Fresh Archives

Nas Has Another Album Coming & RZA And Swizz Beatz Are Involved (Video)

Six weeks ago, Nas released his twelfth solo album, NASIR. Produced by Kanye West, the seven-track effort is part of the five albums recorded in Wyoming over the last year. Rolling with the G.O.O.D. Music team of producers marked a distinct creative moment for the Queens, New York legend. It... Read more

July 27, 2018 News, Video

Ciara Levels Up Her Summer Smash With A Vintage Verse From Missy Elliott (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let AFH fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it’s ever been. Not only are we able to go back... Read more

July 27, 2018 Audio

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

Mysonne Says He’s Today’s Tupac & Nas On The Best Freestyle Of The Year (Video)

Mysonne is far from a new artist. The Bronx, New York MC has made his impression felt for years, on major platforms like his show-stopping performance at last year's BET Hip Hop Awards cypher stage. However, awareness surrounding the MC who appeared on Ma$e's Double Up and Ruff Ryders' Ryde... Read more

July 25, 2018 Video

Page Kennedy, Elzhi & Nick Grant Hold A Master Class In Storytelling (Audio)

In 2017, Detroit's Page Kennedy released Torn Pages. Featuring Royce 5’9, KXNG Crooked, Elzhi, Mr. Porter, Kuniva, Marsha Ambrosious and others, it was an intimate breakthrough from an MC who openly tackled heavy topics like police violence, sex addiction and more. Since then, his independent releases have been robust and sometimes explosive.... Read more

July 25, 2018 Audio

Redman Gets The Party Started For His Muddy Waters Sequel In His Latest Video

Despite having almost 30 years in the Rap game under his belt, Redman maintains his star-power by approaching his projects with a rookie-like energy. Through staying active and enthusiastic, the Funk Doc has shown his witty wordplay to a new generation of fans—despite just a few projects in recent years.... Read more

July 25, 2018 Video

Kendrick Lamar Will Make His Acting Debut On Power

Some legendary Rap artists have launched acting careers while at the top of their music game. Tupac Shakur, Ice Cube, DMX, Queen Latifah, Eminem, Ice-T, and Mos Def are just some of the examples. One of Hip-Hop's reigning kings is now taking that next step. Kendrick Lamar will make his... Read more

July 25, 2018 News, TV, TV/Film

A Previously Unreleased Gem From J. Dilla & Phat Kat Makes Its World Premiere (Audio)

Whenever a hidden gem from the late J. Dilla's vault surfaces, Hip-Hop Heads always take notice to explore the buried treasure. The iconic producer's former collaborator and fellow Detroit, Michigan native Phat Kat has unveiled a surefire diamond-in-the-rough banger from 1996 that hasn't seen the light of day until now.... Read more

July 25, 2018 Audio

Phonte Delivers Another Knockout Verse & Makes It Sound Effortless (Audio)

New Jersey veteran mix-master DJ K.O. is making a pretty significant return to the Hip-Hop scene and decided to call on an MC from a few areas beyond his Garden State to help him out. For those currently celebrating Phonte's standout No News Is Good News album (included in Ambrosia... Read more

July 24, 2018 Audio

Busta Rhymes Challenges Veteran MCs To Be True Leaders Of The New School

Busta Rhymes is an active symbol of longevity in Hip-Hop. He was part of the Native Tongues era, endured some of Rap's most significant changes as a solo artist in the 15 years that followed, and still has many Heads eagerly awaiting his tenth LP. According to 9th Wonder, that... Read more

July 24, 2018 Fresh

Tyler, The Creator & A$AP Rocky Remind The World They Are GREAT MCs (Video)

Two years ago, Tyler, the Creator released a loosie single/video titled "WHAT THE F*CK RIGHT NOW," in which the Odd Future co-founder rapped over Kanye West's "Freestyle 4," a beat taken from West's 2016 effort, The Life Of Pablo. Purely recorded for fun, the music video featured fellow rapper birthed... Read more

July 24, 2018 Video

Jay Electronica Serenades Erykah Badu With Drake…Erykah Is Not Amused (Video)

While a plethora of rappers and MCs are in the midst of the #InMyFeelingsChallenge, recording themselves dancing to Drake's Scorpion hit as his album remains at the top of the Billboard charts, Jay Electronica seems to be more interested in sharing his love for one of the Toronto superstar's earlier... Read more

July 24, 2018 Fresh, Video

The Internet Keep On Truckin’ With Another Stone Cold Groove (Video)

Riding the mint wave of momentum after the release of Hive Mind, which is the Los Angeles-based Funk/R&B/Soul collective’s fourth studio album, The Internet has dispensed the third set of visuals tied to the freshly unveiled project. Swiftly following up the videos for “Roll (Burbank Funk)” and “Come Over,” “La... Read more

July 24, 2018 Video

One Of The Most Sampled Songs In Hip-Hop Now Has A Sequel (Audio)

Since the early 1970s, pioneering Hip-Hop DJs played records with specific instrumental breakdown sections that could make B-boys and B-girls dance. As the culture grew, one of the artists who created breaks that DJs—and later, producers, gravitated towards was Bob James. The keyboardist, arranger, and record producer has since become... Read more

July 24, 2018 Audio

Children Of Zeus Is The UK’s Latest Example Of Inspirational Soul (Video)

The United Kingdom is bustling with flavor right now. From the hardcore antics of CasIsDead to the commercial success of Skepta to the gourmet stylings of SonnyJim, to the buttery soul of Children Of Zeus, Great Britain is killing it in the music space. The Manchester duo of Tyler Daley... Read more

July 24, 2018 Ready Or Not

RZA’s New Movie Is A Perfect Storm Of Hip-Hop Film Stars & OG Actors (Video)

Wu-Tang Clan's Abbott has been a longtime film director. The RZA's past credits include 2012's The Man With The Iron Fists, and last year's Love Beats Rhymes. This past weekend, the accomplished producer, MC, and entertainment mogul premiered the trailer to his third film, Cut Throat City. RZA screened the... Read more

July 23, 2018 News, TV/Film, Video

Buddy Is A Potent Example Of Why West Coast Hip-Hop Is Still So Great (Video)

The Greater Los Angeles Rap scene is evolving nicely in the 2010s. Artists like Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Ty Dolla $ign, Cozz, Jay Rock, Problem, YG, Jay Worthy, and others have taken the music new places while holding legacy and tradition with care. Out of all those names, Buddy may... Read more

July 21, 2018 Video

Scott Storch Explains His Role On Dr. Dre’s 2001 & Defends Dre’s Production Contributions (Video)

Scott Storch's documentary Still Storch reveals a lot of things about the producer. On the surface, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native is talented and was able to use his ability as a musician to create some of the biggest hits of the late '90s and 2000s. He also let the fortune... Read more

July 20, 2018 Video

Black Thought Delivers His Most Powerful Verse Ever, In Tribute To Trayvon Martin (Video)

Black Thought is at the top of his game, and he knows it. His first solo project, the 9th Wonder & Soul Council-produced Streams Of Thought, Vol. 1, has garnered critical acclaim, including from AFH. At a time when Tariq Trotter says he feels as though he has never been... Read more

July 20, 2018 Video

DJ Premier & Casanova Take It Back To The Days Of Gully Hip-Hop (Audio)

DJ Premier has been a go-to sound provider for some of the more vocally aggressive MCs in Hip-Hop. Names like M.O.P., Bumpy Knuckles, Just-Ice, Pitch Black, Ill Bill, and Big Shug have made gems alongside the Gang Starr producer and DJ. In that style of Rap, especially within the five... Read more

July 19, 2018 Audio

Quentin Miller Drops Hints About Writing For Drake & Kanye In His Funk Flex Freestyle (Video)

Atlanta, Georgia MC Quentin Miller has seemingly been a ghostwriter whose name still haunts aspects of Drake's career. Three years ago, Meek Mill first outed the rapper as one of Drake's writers, after the two previously amicable rappers collaborated on "R.I.C.O." A reference track of Miller rapping Drake's early 2015... Read more

July 19, 2018 Video

Brockhampton Is Making Major Moves. They Blend Old Styles With New Methods (Video)

Lately, Brockhampton has been defying their conventional methods of releasing music. As opposed to collecting up their songs and releasing them at once, the versatile Los Angeles, California-based Hip-Hop collective is tuning up to release their new album, The Best Years Of Our Lives, but have been leaking a bunch... Read more

July 19, 2018 Video

Chance The Rapper Releases 4 New Songs & Explains Why He Bought A News Site (Audio)

Chance The Rapper is making headlines once again, and per usual, if it's not for his music, then it's for his effort to further uplift Black culture within the public eye. Last week, Chance the Rapper spoke with the The Chicago Tribune to reveal his upcoming album will be a... Read more

July 19, 2018 Audio, News

Chris Orrick Finally Unmasks And Faces The Music (Video)

Hailing from the blue-collar pastures of Michigan, Chris Orrick is an MC whose latest album, Portraits, makes a strong case for the value of intense reflection. In January, he announced he was retiring his former moniker (Red Pill) to opt for his given name, after learning of the existence of a... Read more

July 19, 2018 Ready Or Not

Yasiin Bey Is Opening An Art Gallery To Keep Hip-Hop In The South Bronx

After Black Star album reports began in February, it has been a busier year than most for Yasiin Bey. He and partner Talib Kweli performed at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival just last weekend (July 14). It comes in the midst of a 20-year-celebration of their landmark Rawkus Records LP. Now,... Read more

July 18, 2018 Lifestyle, News

Scott Storch’s Documentary Covers The Highs & Lows Of 1 Of Dr. Dre’s Muses (Video)

Many Hip-Hop fans may know Scott Storch from his beats. During the late 1990s, 2000s, and even current day, the former Roots member has been responsible for the sounds of some of Rap's chart-topping hits. From the keyboard line on Dr. Dre's "Still D.R.E." to Beyonce's "Me, Myself And I,"... Read more

July 17, 2018 TV/Film, Video

J. Prince Reveals The Original Plan For Scarface & Tupac’s “Smile” (Video)

J. Prince has shunned the spotlight for much of Rap-A-Lot Records' 32 years of business. The label's founder, the man born James Smith, has gone public in a very big way this year. The Houston, Texas native published his memoir The Art And Science Of Respect. Right as the text... Read more

July 17, 2018 Throwback, Throwback, Video

Black Star’s Talib Kweli & Yasiin Bey Define What Hip-Hop Means To Them Today (Audio)

Celebrating 20 years since their landmark album, Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) and Talib Kweli have been busy taking their show on the road. On Saturday (July 14), the pair rocked the hometown stage at the 2018 Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival. The day before (July 13), the former Rawkus Records... Read more

July 17, 2018 Audio

Will Smith Gives 1 Of His Realest Interviews. He Says He’s Finally Being Authentic (Video)

Will Smith is at a crossroads in his career. Throughout the last 33 years, the West Philadelphia native has balanced music, film, TV, philanthropy, and a celebrity family. In all of those fields, the 49-year-old has seemingly thrived on the highest level. Recently, two freestyles showed a fierce return to... Read more

July 16, 2018 Video

Black Thought, Snoop & Slug Buy Out Theater Screenings For Sorry To Bother You

Boots Riley’s directorial debut, Sorry To Bother You is in theaters now. Collaborators and peers from Boots' Rap career have become major supporters of the film in different ways. Black Thought, Snoop Dogg, and Atmosphere's Slug bought out showings in their respective areas, offering free tickets to fans, to ensure... Read more

July 16, 2018 Fresh, TV/Film

Drake Shows He’s Not Too Big To Step In The Booth & Rip A Freestyle (Video)

Over the last few weeks, Drake has firmly established that not only is he the biggest MC in Hip-Hop, he is the biggest artist in the world. With the release of his Scorpion album, the Toronto rapper, singer and actor has yielded some staggering results. His first week sales number... Read more

July 15, 2018 Video

The Real Hangover: Ed Lover Tells The Story Of His Wild Night Out With Mike Tyson (Video)

Ed Lover is best known as one of the hosts of Yo! MTV Raps in the late-1980s and early-1990s. However, the Queens, New Yorker has worn many hats over the years including rapper, actor, radio personality, and even dance innovator. His prominent positions in TV and radio have allowed him... Read more

July 14, 2018 Lifestyle, Throwback, Video

20 Years Ago, The Beastie Boys Reminded Rap Fans That 3 MCs & 1 DJ Is A Winning Formula

1998 was a changing time for Hip-Hop. The attitude of the period was recovering from the killings of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. Groups like The Fugees and A Tribe Called Quest separated for solo pursuits. Meanwhile Black Star emerged. Master P's No Limit Records led a marketing battalion that... Read more

July 14, 2018 Food for Thought, Throwback, Throwback

Mac Miller Is Back From The Dead With A New Video & Album Coming

Mac Miller has shown tremendous range over the last five years. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native MC/producer's previous album was 2016's acclaimed, The Divine Feminine. That effort marked the REMember Music founder transitioning further into concepts and depth. The LP dealt with various women throughout the now-26-year-old's life. Previously, Mac had... Read more

July 14, 2018 Video

Boots Riley Is Staging A Coup At The Box Office And With A New Album (Audio)

In 2012, The Coup released their sixth solo studio album with Sorry To Bother You. It marked the first time that the cult-lauded Oakland, California act used no samples in their music and all tracks were of live instrumentation. Now, six years later, Boots Riley's band returns without DJ, Pam... Read more

July 14, 2018 Audio, TV/Film

Busta Rhymes Has A New Album Bubblin’. His Verse For Anderson .Paak Shows He’s Back (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let AFH fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it’s ever been. Not only are we able to go back... Read more

July 13, 2018 Audio

Redman’s Muddy Waters Too Is Coming. This New Song Will Make You Say YA! (Audio)

In late June, Redman surprised fans when he released an a la carte video called "I Love Hip-Hop." The Def Squad MC was straightforward about the culture and genre that propelled him from a hungry battle rapper running with Biz Markie to a headlining star the last 25-plus years. That... Read more

July 13, 2018 Audio

H-Town MCs Freestyle Their Way. Lil Keke’s Off The Top Rap Is Far From Screwed Up (Video)

Houston, Texas veteran Lil Keke recently appeared on Sway In The Morning. A onetime protege of DJ Screw, this Southside MC has more than 20 years of stock in the game. A member of the Screwed Up Click, Keke made many of his cult-lauded singles like "Pimp Tha Pen," DJ... Read more

July 12, 2018 Video

Donald Glover’s Atlanta Has Been Nominated For 16 Emmy Awards

Just two months after the final episode of Season 2 aired, the award season heats up for Donald Glover's Atlanta. The FX series created by and starring the actor and musician known by stage-name Childish Gambino has received 16 Emmy Award nominations. For Glover, four of those inclusions relate to... Read more

July 12, 2018 News, TV, TV/Film

The Souls Of Mischief’s Tajai is Designing A Hotel To Chill From 18 ‘Til Infinity (Video)

One of the founding members of Souls Of Mischief, as well as the super-group Hieroglyphics, Tajai Massey is stretching his creative capacity beyond music in 2018. Heads may not know that the Oakland, California MC/producer is also an architectural designer, and his latest project comes in the form of a... Read more

July 12, 2018 Lifestyle, News

Too Short Explains How Tupac Almost Kept Pimp C From Working With JAY-Z (Video)

With 2000's guest spot on JAY-Z's Top 20 hit "Big Pimpin'," UGK scored their most visible collaboration to date. Produced by Timbaland, it appeared on Jigga's triple-platinum Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter and is easily one of the rapper's biggest commercial successes. At the time, Underground Kingz Bun B... Read more

July 11, 2018 Throwback, Throwback, Video

Sleep Sinatra Is An MC From Nebraska That Heads Need To Stop Snoozing On (Video)

Lincoln, Nebraska is definitely not known for its Hip-Hop output, but that may soon change if lyricist Sleep Sinatra gets his way. The young MC wields words in a way that draws Heads in. He’s just as concerned with what he is saying, as how it sounds. Although he has... Read more

July 11, 2018 Ready Or Not

Black Thought Assists Roots Affiliate Mumu Fresh In A Moving Tiny Desk Concert (Video)

For the latest in their Tiny Desk series, NPR recruits DMV artist Mumu Fresh who, despite her name, is already a seasoned veteran when it comes to the local cubicle concert. In February, Mumu teamed up with August Greene, the super-group featuring Common, Karriem Riggins, and Robert Glasper, in a... Read more

July 11, 2018 Video

Freeway Explains How One Cypher Changed His Career With Roc-A-Fella

On a scorching summer afternoon, Freeway is lounging in a cool recording studio in the Northern Liberties section in the City of Brotherly Love. The smoky lab is in the same high-rise building as accounting firms, law offices, and working folks pausing for a late afternoon snack in the ground... Read more

July 11, 2018 Food for Thought, Interview

Childish Gambino Releases 2 New Songs That Feel As Good As The Summer Sun (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let AFH fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it’s ever been. Not only are we able to go back... Read more

July 11, 2018 Audio

Black Star Is Performing Live With A Band Right Now. Watch Here (Video)

Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) and Talib Kweli, aka Black Star, are performing live right now Live at Jazz à Vienne 2018. If you miss the live performance, stay tuned. We will update the post with the on demand video, if it is made available.... Read more

July 11, 2018 Video

Listen To A Hard-Hitting New Album Featuring Prodigy, Ghostface & Freddie Gibbs (Audio)

For those that may not be familiar, Vanderslice is a sample-savvy Hip-Hop producer with the respect of Heads (especially crate-diggers) across the map. He has rocked tracks with celebrated MCs like Vinnie Paz, Evidence, Planet Asia, Roc Marciano, Apathy, and the various members of Infamous Mobb. This Phoenixville, Pennsylvania native... Read more

July 10, 2018 Audio

This Black Eyed Peas’ Video Shows What A Horrible Mess Our Country Has Become

It is no secret that the Black Eyed Peas, throughout the last 20 years, have taken their Hip-Hop talents to Pop music pursuits. The shift would lead millions upon millions of music fans across the globe to the group that began as a product of the 1990s Underground Hip Hop... Read more

July 10, 2018 Video

Sean “Puffy” Combs Calls Out The Blatant Racism In The Entertainment Business

Sean "Puffy" Combs is a 25-plus-year symbol of Black entrepreneurship in the music and entertainment industries. While others like Quincy Jones, Russell Simmons, and Berry Gordy came before Puffy, his more modern, Hip Hop-specific prowess has placed him as one of the Rap business' elite and most enduring figures. The onetime... Read more

July 10, 2018 Fresh, Lifestyle

J.I.D. Makes J. Cole Proud By Demolishing This XXL Cypher (Video)

It has been a busy 2018 for Dreamville Records. J. Cole's K.O.D. set new streaming records upon release, in addition to garnering critical acclaim (including appearing on Ambrosia For Heads' midyear best-of list). Cozz released a strong sophomore in Effected, which features Kendrick Lamar, Curren$y, and Cole. Meanwhile, EarthGang released... Read more

July 10, 2018 Video