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Oh Boy! Just Blaze Brings Out Unreleased Roc-A-Fella Goodies In A Radio Set (Mix)

This week, producer/DJ Just Blaze was a guest host on Q-Tip's Abstract Radio show on Beats 1. Just filled in for the man who provided guest vocals to his "Girls, Girls, Girls" hit for Jay Z nearly 15 years ago. Rather than just playing what he feels, the veteran New... Read more

15 Years Ago, Xzibit’s Restlessness Helped Make Him a Household Name (Editorial)

On December 12, 2000, Los Angeles, California-based MC Xzibit dropped his third album, one that arrived at a curious juncture in his musical and professional careers. Already considered a West Coast favorite thanks to the grassroots and Underground support of his sophomore effort 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz, the streets... Read more

Duck Down Artists Old & New Celebrate By Performing The Hits, For 3 Hours (Video)

How many labels in Hip-Hop can get all of their artists over the last 20 years back together on stage? Duck Down Music (a/k/a Duck Down Records) celebrated its 20th anniversary this month. On B.B. Kings' Manhattan stage, founders Dru Ha and Buckshot Shorty celebrated this massive milestone accomplishment with a... Read more

DJ Hollywood Tells Ice-T What He Says Is The True Story Of Hip-Hop’s Origins (Audio)

On the latest episode of his Final Level podcast, Ice T chats with DJ Hollywood, the legendary Harlem DJ whose work in the '70s and '80s helped elevate Hip-Hop culture from obscurity to relevance, a story far too unfamiliar in music lore. Along with co-host Mick Benzo, Ice took the... Read more

Black Thought Spits Fire About Lost Love on Unreleased Statik Selektah Track (Audio)

Just one day after Black Thought tore through a DJ Premier beat alongside Royce Da 5'9" on PRhyme's "Wishin' II," the Roots front man is back again, this time lamenting on missteps in romance. "Couldn't Tell" is a brooding cut that didn't make it onto Statik Selektah's July album Lucky... Read more

Pusha T’s King Push: Darkest Before The Dawn Tracklist Features Beanie Sigel & Kanye West

In one week, Pusha T will release his sophomore studio album, King Push: Darkest Before The Dawn (December 18). After promoting King Push, the follow-up to 2013's My Name Is My Name for more than one year, the Clipse and Re-Up Gang co-founder noted that he would release an album... Read more

Wu-Tang Clan’s Millionaire Album Buyer Comes Forth, Just As RZA Distances Himself.

Last month, it was reported that Wu-Tang Clan's perceived seventh album had been sold for a sum of more than $1 million. Produced by veteran Wu affiliate Cilvaringz, the work featured vocals from all members (reportedly including the late O.D.B.), largely recorded in Morocco. More interestingly, the album known as... Read more

Nicki Minaj Sees Herself in Victims of Police Brutality & Says Sandra Bland “Could Have Been Me”

This year has been another history-making chapter of Nicki Minaj's career. Back in March, she became a Billboard chart darling, becoming the first female artist to land four simultaneously charting songs in the top ten positions of R&B/Hip-Hop. Several months later, she had a watershed night at the BET Awards,... Read more

Rapper Big Pooh & K-Hill Know No Quitting. This Soulful Song Inspires (Audio)

North Carolina MC K-Hill has been grinding for more than 10 years, making a name for himself through work with the likes of Big Daddy Kane, Sean Boog, and the late PumpkinHead. Making noise from the N.C. state around the same time as Little Brother's emergence, his song "The Prodigal"... Read more

Ace Cosgrove Combines Funk With Raw Raps In His Latest Single (Video)

Out of Maryland, Ace Cosgrove has a sound that's unlike anything traditionally heard in the DMV. The Ambrosia For Heads Spotlight artist releases his latest video single, "Baby Need Clothes." A song that explains his reason for grinding so hard for the career, combines a Pop-savvy, Funk-informed beat with an... Read more

Pusha T Bodies Another Track Leaving Nothing But Crutches, Crosses & Caskets (Audio)

Since the announcement that he was being named the president of G.O.O.D. Music, Pusha T has been on a mission. Each week since, he has released lethal track after lethal track, including "Untouchable," "Holy Angel" and "M.F.T.R. (More Famous Than Rich)." Now, he steps up with his second release in... Read more

Michelle Obama Gets On The Mic For Education & Shows Why She’s Flow-Tus (Video)

First the last 18 months, First Lady Of The United States Michelle Obama has been diligently advancing her Reach Higher initiative. The objective of the extended campaign is "to inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a... Read more

Aloe Blacc Remembers Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Paris & More This Christmas (Video)

Aloe Blacc has released a stunning and powerful video for his song, "Merry Christmas Mr. Brown." The song is a wistful reflection about a number of the tragic losses that have become emblazoned in our minds over the last few years. Specifically, he pays tribute to Michael Brown, Eric Garner,... Read more

“Straight Outta Compton” Dominated 2015 in Many Ways. So Why the Golden Globes Snub?

Just a few days after the Recording Academy left many Heads scratching their, well...heads, over Grammy nominations, the Hollywood Foreign Press has got many people asking "what were they thinking?" The organization behind the Golden Globes announced its list of nominees for the best in film and television of 2015,... Read more

Affirmative Action in Education is Eliciting Heated Debate by the Supreme Court (Audio)

Earlier today, the Supreme Court presided over a discussion about affirmative action within the jurisdiction of higher education. For many years, the issue of race has played a large role in the process of college and university admissions, and as any Heads who have applied to such a school can... Read more

Black Thought Finally Rhymes Over A DJ Premier Beat & He Smashes It (Audio)

When DJ Premier, Royce Da 5'9", and Adrian Younge started mapping out the self-title album known as PRhyme, The Roots' Black Thought was a planned guest. However, the Grammy Award-winning band's longtime manager/producer Rich Nichols passed away in mid-2014, halting plans. In 2016, as PRhyme readies a deluxe edition release... Read more

Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch & Last Emperor Freestyle In A Found 2001 Moment (Audio)

In 2001, things were taking off for Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch. As part of the Rawkus Records movement, these 1990s alums were paving the way for solo careers following extensive group success with the likes of Organized Konfusion, Black Star, and Reflection Eternal. Presumably doing the Hip Hop For... Read more

Stream O.C.’s New EP, Chock Full Of Introspect & Precise Delivery (Audio)

O.C. is an MC whose biggest albums are not necessarily his best selling. While, the Brooklyn/Queens, New York representative's 1994 debut Word...Life is widely considered an incredible album, the Diggin' In The Crates member has made works to follow that have stood just as tall. Recently, O's Trophies effort with... Read more

Your Old Droog Is A Freestyle Fanatic, One Of The Best Around… (Video)

Less than two days after his crazy freestyle caught on VHS tape, Your Old Droog laces Statik Selektah's ShowOff Radio show. There, Y.O.D. gives the artist he's worked on albums with an animated freestyle over a vintage Busta Rhymes beat. Droog weaves in clever slang, commentary on wack industry events,... Read more

Chris Rivers, Emilio Rojas & G. Fisher Are Lyrical Hitmen For Hire (Audio)

Three of Hip-Hop's hungriest, lyrically-leaning New York MCs come together on the appropriately-titled "Mercenaries." Emilio Rojas and Chris Rivers have been making noise for years, garnering excitement through freestyles, cyphers, guest appearances, and their own fully-produced songs. G. Fisher is the latest Diggin' In The Crates-cosigned MC to come forth,... Read more

DJ Premier, Royce Da 5’9″ & Joey Bada$$ Say We’re In a New Golden Era (Audio)

The term is used a lot when discussing Hip-Hop. Generally speaking, the Golden Era or Golden Age is used to describe a bygone era, one that rose to prominence in the mid- to early '90s, when lyricism was considered to be the supreme skill required to be considered a true... Read more

50 Cent Reclaims His Power on The Kanan Tape (Mixtape)

50 Cent has been teasing the release of The Kanan Tape for months. Now, after a few fits and start, the project is finally here. The mixtape, which is named after 50's menacing character on the Power series he executive produces, features the same type of grit that defines the... Read more

G-Eazy Releases One Of The Most Courageous Songs You Will Hear All Year (Audio)

Last week (12/4), G-Eazy released his sophomore major label album, When It's Dark Out. As its title and cover art suggest, the album tackles several things that take place under the cover of dark. G raps about the expected, such as sex, drugs and partying, but he also covers the... Read more

See Why Anderson .Paak Has Co-Signs from Dre, Premier, 9th Wonder, Madlib & More (Video)

As Anderson .Paak continues his unstoppable rise to much deserved and overdue acclaim, there's an aspect to his multi-dimensional range of talents that many folks have yet to see, and that's his live performance. Appearances on some of the year's biggest records - namely Dr. Dre's Compton and the Game's... Read more

Bernie Sanders Calls Out Republicans for “Suicidal Course” on Climate Change (Video)

Last night, Vermont senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders visited Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show, where the Broooklyn, New York native outlined the major points of his political platform for a very receptive audience. After calling Republican frontrunner Donald Trump's politics "demagoguery" and "crap," Sanders focused on what he... Read more

Remy Ma & Papoose Kick A Rugged Freestyle Over Red & Meth’s “How High” (Video)

Remy Ma and Papoose are the latest addition to the cast of Love & Hip-Hop: New York. They stopped by Hot 97 in promotion of the series, and it would not be a Remy and Pap show without those bars. Peter Rosenberg selected the "How High" beat that Erick Sermon... Read more

How The Grammy Nomination of a Diss Song May Be Their Greatest Hip-Hop Misstep, Yet

This week began with the 2016 Grammy Award nominations. For Hip-Hop fans, this year's noms included 11 in the direction of Kendrick Lamar, thanks to his March, 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly. Two years removed from controversial wins by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis in the 2014 "Best Rap Song,"... Read more

Ghostface Killah Remixes The Weeknd For What May Be A Supreme Clientele 2 Preview (Audio)

In 2015, The Weeknd made an anthem out of "Can't Feel My Face." That's an attitude and descriptive that Ghostface Killah knows about, since long before he made 2006's "Kilo." To close out the year, G.F.K. extends the practice he and Kanye West have for jumping on remixes. This time,... Read more

The Game Returns The Favor & Joins Anderson .Paak on a Jazz-Infused New Banger (Audio)

After working with both DJ Premier and Dr. Dre this year, Anderson .Paak joined The Game on The Documentary 2.5, laying down soulful vocals on the album's opening 2 tracks, "Magnus Carlsen" and "Crenshaw / 80s and Cocaine." Since then, the singer, who has become one of the hottest new... Read more

The Weeknd Releases A Stunning & Disturbing Strip Club Video Like You’ve Never Seen

Throughout his meteoric career, The Weeknd has had a penchant for disturbing and boundary pushing videos. This year alone, his visuals have centered around wrecks, explosions, immolation, murder and other mayhem. His latest is a short film for "In The Night," and it is unsettling, even by The Weeknd's standards.... Read more

Time Magazine Could Name Black Lives Matter Activists as Person of the Year, But Will They?

Time magazine is a classic piece of American journalism, a long-standing publication that covers all aspects of social and political life and the annual selection of "Person of the Year" was first launched by the magazine in 1927 (the first being aviator and American icon Charles Lindbergh). It's hard to... Read more

Pusha T Calls Out The Fake Lifestyles Of Other Rappers on “M.F.T.R. (More Famous Than Rich)” (Audio)

For more than 15 years, Pusha T has drawn the parallels from the street hustle and the music hustle, and how each equates to status. Approaching his sophomore solo album, Darkest Before Dawn (December 18), the G.O.O.D. Music President has another comparison he wants to make: fame versus wealth. "M.F.T.R.... Read more

Logic’s Star Shines Brightly with Help From the Roots on “The Tonight Show” (Video)

25-year-old Logic has had a whirlwind couple of years, shattering all preconceived notions about what a real MC looks like or where a real MC comes from. The Maryland native was born Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, and since signing to Def Jam and releasing not, but two immensely successful... Read more

Action Bronson & Roc Marciano Join Meyhem Lauren For A Bonus Round (Audio)

Queens, New York MC Meyhem Lauren has been earning the attention from Heads thanks to his collaborations with the likes of Buckwild, a member of the legendary Diggin' in the Crates (DITC) crew, and today he has dropped another hot collabo. Featuring Action Bronson (with whom he previously collaborated on... Read more

J. Cole Is Brewing Brilliant Lyricism In This Caffeinated Moment Of Clarity (Audio)

Although many may associate dreaming with sleeping, Cole's compilation inclusion is "the best part of waking up." A song called "Folgers Crystals" finds the Roc Nation star in his finest form, showing both passion and thought in his delivery. This song is an inclusion from the surprise-early release of Revenge... Read more

This Brand Nubian “One For All” Tribute Is An Audio All-In-One (Mix)

Last week, Brand Nubian's celebrated debut album, One For All, reached its 25th birthday. The breakthrough album by Sadat X, Lord Jamar, Grand Puba, and DJ Alamo not only carries the distinction of being a "5 Mic" Source album, but a definitive body of work for New Rochelle, New York,... Read more

The Power Circle Opens: Wale & Jay Rock Have Words Over Kendrick Lamar

It was all good three years ago... 2012 was a breakthrough year for the alliance forged between TDE and Maybach Music Group. While several records would follow, Kendrick Lamar notably appeared on MMG video single "Power Circle" from the Self Made, Vol. 2 compilation release. In the months after, K-Dot... Read more

Travi$ Scott’s Family Ties To DJ Premier & Love Of Thrash-Metal Gets Revealed (Video)

Once again, oddball audiophile Nardwuar has linked up with another of today's most popular artists to chat about topics predictable and otherwise. This time, the Vancouver, British Columbia mainstay met with Houston rapper Travi$ Scott, whose debut album Rodeo has been oft-cited as one of the year's most exciting. Also... Read more

Rick Ross & DJ Premier’s Black Market Collabo Holds Weight (Audio)

Nearly a decade ago, when Rick Ross' stardom jumped off via "Hustlin'," he was a mid-2000s tour de force. In the time since, Ricky Rozay has made some of Rap's biggest anthems, and showed even some skeptics why he won over the ears of Erick Sermon, then-Def Jam President Jay... Read more

Your Old Droog Is A Throwback. It’s Only Right He Freestyles On Camcorder. (Video)

Your Old Droog is a brilliant time machine back to a place in Hip-Hop and New York City associated with the 1990s. The Brooklyn, New Yorker uses a slang, conjures images, and favors beats that very much align with a mid-1990s movement heard in Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and Gang Starr... Read more

Jadakiss & Nipsey Hussle Spend a Day on the Block, Where Some Things Never Change (Video)

On November 20, Jadakiss released Top 5 Dead or Alive, an album with an ambitious title but a fitting one for many Heads, considering its source. A day before, he dropped a heater of a track in "Rain," featuring stand-out verses from Nas and Styles P. The same day as... Read more

Big Daddy Kane Returns To Acting, Opposite Keanu Reeves In This Trailer (Video)

In addition to one of Rap's most respected musical careers, Big Daddy Kane is also a professional actor. The Brooklyn, New York native starred in 1990s films like Meteor Man and Posse, before making a return to Hollywood in the 2000s. Recently, Big Daddy Kane has been touring, recording, and... Read more

Sean Price Music Will Release For Years To Come, According To Duck Down

This month, Duck Down Music (formerly known as Duck Down Records) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It's been a challenging year for the independent label launched by Dru-Ha and Black Moon's Buckshot. Although the label continues to expand its roster and extend its storied catalog, it lost a Duck Down... Read more

The Hip-Hop Generation’s Online Influence Is Being Co-Opted by Nearly Everyone

2015 has seen the rise of things like meme culture, Vines, and the Snapchat effect - all trends directly correlated to the merging of youth and technology. With the advent of Instagram and similar apps, internet culture has become a virtual playground, where creatives both young and old are creating... Read more

Two Decades Later, Dr. Dre & Kurupt Are Still Xxplosive Rhyme Partners (Audio)

Although Dr. Dre executive produced Tha Dogg Pound's multi-platinum debut Dogg Food in 1995, the N.W.A. alum was not as hands-on as he'd been with Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle. Kurupt was one of the star lyricists in the Death Row Records movement, and part of that famed off-shoot group. As... Read more

Kendrick Lamar Leads 2016 Grammy Nominees With 11 Nominations. Will They Get It Right Now?

The 2015 Grammy nominees have been announced, and Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with 11 nominations related to his critically acclaimed To Pimp A Butterfly album. His nominations include Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year ("Alright"), Best Rap Album, Best Music Video ("Alright") and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance... Read more

150 Years After Slavery Ended, Politicians Still Need a Reminder that Black Lives Matter

On December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified with the sate of Georgia's approval of the legislation, bringing a formal end to slavery. The ratification meant that, at least on paper, human beings were no longer allowed to be viewed as property and that,... Read more

Royce Da 5’9″ & Ras Kass Are Big On Witty Lyricism And Lots Of Attitude (Audio)

Ras Kass and Royce Da 5'9" have a history of collaborations. Both of these MCs hit the 2000s as lyrical tour de forces. Both men would subsequently face label woes, personal and legal battles, and an ever-changing focus of what's hot in Hip-Hop. But neither artist wavered, continually serving fans the... Read more

Chris Rivers & Whispers Brutalize The Beat In An Outta Control Freestyle (Video)

Chris Rivers will leave 2015 at an entirely different level than where he began the year. The Bronx, New York native has risen the old fashioned way, through songs, freestyles, and making the most of every moment. For Heads paying attention, the MC formerly known as Baby Pun brought the... Read more

J. Cole’s Record-Breaking Forest Hills Drive Tour is Getting the HBO Treatment (Video)

Since releasing his platinum-selling and universally acclaimed album 2014 Forest Hills Drive last year, J. Cole has continued to claim his rightful place as one of this generation's brightest stars. Not only applauded for his lyrical abilities and his production work - he recently flipped an A Tribe Called Quest... Read more