News Archives

Your Old Droog Spits Fire on Porno for Pyros (Audio)

When all is said and done, what may have been lost in the Nas comparisons is that Your Old Droog is a HIGHLY skilled MC. The similes he uses and the pictures he paints with his metaphors are more than deserving of the attention he commandeered this Summer. "Porno for... Read more

December 6, 2014 Audio

Wu-Tang Clan Hope for A Better Tomorrow Against a Backdrop of Visual Chaos (Video)

Wu-Tang Clan's "A Better Tomorrow" could not have come at a more relevant time. The group's song about social injustice is the perfect soundtrack to one of the most tumultuous times in American history in the last decade. Set against a backdrop of visual footage from protests for Michael Brown,... Read more

December 6, 2014 Video

YG Has a New Album Coming. Here’s the First Single (Audio)

Many believe YG has an album of the year contender with My Krazy Life (but not the Grammy Awards). With it's club and car-friendly beats and raw, unfiltered lyrics, he and DJ Mustard established a new Cali sound for a new era in Hip-Hop. Not one to rest on his... Read more

December 5, 2014 Audio

KXNG Crooked Releases the Powerful and Reflective I Can’t Breathe (Audio)

KXNG Crooked (formerly Crooked I) is the latest to step to the forefront of Hip-Hop and speak out against the failure to indict officer Daniel Pantaleo in the choking death of Eric Garner. Crooked starts off softly, meditatively rapping about what he feels is a complete devaluation of the lives... Read more

December 5, 2014 Audio

KRS-One Teams With Torae To To Break Down The Contrary Meanings Of Clique (Audio)

Champagne to some, a posse to others, and the sign of a hung up phone to others, "clicks" are everywhere. KRS-One and Torae bring it from the Bronx to Brooklyn alongside the Rocksteady Crew's DJ JS-1 for his recently-released It Is What It Isn't album. On "Klick Clique," Kris and... Read more

December 5, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Finding The GOAT: Wiz Khalifa vs. Drake…Who You Got? (Video)

As we continue 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 in a sequence not... Read more

December 5, 2014 Fresh, Video

Lecrae & Childish Gambino Join Drake, Eminem & Kendrick Lamar In 2015 Grammy Nominations

The flagship 57th annual Grammy Award nominations have been announced, in part, as they are being rolled out gradually this year. After 2014's controversial "Best Rap Performance" win by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, two more independent artists have been nominated for 2014. Reach Records star Lecrae has been nominated for... Read more

December 5, 2014 Fresh

J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive Is Something Meaningful, From Jump (Video)

J. Cole is playing with a different sound on his seeming surprise album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive (December 9). Still almost five days removed from release, Jermaine has taken a page from Taylor Swift, using social media to connect with fans, and personally play them this intimate album–at home. Additionally,... Read more

December 5, 2014 Fresh, Video

Yasiin Bey On Recent US Events: “We Are At A Watershed Moment For Humanity”

Besides rapping, singing, and acting, Yasiin Bey (f/k/a Mos Def) is a Spoken Word artist and a self-proclaimed humanitarian. Deliberately out of the spotlight for much of the last five years, Yasiin opted to put his thoughts to audio, surrounding the murders of Michael Brown and Eric Garner (among others),... Read more

December 5, 2014 Audio, Fresh

He’s Back…Terminator Genisys is Coming Next Summer. Here’s the Trailer (Video)

Certain films have penetrated Hip-Hop on such a level that they have become part of the fabric. This is true of movies ranging from Good Fellas to Superfly to Five Deadly Venoms. Another such iconic film is The Terminator. From as far back as EPMD's "You Gots to Chill" to... Read more

December 5, 2014 Video

PRhyme Had Vinyl Beginnings, But Is Going All Out Digitally (Video)

In the third part of PRhyme's "Raiders Of The Lost Art" documentary webisode series, Royce Da 5'9" explains his goal of making a lasting, classic album, with his joint project with DJ Premier and Adrian Younge. Although PRhyme (December 9) began as a five-song, vinyl-only idea, the project took on... Read more

December 5, 2014 Fresh, Video

Spike Lee Speaks on Eric Garner and Americans Doing the Right Thing (Video)

I will never forget the scene in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing where the character Radio Raheem was savagely choked to death by a police officer. The brutality was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. The life was literally sucked out of Raheem as one officer did the choking... Read more

December 4, 2014 Video

DJ Premier Ranks PRhyme Among Best Albums; Royce Da 5’9″ Talks Sobriety Saving His Life (Video Interview)

We are less than one week away from PRhyme (December 9), the self-titled project by the newly-formed group of Royce Da 5'9", DJ Premier, and Adrian Younge. Late last month, in HeadQCourterz Studios, Nickel and Premo sat down with AFH TV to discuss, at length, the album. In the nearly... Read more

December 4, 2014 Featured-homepage, Food for Thought, Fresh, Video

Do Remember: Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, Big Daddy Kane With Biz Markie’s Erase Racism Video

For anybody with a pulse, this has been a difficult month. Regardless of political views, ethnic background, or age, the lives lost and the protest has been an awakening of the things America needs to address immediately, if we are to be a better, more loving, just, and harmonious nation.... Read more

December 4, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Rapsody Drops An Insightful Illustration Of Injustice Today In 2 Songs (Audio)

Throughout the headlines of the last month, oppression appears to be at the root of the biggest stories of the day. Whether racism, sexism, police brutality, domestic abuse, social unrest, all of these topics trace down to people being oppressed by another—another person, a people, an institution, a governing body,... Read more

December 4, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Finding The GOAT: Eazy-E vs. Lord Finesse…Who You Got?

As we continue 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 in a sequence not... Read more

December 4, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Lauryn Hill Does an Energetic Rendition Of The Fugees’ Ready Or Not (Video)

Lauryn Hill is not an artist who frequently looks back into her catalog. A solo artist for more than 15 years, following the disbanding of The Fugees, Ms. Hill simply does not need to rely on her vast body of hits from 1996's The Score. However, while performing with an... Read more

December 4, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Happy Birthday to Jay Z. Take (Another) Listen to The Brown Album (Audio)

Salute to Jay Z who turned 45 today. To celebrate his birthday, here's a look back at Kev Brown's remix project, The Brown Album. As many know, Jay released the a cappella vocals to The Black Album with the hopes that producers take them and create their own spins on... Read more

December 4, 2014 Audio

Not Up On Vic Spencer? Watch Him Rock Precise Alongside Sean Price & Illa Ghee (Audio)

In his thirties, Chicago, Illinois' Vic Spencer is pushing through. For years before he released 2013's The Rapping Bastard, Vic was getting prime exposure on albums by Kidz In The Hall's Naledge, in addition to work with MC Tree and Sean Price. After an appearance on A-Villa's recently-released Carry On... Read more

December 4, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Nipsey Hussle Uses Gangsta Rap As An Indictment Of The Court’s Double Standards (Audio)

Nipsey Hussle has announced that he will release an album, Mailbox Money, before year's end (December 20 to be exact). The California MC sets the project up with "50 Niggaz." The song looks at the 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin, and compares it to... Read more

December 4, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Alicia Keys Sings To The Skies & Calls For Love In These Troubling Times (Video)

Alicia Keys has absorbed much of the recent pain, surrounding the murders of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, the protests, the court rulings, and the growing discussions. At the piano, Miss Keys produced an answer to the difficult question of "what next?" The singer-songwriter urges people in the struggle, together... Read more

December 4, 2014 Fresh, Video

Common & John Legend Honor The Civil Rights Movement Of The ’60s & Today (Audio)

Need some chicken noodle soup for the soul today? This may be it... Old G.O.O.D. Music brothers Common and John Legend come together for "Glory." Holding 2014's Ferguson protestors up alongside Rosa Parks' Birmingham, Alabama bus incident and subsequent boycott (59 years ago this week), this uplifting song is about... Read more

December 4, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Bizzy Bone Is The Next Star Battle Rap Contestant

Battling, in the traditional, structured setting, has become popular for established, highly-prominent artists. Earlier this year, Def Squad's Keith Murray was planned to battle ONYX's Fredro Starr. Slaughterhouse's Joe Budden took on Hollow Da Don this past summer, taking what many considered to be a major L. The next contestant... Read more

December 4, 2014 Fresh

Astro Handles the 5 Fingers of Death Freestyle Like a Champion (Video)

Astro stopped by the Sway in the Morning show to discuss his new Computer Era album, Ferguson and more. After, he got on the mic and tackled Sway's 5 Fingers of Death MC challenge, off the top, and did not break a sweat. After, some said it was the best... Read more

December 3, 2014 Video

Mobb Deep Finishes Out 2014 Stronger Than The Last Several Years (Video)

After a rocky chapter in the 2010s, Mobb Deep's 2014 has been more illustrious than infamous—and that's great. Prodigy and Havoc celebrated their past with a stellar deluxe edition packaging of The Infamous Mobb Deep, unearthing some studio gems that Heads never got to own. With Havoc's cocking back his... Read more

December 3, 2014 Fresh, Video

Finding The GOAT: Masta Ace vs. Bumpy Knuckles…Who You Got?

As we continue 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 in a sequence not... Read more

December 3, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Mary J. Blige Connects Her Soaring Single With Domestic Abuse (Video)

With The London Sessions now released, Mary J. Blige released the actual dramatic video for "Whole Damn Year." The visual is a jarring look at overlapping abuse and pain, affecting women of various ages. Bringing 1994's My Life in focus with its 20th anniversary just days ago, even with an... Read more

December 3, 2014 Fresh, Video

Does Inspectah Deck Know His Wu-Tang History Better Than RZA? (Video)

After MTV News asked RZA, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna about some of the re-purposed Wu-Tang Clan logos over the years, Rob Markman and his team gave the squadron a little bit of a quiz. The questions range between the order of the solo discography, to how many... Read more

December 3, 2014 Fresh, Video

Yes-Men & Soft Rap Lovers Are Poked Fun At Featuring PRhyme, Miguel & Lady Of Rage (Video)

Funny Or Die linking with PRhyme doesn't seem too expected. Still, the online video channel knows their Hip-Hop, and in celebration of the new self-titled album by DJ Premier, Royce Da 5'9", and Adrian Younge, they rolled to the studio. Specifically, Funny Or Die appears to be tongue-in-cheek making fun... Read more

December 3, 2014 Fresh, Video

DJ Premier Mixes Up A Special Set For Def Jam’s 30th Anniversary (Audio)

In his career, neither DJ Premier nor his group Gang Starr were ever signed to Def Jam Records. However, the HeadQCourterz Studios producer has worked with an arsenal of Def Jam's talent over the years, ranging from Jay Z and Method Man, Ludacris to Kanye West, to Teflon and WC.... Read more

December 3, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Astro Equates Boxing To Rapping & He Wants A Title (Video)

Brooklyn, New York's Astro seemingly makes everything a sport. The young MC with the viral video past has been a DIY juggernaut in taking on Hip-Hop in the digital age, and he's winning. But for the Astronomical Kid, it's far from where he wants to be. "Champion" locks in on... Read more

December 2, 2014 Fresh, Video

Skillz Shuts Down The Competition With A Freestyle WHILE DJ’ing (Video)

Most Heads know that Skillz is a microphone monster. But did you know that the Virginia native is a sharp DJ too? After years of rolling with DJ Jazzy Jeff on the road, the onetime Rawkus Records artist returns to Sway In The Morning for a second straight day. After... Read more

December 2, 2014 Fresh, Video

Gemstones Is No Longer In Lupe Fiasco’s Shadow In Tells A Gripping Story (Video)

Between 2006's Food & Liquor and 2007's The Cool, Lupe Fiasco appeared to have one of the most exciting rosters for fledgling talent at 1st & 15th. Between Gemstones (originally as "Gemini") and Matthew Santos on vocals, and Soundtrakk plus Chris & Drop teased ears with unique, grabbing beats. Sadly,... Read more

December 2, 2014 Fresh, Video

J-Live Releases Two In One, Filled With Warmth & Light (Videos)

J-Live's Around The Sun is an album worthy of revolutions in your CD player, turntable, or simply in your MP3 player/streaming cloud. The Brooklyn, New Yorker remains devoted to cohesive projects, with strong commentary on social issues, in addition to life issues Heads all go through. For a compelling visual,... Read more

December 2, 2014 Fresh, Video

Terrace Martin Flips SZA & Chance The Rapper’s Child’s Play On Its Head (Audio)

Terrace Martin remixes are more than just half-baked re-purposed hits. Instead, the Locke High alum breaks out his arsenal of instruments, and bends a song's form, feel, and genre. An affiliate of the Top Dawg Entertainment family, the onetime Snoop Dogg protege undresses SZA's "Child's Play" single, which features Chance... Read more

December 2, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Shady XV Is Expected To Debut At #1, Nobody’s Happier Than Crooked I (Audio)

Even with Eminem's backing of Slaughterhouse, Crooked I has never enjoyed a #1 album. The Long Beach, California MC veteran is a long way from those mid-2000s pitfalls he suffered while stranded on Death Row. However, if skills equated to sales, Kxng Crooked would have been #1's, with plaques covering... Read more

December 2, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Big Pooh Is In The Zone, Is He Hinting At A New LP As He Drops Off Hotness? (Audio)

Was anybody paying attention to Twitter or Tumblr the last few days? Rapper Big Pooh was/is in Detroit, Michigan. While Pooh and Slum Village's T3 are tight homies, that's not why. In between the tweets, it could be hinted that the Little Brother alum is the next subject to sit... Read more

December 2, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Pusha T Aims To Stand Out In Rap Monument, Watch Him Lay The Verse (Video)

Noisey's assembly of "Rap Monument" could be one of the more exciting ideas on Hip-Hop's horizon. With more than 30 rappers from all walks of the industry, all corners of the Rap map, and many sub-genres within the umbrella term, this single track stands to be an exciting time capsule... Read more

December 2, 2014 Fresh, Video

Royce Da 5’9″, DJ Premier & Adrian Younge Are In Their PRhyme (Album Review)

In what felt like the last days of Underground Hip-Hop, a relative unknown named Royce Da 5’9” teamed with DJ Premier to release a 1999 12” single, “Boom.” Although Game Recordings placed their trademark bikini-clad “Hip-Hop Honey” on the picture cover single, no alluring marketing tools were necessary, as the... Read more

December 2, 2014 Featured-homepage, Food for Thought, Fresh

Run The Jewels’ Blitzing Single Hits The Eyes As Hard As The Ears (Video)

Run The Jewels' RTJ2 could be heard on the horizons before it arrived in October. The free Mass Appeal Records album (also available for purchase) rung in from the mountains with cacophonous second single, "Oh My Darling Don't Cry." Killer Mike and El-P's decimation of "F-boys" got real with dazzling... Read more

December 2, 2014 Fresh, Video

Finding The GOAT: Diamond D vs. Dr. Dre…Who You Got?

As we continue 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 in a sequence not... Read more

December 2, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Action Bronson & Danny Brown Bring The Bad News On An Alchemist Jam (Audio)

Traditionally, Action Bronson favors retro-styled production, whether it's the dusty loops of Tommy Mas or the hazy '60s psychedelia of Party Supplies. Close affiliate and Rare Chandeliers collaborator Alchemist has a style all of his own, but has provided sounds somewhere in the middle. For the GTA V game, which... Read more

December 2, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Wu-Tang Clan Members React To Logo Copycats & Tributes (Video)

The "W" has taken on a life of its own over the last 21 years. Wu-Tang Clan's logo design has become not only a legal trademark, but a brand unto itself. From traditional goods like shirts, posters, skullies to mouse-pads, custom-painted Volkswagen Beetles, and a bevy of tattoos, this logo... Read more

December 2, 2014 Fresh, Video

There’s a Lullaby Version of Eminem’s Lose Yourself and It’s Shockingly Comforting (Audio)

Some things just aren't meant to go together, like oil and water and cats and dogs, to name a few. Another combo most would add to the list would be Eminem and lullabies. However, the folks at Rockabye Baby would disagree and, oddly, they have a point. The company which... Read more

December 2, 2014 Audio

Finding The GOAT: Common vs. stic.man…Who You Got?

As we continue 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 in a sequence not... Read more

December 1, 2014 Fresh

Fabolous Sets His Sights On Christmas Day For Digital-Only Album

Now a Roc Nation artist, Fabolous is reportedly departing from his S.O.U.L Tape style of the last few years. The Brooklyn, New Yorker, still backed by Desert Storm/Def Jam gave short notice today that he will release The Young O.G. on December 25. This Christmas day concept was first exercised... Read more

December 1, 2014 Fresh

A 1997 Eminem Freestyle Surfaces, With Some Slick Slim Shady Rawness (Audio)

Seventeen years ago this month, Eminem was not a diamond, platinum, or gold-selling artist. He was not down with Dr. Dre. Eminem did not have a gated home in Detroit, or a radio platform. Instead, Eminem was just Marshall Mathers, a fast-talking MC with quick wit, sticking similes, and a... Read more

December 1, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

Killer Mike Stands Up For Rap Lyrics, Pens An Op-Ed For USA Today

If Hip-Hop in 2014 needs a "Man of the year," Killer Mike is steadily beckoning nominations. Less than one week after a powerful, heartfelt reaction to a court decision to not indict Ferguson, Missouri Police Department Officer Darren Wilson for the murder of teenager Michael Brown, Killer Mike is taking... Read more

December 1, 2014 Fresh

Skillz Is A Supafriendz Alum & Freestyle Legend, So Sway Had To Put Him On The Spot (Video)

Back in those days when he was From Where???, (Mad) Skillz belonged to the Supafriendz, a Virginia massive including Danja Mowf, Lonnie B, and Kalonji The Immortal. This posse got some of its biggest exposure thanks to the aforementioned 1996 album, and a few compilations and singles. However, freestyle enthusiasts... Read more

December 1, 2014 Fresh, Video

Black Milk, Large Professor, Nottz & Diamond D Are Remixing A 2014 LP, But Which? (Audio)

True remixes are a rarity these days. Remember the days when The Beatnuts might remix PMD, Diamond D might remix Outkast, or Marley Marl remix DJ Pooh? It's a little different in 2014. However, when Black Milk spins his take on an Oddisee-produced track, it's worth noting, and absolutely worth... Read more

December 1, 2014 Audio, Fresh