News Archives

J. Cole Wins His First Grammy Ever Alongside 21 Savage

Tonight (January 26), J. Cole took home his first Grammy Award. The accomplished MC/producer has been nominated seven times ahead of the 2020 ceremonies, having never won. That changed with a win alongside 21 Savage in the "Best Rap Song" category. The two artists scored the victory for 2018 video... Read more

January 26, 2020 News

Anderson .Paak & Andre 3000 Take Home The Grammy For Best R&B Performance

Anderson .Paak and André 3000 won a Grammy tonight (January 26) for their 2019 collaboration, "Come Home." The song took home "Best R&B Performance" honors, besting songs by Daniel Caesar and Brandy, H.E.R. and Bryson Tiller, Lizzo and Gucci Mane, and Lucky Daye. The track belongs to Andy's second album... Read more

January 26, 2020 News

Diddy Blasts The Grammys For Not Respecting Hip-Hop & Calls For A Boycott (Video)

Last night (January 25) Sean "Diddy" Combs received the annual Icon Award in Beverly Hills, California. There, just ahead of the 62nd Grammy Awards and at an official Pre-Grammy Gala, the three-time winner blasted the Recording Academy for the areas which they need to improve—especially in how they treat Black... Read more

January 26, 2020 News, Video

Kobe Bryant Has Died At The Age Of 41

UPDATE: Yesterday's (January 26) helicopter crash took the lives of nine people, including Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria "Gigi" Onore. Seven other passengers have been confirmed to have died in the accident. Onore's basketball teammates Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester were also in the crash, as well... Read more

January 26, 2020 News

Westside Gunn, Benny & Conway Explain Why Griselda Was The Best Rap Crew Of 2019

Benny The Butcher, Conway The Machine, and Westside Gunn had a stellar campaign in 2019. Amid the roughly dozen projects dropped by the Buffalo, New York-based label, the trio of MCs released their debut collaborative project, WWCD, from Shady Records. Recently, the Griselda squad sat down with B.Dot and Elliott... Read more

January 25, 2020 Video

Black Thought & The Roots Amplify Gary Clark Jr.’s Protest Anthem With A Remix

Everything seems to sound better when Black Thought, Questlove, and The Roots are involved. In 2019, The Roots, who serve as the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performed a remixed version of "This Land" alongside Gary Clark Jr. The Austin, Texas native has created a defiant,... Read more

January 25, 2020 Audio

T3 Shares Fantastic Memories Of Dilla & Slum Village On A Song That Features Baatin

Slum Village began out of a dream from three Pershing High School classmates living in the Constant Gardens section of Detroit, Michigan. J Dilla, Baatin, and T3 would organically garner attention in the mid-1990s. At the same time that Dilla (as "Jay Dee") was sought out to produce for A... Read more

January 25, 2020 Audio

EarthGang’s New Video Is For A Song That Prompted J. Cole To Sign Them

EarthGang's Olu and WowGr8 were scorching hot throughout their 2019 campaign. The Dreamville duo were apart of some of the year's best and most talked about projects, including J. Cole's Rap menagerie, Revenge Of The Dreamers III. Recently, Cole and Ibrahim Hamad assisted with the drop of a Director's Cut... Read more

January 23, 2020 Video

Lupe Fiasco Wants To Be The Next Member Of Slaughterhouse

Nearly two years ago, Slaughterhouse disbanded. The moment became official when Kxng Crooked (aka Crooked I) announced that he had withdrawn from the super-group. Days later, Royce 5'9 echoed Crook's point. The news came during a year where Joe Budden had proclaimed himself retired from music. Instead, Joe's primary focuses... Read more

January 23, 2020 Fresh

Madlib & Oh No’s Album Shows That Making Great Hip-Hop Is Their Family Business

The Brothers Jackson have blessed listeners with one-off tracks for years now. Ever since 2008 on Madlib's WLIB AM: King Of The Wigflip, the two Oxnard, California natives have teamed up as a killer producer-rapper combo. Late last year, Otis Jackson, Jr. shared word that he and his younger brother... Read more

January 23, 2020 Audio

The Game Assists TOBi With A Chilling New Verse To A Heartfelt Song About The Blues

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, MC/singer TOBi moved from Africa to Ottawa when he was 9 years old. There, the man raised as Oluwatobi Ajibolade began writing songs and poetry. As a teen, TOBi found his way into battle rapping. An old clip of TOBi battling a young Tory Lanez, who... Read more

January 22, 2020 Audio

J. Cole & Marshawn Lynch Discuss Drug Addiction, Capitalism & Paying Dues (Video)

Hosted by Blackout for Human Rights, the fifth annual MLK Now event took place at the Riverside Church in Harlem, New York, and was where Dr. King gave his historic "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" speech in 1967. Hip-Hop superstar J. Cole returned after participating in the inaugural... Read more

January 22, 2020 Lifestyle, Video

Screwball Member Hostyle Has Passed Away At The Age Of 47

Hostyle, a founding member of Queens, New York Hip-Hop group Screwball, has died. R.A. The Rugged Man, Cormega, and other collaborators of the man born Frederick Ivey have acknowledged his passing. He was reportedly 47 years old. His cause of death has not been made public at this time. With... Read more

January 20, 2020 News

Page Kennedy Pulls Up On Challenging Issues & Confronts Them With Hard Bars (Video)

It's no secret that Detroit, Michigan's Page Kennedy prides himself on delivering rewind-worthy punchlines and thoughtful concepts. Yet his most recent art has him showcasing another sort of pride. Pulled from his latest tape, late 2019's Straight Bars III, the actor and lyricist shares his thoughts on all the ill-will... Read more

January 20, 2020 Video

Joe Budden Responds To Eminem’s Latest Disses

On Friday morning, Eminem surprise-released a new album. His third LP since October of 2017 features an exciting guest list of MCs as well some ongoing jabs at rivals, including MGK, Brand Nubian's Lord Jamar, and Joe Budden. This weekend, Budden responded to Music To Be Murdered By lyrics on... Read more

January 19, 2020 Audio, News, Video

Memphis Bleek Recalls A Wild Story About JAY-Z’s Early Stash Of Cash (Video)

Under the watchful eye of JAY-Z, Dame Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, Roc-A-Fella Records first opened its doors in the mid-1990s. At the onset, Jay was the star of his own label. However, as the label expanded, Memphis Bleek—a Marcy Projects neighbor would be among the early additions to the... Read more

January 18, 2020 Video

Royce 5’9’s Tracklist For “The Allegory” Features Griselda, Vince Staples & DJ Premier

Yesterday (January 17), Royce 5'9 released the second video single to his 2020 album, The Allegory. The follow-up to 2018's acclaimed The Book Of Ryan has thus far included "Black Savage" (featuring T.I., CyHi The Prynce, Sy Ari Da Kid, and White Gold) as well as "Overcomer" (featuring Westside Gunn).... Read more

January 18, 2020 Fresh

Stretch & Bobbito Release An Album That Honors Some Of Hip-Hop’s Building Blocks

Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia are legends in the culture of Hip-Hop. The duo began their careers in radio on Columbia University’s WKCR radio station. Their late-night show helped jump-start iconic Rap careers by featuring the then-unsigned likes of Nas, JAY-Z, Wu-Tang Clan, Eminem, Big L, Biggie Smalls, Fugees, Big... Read more

January 17, 2020 Audio, Video

Eminem & Black Thought Release Their 1st Collabo. The Cypher Is Complete (Audio)

After appearing alongside each other in a 2009 BET Award Cypher with Mos Def, Eminem, and The Roots' frontman Black Thought have frequently been mentioned in the same conversation together as two of the best MCs of all time. Since that standout moment, both Em' and Black Thought have continued... Read more

January 17, 2020 Audio

Royce 5’9 Calls Yelawolf A Culture Vulture & Sends Him A Stern Warning (Video)

In terms of Hip-Hop's circle of elite lyricists, without question, Royce 5’9 has cemented an everlasting place at the table. Twenty years removed from "Boom," the Detroit, Michigan MC is making the best music of his decorated career, and has now added production to his repertoire. The same day he... Read more

January 17, 2020 News, Video

Eminem Has Just Dropped An Album Featuring Black Thought & Royce 5’9. Listen Here.

Eminem has done it again. Following 2018’s Kamikaze campaign, Marshall Mathers dropped another sneak-attack for fans. Like the last affair, this one comes out of nowhere. Titled Music To Be Murdered By, Em's eleventh album features Black Thought, Royce 5'9, Q-Tip, and Anderson .Paak, among others. It also has production... Read more

January 17, 2020 Audio, News

Roc Marciano Influenced A Decade Of Hip-Hop. He Looks Back At How He Did It (Video)

Roc Marciano's Rap career began before Y2K. However, the 2010s were a definitive decade for the Hempstead, Long Island MC/producer. After running with Flipmode Squad, co-founding The U.N., and putting in work with Pete Rock, Wu-Tang Clan, and others, the artist stepped forth. In 2010, the man born Rahkeim Meyer... Read more

January 15, 2020 Video

R.A. The Rugged Man Is A Hip-Hop Showman Who Rapped His Way From Loser To Legend

R.A. The Rugged Man knows how to grab eyeballs. The Long Island lyricist with the cult following announced his first album in nearly seven years today (January 15). So in sharing the good news, the respected MC leads with a video single that is captivating visually while offering a lot... Read more

January 15, 2020 Video

Biggie Smalls Will Be Inducted Into The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame

After weeks of open voting, the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee class was revealed this Wednesday morning (January 15). With some notable musical acts up for consideration — Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, and T-Rex — it is their sixth on the... Read more

January 15, 2020 News

Redman Is Slapping People Like His Rhymes Slap Beats (Video)

2019 was a quiet year for the legendary MC known as Redman, but the Funk Doctor Spock isn't letting the new decade start off the same way. Known as one of the greatest to ever bless the microphone, Reggie Noble dropped off a quick three-song project simply titled 3 Joints,... Read more

January 14, 2020 Video

Method Man & Mary J Blige Will Star In A “Power” Spinoff Series

Nearly 20 years ago, Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man and superstar R&B songstress Mary J. Blige won "Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group" for their collaboration, "I'll Be There For You / You're All I Need To Get By" (embedded below). The song was featured on Meth's 1994 solo... Read more

January 14, 2020 TV, TV/Film

Cam’ron Details Refusing To Pay A Threatening Suge Knight (Video)

Late last month Harlem's own Cam'ron released his seventh solo album, Purple Haze 2. The 15-years-later sequel to 2004's Purple Haze features Wale, Max B, and fellow Diplomats co-founder Jim Jones. Throughout the LP, Killa Cam spills knowledge from his nearly 25 years in Rap. There are recollections about late... Read more

January 13, 2020 Video

Deniro Farrar, Lute & Elevator Jay Rap With Heart And A Vision For A Better Life (Video)

Early last year, Charlotte, North Carolina MC Deniro Farrar released his most recent EP, Re-Up, his first since 2017's Mind Of A Gemini II. Next month, Farrar will debut the release of his ninth EP, Sole Food. In anticipation, Deniro has linked up with fellow North Carolina reps Lute and... Read more

January 13, 2020 Video

Will Smith Discusses His Jealousy Of Jada’s Relationship With Tupac (Video)

This week, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's Bad Boys For Life hits theaters for a January 17 premiere. The longtime friends and fellow actors sat down with the Breakfast Club to discuss the new film, including the franchise's beginnings, personal growing pains, and their impact on Black culture. At one point... Read more

January 13, 2020 Lifestyle, Video

Lords Of The Underground Are Back… Don’t Sleep On Real Rap (Video)

The New Jersey trio of DoItAll, Mister Funke, and DJ Lord Jazz have made their return to music and are gearing up to release their first album in over a decade. Together as Lords Of The Underground, the group released four albums between 1993-2007, but have been relatively quiet in... Read more

January 12, 2020 Video

Smoke DZA & Benny Take Pete Rock Production To The Streets Of New York (Video)

Smoke DZA and Benny The Butcher are warming up the frigid streets of New York with their brand of bully-bars over dope production. On their latest adventure, Statue Of Limitations, this destructive duo links up with Pete Rock for this collaborative EP that is six songs, 20 minutes of all-killer,... Read more

January 12, 2020 Video

Oddisee Checks In With A Brand New Verse & It’s Delightful (Audio)

Elaquent is back in a major way with a new song for 2020. Born Sona Elango, the producer and musician left his native Guelph, Ontario, for the rugged lanes of Washington, D.C., where he cut his teeth forging a style all his own. Through trial and error, Elaquent created his... Read more

January 11, 2020 Audio

Conway, Westside Gunn & Benny Break Down The History Of The Griselda Movement (Video)

As far as Rap crews in 2019, Griselda Records proved to be one the biggest. However, the collective that includes label figurehead Westside Gunn, brother Conway The Machine, cousin Benny The Butcher, and producer Daringer, did things a bit differently. Five years into a label, and more than 15 years... Read more

January 11, 2020 Video

Rapsody’s Dedication To Afeni Shakur Reminds Women To Keep Ya Head Up (Video)

Rapsody released one of 2019's best albums with Eve. In 2020, she continues to promote the body of work in 2020 with a fresh visual that pays tribute to Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur. The video to the song featuring PJ Morton arrives on what would have been Afeni's 73rd birthday. She... Read more

January 10, 2020 Video

Redman Samples “Da Rockwilder” & M.O.P. Adlibs To Make A New Banger (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than its ever been. Not only are we able to... Read more

January 10, 2020 Audio

Mac Miller’s Family Is Releasing A Companion LP To “Swimming.” Here Is The 1st Video

UPDATE: Mac Miller's family has released the tracklist to Circles, as well as its first music video. This comes one day after the album announcement. "Good News" is the first glimpse of the January 17 LP, produced by Miller and Jon Brion. The animated video is book-ended with footage of... Read more

January 9, 2020 News, Video

DJ Muggs Is Cosigning A New Class Of MCs. Tha God Fahim Is 1 Of His Favorites (Video)

Since 2017, DJ Muggs has been dropping joint albums with the who’s who of a new generation of underground MCs. The Cypress Hill co-founder has taken it upon himself to put a spotlight on the current renaissance of Hip-Hop players. His Soul Assassins albums with Eto, CRIMEAPPLE, Mach-Hommy, and Tha... Read more

January 8, 2020 Video

Griselda’s Hype Williams-Directed Music Video Shows Their Street Dreams Came True

The Griselda Records family has dropped a slew of music videos over the last half-decade and beyond. The visuals are often like the music: rooted in the street with a no-nonsense approach to being the best out. However, following late November's WWCD (named one of Ambrosia For Heads' "Best Albums Of... Read more

January 8, 2020 Video

Dave Chappelle Explains Why He Defends The Rights Of All Standup Comedians (Video)

In a ceremony held last October, Dave Chappelle was formally presented with the Mark Twain Prize For American Humor at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Alongside family and friends, including Yasiin Bey, Common, Kenan Thompson, Jon Stewart, and Tiffany Haddish, Chappelle’s more than 30 years in comedy... Read more

January 8, 2020 Lifestyle, TV, TV/Film, Video

The D.O.C. Recalls The Night Of His Car Accident With New Details (Video)

For many Hip-Hop Heads, The D.O.C. is widely regarded as one of the most skilled lyricists and songwriters. A native of Dallas, Texas, the artist born Tracy Curry linked with Dr. Dre in the late 1980s to make history. After assisting with the writing on N.W.A.'s Grammy Hall Of Fame-inducted Straight... Read more

January 7, 2020 Video

Mick Jenkins Is A Deep MC. His Black Milk-Produced Song Is About Living Carefree

UPDATE: Mick Jenkins has released the video for "Carefree": ORIGINAL JANUARY 4 STORY: It has been over a year since Chicago, Illinois MC Mick Jenkins released Pieces Of A Man. The acclaimed record perfectly encapsulated Jenkins' style as a mellowed-out deep-thinker with an ear for Jazz production. Following a... Read more

January 7, 2020 Video

Supernatural Details How Losing A Battle To Craig G Prepared Him To Defeat J.U.I.C.E.

MC Supernatural is widely recognized as one of the greatest improvisational freestyle rappers ever to pick up a microphone. Since he came on the scene in the early 1990s, the Marion, Indiana native has won epic battles, made music with some of Hip-Hop’s elite while living on both coasts, and... Read more

January 4, 2020 Throwback, Throwback, Video

Your Old Droog’s New Song Features Prodigy Over Alchemist Production (Audio)

2019 showcased that Brooklyn, New York rapper Your Old Droog seemingly never stops working. The veteran artist dropped three full-length albums in the year to keep fans eating: It Wasn't Even Close in April, Transportation two months later, and his latest album, Jewelry, which released in the closing days of... Read more

January 2, 2020 Audio

This Mix Tunes Through De La Soul’s 3 Feet High And Rising, Sample By Sample

More than 30 years ago, De La Soul released its debut album, 3 Feet High And Rising. Produced by then-Stetsasonic member Prince Paul, the Tommy Boy Records LP became a benchmark of Hip-Hop music. While Posdnuos (aka Plug 1) and Trugoy (aka Plug 2) waxed poetic about life in Long... Read more

January 2, 2020 Audio, Mixes, Video

Earl Sweatshirt Explains How Being “Woke” Isn’t Enough To Confront The Issues (Video)

A few days before the conclusion of 2019, MC/producer Earl Sweatshirt scheduled a public talk at the Museum Of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, California, with his mother, Cheryl Harris, a law professor at the University of California. The talk was called “In/between us: a conversation on art, music, and life."... Read more

January 2, 2020 Lifestyle, Video

Skillz Raps Up 2019 & He Does It With 20/20 Vision (Audio)

For many Hip-Hop Heads, New Years is not a holiday without Mad Skillz. The Richmond, Virginia veteran MC (and DJ) closes the book on 2019 with a tradition that nearly goes back to Y2K. The "2019 Rap Up" is here, just ahead of many fans' celebrations, reflection, and ringing in... Read more

December 31, 2019 Audio

LL Cool J Is Back On Def Jam & Q-Tip Is Producing His Music

Between 1984 and 2008, LL Cool J released 12 albums at Def Jam Records. James Todd Smith had been a flagship artist at the label launched by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin. His discography, which also includes multiple greatest hits volumes, boasted platinum and gold accolades, as well as a... Read more

December 31, 2019 Fresh, News

D Smoke Shows He’s Much More Than A Winner Of A Rap Competition (Video)

After impressing judges T.I., Cardi B. and Chance the Rapper and winning Netflix's Hip-Hop competition show, Rhythm & Flow, D Smoke has finally released his first music video this week in support of his debut album, Inglewood High. The LP was released back in October, a few weeks after the... Read more

December 28, 2019 Video

The Upcoming Documentary On Michael Jordan & The Bulls’ Last Dance Looks Amazing

At the top of 2019, a trailer for the 10-part "30 For 30" documentary series titled The Last Dance was unveiled. At just over a minute in length, the original teaser forecast a spotlight shined specifically on the team's sixth and final championship title with the Chicago Bulls during the... Read more

December 26, 2019 TV, TV/Film, Video

Drake Explains Why Pusha-T Revealing His Son Was A Genius Chess Move

This week, Drake released a new video single, "War." The Toronto, Ontario superstar let listeners know that he would like to make peace with The Weeknd. However, as the song’s title suggests, the MC/singer used wordplay and subliminal disses to confront enemies, potentially including Pusha-T, Kanye West, Puff Daddy, and possibly... Read more

December 26, 2019 Video