News Archives

Saukrates Makes A Poignant Return, Highlighting Industry Rule #4080 (Video)

Saukrates has been 20 years deep in Hip-Hop. An early Canadian staple as both an MC/producer, the Toronto, Ontario native was working with Xzibit long before Dr. Dre and Rockwilder did, making jams with Common before G.O.O.D. Music was established, and producing Choclair albums when Priority Records was still owned... Read more

March 9, 2015 Video

Sky’s The Limit When Kendrick Lamar Crushes A Freestyle Over Notorious B.I.G. Beats (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar verses can perform miracles. It's easy to imagine The Notorious B.I.G. smiling big, 18 years to the day after he physically left the world, as Kendrick Lamar touches some of the same kicks and snares he helped make famous. Appearing on opening day of Big Boy's Neighborhood on... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Footage Released Of Suge Knight’s Fatal Hit And Run (Video)

In the latest update in what is seemingly Hip-Hop's biggest story of 2015, video footage has been made public (by TMZ) of Marion "Suge" Knight's fatal hit and run. Taking place in Compton, California on January 29, the footage involves the former Death Row Records co-founder/CEO, actor Cle "Bone" Sloan,... Read more

March 9, 2015 Video

Finding The GOAT (Round 3): Nas vs. Ghostface Killah…Who You Got?

We have reached the third round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 42 MCs remaining, we are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into... Read more

March 9, 2015 Fresh

Slum Village & Phife Dawg Make A Collaboration That Measures Up To The History (Audio)

Slum Village and A Tribe Called Quest's fates are forever tied. Thousands of miles apart geographically, A.T.C.Q. would be the archetype that T3, Jay Dee, Baatin and aspired to follow in the mid-1990s. Moreover, those early Villa tapes were what Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad were playing around... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Joey Bada$$ & Maverick Sabre Make A Soulful Counter To Police Profiling (Video)

After Joey Bada$$ & Maverick Sabre's B4.Da.$$ collaboration, single "On & On" received a video inspired partly by police brutality, the pair extend the conversation. "We Don't Wanna Be" shows footage of protesting, and police confronting citizens. Sabre and Badman also appear, in the United Kingdom, showing that the plight... Read more

March 9, 2015 Video

Keep The International Women’s Day Celebrations Going With A Stellar Female MC Tape (Mix)

Yesterday (March 8) marked International Women's Day. Like all cultural movements, Hip-Hop has depended upon women for survival since its inception. In 2015, there are a host of female superstars, moguls, and elite professionals at the top of culture and Rap industry. However, along the way over the last 35-plus... Read more

March 9, 2015 Throwback

Freddie Gibbs Drops 3 Songs At Once & He’s Focused On His Quality (EP Stream)

Freddie Gibbs released two albums in 2014. The Gary, Indiana MC grabbed acclaim and a Top 40 chart foothold on his Madlib tandem, Pinata. The MC followed, less than two months later, with The Tonite Show. Like his flow, Gangsta Gibbs likes to move fast in a career that's made... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise Is #1 On The Charts. The Samples Played A Role (Mix)

More than five years in the making, Big Sean grabbed #1 album honors this past week with his third studio LP, Dark Sky Paradise. The G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Records star is bidding for a permanent place at Rap's upper echelon, and this album—boasting production from Kanye West, DJ Mustard, Mike... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Prince Paul’s Back, Blending Very Rare KRS-One, MF DOOM, Eminem & Alkaholiks (Mix)

Prince Paul's "It’s Not The Size of Your Mix It’s How You Use It" turns out to be a series after all. Following February's free-form mix of whatever the hell the Long Island, New Yorker wanted to spin, the Grammy Award-winning jokester is back with a second series. Volume 2... Read more

March 8, 2015 Audio

Lord Finesse Digs In His Crates & Throws Down Rare Grooves (Mix)

This week (March 10), Lord Finesse is releasing The SP1200 Project: A Re-Awakening on Slice Of Splice Records. Dubspot knows how to honor the Underboss. With the site's in-depth audio interview, the publication commissioned the Bronx, New York legendary producer/DJ (and MC) to get behind the wheels and spin some... Read more

March 8, 2015 Throwback

Gangrene Sound Bigger Than Life Without Losing Their Grimy Edge (Audio)

Gangrene played it especially cool in 2014. Alchemist got busy with Evidence as Step Brothers, while Oh No freaked his own brand of Funk alongside Prince Po for Animal Serum. A new year brings new moves for the California duo known for hallucinatory Hip-Hop, raw to the core. Alc' and... Read more

March 8, 2015 Audio

J-Live Heads West for Some Sun and FUNK…and He Pays It Forward (Video)

J-Live is an oft unheralded underground king. Justice Allah was once a school teacher and now, he saves his lessons for lesser rappers. The NYC born and bred MC headed out West for his latest visual, "Pay It Forward." In addition to taking in some sun, he seems to have... Read more

March 7, 2015 Video

Tupac Mashed Up with Gwen Stefani? Holla Back Girl If Ya Hear Me (Audio)

On paper, mixing Tupac with Gwen Stefani sounds like sacrilege. But, the end result works shockingly well. Sadly, Pac's career did not overlap with The Neptunes' dominant era, but this 2012 HipHopFightsBack fusion of Tupac's "Holla If Ya Hear Me" with Chad Hugo and Pharrell's production of Stefani's "Hollaback Girl"... Read more

March 7, 2015 Audio

Remember When Jay-Z and DMX Battled and Got Shown Up by Their Security Guard? (Video)

Here's a look back at one of the best moments of one of Hip-Hop's finest documentaries, Backstage. The scene was set for two of the all-time greats, DMX and Jay-Z, to go head to head in a battle. Each kicked icy cold verses...only to both be shown up by their... Read more

March 7, 2015 Throwback

It’s a Gangsta Party with Game and Meek Mill, But Nobody’s Celebrating (Audio)

Game and Meek Mill release some modern day reality Rap with their latest collaboration, "The Soundtrack." The two rekindle the chemistry they displayed on Game's "Scared Now," from his 2012 Jesus Piece album. Both Game and Meek Mill are two of the few MCs with the range to release club... Read more

March 6, 2015 Audio

Kendrick Lamar Announces Album Release Date and Title. Here’s the Story (News)

Few albums have been more anticipated in the last year than Kendrick Lamar's long-awaited follow up to his debut major label release, good kid, m.A.A.d. city. Well, the wait is over, almost...A little over 20 minutes ago, Kendrick tweeted out a link and nothing else. The link takes the user... Read more

March 6, 2015 News

Erick Sermon Is Bringing Hip-Hop To Your Home With Def Rugs

Always about his business, EPMD MC Erick Sermon has started a new venture that has been turning heads: Def Rugs. Def Rugs is a carpet business that makes Hip-Hop logos into rugs that make for great pieces of home décor. In a recent interview with HipHopDX, Sermon and his business... Read more

March 6, 2015 News

Rick Ross Needs No Assistance Movin’ Bass In His Latest Visual (Video)

Rick Ross' "Movin' Bass" was the latest in a 10-year run of major collaborations between he and Jay Z. The Hood Billionaire and the near real-life billionaire blitz with bars about former D-boys making hits. For the video, Jay Z sat it out (something he's made a habit of in... Read more

March 6, 2015 Video

Jay Electronica Breaks The Ice On 2015 with Road to Perdition (Audio)

Jay Electronica loves the suspense. The New Orleans, Louisiana MC announced European and Chinese tour dates earlier this week. Without warning, the Roc Nation MC/producer follows with a song that was rumored to be included on Act II: Patents Of Nobility, per 2012 tracklist reports. Although Jay Z was claimed... Read more

March 6, 2015 Audio

Finding The GOAT: Which MCs are Going to Round 3? You Decide.

Ambrosia For Heads' Finding The GOAT series, the search for the Greatest Of All Time MC (as determined by you), began in September, 2014 and is soon down to its final 42 contestants. At 11:59pm EST on Saturday March 7, Round 2 polls will close, kicking off Round 3. But... Read more

March 6, 2015 Fresh

Juvenile Says He’ll Retire A Cash Money Soldier, Talks No Limit Rivalry (Video)

In all honesty, Juvenile is not an MC whose hit records have equated to compelling interviews. Like his breakthrough hit "Ha," the Hot Boy-turned-Rich Gang member is not a man of many words when the music stops. Appearing on The Breakfast Club Thursday (March 5), that was not the case.... Read more

March 6, 2015 Video

Go Home With The Smooth Style & Slick Talk Of Grand Daddy I.U. (Audio)

Before A+ or Roc Marciano, it was Grand Daddy I.U. that put Hempstead, Long Island on the Hip-Hop map. An MC down with the Cold Chillin' Records fold, I.U. was an early innovator of the mafioso fashion, slang, and demeanor, and also an early act to incorporate Dancehall and Reggae... Read more

March 6, 2015 Audio

Flashback To Hot 97’s Very First Episode of Juan Epstein With Rosenberg & Cipha Sounds (Audio)

Due to the inclement, snowy weather in New York, Peter Rosenberg had to reschedule an episode of Juan Epstein that they had originally planned for, but fear not. Rosenberg decided to dig into his vault and reintroduce to the listening world, the first ever recorded podcast of Juan Epstein with... Read more

March 5, 2015 Throwback

Murs & Slug Serve Up a Reminder That They Wrote the Book For This Generation of MCs (Audio)

In addition to his many solo albums, Murs has released several noteworthy collaborative projects over the years. He's worked with 9th Wonder, Terrace Martin, Fashawn and, more recently, ¡Mayday!. However, one of his most frequent collaborators is Atmosphere's Slug. Together, Murs and Slug form Felt, and they've three albums with... Read more

March 5, 2015 Audio

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Black Thought vs. Beanie Sigel…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

March 5, 2015 Fresh

Talib Kweli Lights the Way to the Premiere of Game of Thrones (Audio)

HBO's epic series Game of Thrones returns a little over a month from now on April 12th. As they did before last season's premiere, HBO has commissioned some esteemed MCs for a thematic mixtape leading up to Episode 1 of Season 5. The first release from the second installment of... Read more

March 5, 2015 Audio

Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent & Paul Rosenberg Tell The Story of Shady Records (Video)

In 1999, Eminem and Paul Rosenberg founded Shady Records. While the expectations might have been great, few could have predicted that Eminem would go on to become the best-selling artist of the next decade, making Shady Records one of the most powerful labels in Hip-Hop. Even with Eminem's massive success,... Read more

March 5, 2015 TV/Film

Do Remember: The Fugees’ Vocab (Hip-Hop Remix) (Video)

Plenty of legendary Hip-Hop groups got extra large off of their sophomore album, not the debut. Based solely on beginnings, Mobb Deep, Naughty By Nature, and The Roots all would not be living legend outfits. The Fugees, one of the highest-selling, most revered acts of the last 20 years of... Read more

March 5, 2015 Throwback

Action Bronson Leaks Behind-The-Scenes Footage with Mark Ronson (Video)

Just days after releasing the single "Baby Blue" featuring Chance The Rapper, Action Bronson released some behind-the-scenes footage of him and producer Mark Ronson creating the song in-studio. The video shows Ronson recording on piano and guitar, and Bronson coming up with lyrics and laying them down in the vocal... Read more

March 5, 2015 Video

Curren$y Drops Some More Audio Dope From His Pilot Talk 3 Re-Up (Video)

Curren$y and Ski Beatz have a special chemistry. Spitta has a penchant for dark, soulful beats, and Ski, as one of the architects of Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt and Camp Lo's Uptown Saturday Night, has what seems like an endless supply. To many, Ski Beatz brought out the best in Curren$y... Read more

March 5, 2015 Video

Is Doug E. Fresh The World’s Greatest Entertainer? Check The Tapes, Featuring Slick Rick (Audio)

Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew are a legendary Hip-Hop crew. Through the mid-1980s, the beat-boxing MC and his team included names like Chill Will and MC Ricky D. Somewhere in 1986, Rick would step solo before Doug's Oh, My God! album. In those early days though, the... Read more

March 4, 2015 Throwback

Freeway Gets Emotional Remembering The Jacka (Video)

There are moments in Hip-Hop that show just how deep wounds can be. Treach's tearful remembrance of Tupac Shakur is etched in the minds of many who witnessed the 1996 tragic murder of the icon. O.C., A.G. and Lord Finesse's "Tribute" to Big L was both deeply heartfelt and telling... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Keep An Eye Out For Raz Simone And The Rest Of “Them” (Video)

It appears that Raz Simone is gearing up for 2015 to be his true coming out party. Powerful and intuitive, Raz stacks content chocked full of social and cultural commentary within incredibly insightful track work, including his recent, "Drake & Macklemore's Platform" and "Macklemore & Chief Keef." To add to... Read more

March 4, 2015 Fresh, Video

Crazy Legs Says That The Credit For Hip-Hop’s Creation Needs To Be Shared (Video)

One of the pioneers of Hip-Hop in on the ground floor of the culture is Crazy Legs. The President of the Rock Steady Crew, Richard Colón has been am ambassador of breakin', fashion, and the Hip-Hop attitude for more than 35 years. Crazy Legs appeared in Wild Style, Style Wars,... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Erick Sermon vs. Trugoy…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

March 4, 2015 Throwback

Give the Drummer Some. Questlove Raps & Freestyles on a Deep Roots Cut (Video)

Questlove is from an era when some great producers were equally phenomenal rappers. Large Professor, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, DJ Quik, and Andre 3000 are just some of the double-threat MCs. While Questlove is a drummer, producer, DJ, filmmaker, and all around funny guy, he never really got into rapping.... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Get To Know One Of The Most Prolific Comic Book Artists In The Industry

Meet Shawn Martinbrough, a prolific artist in the comic book industry who recently sat down with The Shadow League. In this 2-part interview, he gives lots of insight on his work, getting into the industry, and the shift in culture he's experienced. Even if you're just a casual comic book... Read more

March 4, 2015 Lifestyle

Dame Dash Lets Sway Ask Him Anything & The Tables Seem To Turn (Video)

Whether he's running Roc-A-Fella Records, producing films, or pursuing fashion, publishing, and independent record labels like DD172 and BluRoc, Damon Dash is entertaining. One part Martin Scorsese character, one part Nikki Barnes, Dame's fast-talking, street-informed style has absolutely changed the face of the Hip-Hop culture over the last 20 years.... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Chance The Rapper & Nosaj Thing Are Back To Pushing Musical Boundaries (Audio)

Nosaj Thing may or may not be on the radar. The Los Angeles, California-based musician/producer has caught some major credits such as Kid Cudi's 2009 debut, Man On The Moon: The End Of Day. More typically though, Nosaj works with inventive, experimental MCs with large followings, including Project Blowed disciples... Read more

March 4, 2015 Audio

GZA, Tom Morello, The Roots & Crazy Legs Are All In Together (Video)

The Wu-Tang Clan's GZA stopped by "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" last night (March 3) to perform his recently released single "The Mexican." While he was backed by The Roots, Tom Morello (of Rage Against The Machine) joined GZA with his guitar, and Kara of K.I.D. sang the chorus.... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Even A Cappella Your Old Droog Has Nutty Bars (Video)

On tour with PRhyme and Boldy James, Your Old Droog is enjoying the opportunities of the road. In Chicago, Illinois, the Brooklynite blessed Windy City showgoers later on with a verse that's as cold as the air from Lake Michigan. This freestyle includes the usual Droog charms of childhood flashbacks,... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Listen to the Best Hip-Hop of February 2015 All in One Playlist (Audio)

The month of February had less days, but it was not short on good music. The tight four weeks brought new songs from Kendrick Lamar, Ghostface Killah, Scarface, Method Man, Redman, Talib Kweli, Logic, Big K.R.I.T., Slum Village, Rah Digga, Action Bronson, Kanye West, Cannibal Ox, Drake, GZA, Fashawn, Nas,... Read more

March 4, 2015 Audio

Looking For Your In To The Media/Music Industry? Here’s Your Chance.

Ambrosia For Heads is actively seeking a highly-motivated reader of the site interested in becoming a 2015 spring/summer intern. This non-paid three-month internship will require no more than 15 hours a week, and will consist primarily of compiling, curating, contributing and editing audio, video and editorial content for publication on... Read more

March 4, 2015 Fresh

Snoop Dogg & The Pharcyde Have HISTORY. Imani & Bootie Brown Open Up (Video)

It's a forgotten fact that The Pharcyde's Bizarre II The Pharcyde and Dr. Dre's The Chronic released less than a month apart. Hip-Hop historians may see a major dividing line between the Los Angeles, California quartet and the Compton-to-Long Beach connection of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, but it's not... Read more

March 3, 2015 Video

50 Cent Says Suge Knight Was Going to Kill Dr. Dre. G-Unit Gets Real with The Breakfast Club (Video)

Today (March 3), G-Unit's Beast Is G-Unit EP released. 50 Cent's crew's second EP in as many years is sure to move the charts around. The best promotion though, is a quality interview with Fif, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks—the core of the Unit since the Columbia Records days. The... Read more

March 3, 2015 Video

M.O.P., Inspectah Deck, Guilty Simpson & Bernz Rip Shop Together (Audio)

DJ EFN keeps unleashing the power-play collaborations. This time, the Miami, Florida-based DJ/producer asks, how about some hardcore? M.O.P. joins Wu-Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck, Random Axe's Guilty Simpson, and ¡Mayday!'s Bernz (f/k/a Bernbiz) for a slow creeper through your aural cavities. The five MCs remind you that they're from "Another... Read more

March 3, 2015 Audio

The World Might Not Hear the Final Wu-Tang Clan Album for 88 Years. RZA Explains (News)

When the Wu-Tang Clan first began their career as a group in 1993, they completely altered the landscape of music, with their unique initial recording contract forever changing the way groups do business with record labels. Now, in a recent interview with SCLUZAY, RZA says that Once Upon A Time... Read more

March 3, 2015 News

Ludacris Calls Fake MCs’ Bluffs on the First Single From His New Album (Audio)

By the sounds of Ludacris' first single from his forthcoming album, Ludaversal, he's got something to prove. Namely, that the Luda who rhymed with aggression over vicious beats like "Southern Hospitality" is alive and well. "Call Ya Bluff" is back to basics. The track is a minimal high end loop... Read more

March 3, 2015 Audio

EMC Are Back with Heavy Beats and Fly Thoughts (Audio)

eMC, the collective of Masta Ace, Wordsworth and Stricklin, have re-formed for what sounds like it's going to be another strong release (notably without former member Punchline). Their new album, The Tonite Show, will feature guest appearances from B-Real, Xzibit and Sadat X, as well as actors and comedians like... Read more

March 3, 2015 Audio