News Archives

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

Kanye West’s First Kendrick Lamar & Madlib Collabo Is Worth The Wait (Audio)

"I know some fans thought I wouldn't rap like this again / But the writers block is over, MCs cancel your plans." - Kanye West Last Friday (January 8) Kanye West showcased the 2016 return of "G.O.O.D. Fridays" in the Ty Dolla $ign assisted-"Real Friends." After the song finished playing... Read more

January 18, 2016 Audio

Which Cheryl Lynn Disco Hit Fueled These 2 90s Hip-Hop Party Starters?

In the fall of 1978, Disco was going on strong. While a lot of the 1970s genre's biggest hits have not translated to Hip-Hop, some have. Cheryl Lynn was one such singer. In the middle of the decade, the Los Angeles, California songstress was instrumental to The Wiz. Later a... Read more

January 17, 2016 Sample Sundays

M.O.P. Always Rhyme Like Their Lives Depend On It (Audio)

The M.O.P. co-sign is big in Hip-Hop. Lil Fame and Billy Danze have helped introduce acts ranging from Teflon to Termanology in their illustrious 25-year career. The Brownsvillains come out to support Patterson, New Jersey veteran MC/producer Ran Reed. Ran produced his own single, "Gun Boy Interlude." With a distorted... Read more

January 17, 2016 Audio

This Gritty Mix Showcases RZA’s Deep Crates & The Wu-Tang Samples

RZA is one of Hip-Hop's most celebrated producers. The Wu-Tang Clan Abbot not only gave his own clan a distinct set of sounds since the early 1990s, he provided dusty textures for The Notorious B.I.G., Cypress Hill, and AZ, among others. Grand Finale amassed a collection of RZA-produced tracks for... Read more

January 17, 2016 Mixes

This Far Reaching Mix Sprinkles Some Of J Dilla’s Best & Rarest Donuts

Next month (February 5-7), the second annual J Dilla Weekend will take place in Miami, Florida. The three-day event features music performances, exhibits, panels, and more. Pre-sale ticket packages are available. At present, Dilla's onetime group Slum Village, and a host of collaborators are signed on for the event. Additionally,... Read more

January 17, 2016 Audio, Mixes, Throwback

Rick Ross Leaves Def Jam, Signs With Epic Records

For the last decade, Rick Ross has been a star at Def Jam Records. Since releasing breakthrough single "Hustlin'" in 2006, Ross released eight albums with the New York City based label. Five of those albums reached #1 on the charts, while half of those works have been certified gold.... Read more

January 17, 2016 News

Ever See This 1992 Cypher With Bushwick Bill, Snoop, Scarface, RBX & Big Mike? (Video)

The connections between Death Row and Rap-A-Lop Records run deep, from the top down. Respective label heads Suge Knight and J. Prince have been tight for years and, the labels' artists have collaborated on a number of projects and, in the case of the Outlawz, even been signed to both... Read more

January 16, 2016 Throwback

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

A Never Released DJ Premier Interview About “Step In The Arena” Surfaces For Its 25th Anniversary

Gang Starr's second album, Step In The Arena, was released 25 years ago. The album was one of transition for the late Guru (Keith Elam) and his partner DJ Premier (Christopher Martin). The LP was the collective's first of the 1990s, a decade they would massively influence on the musical... Read more

January 15, 2016 Throwback

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

Virtual Sex May Help Pedophiles Fight Their Urges. Should We Allow It?

Pedophilia is one of society's greatest taboos. It's a topic not easily broached for obvious reasons, but for those suffering from it, that taboo nature makes it increasingly difficult to seek treatment and support. While preying on children is certainly a behavior that is never acceptable, those coping with pedophilia... Read more

January 15, 2016 Lifestyle

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

Snow Tha Product Will Be Here Long After Lesser MCs. Lyricism Lasts (Audio)

Always keeping her pen game sharp, Snow Tha Product has released a new track with a wicked rapid-fire verse, venting about how much harder she has to work as a female MC who isn't about showing off her skin. She raps about being able to go on tour even without... Read more

January 14, 2016 Audio

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

Snoop & Too Short Give Colonel Loud Some of That OG “California” Love on the Remix (Audio)

In 2015, Colonel Loud's "California" became one of the more unexpected breakthrough records of the year. The Fort Lauderdale-born artist, who now resides in North Carolina, after spending 10 years in Atlanta, made a song about the virtues of the Golden State, using the throwback Cali funk sound of the... Read more

January 14, 2016 Audio

Fresh Out the Oven: 2 Compton Men are Preparing Gourmet Meals for the Hood.

For non-locals, Compton, California is most commonly associated with music or crime. In just the last year alone, it's become a household name, thanks to the blockbuster success of the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton and Dr. Dre's Compton album. With artists like Jay Rock, The Game, and Kendrick Lamar... Read more

January 14, 2016 Lifestyle

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

MCs Say They’re Freestyling…But They Ain’t Been Rhyming Like Common Sense (Audio)

Over the years, the definition of the term "freestyle" has blurred. The word initially referred to a rhyme, written or spontaneous, that was not about a particular topic but, instead, was "free of style." In the 90s, it came to mean a rhyme that was impromptu, or "off the top... Read more

January 14, 2016 Audio

It’s Hard To Make A Good Hip-Hop Love Song. Black Milk Makes A Great One (Audio)

Black Milk's biggest songs have dealt with church, Detroit Hip-Hop, and looming apocalypse. The veteran producer/MC is not often thought of for his tracks about intimate relationships. "For 4Ever" kind of changes that. The record looks at career pressures versus relationship demands. As it often goes, that conflict leads to... Read more

January 14, 2016 Audio

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

Run-D.M.C. Will Be The First Rap Artists To Receive A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

The relationship between Hip-Hop artists and the Grammy Awards has been curious, at best, over the years. Things did not get off to a good start when DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince won the first ever Rap Grammy, in 1989. When the show chose not to televise their... Read more

January 14, 2016 News

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

Ab-Soul Recounts His Travels on the Dark Side on Unreleased Track (Audio)

It's been more than a year and a half since Ab-Soul released his third and most recent solo LP, These Days..., and while his TDE cohorts Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock both had major releases in 2015, many are missing the self-described "black-lipped bastard"'s presence in the Rap game. Appearances... Read more

January 13, 2016 Audio

Adrian Younge Has A Trippy Cure For Winter Time Blues (Video)

PRhyme member Adrian Younge is embarking on his latest album. January 22's Something About April II is the latest thematic work from the Southern California-based producer/musician known for his Wu-Tang Clan associations. Without any MCs on the track, Adrian can still get gritty though. "Winter Is Here" is a trippy... Read more

January 13, 2016 Video

Raunch Rap Pioneer Blowfly Reveals Terminal Cancer Diagnosis, Plans Final Album

He may not be a household name to many Heads, but he should be. Blowfly is a true originator, one whose raunchy and outlandish personalities have earned him a permanent place in the annals of music history. The 76-year-old Georgia native has been an undeniably influential character in the formation... Read more

January 13, 2016 News

Inspectah Deck & Beneficence Declare Digital War In Times Square (Video)

Approaching the release of this month's Basement Chemistry album (January 29), Newark, New Jersey veteran MC Beneficence is going all in. Following last week's MC Eiht-assisted collaboration, Bene' releases a visual to his look with Wu-Tang Clan/CZARFACE's Inspectah Deck. "Digital Warfare" has been a single from the Ill Adrenaline Records... Read more

January 13, 2016 Video

Wale Made History as the First MC to Open State of the Union Event (Video)

Last night, President Obama delivered his seventh and final State of the Union Address to congress, marking a symbolic end to his tenure as Commander in Chief. Remarkably optimistic in its tone, the Address covered the economy's recent upswing, the current state of American healthcare infrastructure, the hope of finding... Read more

January 13, 2016 Video

Killer Mike Owns The Moment On A Wavy, Electronic Track With Lushlife (Audio)

Killer Mike has worked with a complete cross-section of the music industry. Mike Bigga has cut tracks with Ice Cube, Gucci Mane, Cunninlynguists, and Jay Z, all resulting in satisfied fans. That's before Heads even get to Run The Jewels, Purple Ribbon, or Grind Time Rap Gang works. Today, Mike... Read more

January 13, 2016 Audio

Ghostface Killah Teams Up With Omarion On A Stone Cold Groove (Audio)

Ghostface Killah and Omarion might seem like an unlikely combination, but the Wu-Tang Clan veteran has never allowed himself to be put in a box. From Babyface to Beyonce, Tony Starks has laid verses on plenty of records outside of Hip-Hop. His latest collaboration is a Wu-Tang/MMG connection, but it... Read more

January 12, 2016 Audio

Schoolly D Remembers “P.S.K.” By Clarifying What Gangsta Rap Really Means (Video)

In 1985 Schoolly D released "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?" on his own label. From West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the record's acronym stood for his neighborhood crew: Park Side Killaz. To many Rap historians, the self-produced 12" (later included on Schoolly's self-titled full-length debut) marks the first Gangsta Rap record. With... Read more

January 12, 2016 Video

Raekwon Flexes on a Hot Reggae Track & the Result is Straight Fire (Audio)

On his 46th birthday, Raekwon can be heard destroying the mic on a track that doesn't sound like much else that he's released over the course of his prolific career. The Wu-Tang Clan's resident Chef was last heard on Busta Rhyme's Christmas-Day mixtape, The Return Of The Dragon (The Abstract... Read more

January 12, 2016 Audio

Mannie Fresh & Juvenile Say That A Reunion Album With Lil Wayne Is Underway (Video)

Juvenile and Lil Wayne made up one half of the Hot Boys (with B.G. and Turk). Also on the 1990s Cash Money Records roster were the Big Tymers, featuring Mannie Fresh and Baby (n/k/a Birdman). In 2016, three star forces from those two entities appear to be coming together. In... Read more

January 12, 2016 Video

Ras Kass is Making the Search for Lyrical Hip-Hop Easy with “The Chase” (Video Premiere)

In 2006, Nas dropped Hip-Hop Is Dead, an album which reflected his thoughts on the music industry's failure to promote high-quality, concept-driven, and lyrically centered music. Its release re-ignited a longstanding conversation about what "real" Hip-Hop is, a conversation that continues to permeate the culture. One artist who has never... Read more

January 12, 2016 Exclusive, Video

TDE’s Resident Engineer Ali Has Compiled 2 Epic Mixes of Their Throwback Music (Audio)

"Let it run, Ali" is a familiar-sounding phrase for Top Dawg Entertainment Heads. The crew featuring Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul (as well as their collective group, Black Hippy), SZA, and Isaiah Rashad was founded back in 2004 before any of their roster members were making it big,... Read more

January 12, 2016 Audio

“Adult Rappers” Is One Raw & Real Documentary About Hip-Hop Careers (Video)

Securing a career in Hip-Hop music is extremely hard. If you're lucky enough to achieve it, there is no guarantee that it will be glamorous. For a culture often portrayed in the mainstream as lavish, luxurious, and braggadocious, most working artists will be quick to tell you otherwise. Adult Rappers... Read more

January 12, 2016 TV/Film, Video

Erykah Badu Mixes Kanye With Whodini And Gets All The Way Trill (Audio)

Erykah Badu's "covers" have become something to look forward to. After her grabbing rendition of Drake's "Hotline Bling" in late 2015, Ms. Badu wastes no time reworking Kanye West's "Real Friends," which was released less than one week ago (January 8). "Trill Friends: Badu Whodini Rough Mix" is an experiment... Read more

January 12, 2016 Audio

O.C. Looks At A World Gone Wrong & Vents In The Best Way Possible (Audio)

Veteran D.I.T.C. artist O.C. is highly-respected for his crisp cadence and masterful way about rapping about life and art. Acclaimed albums like Word...Life, Trophies, Jewelz, and Starchild have honed in on O's experiences and vision, and done so eloquently. On the just-released "My City," the former Payday Records artist takes a more universal approach.... Read more

January 12, 2016 Audio

Mack Wilds Does The Right Thing In This Spike Lee-Inspired Music Video

Already, 2016 has started on a high note for Tristan "Mack" Wilds. The actor/sing was one of the stars of Vh1's The Breaks, which premiered last week (January 4). Now available for full stream online, the film (also starring Method Man, Phonte, Torae, Prince Paul, and Chuck Chillout) is set... Read more

January 12, 2016 The Bridge, Video

Mac Miller’s “Weekend” Is A Highly Personal Outcry About Life Moving Too Fast (Video)

Mac Miller's third studio album GO:OD AM is included in Ambrosia For Heads' "Best Hip-Hop Albums Of 2015." For those newer to the Warner Bros. Records-backed work, "Weekend" is exemplifying of what makes the LP strong. Featuring Miguel, the song is a written as a highly-personal outcry of life moving... Read more

January 12, 2016 Video

Kendrick Lamar Meets With President Obama And Vows To Pay It Forward (Video)

What a year Kendrick Lamar has had. In the last 12 months, he released his To Pimp A Butterfly album, spawning critical acclaim strong enough to generate 11 Grammy nominations and, more importantly, a soundtrack for an entire generation dealing with issues of race, inner conflict and police brutality. The... Read more

January 12, 2016 Video

It Was No Fluke…Token Is a Lyrical Assassin Who Will Obliterate Any & All Sucka MCs (Video)

Last year, 17-year old rapper Token burst onto the scene with "No Sucka MCs," a lyrical display that stood among the best of 2015. Now, less than 2 weeks into 2016, he releases a sequel and tops it, setting a very high bar for where lyricism should be in the... Read more

January 11, 2016 Video

“Rubble Kings” Album Features Ghostface Killah, Run The Jewels, Bun B & More (Stream & Download)

Back in June, Heads got a serious history lesson with the release of Rubble Kings, a documentary exposing the real-life events in '70s New York City that led to the formation of what we now recognize as Hip-Hop culture. Now, the highly acclaimed film has an official soundtrack, featuring new... Read more

January 11, 2016 News

The Game & Trey Songz Release A Record About The Ladies That Might Make Many Blush (Audio)

The Game released 36 songs in 2015, via his The Documentary 2 and 2.5 albums. The star-studded albums were considered by many to be among the finest in Game's catalog, and covered wide-ranging topics, from continued gang banging in L.A. to the void left by Tupac to recently re-captured drug... Read more

January 11, 2016 Audio