Video Archives

Your Old Droog Transforms Into A B-Boy “Elmo” In This Quirky NYC-Inspired Video

Your Old Droog took his recently-released single "42 (Forty Deuce)" and made the best possible video. The Brooklyn, New York MC hit the very 42nd Street Times Square that inspired the Nu Shooz-sampling song, and recreated some vibes from the epicenter of mainstream Manhattan. The video features the old fashioned... Read more

February 2, 2016 Video

Nas & Usher’s Demand For Social Revolution Gets A Symbolic Video

Usher's single "Chains" is as heartfelt as anything ever released from the R&B/Pop icon. Joined by Nas and Bibi Bourelly, the record is a cry for not just change, but revolution. The 2015 song's intricate lyrics reference "The Pledge Of Allegiance," and some of the martyrs (Eric Garner, Tamir Rice,... Read more

February 2, 2016 Video

At The Great Wall Of China, Dayne Jordan Raps Without Boundary (Video)

DJ Jazzy Jeff protege Dayne Jordan had a big 2015. The North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC made Ambrosia For Heads' top albums of last year, in the honorable mention category because he gave his Memoirs Of Dayne Jordan away for free. In the new year, Jordan releases a new song in... Read more

January 31, 2016 Video

Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment Signs Anderson .Paak (Video)

As many Heads anticipated, Anderson .Paak and Dr. Dre's working relationship has only grown closer. The Oxnard, California native MC/singer/producer appeared extensively (six tracks) on Dre's 2015 album Compton. Less than six months later, he is the latest artist to sign to Aftermath Entertainment, Dr. Dre's label, which is celebrating... Read more

January 31, 2016 News, Video

What Music Does a Genius of Rap Like? GZA Explains (Video)

For more than 20 years, Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA has been viewed as a genius of Rap, literally and figuratively. But, what does he listen to in his spare time? When he's not advancing Hip-Hop culture with his mind-expanding rhymes, GZA's tastes in music are decidedly retro and diverse. He recently... Read more

January 30, 2016 Video

Rakim’s Meteoric Rise & Lasting Impact Are Examined In A New Documentary (Video)

2016 marks 30 years since Eric B. & Rakim released debut single "Eric B. Is President." With "My Melody" (as it was listed then) as the B-side, the Zakia/4th & B'way 12" single would transform Hip-Hop in lyrics, in production, and in style. Director Kaze has produced and edited a... Read more

January 29, 2016 TV/Film, Video

Black Thought & J.Period Are Performing A Live J Dilla Mixtape At Dilla Weekend (Audio)

As announced earlier this week, Black Thought and J.Period have been added to the 2016 J Dilla Weekend lineup. Taking place February 5-7, the Miami, Florida event will feature concert performances, panel discussions, a Discogs record swap meet, art exhibits, and much more. With the addition of The Roots' MC... Read more

January 29, 2016 Audio, Exclusive, Mixes, Video

Vince Staples Gets Lifted From His Surroundings Without Ever Leaving Them (Video)

In recent months, Long Beach, California MC Vince Staples was at the helm of a discussion about generational perspective in Hip-Hop. In October, he made a statement which seemed to suggest that the '00s were the greatest years in Rap music, prompting artists and fans representing previous eras to voice... Read more

January 29, 2016 Video

J. Cole Lives The “Dream” In The Video For Love Yourz (Video)

J. Cole's "Love Yourz" is one of the songs at the center of the mid-2010s Hip-Hop "love movement." Cole, and collaborator Kendrick Lamar (and another Cole collaborator, Oddisee) have all made made anthems urging one another to love themselves on a deeper, focused level. From 2014 Forest Hills Drive, Cole... Read more

January 29, 2016 Video

Kxng Crooked Is A MONSTER. This Acapella Freestyle Is Downright Scary (Video)

Kxng Crooked has been lyrical royalty, long before he dubbed himself a King. The MC, formerly known as Crooked I, has been abusing microphones for more than 20 years, both as a solo artist and as a member of the fearsome foursome known as Slaughterhouse. In fact, it was his... Read more

January 28, 2016 Video

Martin Shkreli Threatens To Erase Ghostface Killah’s “Once Upon A Time In Shaolin” Verses (Video)

The story-line surrounding Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon A Time In Shaolin and its $2 million sole owner Martin Shkreli continues to get more bizarre. Following last week's disparaging remarks from Wu member Ghostface Killah, the pharmaceutical mogul has replied. In a TMZ video, the 32 year-old Brooklyn, New York appears... Read more

January 28, 2016 News, Video

A$AP Rocky Releases A Mesmerizing Video & A Red Hot New Song With Pharrell (Video)

Today (January 27) has been a big day for A$AP Rocky. The MC named after Rakim has released a red hot new song with Pharrell, as well as a mesmerizing video for his song "JD," which seamlessly blends live action and animation. "Hear Me" features the same sample 9th Wonder... Read more

January 27, 2016 Audio, Video

R. Kelly Sings His Life Story In A 45 Minute Audiobiography (Video)

R. Kelly is known for going off the dome when crafting his songs. The Chicago, Illinois R&B mainstay has a talk-singing method that pulls from '60s and '70s groups like the Chi-Lites, Billy Paul, and Isaac Hayes. However, Robert Kelly's lyrics have often been a product of his own era,... Read more

January 27, 2016 Video

Snoop Dogg & Anderson .Paak Bridge 2 West Coast Generations With a Passing of the Torch (Video)

In addition to getting the Doggfather to use his signature catchphrase (Yes Lawd!), Anderson .Paak is dominating the Hip-Hop playing field right now, incorporating his unmistakably raspy Soul inflection in records with Dr. Dre, the Game, DJ Premier, and others. The Los Angeles, California-based MC/singer/drummer/producer is putting on for his... Read more

January 27, 2016 Video

Activist DeRay McKesson Calls “All Lives Matter” A Distraction (Video)

DeRay McKesson has become a key voice in contemporary American race politics. The former teacher and current social activist began to amass a considerable Twitter following in the wake of the shooting death of Mike Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri in the summer of 2014, and as... Read more

January 27, 2016 TV/Film

With Or Without Funk Volume, Dizzy Wright Is Plotting His Future & It Looks Bright (Video)

Over the last several weeks, there has been a lot of chatter about the demise of Funk Volume, the label home to Hopsin, Jarren Benton, Dizzy Wright and more. As the recent rift between, and possible reconciliation of, Lil Wayne and Birdman has shown, people in labels are often like... Read more

January 25, 2016 Video

2 Chainz Makes A Video That Is Funny, Odd & Unsettling, For “Watch Out” (Video)

So many videos these days are paint by numbers. Seemingly, the vast majority fall into the category of ridin' 'round shinin', hangin' with the homies or ballin' in the club. In addition to a dearth of creative concepts, the production value of these clips have also been on a rapid... Read more

January 25, 2016 Video

The D.O.C. Calls Erykah Badu His Closest Friend & Talks Co-Parenting (Video)

Dallas, Texas rapper the D.O.C. is best known for his extensive working relationship with N.W.A., with whom he co-wrote much material before ushering in a celebrated solo career. The platinum-selling MC who almost lost his ability to speak in a near-fatal car accident has re-emerged triumphantly, after an announcement in the... Read more

January 25, 2016 Video

Leave It To SNL To Provide Comic Relief To Oscar Controversies (Video)

Since its days known as Saturday Night Live, SNL has been a podium for making light of headline news and strong social discourse. This month, the specific 2016 Oscar nominations (and lack thereof) prompted very public dialogue surrounding the diversity of its nominating committees. Meanwhile, the Academy of Motion Picture... Read more

January 24, 2016 TV/Film, Video

Chasing The Cat Makes Key & Peele Gangsta In Their First Feature Film (Video)

When word broke that Key & Peele was ending after its fifth season last year, fans were dismayed. The outrageous sketch comedy show had filled a void that had been lacking for several years after Chappelle's Show left the air. Not to worry, though. The dynamic duo of Keegan-Michael Key... Read more

January 23, 2016 TV/Film

J. Cole & Ryan Coogler Show Why They Are 2 of the Most Important Voices Of Their Generation (Video)

"This is just two young Black men having intelligent dialogue," summarized J. Cole at this week's #MLKNOW event (January 18) in New York City. The heralded MC/producer was interviewed by filmmaker Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed). Together, the two artists engaged in a conversation about race, police brutality, and promoting... Read more

January 22, 2016 Video

Lecrae Says He’s a Jacked-Up Person & Needs a Savior (Video)

In today's world, religion and politics are two subjects that are often kept separate. However, there are some who feel that their faith and their political views are intrinsically linked. Christian leadership speaker Kurt Uhlir is one of those individuals who believes that one's spiritual beliefs should inform their political... Read more

January 22, 2016 Video

RZA Was Politically Correct About His Opinion of Martin Shkreli. Ghostface Is More Blunt (Video)

The lore around Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, the album for which Wu-Tang Clan created a single copy and sold it to the highest bidder, has grown to be as fascinating as the music, itself. As many know, after a months-long process, the album was ultimately sold to controversial... Read more

January 22, 2016 Video

Snoop Dogg Revisits Donny Hathaway’s “Little Ghetto Boy,” With His Daughter, Lalah (Video)

A recent match-up between Snoop Dogg, Lalah Hathaway, Terrace Martin, and Robert Glasper is a glorious collaboration which in many ways was thought of years ago. Hathaway, the daughter of the late Soul icon Donny, has released an updated version of her dad's 1972 classic, "Little Ghetto Boy." However, it's... Read more

January 22, 2016 The Bridge, Video

Masta Ace & Beneficence Ride Together & Get Fly Together (Video)

The roll-out for Beneficence's Basement Chemistry is heavy. Fresh off of the video to the Inspectah Deck-assisted "Digital Warfare" single, Bene' releases the visual to "When The Sun Comes." This time, it's Masta Ace who is a welcomed feature on the single from the Newark, New Jersey MC. In the... Read more

January 21, 2016 Video

NBA All-Star Damian Lillard Invokes Powerful Imagery in a Message of Hope (Video)

As a point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard has been proving his skills off the court, as well, over the last year. On the mic, he's established himself as a thoughtful, poetic MC. Under the name Dame D.O.L.L.A., he previously dropped a serious freestyle at Shade 45,... Read more

January 21, 2016 Video

Casual & Phat Kat Ride Through A Tunnel That Leads Straight To Pure Grimy Hip-Hop (Video)

Casual and Phat Kat have formed a new group called Ron Jon Bovi. The pair are gearing up to release an album titled Neaux Mursi, a homonym double entre from the French "Non Merci," or "no thank you," and No Mercy. That wordplay, alone gives an indication of how lyrically... Read more

January 20, 2016 Video

Pusha T Narrates His Inspiring Life Story. It All Began With His Brother. (Video)

Pusha T has had what are arguably the best several months of his career lately. After being named the President of Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music imprint, the Virginia Beach MC is now riding the wave of critical acclaim left in the wake of King Push: Darkest Before Dawn: the Prelude,... Read more

January 20, 2016 Video

Taggers Played an Integral Role in Graffiti’s Rise. A New Film Tells Their Story (Video)

In some form or another, graffiti has been around for millennia. Inscriptions, carvings, frescas, and a host of other places where art meets the streets can be found in nearly every civilization, but something particularly influential happened right here, in the United States. The place which birthed Hip-Hop culture served... Read more

January 20, 2016 TV/Film

Cam’ron Looks Back At Rare Photos With A Signature Dipset Beat (Video)

Cam'ron's life and career are rather unique. Raised in Harlem, New York, Cam' divided his interests between basketball, the streets, and Hip-Hop. Over time, the Diplomats general would work with Big L, Ma$e, and Bloodshed (as Children Of The Corn) before his days signed to Untertainment/Epic Records. In the 1990s,... Read more

January 20, 2016 Video

Peanut Butter Wolf Nearly Stopped Making Music After Meeting Madlib (Video)

Earlier this week, the Beat Konducta himself, Madlib, was introduced to even more new fans thanks to his contributions on Kanye West's "No More Parties in L.A." Longtime Heads have been following the Oxnard, California producer and part-time MC for several decades and many incarnations. The man behind projects released... Read more

January 20, 2016 Video

Questlove’s Trip to a Prince Concert Went from Near Disaster to Epic Win (Video)

For most of us, being able to see the one and only Prince live in concert will likely never happen. Even less likely is being able to hit the show on a first date. For Questlove, it's a bit less far-fetched of a possibility, and in a wonderfully creative animated... Read more

January 20, 2016 Video

This Video Shows Why You Used to Love Hip-Hop…And Still Should (Video)

In the video for "Still Love Her," Albuquerque, New Mexico MC Wake Self incorporates touchstones that any Head will appreciate. With a beautiful visual homage to A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory album cover, a conceptual foundation built on the artwork for Common's Resurrection, a nod to De... Read more

January 19, 2016 Video

Naughty By Nature Reunite With Queen Latifah On A Song Filled With Love (Video)

The ties between Naughty By Nature and Queen Latifah run deep. When NBN first got their start, it was fellow Jersey native Latifah who helped guide them, along with her Flavor Unit management team. Treach, Vin Rock and Kay Gee would go on to record with the Queen on their... Read more

January 19, 2016 Video

“Wheels Are In Motion” For An O.D.B. Biopic, According To RZA

As N.W.A. is now associated with Oscar nominations thanks to their Straight Outta Compton biopic, at least two other Hip-Hop films are under way. Tupac Shakur's biographical film All Eyez On Me is said to be shooting, while Daz Dillinger's Death Row Records vignette, Dogg Pound 4 Life, has begun... Read more

January 19, 2016 News, TV/Film

Snoop Tells The Oscars Where They Can Go & Says Let’s Have Some “Hood Awards” (Video)

It was all good just a week ago...Last week, it seemed there was cause for celebration regarding the recognition of the contributions of African-Americans in the arts by the key organizations doling out the most respected accolades. Run-D.M.C. were announced as the first Rap act to receive a Grammy Lifetime... Read more

January 19, 2016 Video

Talib Kweli, Problem & Bad Lucc Make A Minimalist Video All About Mic Rocking

Talib Kweli's "Pay Ya Dues" is the latest Indie 500 song to get the visual treatment. The record pulls talent from Brooklyn, New York to South Central, Los Angeles—as Compton's Problem and nearby Bad Lucc guest on the track. For a song about the elemental approach to getting your name... Read more

January 18, 2016 Video

Ice Cube Promises N.W.A. On Stage Reunion In 2016 (Video)

In 2015, N.W.A.'s story was told through the F. Gary Gray-directed film, Straight Outta Compton. With that, the group that has been in factions since 1989 made steps towards reunion. Although the platinum group's founder, Eazy-E, died in 1995, the surviving four members appeared together through the film's summer '15... Read more

January 18, 2016 News, Video

Ghostface Killah’s Wu-Goo Will Melt Your Mind. This Video Is A Literal Head Trip

Wu-Tang Clan listeners already know that the nine member collective loves Rap cyphers and smokers cyphers alike. Method Man is not the only Wu member to profit from recreational mind elevation (thanks to the How High franchise). Ghostface Killah is now in on the hustle too. The Staten Island, New... Read more

January 18, 2016 Video

Jeezy Shows a Life of Bittersweet Redemption in the Video for “Sweet Life” With Janelle Monae

Like the song, the video for Jeezy's "Sweet Life," featuring Janelle Monae, is a story of redemption. Jeezy shows the different paths his life could have taken and how he turned his life around with music. However, the journey is bittersweet, as the MC is seen reading headlines about Black... Read more

January 18, 2016 Video

Shabaam Sahdeeq Spits That Grown Man Rap Over A Hard Boom Bap Track (Audio)

"You got too many rappers and not enough MCs. That's how I feel about it." From the outset of Shabaam Sahdeeq's "GMR (Grown Man Rap)," he sets the tone. Tired of what he sees as half-hearted artists downgrading the culture, he speaks his mind, without mincing words. After his spoken... Read more

January 15, 2016 Video

Isaiah Rashad Can’t Be Bothered. He Smiles Past the Haters (Video)

Come January 28, it will have been two years since Isaiah Rashad dropped his debut E.P. The Chattanooga, Tennessee spitter and TDE roster member showcased his Southern flavor all over Cilvia Demo, which earned him nearly universal acclaim and a spot in XXL's freshman class. In 2015, he mostly kept... Read more

January 15, 2016 Video

Lecrae Goes As Hard As Any MC Out, Spiritual Or Otherwise (Video)

By now, it's no secret that Lecrae has managed to topple preconceived notions of what Christian Hip-Hop is "supposed" to sound like on their head. The Houston, Texas native has already released an impressive arsenal of seven solo albums, with 2014's Anomaly peaking at the top of the Billboard 200... Read more

January 15, 2016 Video

Isaiah Rashad Returns In A Big Way With “Smile” (Audio)

After a breakout year in 2014, TDE signee, Isaiah Rashad, was relatively quiet in 2015. The label's soldiers have regularly taken turns allowing their label mates to shine, and it was the year for Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock's returns, after Rashad, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and SZA were up the... Read more

January 14, 2016 Video

Big Daddy Kane Tells The Story Of The Night He & Tupac Recorded Together (Video)

Throughout the 1990s, Tupac Shakur and Big Daddy Kane maintained a friendship. It was during Kane's 1993 Manhattan show that 'Pac and The Notorious B.I.G., with Scoob and Shyheim The Rugged Child, famously spit their iconic freestyles together. However, Tupac and Kane would also record together. One song, reportedly titled "Too Late... Read more

January 14, 2016 Video

Talib Kweli Debuts an Unheard Song. Is a New Album Coming Soon? (Video)

With all of the Talib Kweli releases of late, it's hard to fathom that the Brooklyn MC is still working on releasing Radio Silence, an album he first began promoting around this time last year. In the months since, he's been involved with an impressive collection of projects, including his... Read more

January 14, 2016 Video

Torae’s Pete Rock-Produced Single Is A Testimony To His Paid Dues (Video)

It has been a long decade for Coney Island, Brooklyn MC Torae. The artist who uses his given name when busting down beats has amassed a career that includes Diplomats associations, esteemed collaborative albums/groups, acting, and radio hosting. Tor' just released Entitled, a crowd-sourced album including production by DJ Premier,... Read more

January 14, 2016 Video

Straight Outta Compton Gets An Oscar Nomination

Although N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton was not included in the recent Golden Globes Awards (or even its nominations), the Academy Awards see the film differently. This morning (January 14), the nominations for the 88th Academy Awards were announced. Variety reports that the F. Gary Gray-directed film is nominated for... Read more

January 14, 2016 News, TV/Film

Spike Lee’s Latest Documentary Looks at Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall” (Video)

Spike Lee has had a very busy few months, promoting and celebrating the release of his most recent film, Chi-Raq. The satirical comedy explored some heavy topics, namely the ongoing epidemic of gun violence in Chicago, where the murder rate is so high, the city has drawn comparisons to war-torn places... Read more

January 14, 2016 TV/Film, Video

Afeni Shakur & Suge Knight Roles Cast In Tupac Biopic. Here Are Photos.

The principle characters in Tupac Shakur's life are being cast for upcoming biopic, All Eyez On Me. Tupac will be played by Demetrius Shipp, Jr., while the part of The Notorious B.I.G. was given to Notorious alum and former rapper Jamal "Gravy" Woolard. Now, two additional figures closest to Shakur... Read more

January 13, 2016 News, TV/Film