News Archives

KRS-One & Bumpy Knuckles Speak Truth To The People, On A Def Jef Remix (Audio)

In 2011, KRS-One and Bumpy Knuckles (a/k/a Freddie Foxxx) released Royalty Check. The 6.8.2 Records affair was 20 years after the two New York City hardcore MCs had worked together on "H.E.A.L.," and followed up with "Ruff Ruff." In the last weeks of 2015, Bumpy shares a special remix of... Read more

November 28, 2015 Audio

J. Cole Takes Kendrick’s Beat For A Black Friday Freestyle And It’s More Than Alright (Audio)

While many are out spending on the day after Thanksgiving, J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar are still giving. The two have coordinated a "Black Friday" double barrel attack, with Kendrick taking over Cole's "A Tale of Two Citiez" track and Jermaine commandeering K. Dot's "Alright." On Cole's version of "Black... Read more

November 27, 2015 Audio

Kendrick Lamar Sends A Black Friday Message To All Who Doubt He’s Still A Lyrical Monster (Audio)

Earlier this year, Kendrick Lamar released his critically-acclaimed follow up to good kid, m.A.A.d. city. That album, To Pimp A Butterfly, was a departure from the narratives and music of his major label debut, layering in dense funk powered by musicians like Thundercat, Terrace Martin and, the original funkateer, George... Read more

November 27, 2015 Audio

KRS-One: Police Are a “Federally Authorized Gang” & Presidential Candidates “Are a Joke” (Video)

"Trayvon Martin was your cure for Cancer. Freddie Gray was about to come up with something for planes that when they crash, they never exploded and everybody lives." Those are the opening words from KRS-One who, in a video package for CNN, contributed his thoughts and ideas for the network's... Read more

November 27, 2015 Lifestyle

Erykah Badu’s New Mixtape Features A Duet With Andre 3000 (Mixtape)

At 12:00am today, Erykah Badu dropped But You Cain't Use My Phone, an 11-track mixtape featuring her ingenious remix to Drake's "Hotline Bling" (now called ("Cel U Lar Device") as well as its follow-up single, "Phone Down." The latest project centers on themes of communication, and while the literal references... Read more

November 27, 2015 Mixes

Kxng Crooked & Statik Selektah Serve Up That Good Food For The Soul (Audio)

Ever have someone say you wouldn't accomplish something? Kxng Crooked did, and boy were they wrong. The sometimes Slaughterhouse member (formerly known as Crooked I) links with Statik Selektah on "Dead Or In Jail" with a message to all those who said that's where he would be when he got... Read more

November 26, 2015 Audio

Red Pill Joins Blu For A Song About The Strife Life On A Soothing Oddisse Beat (Audio)

Michigan MC Red Pill is gifted in putting the circumstances of everyday twenty-something living. He makes songs about recreational alcoholism, a generational chasm, and going in on some junk food. But whatever the topic, the Mello Music Group MC comes with a sincerity and soul that's hard to replicate. For... Read more

November 25, 2015 Audio

Eddie Murphy Received the Nation’s Highest Prize for Comedy & Proves Why He Deserves It (Video)

The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is given annually to those who have contributed a body of work that has greatly influenced comedy, and is considered the U.S.' highest honor of its kind. Given out every year since 1998, past recipients include Richard Pryor (who was awarded the very... Read more

November 25, 2015 Lifestyle

Chuck D, Large Professor, & Nas Celebrate How Youth Have Shaped Music Throughout History (Video)

Revolt TV has launched a new series called "Breaking Genres," which aims to examine the divisions within music, particularly as it relates to the varying labels used to define genres and subgenres. The multi-installment program is delivered in documentary form, with each episode examining a different aspect of the music... Read more

November 25, 2015 Fresh

Jay Rock & Kendrick Put Easy Bake Back In The Oven & Turn Up The Heat (Audio)

In August, Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar heat up the oven with a 90059 entry called "Easy Bake." Fresh out the oven at the time, the song was the perfect promotional appetizer for the TDE album to follow. More than three months later, Top Dawg Entertainment unveils the sequel, in... Read more

November 25, 2015 Audio

Naughty By Nature Announce 25th Anniversary Tour Dates & Plan EP

It has been nearly five years since East Orange, New Jersey Hip-Hop trio Naughty By Nature has released a project. Vin Rock, Treach, and Kay Gee have announced plans to commemorate their 25th year as N.B.N with new recording, and United States tour dates. While the group has toured and... Read more

November 25, 2015 News

KRS-One Apologizes to LL Cool J For Dissing Him, With A Detailed Freestyle (Video)

On Saturday night (November 21), KRS-One performed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In a concert joined by Rakim, Ras Kass, Domingo, DJ JS-1, and others, KRS was filmed (by Akil Esoon) as he welcomed a fan to the stage to perform some rhymes. That fan, dressed in a white track-suit and matching... Read more

November 25, 2015 Video

Blu, Rapper Big Pooh & Nottz Carry Some Sweet Soul Across Oceans (Audio)

Fresh off of Home Sweet Home, Rapper Big Pooh and Nottz keep the chemistry flowing. The Virginia pair team with Blu for a triangle offense, who seizes some Australian Soul. Bankrupt Billionaires is a Brisbane act with the booming vocals of Kel On Earth. Band producers Sammsonite and DATS turn... Read more

November 25, 2015 Audio

Adele Sings Hello While Fallon & The Roots Play Classroom Instruments. Still Amazing! (Video)

Many of Adele's biggest hits are rooted in heartbreak, loss or regret. The same holds true for her latest smash, "Hello." Leave it to Jimmy Fallon, however, to make even a song about someone's inability to get over a past love funny. As he has done with others, including Robin... Read more

November 25, 2015 Video

DJ Premier & Royce Da 5’9″‘s Long Awaited Collaboration w/ DOOM & Phonte Is Here (Audio)

The first lyrics you hear on "Highs & Lows" are very fitting to the situation, as Royce Da 5'9" sings "hey there music world, you've been keeping 'em waiting." As the group PRhyme, Royce and DJ Premier announced almost a year ago that they would be releasing a deluxe edition... Read more

November 24, 2015 Audio

Wu-Tang Clan’s “Once Upon A Time In Shaolin” Has Its Millionaire Buyer

More than a year and a half since fans learned of its existence, Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon A Time In Shaolin album has reportedly sold. Following offers reportedly above the $5 million mark, the legendary Hip-Hop collective has found a buyer for the LP recorded in Morocco, and produced by... Read more

November 24, 2015 News

Nick Grant Kicks One of The Best Verses Of The Year…Excluding NOBODY (Video)

Ever heard of Nick Grant? He recently went on the Sway In The Morning show and delivered one of the best verses of the year, hands down, with no qualifications. The South Carolina MC earned a 35+ minute interview with the OG Hip-Hop personality, after he smashed a cypher, that... Read more

November 24, 2015 Video

Rick Ross Reveals It’s Far From All Good on Crocodile Python (Audio)

Rick Ross continues to discuss both his highs and his lows in his recent releases. On the latest, "Crocodile Python" from his forthcoming Black Market album (12/4), Ross taps producer Jahlil Beats for the soundtrack. Beats, who produced one of 2014's Summer anthems with Bobby Shmurda's "Hot Nigga," downshifts and... Read more

November 24, 2015 Audio

Sheek Louch & Fabolous Take No Losses & No Prisoners (Audio)

Sheek Louch and Fabolous keep the chemistry flowing. The former Def Jam Records label-mates release "No Losses" from next week's Silverback Gorilla 2 album (December 4). These two 1990s MCs have been super-durable in the 2000s, and 2010s, with the kind of endurance that comes from an undefeated-like record. As... Read more

November 24, 2015 Audio

Dot Demo Gets Demonic to Remind Us We’re All Possessed (Video)

22 year-old Bronx MC Dot Demo has yet to release his debut album, but his creativity and fully polished work thus far have earned him considerable buzz. With Somewhere In Nirvana (notice the acronym) expected to arrive very soon, the young artist recently performed for Huffington Post's Freestyle Fridays series,... Read more

November 24, 2015 Video

Erykah Badu Meets The Breakfast Club. Jay Electronica Comes To Make Sure They Act Right (Video)

Erykah Badu made her first appearance ever on The Breakfast Club this morning. Coincidentally, DJ Envy had run into Jay Electronica, who has a daughter with Erykah, the night before, and Electronica recorded an admonishment to Charlemagne The God to be on good behavior during the conversation with Erykah. Envy... Read more

November 24, 2015 Video

Kickin’ It New School: U.S. Education Reform Is Causing Concern for Disadvantaged Students (Audio)

14 years ago, the United States Congress passed a measure that re-instituted the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the most extensive federal legislation involving education in the country's history. Essentially, the Act covers the funding for primary (kindergarten through elementary) and secondary (middle and high school) education, and its original... Read more

November 24, 2015 Lifestyle

Large Professor Demonstrates His Beat-Making Process. Watch The Master At Work (Video)

Large Professor is the latest producer to try his hand at Mass Appeal's Rhythm Roulette challenge. In the ongoing series, beatmakers are blindfolded, asked to pick 3 random records and tasked to produce a track using their selections. Past installments have included everyone from Just Blaze to Mannie Fresh to... Read more

November 24, 2015 Video

Jill Scott’s In Concert Rendition Of Strange Fruit Echoes Through The Eras (Video)

Recently, A&E aired Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America. The televised concert featured Pharrell Williams, Big Sean, Sting, John Legend, and Bruce Springsteen, among others. In that special, Jill Scott performed a cover of Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit." A standard of modern music, Jill Scott's... Read more

November 24, 2015 Video

Curren$y’s Canal St. Confidential Single Embraces A Formula That Works (Video)

Curren$y is less than two weeks away from his first major label album in more than a year. Canal St. Confidential (December 4) maintains Spitta's Warner Bros. Records discography, with The Stoned Immaculate garnering lots of praise. First official single "Boulders" finds Curren$y shifting his flow into high gear, and... Read more

November 24, 2015 Video

Killer Mike Endorses Bernie Sanders & Calls Him a Revolutionary (Video)

Last night, Hip-Hop and politics merged in what may be the most powerful way in a generation. Killer Mike hosted presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, where the two shared a meal, had a one-on-one discussion, and took the stage for a rally. Killer Mike (born... Read more

November 24, 2015 Lifestyle

Pusha T Has An Album Less Than A Month Away & It’s Not “King Push”

For more than two years, Pusha T has been discussing his sophomore solo album, King Push. The G.O.O.D. Music MC/executive and founder of the Clipse and Re-Up Gang confirmed to Noisey today (November 23) that his second solo set is on the way, but it won't be King Push. Instead,... Read more

November 23, 2015 News

KRS-One Dismantles A Fan That Challenged Him To A Battle (Video)

This past weekend (November 21), KRS-One performed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There, Kris (who has a new album releasing this week) rocked a bill that also included Rakim, Ras Kass, Domingo, DJ JS-1, among others. While performing his set at the Greater Pittsburgh Coliseum, KRS-One welcomed one fan from the crowd... Read more

November 23, 2015 Video

M.O.P. vs. ONYX May Make Heads Ante Up & Slam Down Some Cash (Video)

M.O.P. and ONYX both emerged on the scene around the same time. These early 1990s New York City Hip-Hop crews won over Rap fans and beyond with an energy that at times, was Punk Rock and Heavy Metal. Both acts loved yelling, screaming, and barking into the microphones, as they... Read more

November 23, 2015 News, Video

Redman Breaks Down “Bars” From His BET Cypher Verse (Video)

Last month, Redman became a trending term after his 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher verse. The Newark, New Jersey veteran MC appeared alongside his Def Squad cohorts Erick Sermon and Keith Murray, where he spit a verse that had Heads replaying the video just to keep up. Related: So... Read more

November 23, 2015 Video

Around the World, Street Art is Embracing Paris & Celebrating Its Resiliency

The recent terrorist attacks in Paris have dominated international headlines, and while certainly not the only incidents of tragedy happening in the world today, tributes to the city, its victims, and its spirit have loomed large. Since the November 13 events, millions across social media platforms voiced support, and now... Read more

November 23, 2015 Lifestyle

Jadakiss Believes That Keeping It Real Has Led To His Mass Appeal (Video)

Even though the album is still less than a week old, Jadakiss has quickly proved that Top 5 Dead Or Alive will have no shortage of visuals. Following Friday's (November 20) "You Don't Eat," 'Kiss reappears with a video for the Young Buck-assisted "Realest In The Game." Still black-and-white, this... Read more

November 23, 2015 Video

Talib Kweli Reveals What He Thinks Is Missing From Today’s Hip-Hop & Journalism

In a recent interview for Cultured Vultures, rapper Talib Kweli opened up to a young writer about the topical and philosophical, ranging from his thoughts on Indie 500, Hip-Hop's global appeal, the state of music journalism, and much more. Kweli's pedigrees as both an accomplished activist and writer are repeatedly... Read more

November 23, 2015 Fresh

Bishop Nehru Brings MC’ing Back To The Park In This Cool Video

Bishop Nehru, as a teenager, grasped so much of the greatness surrounding mid-1990s Hip-Hop. The MC from Rockland County, New York seemingly has more in common with acts like The Arsonists, The Juggernauts, and The Artifacts than he does with his own peer-group. Maybe that's why his work with MF... Read more

November 23, 2015 Video

See If You’ve Got The “Juice” For This Quiz On Hip-Hop Films.

Since the very beginning, Hip-Hop culture has been documented on film. Whether documentaries, TV specials, thrillers, comedies, or action flicks, rapping, DJ'ing, breaking, and graffiti have been featured in cinema. By the 1990s, many of Hollywood's marquee actors were also record-releasing MCs. Whether they are films about Hip-Hop, or movies... Read more

November 23, 2015 Fresh

MC Lyte Proclaims Fetty Wap as a Hip-Hop Feminist. Here’s Why. (Video)

This past weekend, the White House Council on Women & Girls delivered an all-day event which focused on the lives of American women and girls of color, with a special focus on improving the lives of those suffering from injustice and unequal access to things like quality education and healthcare.... Read more

November 23, 2015 Video

Def Diggin’ It. Redman & Lord Finesse Kick A Freestyle Together (Audio)

Following last month's BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher, so many people are talking about Redman's freestyle skills. Tech N9ne told AFH this past week that Reggie Noble "murdered everything" in regards to the Beanie Sigel instrumental track, alongside Def Squad comrades Erick Sermon and Keith Murray, as well as DJ... Read more

November 22, 2015 Audio

15 Years After Releasing “Mama’s Gun,” Erykah Badu Remains As Cleva As Ever (Editorial)

At the time of its release, Erykah Badu's sophomore album was often labeled as the sister album to D'Angelo's Voodoo, which had dropped 10 months earlier. Released on November 21, 2000, Badu's Mama's Gun was intimate, soul-baring, and one of the leaders of the Neo-Soul movement that presented an alternative... Read more

November 22, 2015 Food for Thought

Nate Dogg Was A Phenomenal Singer, But He Remains Unsung. Watch The Episode (Video)

Nate Dogg has been a part of some of Hip-Hop's biggest records. Whether his 213 family of Snoop Dogg and Warren G, Dr. Dre, Fabolous, or Eminem, Nathaniel Hale's voice brought a sense of soul, street, and strength to so many hits and pivotal album cuts. In his own career... Read more

November 21, 2015 Video

Anderson .Paak & TOKiMONSTA Seamlessly Blend Soul With EDM (Audio)

In this month's conversation with AFH, Anderson .Paak spoke about upcoming music with TOKiMONSTA. Totally different than his music with Dr. Dre, his music with Blended Babies, or his own brilliant two-sided solo single, Heads can now hear some of it. The MC/singer gets a bit dancey with the Los... Read more

November 21, 2015 Audio

Dr. Dre’s Music Gets Orchestral. This Is A New Kind Of “Deep Cover.” (Video)

Dr. Dre's music has pulled from many genres: R&B, Funk, Rock & Roll, Disco, Electronic, Jazz, and Pop. Now, Andre Young's compositions are the inspiration behind an orchestra. Tonight (November 21) at Los Angeles, California's Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Tarek Kandil and his The Love Ain't Enough Orchestra are dedicating a... Read more

November 21, 2015 Video

Tech N9ne’s Cypher I Shows A Mental Giant Hard At Work (Video)

Yesterday (November 20), Tech N9ne released his latest "Collabos" project, Strangeulation, Volume 2. The effort features several Strange Music-stacked cyphers. These purely skills displays showcase the values of the Kansas City, Missouri-based independent label. The first is its face-painted founder, alone, ripping apart bars with his stretched cadence, and rapid-fire... Read more

November 21, 2015 Video

Former Young Thug Road Manager Sentenced For Lil Wayne Tour Bus Shooting

In late April of this year, Lil Wayne's tour bus was fired upon while in Atlanta, Georgia. While no parties were injured, the incident came at a time when Wayne was in a heated personal and financial dispute with label Cash Money Records, with whom he has recorded since the... Read more

November 20, 2015 News

Bun B Knights LE$ As An Underground King. Curren$y Cosigns Too. (Video)

Jet Life Records affiliate MC LE$ has been rolling with Curren$y for years now. Along with Roddy, Trademark Da Skydiver, and Cornerboy P, his team is coming. Houston, Texas native LE$ previously cut his teeth with Slim Thug's Bo$$ Hog Outlawz, before linking with Louisiana's Spitta. On "UGK'z," he gets... Read more

November 20, 2015 Video

Jadakiss Explains What It Takes To Be Top 5 Dead Or Alive (Video)

Jadakiss' Top 5 Dead Or Alive releases today (November 20). The long-anticipated Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam Records album is a conversation piece for The LOX MC's own place in the game. With a plethora of peers on board, "You Don't Eat" is a song that's mostly about the skills and approach that... Read more

November 20, 2015 Video

60 Years Ago, Bo Diddley Popularized Something Your Favorite Rapper Does (Video)

On November 20, 1955, American television viewers were introduced to Bo Diddley, a Mississippi musician whose style would come to influence future generations in ways that are still felt powerfully today. What is now known as the "Bo Diddley Beat" may be his greatest legacy; the syncopated five-accent rhythm he... Read more

November 20, 2015 Throwback

Tech N9ne Evaluates Role Of Cyphers & Talks Next Solo Album (Interview)

Tech N9ne crams as many words and ideas into his energetic bars as he possibly can. It is this feat that has made him one of the most revered MCs of the last 15 years. He has become an independent deity, simultaneously skyrocketing in status, wealth, and respect, while much... Read more

November 20, 2015 Food for Thought

De La Soul Announces Album Release Schedule & More in Special Message for Fans

Originally slated for a September 2015 release, De La Soul's forthcoming album ...And the Anonymous Nobody has been pushed back several months, but all for good measure. In a recently released video statement, the legendary Hip-Hop trio shares with fans the latest news about the album, which they recently celebrated... Read more

November 20, 2015 News

Sean Price’s Memory Continues to Inspire His Ruckdown Label Mates (Video)

Comprised of MCs P and Rim, Da Villins are members of the Ruckdown roster, the label imprint founded by the late Sean Price. Hailing from Brownsville, Brooklyn, Da Villins work extensively with producer PF Cuttin and are associates of sister label Duck Down, home to much of Sean Price's solo... Read more

November 20, 2015 Video

Jadakiss Goes Head To Head With Nas and Styles P On “Rain” (Audio)

To be the best, you have to beat the best. Jadakiss' new album Top 5 Dead Or Alive hits stores and streaming services at midnight (11/20). For the last few months, Jadakiss has been releasing tracks that make it clear he takes the LP's title seriously. Kiss is used to... Read more

November 19, 2015 Audio