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The Internet Turn N.E.R.D.’s “Tape You” Into A Laid-Back Soulful Groove (Video)

When Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo released their album In Search Of..., nearly 15 years ago, as part of their group N.E.R.D., they were in the midst of one of the most dominating runs of any production outfit. As The Neptunes, Chad and Pharrell were crafting hits for Jay Z,... Read more

Yelawolf Revs Up His Flow & Angst Over Travis Barker Drums (Audio)

Yelawolf and Travis Barker's working relationship has long been established, thanks to "Psycho White." Both artists blend their love of Hip-Hop with Rock & Roll, and Punk culture. Today (February 12), Sway In The Morning premiered the pair's latest collaboration, "Out Of Control." The song features Travis laying down a... Read more

Dr. Dre Returns To Acting In A Semi-Autobiographical Mini Series

Although he is widely recognized for music production and his electronics line, Dr. Dre is also a veteran Hollywood actor and director. Following Dre's acclaimed run of early 1990s music videos, the Compton, California native would star in films such as his directorial debut short Murder Was The Case, plus... Read more

Kxng Crooked & Statik Selektah Are Winning Against All Odds With Pure Hip-Hop (Video)

Over the last several weeks, Kxng Crooked (pka Crooked I) and Statik Selektah quietly have been releasing one amazing release after another. Rather than stir up controversy with Twitter beefs and other distractions, they've simply let the music talking, and it speaks LOUDLY. Today, they have released their album Statik... Read more

Kanye West Releases a Song About The Kind of Love That Makes You Drive 30 Hours (Audio)

Love him or hate him, the reason why people care about Kanye West is because he makes G.O.O.D. Music. Over the last several weeks, West has manipulated the media, fans and haters to talk all things Kanye. The absolutely free PR blitz has been a mix of shenanigans on Twitter,... Read more

Cypress Hill Light Up For 9th Album, With DJ Muggs At The Helm (Video)

It has been nearly six years since mult-platinum Los Angeles, California trio Cypress Hill released a full length album. 2010's Rise Up found B-Real, Sen Dog, and DJ Muggs outsourcing a lot of their product to guest producers and lots of collaborative features. In an interview with HipHopDX, B-Real says... Read more

QBert, DJ Premier, Jazzy Jeff Speak On Evolution & Pressures Of DJs In Doc Trailer (Video)

Films like 2001's Scratch have covered the role of DJs in Hip-Hop music's genesis. However, the artist who uses turntables and mixers to create, alter, and present music live spans across genre. Soundtrack: The Story of the DJ is a forthcoming film that examines the mix-master. The film, made by... Read more

Del The Funky Homosapien Announces US Tour Dates

2016 marks 25 years since Del Tha Funkee Homosapien (as it was spelled then) released I Wish My Brother George Was Here. Since then, the Oakland, California native and cousin of Ice Cube has released 10 studio albums, three Hieroglyphics LPs, two other collaborative efforts, and an assortment of other... Read more

Kanye West’s The Life Of Pablo & Yeezy Season 3 Event Is An Open Party (Live Stream)

As reported last month, Kanye West brings in his seventh album (T.L.O.P) release with the premiere of Yeezy Season 3 at Madison Square Garden. The New York City affair is taking place live (February 11). The event takes place hours after Kanye West announced his his second album title change,... Read more

Snoop Shows Why He’s The Boss Dogg on This 20-Minute 1996 Freestyle (Audio)

1996 was a tumultuous year for the artist known as Snoop Doggy Dogg. The Long Beach, California Rap superstar was acquitted for a murder trial that had started shortly after his skyrocketing fame. In the exhalation of that, he was soon faced with the murder of close friend and collaborator... Read more

ScHoolboy Q’s Original “Hoover Street” Was Over A Melodic Alchemist Production (Audio)

When ScHoolboy Q and Alchemist get together, special music typically results. Since 2012's Habits & Contradictions, the TDE MC and the Gangrene co-founder have made sounds together that really stand apart from the respective other work from both artists. When Interscope Records entered the picture in 2013, and started working... Read more

BJ The Chicago Kid & Kendrick Lamar Make A Timeless Hip-Hop Soul Ballad (Audio)

On several occasions, Kendrick Lamar and BJ The Chicago Kid have made powerful music together. Long before both artists had major label paperwork on the table, these two found an overlapping ability to uphold the bygone skills in a way the youth could easily digest. From BJ's upcoming In My... Read more

Mick Jenkins’ Clever Lyricism Is Accentuated In A Marco Polo Remix (Audio Premiere)

Marco Polo is one of the Hip-Hop artists who is still bringing creativity and innovation to the remix medium. The veteran producer has provided his own spin on joints by PRhyme, Talib Kweli, and D.I.T.C. For his latest re-imagining, one-half of Double Barrel goes to the Windy City and comes... Read more

This Mobb Deep “Infamous”-Themed Mix Celebrates Havoc’s Visionary Sampling

Mobb Deep just announced a series of tour dates celebrating the 20th anniversary of their third album, Hell On Earth. As they do, the Beat Junkies' J. Rocc (whose logo plays off of the M-O-B-B) examines some of the key ingredients of the duo's sophomore LP, 1995's The Infamous. This... Read more

Kool G Rap Flaunts His Signature Imagery & Wordplay In Another Key Feature (Video)

Kool G Rap is a master of taking a feature opportunity, and prying the track open. Throughout his career, on tracks by Mobb Deep, Akinyele, and The X-Ecutioners, the Corona, Queens MC is never afraid to assert his skills at the top of the bill. At the same time, from... Read more

CyHi The Prynce Freestyles On Kanye’s “Real Friends” & Explains Why Ghostwriting Is Necessary (Video)

CyHi The Prynce is the latest to participate in Montreality's interview series where artists are asked everything from what their first jobs were to what their favorite cartoon characters are. The questions often catch participants off guard and lead to more revealing moments than usual. CyHi's installment yields several gold... Read more

Prince Paul Recalls MF DOOM’s “Impostor” Idea & Wu-Tang’s Earliest Days (Audio)

The "devastating" Prince Paul is a living Hip-Hop legend. Although he is a self-professed "shy guy," the Long Island, New Yorker would eventually find himself winning Grammy Awards for cracking jokes around Chris Rock and elite comedians. Listening to Paul is a joy in and of itself; an experience filled... Read more

Joell Ortiz & Token Kill Microphones At Will…With No Witnesses (Audio)

What is Hip-Hop? Just ask Joell Ortiz. One year removed from his collaborative album with Illmind, Human, MC Joell Ortiz will be answering that question with his Brooklyn bred bars and beats from Latin producer Domingo as the East Coast artists dedicate an entire album to the preservation of the... Read more

Phonte & Torae Go From “The Breaks” To Breaking Down A Beat (Video)

One month after battling (in character) during Vh1's The Breaks, Torae and Phonte release their video single as a team. From Tor's just-released Entitled album, this song takes two veteran MCs who have been able to show versatility in the present, while making music that connects with Hip-Hop's past. Six... Read more

Blu & Rapper Big Pooh Say It’s Do Or Die When The Stakes Are High (Audio)

In 2015, Rapper Big Pooh and Nottz came together to release Home Sweet Home. The Mello Music Group LP had been anticipated for years, and delivered with strength from the two Virginia native creatives. Just under three months removed from release day (November 13), now is as good a time... Read more

Del The Funky Homosapien & Souls Of Mischief’s 1997 Freestyle Is A Purist’s Paradise (Audio)

In 1997, the Hieroglyphics crew was embarking on the early stages of an independent Hip-Hop empire. Del The Funky Homosapien (or "Del Tha Funkee Homosapien" as it was at the time) had released two heralded albums with Elektra Records. The Oakland, California quarter of Souls of Mischief has been part... Read more

Black Thought Reveals What Artists Used To Do To Get J Dilla’s Best Beats (Video)

Between 1999 and 2006, The Roots would work with J Dilla (f/k/a Jay Dee) a number of times. Then label-mates at MCA Records, Dilla produced elements of the Grammy-nominated platinum Things Fall Apart album. While "Dynamite!" would make the LP, "New Year's @ Jay Dee's" would be a hidden jewel... Read more

Macklemore Performs A Powerful Rendition Of White Privilege 2 Without The Distractions (Video)

From the minute Macklemore & Ryan Lewis released their powerful song, White Privilege II, it created a storm of controversy. While the song was designed to provoke a strong response and stir up discussion, sadly, a lot of the discourse was gossipy and shallow conjecture about whether or not the... Read more

Freddie Gibbs Flips A Jay Z Vol 2. Concept With Some Hard Knock Bass (Audio)

Back in 1998, Jay Z and Swizz Beatz tapped into a musical pocket completely different from Jay's work with DJ Premier, Ski Beatz, Irv Gotti, or Timbaland. The Ruff Ryders' sound provider got busy on the keyboards and sliced into Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life with an electrified, DMX-assisted third... Read more

Rap-A-Lot’s J. Prince & Bun B Will Hold A 2016 South By Southwest Keynote Conversation

Thirty years ago, James "J" Prince founded Houston, Texas-based Rap-A-Lot Records. Ever since, the independent label has played a heavy hand in the careers of Scarface and the Geto Boys, Bun B, Devin The Dude, Do Or Die, Pimp C, Trae Tha Truth, 5th Ward Boyz, Facemob, Seagram, Mike Dean,... Read more

A.G. Reveals All-Star Lineup For Next Solo LP & Discusses D.I.T.C. Reunion (Video Interview)

A.G. was one of the performers on hand at this past weekend's second annual J Dilla Weekend in Miami, Florida. Like fellow performers T3 (Slum Village), Black Thought, Royce Da 5'9, Diamond D, and honoree Pete Rock, Andre The Giant worked with Dilla before the producer/MC's February 10, 2006 death.... Read more

Tyler, The Creator Reminds Listeners Of Odd Future’s Sonic Diversity (Video)

Many Hip-Hop crews have grown to include a spectrum of genres in one place. N.W.A. had Michel'le, TDE has SZA, and Tha Dogg Pound had Nate Dogg. However, upon their early 2011 mainstream introduction (five years ago this month via Late Night With Jimmy Fallon), Odd Future had so many... Read more

A Documentary On Organized Noize Looks At The Genius & Drama In The Dungeon (Video)

Organized Noize is one of the most impactful musical groups of the last 25 years. The Atlanta, Georgia-based trio of Sleepy Brown, Rico Wade, and Ray Murray would be deeply responsible for the mainstream (and critical) success of Outkast, TLC, Goodie Mob, and a litany of other acts, ranging from... Read more

Kendrick Lamar Details The Origins Of “To Pimp A Butterfly” & Why Prince Missed The Cut

In preparation for the 58th Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy's website published an oral history of this year's most nominated album. Kendrick Lamar's sophomore major label effort, To Pimp A Butterfly carries 11 nominations at the February 15 ceremony in Los Angeles, California. Hip-Hop journalist Andreas Hale spoke to K-Dot,... Read more

A-F-R-O Describes Achieving “Hip-Hop Dreamland” While Still A Teenager (Video Interview)

A-F-R-O was among the performers at this past weekend's second annual J Dilla Weekend in Miami, Florida. The 18 year-old Bellflower, California representative has gotten critical cosigns from DJ Premier, GZA, Jean Grae, and others, as well as being mentored by his personal favorite MC, R.A. The Rugged Man. Speaking... Read more

DJ Kool Herc’s Onetime Bronx Block To Be Renamed In The Spirit Of Hip-Hop

The man many scholars have considered Hip-Hop's founding father can claim another accolade. DJ Kool Herc (a/k/a Clive Campbell) was born in Jamaica, before relocating to the Bronx, New York in the 1960s. The block of Herc's Bronx residence in the early 1970s (1520 Sedgwick Avenue) will be renamed "Hip-Hop... Read more

Rapsody Reacts To Grammy Nomination & Confirms Guest On Next Album (Video Interview)

Last night, Rapsody and 9th Wonder performed at the second annual J Dilla Weekend in Miami, Florida. During Rap's set, her friend and collaborator Jay Electronica took the stage to publicly crown her "the best female lyricist since Lauryn Hill," and bestow her with his chain. Moments later, the Jamla... Read more

Pete Rock Receives The First Annual J Dilla Imhotep Award From Ma Dukes (Video)

Last night (February 5), the first annual J Dilla Imhotep Award was presented at J Dilla Weekend Festival in Miami, Florida. The event is hosted and partially organized by J Dilla's mother, Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey. Just five days before the 10th anniversary of her son's untimely death, Ma Duke's... Read more

Mac Miller Reflects On Career, Addiction & Rap Identity In Revealing Mini-Doc (Video)

In the last five years, Mac Miller has transcended from a mixtape sensation to a proven commercial juggernaut. Unlike so many rapid industry upstarts, many argue that his art has gotten much more honest, skillful, and innovative. In that journey, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native became a sought-after producer, relocated to... Read more

Black Thought Raps About the Super Bowl With Help From “Tonight Show” Fans (Video)

To Heads, it's no secret that the Roots are arguably the greatest band in Hip-Hop. When Jimmy Fallon brought the Philly crew with him to The Tonight Show, millions of new fans were born, and thanks to the many musical skits and interludes on the show, America gets to see... Read more

Snoop Dogg Surfs Right Into A Harry Fraud & Smoke DZA Wave (Audio)

Smoke DZA and Harry Fraud have years of chemistry. The Harlem-to-Brooklyn, New York connect built a strong base of slick talk over in-your-face beats. Almost four years after Rugby Thompson, the pair is still working. "Morals" looks at the G-code through the generations and circumstances. As DZA stands tall by... Read more

Mobb Deep Announce Hell On Earth 20th Anniversary Tour Dates

One day after Bone Thugs-N-Harmony announced a "Crossroads" 20th anniversary tour, another 1996 giant hits the road in style. Beginning next week, Queens, New York duo Mobb Deep will begin more than two months of touring in recognition of Hell On Earth. Prodigy and Havoc's third album was released on... Read more

Dizzy Wright Pairs “Wisdom & Good Vibes” With A Live Band Sound (EP Stream)

Dizzy Wright has released his latest EP, Wisdom and Good Vibes. The Las Vegas, Nevada MC is headed on the road with Logic this season, and puts fresh product out there for his base. Dizz's first project since last Spring's Ambrosia For Heads-acclaimed The Growing Process finds him working with... Read more

MC Eiht Offers Firsthand Insight Into How Tupac’s Gang Affinities Killed Him (Video)

Although they would never release a song collaboration, MC Eiht and Tupac Shakur worked together in the 1990s. The two Hip-Hop artists would tour, as well as begin production on Menace II Society in the same cast (Shakur would later be fired). Reflecting on their relationship, the Compton's Most Wanted... Read more

Earth Wind & Fire Front Man Maurice White Passes Away

One of Soul, Jazz, and Funk music's most beloved voices and producers has died. Maurice White, co-founder and longtime front man of Earth Wind And Fire passed away last night (February 3), according to his brother (and fellow EWF member) Verdine. The 74 year-old singer died in his sleep. A... Read more

Kendrick Lamar Reflects on Past Grammy Losses While Looking Forward to Domination (Video)

Monday, February 15 may promise to be an indispensably important night for Hip-Hop. With 11 nominations, Kendrick Lamar is poised to be this year's biggest winner, only two years after losing to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis for Best Hip-Hop Album of the Year and Best New Artist. This time around,... Read more

9th Wonder Explains How J Dilla Changed The Sound of Hip-Hop and Fathered “Neo Soul” In The Process (Interview)

After the ascendance of greats like DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Q-Tip in the 90s. There was a new wave of producers that would come to prominence in the 2000s who would carry the torch for Hip-Hop and take it in new directions. This new generation of beatmakers included the... Read more

Anderson .Paak Makes His TV Debut On The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (Video)

The same week Anderson .Paak confirmed signing to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, he appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Joined by his touring band The Free Nationals (with whom Paak will perform at this year's Roots Picnic), the MC/singer/producer/drummer broke out two goodies from last month's Malibu release.... Read more

Asher Roth, Nottz & Travis Barker Made Something Really Different, Together (EP Stream)

For years now, Heads have heard of Asher Roth and Nottz' collaborative work. In 2010, the Pennsylvania MC and Virginia producer/MC made The Rawth, a free download EP. More than five years later, the duo adds Travis Barker (Blink 182) to the fold and does it again. With a live... Read more

D.M.C. Says Comics & Hip-Hop Culture Are Synonymous & Releases New Marvel Issue.

Darryl McDaniels has devoted his life to Hip-Hop as one third of Run-D.M.C. The Hollis, Queens MC has dedicated more than four decades to the pursuit of music, but he has always been open about the other love of his life: comics. Since his early childhood, DMC has explored the... Read more

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Release Crossroads 20th Anniversary Tour Dates

On April 23, 1996, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony released double-platinum single "Tha Crossroads." The Ruthless Records quartet of Krayzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, Layzie Bone, and Wish Bone paid tribute to fallen comrades including mentor Eazy-E as the third single from E. 1999 Eternal. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the DJ... Read more

Nick Grant’s Newest Mixtape Proves Why His Buzz is Only the Beginning (Album Stream)

Fledgling Third Coast MC Nick Grant will not have much to prove to anyone soon enough. After positively lighting up Sway in the Morning with a phenomenal freestyle that only supported Sway's personal endorsement of Grant's lyrical prowess, he's been steadily climbing the proverbial rungs and has already left a... Read more

“Hamilton” Creator Says Founding Father & Biggie Have Plenty in Common (Video)

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a self-described "Puerto Rican from the Bronx" whose passion for both musical theater and Hip-Hop have made him one of the most exciting figures in the culture today. By now, Heads are familiar with his work as the creator of the surprise Broadway smash Hamilton, a historically... Read more

Press Play On Jeru The Damaja’s 1991-1992 Guru-Produced Demo (Audio)

Jeru The Damaja emerged as one of—if not the biggest star of the Gang Starr Foundation. The Brooklyn, New York MC would sign with Guru's Ill Kid Records in the early 1990s, before releasing acclaimed DJ Premier-produced albums The Sun Rises In The East and Wrath Of The Math. Both... Read more

Royce Da 5’9 Answers Fan Questions & Reflects on His Idol J Dilla (Video Interview)

On Sunday, January 31, Ambrosia for Heads hosted a live-streaming conversation with Royce Da 5'9, the celebrated Detroit MC whose work as a solo artist, a member of Slaughterhouse, and a member of PRhyme makes him one of the busiest and most in-demand performers in the game. With a headlining... Read more