Detox, anyone? Related:... Read more

Skyzoo and Antman Wonder Remake JAY-Z’s Reasonable Doubt Album From Top To Bottom. Here’s An Ode To Reasonable Doubt

Skyzoo and Antman Wonder have put together a creative tribute to Jay Z's Reasonable Doubt album. Rather than re-creating the lyrics and tracks, the project is more of a re-interpretation of the album. It uses elements from the original tracks in new productions along with Skyzoo's own take on the... Read more

Madlib Goes Rock & Roll On Hold The Organ (Audio)

When Hip-Hop producers get their Rock on, the response is strong. Whether it's the early days of Rick Rubin on LPs from LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Run-DMC, or contemporary efforts like Just Blaze's "PSA" and Kanye West's "Takeover" for Jay Z, Just's "Come On, Baby" for Saigon, and... Read more

Lauryn Hill Drops A Lyric Vid To Consumerism (Video)

Lauryn Hill's big on words these days. The New Jersey songstress writes her open letters and corresponds in text with fans, given her resistance to traditional interviews. Now, with her current single "Consumerism," Ms. Hill wants you to really grasp what she's singing. Think this is specially-timed for the holiday... Read more

Twista & Timbaland Support Attitude On The Fast-Rap Stunt (Audio)

Longtime Timbaland protege Attitude is seemingly stepping out into his solo career. What better way to kick things off with a bang than to get a look from Timbo with a beat and a guest verse, as well as Twista. The VA-to-Chi-Town collaboration features some fast-rapping over one of the... Read more

Redman Drops Sampler To Muddy Waters 2 (Audio)

It's been over three years since Redman revealed he was planning Muddy Waters 2. The sequel to Reggie Noble's 1996 LP (and arguably his best) has been alluded to since. In a new video, Redman says that the project has become a mixtape, and like Nipsey Hussle or Lil' Kim,... Read more

Stalley Might Wear Fronts, But He Doesn’t Front In This Backroom Freestyle (Video)

Stalley reps the Midwest hard in this freestyle vignette, released from "106 & Park's" Backroom series. With gold fronts on the bottom row of teeth in his mouth, Maybach Music Group's rising star kicks a little something about his year, his style, and where he's going. Related: Wale, Stalley &... Read more

Jaz-O, Mister Cee, Bobbito Appear In New Unauthorized Jay Z Documentary (Video)

A trailer has been released to A Genius Leaves The Hood, The Unauthorized Story Of Jay Z. Not at all endorsed by Jay or Roc Nation, the film features some folks close to Hova's career. Included are early mentor Jaz-O, mixtape DJ and radio personality Mister Cee, as well as... Read more

How Would You Rank Jay Z’s Albums? Hov Weighs in on His Own Catalog.

Jay Z celebrated his birthday in style. The 44 year-old blogged on his Life + Times his favorite albums from his own personal catalog. The first three may not come as a surprise, given Jay's tackling the question in interviews for some time now. However, Jay's admission of the miss... Read more

Did You Know Missy Elliot Had A Big Hand In Puffy & The Family’s All About The Benjamins (Video)

A popular argument is that Missy Elliot's one of Hip-Hop's better producers. Sadly, due to co-production (something we've seen with Daz Dillinger, Guru, Mike Dean, and others), she may live in Timbaland's shadow. One person who sees Missy's talent for what it is may be Diddy. Back in '96-'97, Bad... Read more

Mister Cee Honors Jay Z With A 44th Birthday Mix (Audio)

All fans of The Black Album know that December 4th means Shawn Carter's birthday. Today, Jay Z celebrates 44 years on the planet, since being born in the P.L.A.N.E.T. Longtime friend and affiliate since the Big Daddy Kane days, DJ Mister Cee, honored H-O-V via HOT 97 airwaves with a... Read more

Cory Gunz Calls Back To Early 1980s Bronx & Says It’s Simple As That (Video)

Young Money has an extensive roster including Tyga, Nicki Minaj, Jae Mills, and Gudda Gudda. One of the artists who been down with Lil Wayne for several calendars has been Cory Gunz. The Uptown artist is son to an MC who made "Uptown" a national place back in '97 (Peter... Read more

1994 2Pac Talks Loneliness & Not Wanting Government To Condemn His Music (Video)

1994 was such a pivotal year for 2Pac. The same year Thug Life would release their only album, the rising superstar would go to jail. He would enter a #1 artist, former Digital Underground protege, and a budding actor with on and off the mic versatility. 'Pac would leave prison... Read more

Childish Gambino Releases One of the More Challenging Albums of the Year with Because the Internet. Here’s a Full Album Stream (Audio)

Childish Gambino's album Because the Internet plays like a look into the day in the life of the talented Mr. Glover. As with most days in life, it is unpredictable and filled with moments--highs, lows and in-betweens. When you couple that range of subject matter with an equally extensive sonic... Read more

Da Brat Makes a Strong Return on Trae Tha Truth’s Ghetto Life (Video)

Da Brat builds on a year that has seen triumphant returns from strong women MCs like Jean Grae, Rah Digga and MC Lyte, with a blistering guest verse on Trae That Truth's Ghetto Life. While always nice on the mic, she has added a new level of lyrical dexterity and... Read more

Smif-N-Wessun Keep it on the Reggae Tip with Born and Raised (Audio)

Smif-N-Wessun made a return to their reggae roots last month with the release of their song EP, Shots In The Dark. They continue the trend with the video for Born and Raised and the end result is another strong offering. The sound is organic and nothing about it feels forced.... Read more

Method Man Blesses A$AP Mob With His Iron Lung On Trillmatic (Video)

Hours after Funkmaster Flex liberated the audio, A$AP Mob unveils "Trillmatic." One of the Mob's reigning qualities is their ability to blend with a '90s style—thus employing Onyx, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and B-Real on Ferg's debut. That aesthetic is true of "Trillmatic," where big brother Method Man slides in on a... Read more

Vic Mensa Says His Girl Loves The Mirror (Audio)

Vic Mensa and frequent producer Cam made a jazzy track, "She Loves The Mirror." Interpret as you will, as this free-from record has the live band feel we got a bit of on Mos Def's Black On Both Sides and subsequently after. As the beat/ad-libs suggest, this one's curated by... Read more

Q-Tip & Rick Rubin Will Reportedly Produce Bulk Of Kanye West’s Yeezus Follow-Up

Kanye West has said next to nothing about the specifics regarding his seventh album, and will-be follow-up to Yeezus. There's been talk of Cruel Winter from G.O.O.D. Music's clique, as well as a possible Watch The Throne 2 as well, given Jay Z's propensity for series. Q-Tip dropped a bit... Read more

Astro Makes A Compelling Narrative In Yes I Know My G (Video)

Okay, take a record called "Yes I Know My G." You might not expect a heavy concept or dense narrative. The simple tune from Starvin' Like Marvin For A Cool J Song got a very cool video though. Like "What's Up Fatlip?," Astro waxes lyrical while taking a catchy song... Read more

Wale, Stalley & More Join Rick Ross On MMG’s Priorities Vol. 1 (Mixtape)

Throughout the ages, labels have found methods to showcase the depths of their talented rosters. Soundtracks and bonus disc samplers have given way to compilations and mixtapes. The latest iteration of Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group trucks onward with the usual suspects (Wale, Meek Mill, Stalley, Gunplay, Omarion), as well... Read more

Big K.R.I.T. & Z-Ro Give Some Soulful Support To Berner On Ready 2 Die (Audio)

Like Smoke DZA, Berner's built a Rap rep simultaneous to his seemingly endless supply of burnables. Thus, "Berner" has become of the more popular North Cali artists of late, and even squeezed a spot in Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Records. As Berner hones his craft, the rapper brings on Z-Ro... Read more

Elzhi Recaps Things (Audio)

After going relatively quietly the last year and a half, Elzhi has been a tear lately—as he should. The interim (and deeply pivotal) Slum Village member achieved his funding goals ($25,000) for his Kickstarter project. As a result, the 500+ fans who made it happen (and more) will soon be... Read more

Diddy Talks To Arsenio About Catharisis As It Relates To His Father (Video)

Heads probably know that Sean "Diddy" Combs' father, Melvin Combs was a known '60s and '70s hustler and Frank Lucas associate, Uptown. (Diddy would later work extensively on Jay Z's American Gangster album) You've heard it in raps and in interviews, as Puff has also spoken that he barely got... Read more

Vic Mensa & Clams Casino Go On The Spot With Egyptian Cotton (Video)

During a live-streamed, HP-sponsored studio session, Chicago's Vic Mensa and New Jersey's Clam Casino made "Egyptian Cotton." The song will appear in an upcoming campaign, and was made soliciting input from fans who watched the link happen live. Previously, Clams made joints for Lil B, Mac Miller, and A$AP Rocky.... Read more

Black Sheep’s Dres, A Tribe Called Quest’s Jarobi & G-Side’s ST 2 Lettaz Get Gone (Audio)

Wow. New York City to Hunstville, Alabama. The late 1980s to the late 2000s. Hip-Hop knows no boundaries when Dres & Jarobi's evitaN (that's "Native" spelled backwards, if you're playing at home), link with ST 2 Lettaz. With the Black Sheep and A Tribe Called Quest ties here, and ST... Read more

Kendrick Lamar Raps About The Winners Circle With Old Partner Kanin (Audio)

Throughout the last three years, Kendrick Lamar frequently lends his vocal talents to artists on the come-up. Whether Y.G. Hootie, Mann, or Nitty Scott, MC, K-Dot is generous with the look, but hoards the spotlight as he famously promised earlier this year. "Winners Circle" is an Old School New single... Read more

You Probably Haven’t Heard Sean Price Tackle A Track Like Dump In The Gut (Audio)

Sean Price doesn't care. That's what makes him great. The Heltah Skeltah MC that said "I don't Wale with you new niggas" a few years back is back to talk his trademark cranky rap on "Dump In The Gut." Produced by longtime Duck Down affiliate from Down Under M-Phazes, the... Read more

A Picture’s Worth A Thousand Words When Outkast’s Andre 3000 & Big Boi Are Photo’d Together. Could a Reunion Album Be Next?

Short of Dr. Dre's Detox, is there something a Hip-Hop Head can hope for more than an Outkast reunion? It's been a mere seven years, but it feels like forever. HypeTrak highlighted the instragram post of Andre 3000 and Big Boi (in vintage Outkast Clothing, no less) hanging out. While... Read more

Bonita. Bonita. Bonita. Stephanie Santiago As A Tribe Called Quest’s Real Bonita Applebum (Video)

Decades before Sherane, there was Bonita. The apple of A Tribe Called Quest's eye had a suggestive name of more produce, and Heads fell in love the minute Q-Tip compared the buxom beauty to "a Hip-Hop song." The fictional character has become a lasting reference in Hip-Hop, and for a... Read more

Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick & Big Daddy Kane Perform The Hits At 2013 Soul Train Awards (Video)

For as long as Heads can remember, Harlem's Doug E. Fresh has been calling himself the World's Greatest Entertainer. With the energy the living, working Hip-Hop pioneer brought to the 2013 Soul Train Awards, which aired last night, it's hard to disagree. Joined by Cali Swag District (who were discovered... Read more

J. Cole Has A Problem With Rich People…& He Realizes What That Means For Him. Here’s How He Reconciles The Conflict (Video)

Heads may've heard J. Cole's track "Rich Niggaz." Track 9 from Born Sinner captures Cole's disdain for silver-spoon folks in contrast to his own working-class upbringing. Now with two top-selling albums under his belt, touring, endorsements, and whatnot, Cole reconsiders just six months since the cut released. Jermaine speaks about... Read more

Pusha T Talks About What it Would Take for a Clipse Reunion Album and His Album Being the Best of the Year with Zane Lowe (Audio)

Pusha T says he “turns down features all the time,” and maintains that he’s got “album of the year” to Zane Lowe. The Clipse lyricist sits down at BBC Radio for a discussion about 2013, his My Name Is My Name solo debut, and why he refuses to phone-in features,... Read more

Childish Gambino Explores Egos Run Amok and Brought Back Down to Size on The Worst Guys ft Chance the Rapper (Audio)

Ever talk junk and fail to back it up? Childish Gambino explores the theme in a tale of a menage gone bad on The Worst Guys featuring Chance the Rapper. So far, the songs Gambino has released are playing like a soundtrack to the 20-minute inscrutable short film Clapping for... Read more

Bring ‘Em Back: D’Angelo Plays Curtis Mayfield’s Gimme Your Love in the Brown Sugar Era (Video)

If you're a fan of the 70's film Superfly or even Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle album, you know the impact that Curtis Mayfield had on soul music, Hip-Hop, film and pop culture, generally. I first saw D'Angelo channel the late, great Mayfield as he opened a soulful show on New... Read more

Wale & Stokley Williams Have Some Of Marvin Gaye’s Inner City Blues At The 2013 Soul Train Awards (Video)

On The Gifted, Wale linked on several compositions with Mint Condition lead singer Stokely Williams. The Minneapolis vet teamed with the DMV star on "LoveHate Thing," the LP's second single which, among other items, examines Wale's curious relationship with his region, while being their breakout star since 2006 (as he... Read more

Travi$ Scott Releases One of the Most Visually-Stunning and Disturbing Videos of the Year for Uptown. Let the Illuminati Talks Begin (Video)

Heads may still be warming up to Travi$ Scott. Along with CyHi, Trav is one of the newer acts to the G.O.O.D. Music crew, and he also is a member of T.I.'s Hustle Gang, and part of a joint venture with Grand Hustle. You can get a sense of his... Read more

Raekwon Freaks The Classic Gang Starr Funk On Lion’s Paw Freestyle (Audio)

Gang Starr and DJ Premier have longstanding ties to the Wu-Tang Clan, from the days of Premo lending equipment to RZA in the Tommy Boy Records days, to Inspectah Deck on "Above The Clouds," and Method Man's appearance on the "In Together Now" remix. Interestingly enough, Staten Island's Raekwon has... Read more

When’s the Last Time You Watched Mike Tyson Bite Off Evander Holyfield’s Ear? Watch the Footage While Listening to Freddie Gibbs’ Deuces (Video)

Freddie Gibbs releases a new song called Deuces and attaches it to the footage of the infamous bout between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson. Check it out. Related: Freddie Gibbs & ESGN Cover 3 X Krazy’s Keep It On The Real (Video)... Read more

AFH: Best Hip-Hop of November 2013 (Audio Playlist)

The year is winding down, no doubt, but the good music kept coming in November. Here's a playlist of the best Hip-Hop to drop last month, including songs from Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, Joey Bada$$, Eminem, Masta Ace, Raekwon, Posdnuos, Rah Digga, Elzhi, Jay Z, Childish Gambino, Mac Miller, Jhene Aiko,... Read more

This Week in Video Was Dominated By Kanye West’s Epic Meltdown on Sway…But There Was So Much More. Here’s a Playlist of the Kanye Highlights and Anything Else Worth Watching from the Past Week (Video Playlist)

Kanye West shut down the web with his extremely heated exchange with Sway. In the midst of the furor, last week was one of the best of the year for Hip-Hop video programming--Eminem's Rap God video, Snoop talking TDE vs. Death Row, A Tribe Called Quest discussing their farewell shows,... Read more

Kendrick Lamar Has a Compton Reunion with YG Hootie on Two Presidents (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar teams up with YG Hootie, who went to Centennial High with K. Dot in Compton, on Two Presidents. Check it out below. Related: Kendrick Lamar Performs Swimming Pools / Poetic Justice Medley At 2013 AMAs (Video)... Read more

DJ Premier Cuts The Scratches To Who’s Gonna Take The Weight Live (Video)

Asking a Head to name their favorite Gang Starr tracks can be a lot like Sophie's Choice. From the joints included on the duo's two greatest hits compilations onto the album cuts from 1986 to 2003, it was all pretty revolutionary for beats, rhymes, style, charisma, and "tha voice." One... Read more

Da Mafia 6ix Give Their Own Spin On The Fame Soundtrack & Remind Us To Remember (Video)

DJ Paul's mostly-reunited 2013 rendition of the Three 6 Mafia includes Gangsta Boo, Crunky Black, Lord Infamous, and Koopsta Knicca. While Juicy J and La'Chat aren't down (yet), the tribute crew known as Da Mafia 6ix still upholds some of the tactics that made Memphis' breakthrough group so cult-beloved back... Read more

Vic Mensa Was Already a Microphone Beast in 2010. Here’s Proof…Children of the Sun (Audio)

Vic Mensa, along with Chance the Rapper, is one of the breakout Hip-Hop stars of 2013. Some may know him from Kids These Days and he's only flourished now that he's gone solo. Even when he was with the band, he dabbled in some solo material and he's released a... Read more

J. Cole, A$AP Rocky and Pusha T All Head Up a Hip-Hop Remix of Justin Timberlake’s TKO…and J. Cole Goes at Kendrick Lamar for His Control Verse (Audio)

Almost everyone rapper named in Kendrick Lamar's Control verse has responded in one way or another...except J. Cole. Jermaine is featured on the all Hip-Hop remix to Justin Timberlake's TKO, along with A$AP Rocky and Pusha T, and he used the opportunity for a little payback. Check it out below... Read more

Mac Miller Continues His Run For This Year’s Most Improved MC on I Come in Peace (Audio)

This week, Mac Miller announced that he was headed back to Pittsburgh for some holiday fun. Presumably upon landing, Larry Fisherman linked with Big Jerm and P. Fish for "I Come In Peace." The record includes some of Mac's incredibly stepped-up 2013 lyricism, with a lot of in-the-moment references to... Read more

Young Jeezy Releases His ItsThatWorld 2 Mixtape with Features From Big K.R.I.T., Pusha T and More (Mixtape)

Young Jeezy releases part 2 of his Its Tha World mixtape, which features guest appearances from Big K.R.I.T., Pusha T and more. You can stream and download #ItsThaWorld2 below. Download Mixtape Related: Young Jeezy – Its Tha World (Mixtape)... Read more