News Archives

DOOM Performs An Alternate Version Of His JJ DOOM Single At SXSW 2016 (Video)

DOOM was a showcase headliner at last week's 2016 South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. There, the reclusive MC/producer did not appear in the flesh, but through video display. As part of a DOOMStarks (DOOM & Ghostface Killah) set March 17 at Elmo's, DOOM unveiled an alternate version... Read more

March 22, 2016 Video

Pharrell Gives NYU Music Students A Lifetime Of Knowledge In 30 Minutes (Video)

As part of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts' 50th anniversary, Pharrell Williams was named Artist in Residence. The school celebrated by inviting him to speak at length in front of the student body, where he shared tremendous insight into his own vulnerabilities as well as his vision and... Read more

March 22, 2016 Video

Rittz Threatens Extinction To Competition In This Haunting Single (Audio)

Rittz has been one of the stars of the expanded Strange Music label. The Gwinnett County, Georgia MC is six weeks away from his third album on Tech N9ne's label, Top Of The Line (May 6). First single "Ghost Story" is a great illustration of the versatile Slumerican affiliate's proven... Read more

March 22, 2016 Audio

Chance The Rapper & Skrillex Keep The Love Movement In Motion (Video)

Since late 2014, esteemed MCs throughout Hip-Hop have been heavily talking about love. Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, Oddisee and Big K.R.I.T. are just some of the elites with big records that remind listeners to love themselves, others, and the world at large. Chance The Rapper has made heartfelt music... Read more

March 22, 2016 Video

Black Donald Trump Supporters Are Put On The Spot & Defend Their Candidate (Video)

Political double-talkers abound, and it's no surprise why. Politicians have to appeal to so many different kinds of people, that often times they end up tangled in humorous hypocrisy. One need not look far for examples of hypocrites in our political arena, like the elected officials who vote anti-gay only... Read more

March 22, 2016 TV/Film

Ras Kass Plans “Soul On Ice 2,” Featuring Unreleased Songs (Video)

This year marks the 20th anniversary since Ras Kass' debut album, Soul On Ice. The native of both Carson, California would ink a contract with Priority Records to release what some still consider his greatest lyrical work—and a benchmark of intellectual songwriting. In the time since, Razzy Kazzy has released... Read more

March 22, 2016 News, Video

This Mix Of The 16 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time Is 21 Minutes of Heaven (Audio)

Last September, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: what is the greatest Rap Album Of All-Time? “Finding The GOAT Album” has considered more than 120 albums from the '80s, '90s and 2000s (40 in each), with options for... Read more

March 22, 2016 Audio, Finding the GOAT

New Jack City Turns 35. These Secrets We Learned From The Writer Will Blow Your Mind

UPDATE: Since this article was published, Barry Michael Cooper passed away on January 22, 2025. He would have been 68 at the time of this publishing. Twenty five years ago this month, New Jack City opened to the public. The film, starring Wesley Snipes, Allen Payne, Ice-T, and Chris Rock,... Read more

March 22, 2016 Food for Thought

Scarface’s New Video Makes It Clear You Do Not Want To Be On His Bad Side

2015 was one of the biggest years in Scarface's storied career. Facemob released a critically-acclaimed book, put out a new album and was given the "I Am Hip-Hop" Award at the BET Hip Hop Awards. The Geto Boy even flirted with reuniting and going on tour with his old group.... Read more

March 21, 2016 Video

J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League Invites Camp Lo, Mack Wilds & Rick Ross to Dance & the Result is Money (Audio)

The League calling themselves Just Undeniably Some of the Illest Composers Ever have been establishing their own brand of superheroism for more than ten years, ever since scoring their first major production breakthroughs with Mary J. Blige's "No One Will Do" (which helped them nab a Grammy Award for Best... Read more

March 21, 2016 Audio

A-F-R-O’s Razor Sharp Flow Cuts Right Into Vinyl Grooves. Literally. (Video)

Bellflower, California MC A-F-R-O has gone from Internet-fan obscurity to downright stealing the show with his inventive rhyme patterns and nimble flow. After a prominent part in Vh1's The Breaks, the R.A. The Rugged Man protege now has captivated the attention of Colin Hanks. Heads may know Hanks from his... Read more

March 21, 2016 Video

Royce 5’9″ Proves Being Lyrical Is Cool While Destroying New School MCs (Video)

Shortly after releasing a video for the lead single for his forthcoming album Layers starring his son, Royce 5'9" is back with another video centered on intergenerational perspective, this time focused on taste and trends. While in "Tabernacle" Royce takes a micro approach to telling a story, "Which Is Cool" is broader... Read more

March 21, 2016 Video

Too Short Gives Some Real Game To 2 Young Boys With Questions (Video)

Too Short has been giving up "game" for nearly 35 years. Songs like "Gettin' It," "The Ghetto," and "So You Want To Be A Gangster" educated audiences on the thrills and perils of a life in the underworld. However, while many of Too Short's tales are freaky, he still shows... Read more

March 21, 2016 Video

Kanye West Didn’t Break The Rules With The Life Of Pablo. He Changed Them

Five weeks ago, Kanye West released his eighth solo album, The Life Of Pablo. What had long been anticipated as a follow-up to 2013's Yeezus was quite different than its predecessor. For starters, T.L.O.P. was never released to CD, vinyl, or digital download marketplaces (and reportedly never will be). For... Read more

March 21, 2016 Food for Thought

Joell Ortiz & Chris Rivers Studied The ’90s To Blaze Mics In 2016 (Audio)

Last week, Joell Ortiz and producer Domingo released That's Hip-Hop. As the Slaughterhous vet told Ambrosia For Heads, the project is about keeping purebred Rap in the front of the consumer consciousness. In the post-release single "Say What I Want," Ortiz is joined by Bronx, New York MC Chris Rivers... Read more

March 21, 2016 Audio

Fat Joe, Lord Finesse & Diamond D Keep That Crate Chemistry Strong (Audio)

Every Monday of 2016, D.I.T.C. has blessed Heads with new tracks. Today (March 21), the Diggin' In The Crates crew may have unleashed the best yet. "Rock S**t" marks the lyrical return of Lord Finesse, whose witty and confident punchline-driven flow would be the blueprint for his star pupil, the... Read more

March 21, 2016 Audio

Usher Performs A Stunning Medley As A Tribute To L.A. Reid (Video)

Together with his creative and business partner, Babyface, L.A. Reid was one half of one of the most formidable production duos in recorded music history, and a co-founder of LaFace Records. As an executive, Reid's imprint has been on the career's of some of music's biggest stars, having signed Toni... Read more

March 20, 2016 Video

Prince Plans To Publish 2017 Memoir, “The Beautiful Ones”

In his nearly 40-year career, Prince has become a legend of music and a star of film. By 2017, the 1999 icon now wants to stand out on book shelves. Last night (March 18), Prince told a New York City pop-up concert audience that he is planning his memoir, co-written... Read more

March 19, 2016 News

Musiq Soulchild Is BACK & His New Song Will Take Your Heart Away (Audio)

Musiq Soulchild is one of the foremost talents in the Neo-Soul movement, helping to spearhead the influx of the genre in the late '90s and early '00s. Like Erykah Badu, D'Angelo and others, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania crooner flawlessly blends the stylings of contemporary R&B with traditional Soul and Hip-Hop, a... Read more

March 18, 2016 Audio

Prodigy Releases Another Free Album Bundle Featuring Jay Electronica, 50 Cent & Bun B

One week to the day after Prodigy released the first R.I.P. album bundle, he follows with the second of three installments. R.I.P. 2 features the Mobb Deep co-founder working with the likes of 50 Cent, Jay Electronica, Bun B, Styles P, Killer Mike, and the late Chinx, among others. Besides... Read more

March 18, 2016 Fresh

This Virtual Crate Digging Is Like Touching And Feeling Your Favorite 90s Hip-Hop Records

Crate digging is an inseparable part of Hip-Hop culture. Whether or not there is a local record store in your vicinity, chances are you've heard or seen your favorite artists taking part in the tradition. In the days before digital music, Serato, and USB drives, record stores provided producers and... Read more

March 18, 2016 Fresh

Obama Reminds the Nation of His Presidential Power Over the Supreme Court (Video)

As if the current political goings-on in the United States needed any more hullabaloo, the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has resulted in a showdown between President Obama and Congress. As the presidential campaign heats up with presumptive nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump entering what promises... Read more

March 18, 2016 Lifestyle

Nas Plays A New J Dilla Collabo, Produced By Madlib (Video)

In October of 2014, Nas began a public pursuit of bringing recognition to the music of J Dilla. During a Mass Appeal Records release party for Run The Jewels' second album, the investor in the label shared his take on a Dilla "donut" beat. The track would be called "The... Read more

March 18, 2016 Video

Ghostface Killah Keeps O.D.B.’s Raw Spirit Alive In His Stage Show (Video)

Last night (March 17), Wu-Tang Clan co-founder Ghostface Killah performed live in Austin, Texas as part of 2016 South By Southwest. There, Ambrosia For Heads captured the Staten Island, New York veteran MC paying tribute to his late band-mate with a performance of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya." G.F.K. teamed with the... Read more

March 18, 2016 Exclusive, Video

Royce 5’9″ Blacks Out on Another Song & Announces Free EP (Audio)

In just under a month, Royce 5'9" will be releasing Layers, his sixth studio album and first since 2011's Success Is Certain. In the years since, he has proven himself to be an integral part of various groups like PRhyme and Slaughterhouse,but his longtime fans have always known of his... Read more

March 17, 2016 Audio

Here’s A Never Before Released Fugees Freestyle From 1995 That Settles The Score (Audio)

In 1995, The Fugees were in between Underground Hip-Hop obscurity and super-stardom. The year prior, they had released Blunted On Reality. In early '96, they would rake in the multiple platinum plaques with the aptly-titled The Score. According to mentor and producer Salaam Remi, it was in '95 that the New Jersey... Read more

March 17, 2016 Throwback

Eric B. Defends His Legacy & Claims His Credit In History (Audio)

Eric B. may be one of the most misunderstood figures in Hip-Hop. An Elmhurst Queens, New York native, Eric Barrier formed one of the genre's most technically advanced groups in Eric B. & Rakim. Furthermore, the DJ/producer established a brand in Rap music that not only pivoted towards the materialism... Read more

March 16, 2016 Audio

Kendrick Lamar Leads A Freestyle Cypher With Musicians In The UK & Rocks It (Video)

With all the chatter around the political themes embedded in Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly, and the album's immense critical acclaim, it's sometimes easy to lose sight of the fact that, at his core, Kendrick is an MC who loves the sport of rhyming. But, before he showcased the... Read more

March 16, 2016 Video

“Empire” Star Jussie Smollett Takes The Media To Task For Its Coverage Of Donald Trump (Video)

Last night, Comedy Central was once again the sight of an engrossing, multi-dynamic look at American racial politics, thanks to the perspectives shared on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. With many of today's top news stories approached from perspectives of people of color, the show often delves into the... Read more

March 16, 2016 TV/Film

Big Sean Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is. One Man Really Can Change the World. (Video)

Always repping his hometown of Detroit in his music, Big Sean (born Sean Anderson) is making major moves behind-the-scenes as it pertains to giving back to his community. The Sean Anderson Foundation is a non-profit founded with a Motor City focus in mind, with programs and initiatives aimed at the... Read more

March 16, 2016 Lifestyle

Forget Presidential Candidates. Are Our Computers Also Racist and Sexist? (Audio)

Austin, Texas is currently the place to be for music industry insiders, with a whole host of artists performing across a spectrum of genres. However, the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival is not just a place to get put up on the next hottest artist; it's also a well-established platform... Read more

March 16, 2016 Lifestyle

Phonte Explains Why Big Daddy Kane Is The Reason He Became An MC (Audio)

Phonte is the latest guest on The Cipher Show Podcast. For episode #146, the Greensboro, North Carolina native MC/singer spoke about the evolution of his career. A founder of Little Brother and Foreign Exchange, "Tigallo" had an hour-and-a-half discussion with Shawn Setaro on topics ranging from his "Percy Miracles" character,... Read more

March 15, 2016 Audio

Talib Kweli, 9th Wonder & Nottz Enlist MK Asante & Uzi for a Banger with a Message (Video)

Bars with depth, a video with a concept, and a beat that knocks. The remix to Talib Kweli and 9th Wonder's Indie 500 cut "Bangers" has all of that in the chamber, and then some. On the album version, the Nottz-produced track features MK Asante and Halo and is a... Read more

March 15, 2016 Video

Watch Nate Dogg Freestyle A Hook & See Why He Will Forever Regulate (Video)

Five years ago today (March 15, 2011), the world lost Nate Dogg. The four-time Grammy-nominated hit-maker and founding member of 213 injected a Gospel Soul sensibility into Hip-Hop through three solo albums, a group record, and hits for Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Tupac, Ludacris, Mos Def, Eminem, and... Read more

March 15, 2016 Throwback

Q-Tip Explains Why the World NEEDS Hip-Hop Now More Than Ever (Video)

On March 8, it was announced that Q-Tip was appointed the first Artistic Director of Hip-Hop Culture at the Kennedy Center in New York City, possibly the world's most famous center for arts. A massively huge step towards Hip-Hop culture earning the much-deserved recognition of being a serious cultural art... Read more

March 15, 2016 Video

The Government Is Fighting the U.S. Heroin Epidemic in 94 Million Ways (Video)

The recent death of former first lady Nancy Reagan has brought conversations about the so-called "War on Drugs" back into the fray. Considered by most to have been a complete and utter failure, the war was first initiated by the Nixon administration, but was fortified by not only President Reagan,... Read more

March 15, 2016 Lifestyle

The Star Of Hamilton Freestyles For President Obama At The White House (Video)

From day 1, it has been clear that Barack Obama was the nation's first Hip-Hop President. That status had nothing to do with his biracial ancestry. Instead, it was the product of his coming of age at the same time that the most influential cultural force of the last 40... Read more

March 15, 2016 Video

Watch “The Most Significant Day Of Royce 5’9″‘s Life” In His “Tabernacle” Video

Earlier this month, Royce 5'9" released "Tabernacle," the lead single from his forthcoming solo album Layers (April 15), and arguably the most powerful song of his career. "Tabernacle" holds incredible importance in Royce's life, on many levels. It was the first song that Royce wrote when he became sober, after... Read more

March 15, 2016 Video

Buckwild Is An Unsung Member Of D.I.T.C. But He’s One Of The Strongest Links In The Chain Gang (Audio)

When people think of the Diggin' In The Crates crew (D.I.T.C.), names like Diamond D, Big L, Showbiz, AG, O.C., Lord Finesse and Fat Joe come to mind, and rightfully so. Those artists are some of the most acclaimed MCs and/or producers in Hip-Hop, having earned their respect over decades... Read more

March 14, 2016 Audio

LL Cool J Says Dr. Dre Session Is Latest “GOAT” Status Reminder

Over the past three days, a video snippet was released of LL Cool J returning to some of his finest form in the recording studio alongside Dr. Dre. The footage was from 2015, but is only part of the latest comeback effort from the Queens, New York MC superstar. Uncle... Read more

March 14, 2016 News

Joell Ortiz Wrecks A DJ Premier Beat Like A Supa Star (Video)

Joell Ortiz's new collaboration album with producer Domingo will be released tomorrow (March 15). The project, titled That's Hip-Hop, is an ode to music that puts a premium on top-notch lyricism, and Ortiz is happy to oblige. The Slaughterhouse spitter also invited several other respected wordsmiths to join him in... Read more

March 14, 2016 Video

Black Milk Turns Up His Beatmaking With A Live Instrumentation LP (Audio)

For fans of Detroit, Michigan producer and MC Black Milk, his steady rise as an acclaimed artist has been many years in the making. With a solo production discography stretching back more than a decade, his collaborative efforts include work with Danny Brown, Elzhi, Sean Price, and Slum Village and... Read more

March 14, 2016 Audio

Many Have Never Seen Mos Def’s First Music Video. Here It Is.

The mighty Mos Def (n/k/a Yasiin Bey) has a Hip-Hop career that spans well over 20 years. The Brooklyn, New York MC burst on the scene care of major appearances alongside De La Soul, Da Bush Babees, and DJ Honda—but he had his own thing brewing, even before Rawkus Records... Read more

March 13, 2016 Throwback

LL Cool J Proves He’s The Original GOAT On A Blistering Freestyle Over A Dre Beat (Video)

LL Cool and Dr. Dre go back. The pair are in a select class of MCs who had professional musical careers in 1985 and in 2016, having only risen. James Todd Smith has gone from Def Jam Records breakthrough artist to a network actor star and host of the Grammy's.... Read more

March 12, 2016 Video

AZ Tells The Origin Of His Show-Stealing Verse On Illmatic (Video)

Most AZ fans know that "Tha Visualiza" hails from Brooklyn, New York. However, unlike so many illustrious MCs, AZ's sense of place and home lives in his lyrics more than photographs, symbols, etc. The Firm co-founder returns to his Williams Houses in East New York, Brooklyn for the first time... Read more

March 12, 2016 Video

Black Sheep Dres Gets Wicked With The Wordplay In This Freestyle (Video)

Black Sheep Dres was the most recent guest on DJ Eclipse's Rap Is Outta Control radio show. While on, the Native Tongues member and evitaN co-founder finished off his appearance with a freestyle that's one of his best. Calling for some wordplay, D-R-E-S hit his mark with almost three minutes... Read more

March 12, 2016 Video

Sha Rock Was the First Female MC on National TV. Here’s Her 1981 Performance (Video)

On Valentine's Day in 1981, when Hip-Hop was by and large a completely unrecognized cultural form, national television aired the first appearance by a female rapper. 35 years later, during Woman's History Month, footage of that historic performance has re-surfaced, and it is a remarkable trip down the proverbial Memory... Read more

March 12, 2016 Throwback

Dot Demo Turns A Careful Whisper Into A Crazy Freestyle (Video)

Dot Demo is one to watch. With influences like Big Pun, Nas, Jay Z and J Dilla, the Bronx, NY MC has high standards and high expectations. He recently hit Statik Selektah’s Show Off Radio and wrecked a couple of beats, turning a careful whisper into a crazy freestyle. Dot... Read more

March 11, 2016 Video

Cam’ron & New York’s Subway B-Boys Dazzle in a Video That Redefines Creativity (Video)

Perhaps the only thing more ubiquitous in New York City than the subways are the subway performers who use the time between station stops to amaze the crowd - or at least attempt to - with music, poetry, speeches, or dance. There has developed a microcosm in the subway dance... Read more

March 11, 2016 Video

PRhyme & Logic’s Deluxe Collabo Goes To Animated “Mode” (Lyric Video)

For Logic, to be knighted by DJ Premier and Royce 5'9" at once is a huge deal. The Gaithersburg, Maryland MC is big on restoring a rawness to Rap through intricate lyrics, concept-driven songs, and feisty flows. Who more represents the success of that outlook than PRhyme? The trio (including... Read more

March 11, 2016 Video