News Archives

Rick Rubin Says Chuck D Thought Public Enemy Was Too Old To Sign To Def Jam In 1987 (Video)

In the third volume of Noisey's series on Def Jam Records' 30th anniversary, founders Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin devote their attentions on Public Enemy. Likely in conjunction with P.E.'s performance of "Public Enemy #1" with The Roots on Jimmy Fallon's "The Tonight Show" yesterday (September 16), the vignette pays... Read more

September 17, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Cyhi The Prynce Releases the Hot and Steamy Visuals for Guitar Melody (Video)

Cyhi the Prynce releases the video for "Guitar Melody" from his Black Hystori Project. The hot and steamy visuals may be safe for work, but it's not advisable... Related: Cyhi The Prince References an OutKast Classic on the Remix to Goodnight (Audio)... Read more

September 17, 2014 Video

Black Thought Joins Roots Affiliate On A Boisterous Electro Track (Audio)

STS is one of the wild cards of The Roots' extended family. The rapper also known as Sugar Tongue Slim has ties to both Philadelphia and Atlanta, and is gifted at tapping into both sounds. This is true on "$5,000 Dolla Coat Shit." With the kind of beat Heads might... Read more

September 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Jared Evan & Ransom Know It’s Cold Outside, So They Pack A Hoodie (Audio)

From Jared Evan's forthcoming #StillBlue release (October 28), the onetime Interscope/Zone 4 singer/rapper links with his homie Statik Selektah, and Statik's partner Ransom for "Outside." As a result, brash deliveries about the warmth "inside" are depicted on a track that also chronicles the cold realities of the outside world. Related:... Read more

September 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Big K.R.I.T Drops Off a Brand New Mixtape, See Me On Top, Vol. 4 (Mixtape)

It's the fourth quarter, and Big K.R.I.T is out to "Mike Jordan 'em." Fresh off of dropping two very different pieces of content yesterday (September 15), Krizzle, as announced just 24 hours ago, unloads See Me On Top, Vol. 4. The fourth volume of the mixtape series, a step apart... Read more

September 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Mixes

Joey Bada$$ Says He’s Bringin’ Brooklyn Back In A Tony Touch Freestyle (Video)

Some things just make sense. If Joey Bada$$ was around, in the industry, in the late '90s, he would have sounded right and exact on Tony Touch cassette tapes. The Taino Turntable Terrorist and the Pro Era front-man linked on Toca Tuesdays. On a loop-based beat made famous by Lootpack... Read more

September 16, 2014 Fresh, Video

Boaz Gives It To ‘Em Straight, Not Late On Intuition (Video)

On October 28, Boaz is dropping Intuition, his latest album. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania MC is owning his moment, with introspective, thoughtful street-savvy songs. The title track finds Boaz recalling his youth, a homogenous mixture of falling in love with the Hip-Hop he saw through older relatives, and the fruits of... Read more

September 16, 2014 Fresh, Video

Ras Kass & Apollo Brown Slice Down That Humble Pi (Video)

They say "necessity is the mother of invention." That adage speaks to the careers of Ras Kass and Apollo Brown. The MC, Ras, was among the brightest hopefuls of early '90s Los Angeles lyricism. However, troubles with the law, a label under a new regime, and shifting attentions in the... Read more

September 16, 2014 Fresh, Video

One Of Cormega’s Philosophies Comes To Life With Large Professor & Maya Azucena (Video)

On this year's critically-acclaimed Mega Philosophy album by Cormega, one of the highlights is "Rise." With a chorus by songstress Maya Azucena, the Large Professor-produced (with additional input by Cormega) track has a Worldly feel to it. It should, as the record sprinkles universal hope on the people across the... Read more

September 16, 2014 Fresh, Video

Black Milk’s Gold Piece With Bun B May Be His Best Collabo To Date (Audio)

For more than a decade, Black Milk has helped give Detroit a different soundtrack. As a producer, Black has made collaborative head-nodders with Royce Da 5'9, Slum Village, Elzhi, and Guilty Simpson (Random Axe). In the years since, partially through his ties to Decon and Duck Down, B.M gave some... Read more

September 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Alchemist & Director Extraordinaire Jason Goldwatch Have A NSFW Field Day (Video)

Alchemist is gearing up for his third installment of instrumental offerings. Whether for aspiring MCs, DJs looking for transitions, or simply fans of great Instrumental Hip-Hop, Rapper's Best Friend has been a winning formula. Setting the stage for Vol. 3 (September 30), Decon's Jason Goldwatch and ALC teamed to make... Read more

September 16, 2014 Fresh, Video

What Will Logic’s Debut Album Sound Like? Under Pressure Is Very Promising (Audio)

With an album named Under Pressure (October 21), of course Logic unveils his first confirmed glimpse, of the same name. Self-produced, "Under Pressure" showcases the Baltimore, Maryland's southern influences, from Three 6 Mafia to Bun B. However, the flow is true to Logic's independent run, blending some internal anxieties from... Read more

September 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Take A Trip Home With Ab-Soul, Where He Writes, Lives & Loves (Video)

LOUD's series, "A Day In The Hustle" focuses in on Ab-Soul, one of the breakouts of 2014. Here, a full day in Carson, California is spent as Soulo gears up to kick off his These Days... Tour. With family, with friends, and in preparation, Heads can see that Ab really... Read more

September 16, 2014 Fresh, Video

DJ Doo Wop Takes Everybody Back To School With Another Great Mix (Audio)

DJ Doo Wop marks the Back to School season with the second installment of his Coolout series. Within, Doo Wop goes free form with the New York City Hip-Hop he helped distribute and bring awareness throughout the '90s and early 2000s. Doo Wop touches a lot of hits from the... Read more

September 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh

How About A One-Hour DJ Premier Mix Featuring AC/DC, Heart, Rage Against The Machine? (Audio)

Heads who do the research know that, while DJ Premier's sound has been at the epicenter of Hip-Hop for 25 years, Christopher Martin is a Rock & Roll Head to the fullest. With his older sisters sliding him wax of groups like Van Halen, AC/DC, and the Bay City Rollers,... Read more

September 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Rest In Peace To Common’s Father, Lonnie “Pops” Lynn

Common's father, Lonnie Lynn, Sr., has passed away. Details are still emerging surrounding the cause of death, however it is believed to have happened yesterday (September 15), per the Associated Press. Dating back to 1994's Resurrection, Pops appeared on various Common albums, typically on interludes near the LPs' end. These... Read more

September 16, 2014 Fresh

Le$ and Curren$y are on the Come Up (Video)

A day after releasing their mixtape, Organized Crime, Jet Life members Le$ and Curren$y are right back at it. They release the video for "Come Up," off Le$' Ace mixtape, produced by Cookin' Soul. Check it out. Related: Curren$y’s Jet Life Crew Releases Its Organized Crime Mixtape (Audio)... Read more

September 16, 2014 Video

Saigon is Joined By the Legendary Big Daddy Kane on a DJ Premier Track (Audio)

Saigon's GSN3: The Troubled Times Of Brian Carenard is two weeks away (September 30). However, the veteran New York MC unleashed one of the LP's most anticipated tracks in "One Foot In The Door." On the DJ Premier-produced cut (the second Premo premier in less than 12 hours), the Yardfather... Read more

September 16, 2014 Audio

What are DJ Premier, Royce Da 5’9″ and Adrian Younge Cooking Up? Crack Music…(Video)

DJ Premier and Royce Da 5'9" have released a short video clip that looks like a teaser for something bigger to come. As Premier is on the wheels and producer Adrian Younge dusts off records, Royce lets off a BLISTERING verse. Whatever the case may be, Hip-Hop needs more of... Read more

September 15, 2014 Video

Rapsody Says It’s Hard To Choose, But It’s Not Hard To Choose Rapsody (Audio)

Leading up October 7's Beauty And The Beast, Rapsody is pulling out all the stops. "Hard To Choose," produced by 9th Wonder, takes strong audit of the North Carolina native's career, and choices as such. Citing everybody from DJ Kool Herc to Afrika Bambaataa to MC Lyte, Rap' explains the... Read more

September 15, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Jeezy’s Holy Ghost Never Left The Hood, In This Intimate Look (Video)

Since released, "Holy Ghost" is one of Seen It All's more chilling moments. There seems to be a lot of subtext in Jeezy's simple song about Rolls Royces. The religious reference perhaps claws at the deities of power and fame. With Don Cannon's menacing production, the record calls back to... Read more

September 15, 2014 Fresh, Video

Big K.R.I.T Takes You Behind the Scenes for the Making of Cadillactica (Video)

Kicking off the Making Of Cadillactica series, Big K.R.I.T is found, on video, in the studio with hit-making producers Jim Jonsin (the man responsible for B.o.B's discovery, Lil Wayne's "Lollipop") and Rico Love (writer of Usher's "There Goes My Baby"). Also featured in the studio is super-producer Mike Dean, who... Read more

September 15, 2014 Fresh, Video

Bishop Nehru Says Nas’ “I Can” Is Real, Makes A Case For Abstinence (Video)

Like his big brother MF DOOM, Bishop Nehru is a bit mysterious, if not misunderstood. The Rockland County New Yorker begins an interview with HOT 97's Ebro In The Morning show breaking down his neighborhood, between Hip-Hop's absence, to the misnomer about his being from Brooklyn. Midway through is where... Read more

September 15, 2014 Fresh, Video

Rick Ross Hits Elvis Presley Blvd From His 7th Album, Hood Billionaire (Audio & Video)

UPDATE: Rick Ross has released the video for Elvis Presley Blvd, included below. Announcing the title of his seventh studio album, Hood Billionaire, Rick Ross offered his first single "Elvis Presley BLVD." The song as a double-entendre, seemingly recalling Rawsss' days of hustling in Memphis, Tennessee, with lots of metaphors... Read more

September 15, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Video

¡Mayday! & Murs Let The Beast Out The Box (Video)

Head to the underground of Miami inside a dimly lit, graffiti splashed room filled with DJs scratching up their turntables and B-boy's cutting up the dance floor in the latest visual effort from ¡Mayday! and Murs' recently released project, ¡Mursday!. The group cuts loose lyrically and with an enthusiastic release... Read more

September 15, 2014 Fresh, Video

Running In From Left Field…Big K.R.I.T Remixes alt-J & It’s Great (Audio)

Big K.R.I.T's crates run deep, and current. The Mississippi producer/MC who sampled Adele on "Hometown Hero" now looks to take a spin with alt-J's hit "Every Other Freckle." The remix, which is official by the way, finds Krizzle getting especially sexual on the record about physical infatuation. With platinum singles... Read more

September 15, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Talib Kweli & M1 Compare America’s Ghettos To The Gaza Strip (Video)

In one of Hip-Hop's most candid commentaries about the conflict between Israel and Palestine, Talib Kweli and dead prez' M1 go in on the track "Checkpoints: Ghetto To Gaza" produced and led by Canadians, K-Salaam & Beatnik. M1 and Kwe' (both veterans of Hip-Hop For Respect) compare the military state... Read more

September 15, 2014 Fresh, Video

Brother Ali’s Second Home Is The Road, Alongside Bambu & MaLLy (Audio)

If anybody can truly make songs about the road, it's a Rhymesayer. From Slug, to Murs, to Brother Ali, the collective of artists who work with the Minneapolis-based label know that playing to the fans is paramount. In sync with his new Home Away From Home Tour, Brother Ali links... Read more

September 15, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Run The Jewels Teams With Police Academy’s Michael Winslow For Some AMAZING Bully-Rap (Audio)

Run The Jewels constantly lives up to their name the way that Killer Mike and El-P can steal the show. Kicking off the week with "Oh My Darling Don't Cry," Heads get a greater glimpse of just what kind of delightful audio brutality RTJ2 holds. The song features hard-nosed, blitzkrieg... Read more

September 15, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Jay Z & Beyonce’s Latest On The Run Trailer Takes A Page From McQueen & MacGraw (Video)

Following their fast-paced heist film-inspired trailer in May, Beyonce & Jay Z's "On The Run" HBO special gets a second trailer, pulling from other types of film. Deliberately off-beat, the first 45 seconds seem to draw from the early days of Hollywood, somewhere alluding to original pin-up starlets like Mae... Read more

September 15, 2014 Fresh, Video

Curren$y’s Jet Life Crew Releases Its Organized Crime Mixtape (Audio)

Is there anyone who comes close to releasing as much free music as Curren$y? The Jet Life capo has released more than 10 mixtapes over the last 2 years. His latest is from the entire crew and, as usual, is chock full of soulful beats. Check out the stream and... Read more

September 14, 2014 Mixes

Large Professor Releases a Tribute to Nas on His Birthday (Audio)

The connection between Nas and Large Professor spans decades. Extra P introduced Nas to the world via Nas' mind-bending guest verse on Live at the BBQ and then shepherded much of Esco's debut album, Illmatic. Today (9/14) is Nas birthday and his mentor saw fit to release a tribute celebrating... Read more

September 14, 2014 Audio

The Wire is Coming Back to HBO in HD for the First Time Ever (Video)

HBO has announced that it is bringing back The Wire, widely regarded as one of the best TV shows of all-time (if not the best), back for a marathon. The catch? The show will be aired in HD for the first time ever. Longtime fans and those watching for the... Read more

September 14, 2014 Fresh, Video

Method Man, Diddy, Funkmaster Flex, Red Alert & Mister Cee Reflect on Ready to Die (Video)

September 13th marked the 20th Anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.'s classic album, Ready to Die. Method Man, Diddy, Mister Cee, Funkmaster Flex and DJ Red Alert reflected on the album, 20 years later. Meth speaks on being the only guest on the album and the subterfuge required for him to... Read more

September 14, 2014 Video

Childish Gambino Sings a Sober Love Song (Audio)

The multi-talented rapper, actor and singer, Childish Gambino, is readying a new mixtape. STN MTN/Kauai will be presented by DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz. "Sober," the latest release from the project, is a plaintive love song that finds Gambino flexing his singing vocals in a way that is reminiscent of Lenny... Read more

September 14, 2014 Audio

Jamie Foxx Gets the Party Started with 2 Chainz & DJ Mustard (Audio)

Jamie Foxx turns to the hit-making machine that is DJ Mustard for his latest musical effort. Mustard abandons his trademark "hey hey hey hey" on the beat for a more subtle approach that also infuses a bass guitar in lieu of keyboards. 2 Chainz drops a verse, as well. Check... Read more

September 13, 2014 Audio

Here’s a Blend of Biggie & Tupac Vocals Over Watch the Throne Beats (Audio)

For nearly 20 years, Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. have been nearly inextricably linked. The 2 Hip-Hop heavyweights had an indelible effect on Hip-Hop and their deaths cast a shadow on the culture that lasted for years. September 13th provides another link between the two icons. The date marks the... Read more

September 13, 2014 Food for Thought, Mixes

Here’s a Mix of Nothing But Remixes of 90’s R&B. Press Play and Enjoy (Audio)

Part 1 of DJ Harvey Dent's Throwback series features a bevy of some of the choicest 90's R&B cuts. Dent digs deep in the crates though and has pulled together a mix of nothing but remixes. You'll hear music from Brandy, D'Angelo, Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, Total, Usher, Faith Evans,... Read more

September 13, 2014 Audio, Throwback

The Notorious B.I.G’s Ready To Die 20 Years Later, The Best Of All Worlds (Food For Thought)

Twenty years ago today (September 13, 1994), The Notorious B.I.G and Bad Boy Records released Ready To Die, one (and many argue the best) of the two handfuls of incredible debut albums introduced in 1994. A long hot summer after Nas' Illmatic, with Wu-Tang Clan's Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)... Read more

September 13, 2014 Featured-homepage, Food for Thought, Fresh, Throwback

DJ Warren Peace Recalls Why Tupac Broke Broke His Vinyl Records the Night They Met.

Here's a fascinating piece from Medium about Las Vegas' infamous Club 662 during the Death Row era. The story, as told in part by DJ Warren Peace, recounts the Suge Knight/Death Row affiliation with the club, the beginnings of the Death Row/Bad Boy feud and why Tupac removed Warren's records... Read more

September 13, 2014 Fresh

West Coast Pioneer Chris “The Glove” Taylor Offers Up An Electro Mix (Audio)

If Heads aren't up on Chris "The Glove" Taylor, they need to be. This West Coast Hip-Hop pioneer notably produced Ice-T's breakout record "Reckless," as a product of famed party/radio/DJ institution Uncle Jamm's Army. In the days since the early '80s, The Glove has produced joints for Xzibit and Saafir,... Read more

September 12, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

Big Sean Sprinkles Fans With 4 New Songs, With Involvement From E-40, Kanye West & DJ Mustard (Audio)

Big Sean isn't playin'. Less than 24 hours after announcing his rockin' with Roc Nation, the Detroit, Michigan MC hits Heads with four new songs. Here's the breakdown: "Paradise" Produced by Mike WiLL Made It, this Bounce-themed joint finds Sean reaching into his bag of verbal tricks, and coming out... Read more

September 12, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Love Blu? You’ll Like Choosey & Exile A Lot, Especially Fly Me To The Moon (Video)

As AFH pointed out in discussing Dag Savage, Exile is exceptional at developing introspective artists into fan favorites. With successes with Blu, Fashawn, Aloe Blacc, and now Johaz, the Echo Park-based DJ/producer turns his focus to Choosey, who appeared on E&J. "Fly Me To The Moon" takes the vocal Jazz... Read more

September 12, 2014 Fresh, Video

Big Sean Joins The Roc Nation Family

Wale might be out, but one of his star contemporaries of the 2010s is in. News broke last night (September 11) that Detroit, Michigan MC Big Sean has joined Roc Nation management. Sean, like Roc Nation flagship artist Rihanna, is signed to Def Jam Records, but Sean is inked through... Read more

September 12, 2014 Fresh

Remy Ma Says All She Does Is Spazz Out, On A ‘Hot’ Freestyle (Audio)

Since her days rollin' with Billy Danze and Lil Fame, Remy Ma has a reputation for putting some of the hardest beats in a choke-hold. So wouldn't one of the biggest present-day stars of the Bronx hop on Bobby Schmurda's "Hot Nigga"? Exactly. Remy really lets her hair down on... Read more

September 11, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Dilated Peoples’ DJ Babu Gets Blue-Eyed Soulful In Rhythm Roulette (Video)

With an album on the charts recently (very close to Dilated Peoples' all-time highest positioning at that, with Directors Of Photography), DJ Babu is next up to play Mass Appeal's Rhythm Roulette. The Los Angeles, California-based turntablist/producer, who is also a Beat Junkies member grabs records ranging from The Association... Read more

September 11, 2014 Fresh, Video

Do Remember: Original Flavor & JAY-Z’s Can I Get Open? (Video)

In the story of Roc-A-Fella Records, there is often an under-played element in the story: Ski Beatz. A Greensboro, North Carolina native, Ski (as he was known for more than a decade) hailed from the group Original Flavor. Previously, he was in The Bizzie Boys. Joined by Suave Lover, the... Read more

September 11, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Try On Joell Ortiz’ House Slippers (Album Stream)

A lot of anticipation surrounds Joell Ortiz' third solo album, House Slippers. On the revamped Penalty Records, the Brooklyn MC teamed with !llmind (Skyzoo, Boot Camp Clik, G.O.O.D Music) and Heatmakerz (Jim Jones, The Diplomats, AZ) for this LP. With the three-year hiatus between albums, the Slaughterhouse MC changed his... Read more

September 11, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Raekwon Has Faith In The Way You Used To Love Me (Audio)

Raekwon slides into the early '90s for this week's #TBT (his 13th overall) with Faith Evans' breakthrough 1995 single, "You Used To Love Me." Rae sounds slick on the Puff Daddy & Chucky Thompson-produced gold single, with a cocky verse about livin' good, and spoilin' the apple of his eyes.... Read more

September 11, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Wu-Tang Clan Heads & Film Buffs Know This Lyric Compilation Ain’t Nothing Ta F’ Wit (Video)

Wu-Tang Clan is currently gearing up for A Better Tomorrow. Well, this compilation of film dialogue certainly makes for a better today. Released a while back, this amazing cut-and-paste video recreates the exact lyrics to 1993's "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothing Ta F' Wit." What's as impressive is that the editor... Read more

September 11, 2014 Fresh, Throwback