AFH Ambrosia for Heads

News

Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d. city Turns 5. It’s Past Time To Call It A Classic (Video)

For those who were already familiar with Kendrick Lamar in 2012, good kid, m.A.A.d. city was not his debut album. That distinction belonged to Section.80, the 2011 masterpiece released independently through Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Kendrick's label home since the beginning. Even before that, Kendrick had shown he was a... Read more

Big K.R.I.T. Has The Subs In The Trunk. Pass The Aux Cord To Hear This Jam (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let AFH 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 it's ever been. Not only are we able to go back... Read more

Russell Simmons To Make A Film About Def Jam’s Unsung Hero: T La Rock

Before LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys, a fledgling Def Jam Recordings had another MC in mind for its legendary path: T La Rock. Brother to Treacherous Three MCs member Special K, the Manhattan-born, Bronx—raised MC (aka Clarence Ronnie Keaton) would work with Rick Rubin and DJ Jazzy Jay (pioneering... Read more

Blu & Exile Release A Prequel To Their Below The Heavens Album (Full Stream)

Ten years ago, Blu & Exile’s Below The Heavens debut sparked an enthusiastic reaction, with fans and critics immediately claiming it as a classic and last call of the booming Underground Hip-Hop movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Listening now to previously unreleased tracks from the same sessions,... Read more

This Mix Salutes 1987’s Def Jam Tour With LL Cool J, P.E., Eric B. & Rakim and Whodini

By 1987 Def Jam Records had solidified a foothold in the Hip-Hop music landscape. While labels like Sugar Hill, Enjoy, Jive, and Profile Records had released some truly incredible singles, Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin's three-year-old outfit was fast embracing the Rap album format. Moreover, they had a diverse roster—in... Read more

Redman Blasts Critics Of Eminem’s BET Cypher & Says EVERYONE Should Respect It (Video)

Redman and Eminem are friends. Over the years, each has showered the other with praise, great MC to great MC. It started with Eminem showing his love for Reggie Noble's music by remaking "Pick It Up" in 2002, alongside Proof. Years later, Redman returned the favor, by flipping Em's "Just... Read more

Snoop Dogg Releases One Of His Most Powerful Political Songs Yet (Audio)

Snoop Dogg may not first come to mind as a political rapper. However, since his fame has ascended into household name status, Tha Doggfather has proudly become just that. In recent years, Snoop has called for peace in the streets and the industry. This March, his BADBADNOTGOOD collaboration "Lavender" commented... Read more

Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge’s Latest “Yes Lawd” Remix May Be Their Best One (Audio)

There’s such warmth in some music, coming at you like waves. The remix of NxWorries’ “Best One” is one such wave of feel-good energy. Vocalist Anderson .Paak’s usually peppy, highly theatrical style is (almost) subsumed in the Knxledge mix so that it can sometimes be hard to make out the... Read more

Large Professor Supplies Fashawn With A Vintage Beat & He Skates On It (Video)

Decked out in a red t-shirt supporting one of Mobb Deep's favorite spirits and bandana as a sign of respect to the “late, great Prodigy, The H.N.I.C,” Fashawn takes to Flushing, Queens with a local, Large Professor, in this new eponymous visual. One of XXL magazine’s 2010 Freshmen, Fashawn has... Read more

South Central’s Quincey White Gives New Meaning To Chasing Hollywood Dreams (Video)

Quincey White is an emerging voice within the Los Angeles scene, and he has a lot to say. His latest video single “HOLLYWOOD” is a “metaphor for success.” It is all about achieving status. White, the MC formerly known as DUBB, dropped his EP, The 7, on Sway Calloway &... Read more

Redman Is The Realest. He Explains Why He Still Lives In His Famous Crib (Video)

Over the last 25 years, Redman has amassed a Rap and film career that towers over most others. However, one of the keys to success for the Def Squad product has been staying modest and being humble. Even starring in major films, headlining global tours, and hitting the charts many... Read more

Bahamadia Produced An Entire EP On Her Phone & It’s Dialed Up 2 The Max (Audio)

Revered as one of music's most gifted Philly lyricists, Bahamadia is known for her subdued, under-the-radar persona. However, her presence in the culture has never waned. Largely considered one of the dopest women to have ever touched a mic, her 1996 album Kollage continues to ring bells two decades later.... Read more

Big K.R.I.T. Has Made An Anthem Fit For A King & It Deserves A Second Video

In just over a week (October 27), Big K.R.I.T. will release 4Eva Is A Mighty Long Time. The double-album marks a return to independence, and the DIY days when the Meridian, Mississippi multi-threat made as good of a free project as Heads can get: 2010's KritWuzHere and 2011 follow-up ReturnOf4Eva.... Read more

Method Man Carries The Wu-Tang Flag Solo & Waves It Proudly In A New Video

On 1993's classic debut Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), if one Killa Bee received an isolated look, it was Method Man. At one point, the LP breaks to shine a light on one of the nine members of the crew. The movement fits the album but was rather unique. "Method... Read more

DJ Muggs Is Producing An Album For Action Bronson’s Day 1. The New Video Is Meyhem.

UPDATE: Following last week's debut single from Gems From The Equinox, DJ Muggs & Meyhem Lauren unleash "Murder Rap." With a beat that pounds the listener in the face, Cypress Hill's co-founder uses another MC to rhyme about "how he could just kill a man." With the second video, a... Read more

Large Professor Remixes Masta Ace’s Trip Down Memory Lane (Audio)

Nostalgia and looking back on teenage years is a recurring theme in Hip-Hop, inspiring some of the best work of artists such as Nas and Black Milk and now Masta Ace and Large Professor on this "Extra P Remix" of UK production collective, Son of Sam’s “Come A Long Way.”... Read more

Thundercat’s Guitar Gently Weeps On NPR’s Tiny Desk In This Soulful Set (Video)

Thundercat brought his guitar and his latest album Drunk into NPR's Washington, D.C. offices. At the Tiny Desk, the Brainfeeder artist, the Los Angeles, California native born Stephen Bruner joined his band for several selections, including 2015 crossover hit, "Them Changes." This song, including its innovative homage to The Isley... Read more

DJ Premier Credits Nas With Helping Choose 2 Very Illmatic Samples (Video)

Production is more than just making beats and shopping them to artists. By 1994, DJ Premier had produced three Gang Starr albums, in addition to important records for KRS-One, Heavy D & The Boyz, and Lord Finesse. Nas and his team would seek out the Works Of Mart for three... Read more

Dancer For Many Classic Hip-Hop Videos, Voodoo Ray, Has Passed Away At Age 50

Throughout the decades, Voodoo Ray (born Raymond Ultarte) brought the dance moves he displayed in New York City clubs in the 1980s to some of Hip-Hop culture's more memorable late 1990s videos. Formerly known as Boogie Ray, Ultarte's dancing eventually went on to appear in visuals such as Run-D.M.C. &... Read more

The Smithsonian Will Tell The History Of Hip-Hop In A 120-Song Anthology Led By Chuck D & MC Lyte

“#Make Hip-Hop History” is the slogan for the campaign launched today by The Smithsonian Museum, with the help of Chuck D and MC Lyte, to fund a nine-CD, 300-page anthology devoted to exploring the history of Hip-Hop and Rap music. This would be the third such Smithsonian Folkways anthology focused... Read more

Mysonne Used His Turn In The Spotlight To Shed Light In An Underrated BET Cypher (Video)

Hip-Hop news and culture move fast, and it's easy to miss significant developments. Every week, Ambrosia For Heads takes a look back at the LAST 7 days. This video series, hosted by Justin "The Company Man" Hunte examines the current issues with a colorful rundown of the what, where, and... Read more

Cam’ron & Jim Jones Bury Their Latest Beef For Upcoming Dipset Reunion Concert

In February of this year, Jim Jones sat down with Funkmaster Flex in an emotional interview about his relationship with onetime Diplomats band-mate Cam'ron. As the Dipset Capo got tearful in speaking about the sacrifices he made for Cam', he alleged that the crew's breakout star had not supported his... Read more

Talib Kweli Reflects On A “Train Of Thought” Song That Remains Eternal 17 Years Later (Audio)

Last week, Mos Def's solo debut Black On Both Sides celebrated its 18th birthday. Meanwhile, today (October 17), Talib Kweli, Yasiin Bey's Black Star partner, and DJ Hi-Tek honor the 17th anniversary of Reflection Eternal's Train Of Thought. Both Rawkus Records releases are benchmark albums to Hip-Hop, as well as... Read more

Dillon Has A Feast Over Diamond D’s Serving Of Fresh Beats (Video)

Diamond D is currently doing concerts with Sadat X in support of Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop's recent 25th anniversary. In the meantime, the Bronx, New Yorker and founding member of Diggin' In The Crates is still supplying heat for up-and-coming talent. D was there early for producing Fat Joe,... Read more

Pusha T Details Grindin’ A Clipse Breakup Into Putting G.O.O.D. Numbers On The Board (Video)

Today, Pusha T is president of one of Hip-Hop's most recognized labels of the last dozen years. He's launched enduring fashion brands, committed himself to causes and charities, all in the path of a career built on elite Rap lyricism. In the latest episode of The Blueprint, King Push' sits... Read more

Kendrick Lamar Details What Saved Him From The Streets Of Compton

Kendrick Lamar credits discovering Malcolm X as a teen and a 100% commitment to his music as the two things that saved him from the streets of Compton, in an interview with Touré for VICE's i-D, published today (October 16). “[Malcolm X’s] ideas rooted my approach to music,” says the... Read more

The Trailer For “Black Panther” Previews A Revolution In Superhero Films (Video)

The first full trailer for the highly-anticipated Black Panther has been released, and miraculously all seems right in the world, if only for two minutes and change. The trailer for Marvel Studios's Black Panther gives viewers a closer look at Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, and the film's... Read more

RZA Explains Why Passing The Wu-Tang Production Torch To Mathematics Adds Up (Video)

Last Friday (October 13), Wu-Tang Clan released The Saga Continues. Executive produced by RZA, the album marks a new label and independent contract for the legendary Shaolin collective. Moreover, RZA entrusted Wu-Elements producer DJ Mathematics with the sounds. Following a year of discussion surrounding the Clan's sound (Ghostface Killah was... Read more

Colin Kaepernick Formally Files A Grievance Against The NFL & Its Team Owners

Professional football was played today (October 15) and will be tomorrow, but not with Colin Kaepernick. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback remains a free agent, without a team. However, Kaep', who recently reminded fans that he wants to play, believes that the National Football League and owners of its... Read more

RZA & Ghostface Killah Continue The Wu-Tang Saga With Help From The Roots (Video)

Just hours after releasing The Saga Continues, Wu-Tang Clan was on network television promoting an album that stands as one of their best in several years. While Method Man is a key lyrical component on the LP with his DJ, Mathematics at the helm, it was the Wu Abbott, The... Read more

Eminem Was A Political Rapper Years Before The BET Cypher. Here’s The Proof (Video)

Tuesday night (October 10), Eminem spit what already appears to be the most talked about freestyle verse of all-time. At Detroit's First Street Parking with Shady Records artists and friends looking on (some would later get their turn to rap), Marshall Mathers went off the rails on an a capella... Read more

Prince Paul Remixes An Album Featuring Guru, DOOM & More And Gives It Away For Free (Audio)

Prince Paul has a legendary career in Hip-Hop. A member of Stetsasonic, Gravediggaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School, BROOKZILL! and many other projects, the Long Island, New Yorker revolutionized the way producers approached sampling in the 1980s. He mentored and produced De La Soul, in addition to work with Chris Rock,... Read more

Wu-Tang Clan Have Just Released Their Best Album In Years. The Saga Continues (Audio)

Moments ago, members of Wu-Tang Clan released Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues. Executive produced by RZA, with strong role-playing from Method Man, the LP also features Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, and Masta Killa. Redman appeared on the album's first two singles (including one video), adding to a 20-plus-year bond with the... Read more

Large Professor Speaks On The Targets Of “Fakin’ The Funk” & Why He Attacked The Wack

It goes without saying that 1992 was a turning point year for Hip-Hop. The hardcore and underground Rap scenes from the East, West, Midwest, and South each boasted a myriad of artists with memorable singles and albums to define their respective region's sound. Simultaneously, this period was when Pop music... Read more

John Amos Reveals He Was Fired From Good Times For Trying To Make It More Authentic (Video)

At a crucial point in American television, Good Times presented one of the first beloved Black TV fathers (along with Redd Foxx's "Fred Sanford") in John Amos' groundbreaking portrayal of "James Evans." Along with his co-star wife "Florida Evans" (played by the late Esther Rolle), they were the first Black nuclear... Read more

Black Thought Is A Triple Threat. He Acts As Well As He Raps.

"I feel like whether acting or making music or visual arts or fashion, I feel like you're sort of using the same muscles, with emphasis on different elements at different times," Black Thought tells Ambrosia For Heads. It's the day after his birthday, and the man who always seems to introduce... Read more

Method Man Was Not Supposed To Be The First Wu Soloist. ODB Was & He Blew It (Video)

Method Man has always appeared to be Wu-Tang Clan's most accessible group member to the mainstream public. Even his fellow Wu Gambino Raekwon admitted in a 2013 Vlad TV interview that Meth had the most passion in the group to be their breakout star. Chef noted that was also why... Read more

Meet Eminem’s Newest Signee In The Rawest BET Cypher Of 2017 (Video)

Last night (October 10) Eminem's BET Hip Hop Awards cypher shook the universe, in what stands to be the MC's most political moment in a career that's never shied away from dissing public figures of all kinds. The previous time Marshall Mathers blessed the BET cypher stage, he brought his... Read more

DOOM & Westside Gunn Sting With Bars On Alchemist Production (Audio)

Following Eminem's show-stopping, highly-political cypher which aired less than 24 hours ago, one of his latest Shady artists (Westside Gunn) refuses to let the party stop. Everything is muted, quiet like a beautiful, twisted lullaby on “2Stings,” the most recent single from the forthcoming WestsideDOOM (DOOM and Gunn) collaboration, produced... Read more

Uncle Luke Was The Original Hip-Hop Pioneer Who Fought For Free Speech And Won (Video)

Luther Campbell, better known under his monikers Uncle Luke or Luke Skyywalker, is often revered as one of the pioneers of Hip-Hop music south of the Mason-Dixon line. On the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards stage, receiving the night's honorary "I Am Hip Hop Award," Luke asserted his history from... Read more

Mysonne Puts Morality Over Money In One Of The Most Woke BET Cyphers Ever (Video)

Mysonne is a Hip-Hop rarity. After spending seven years in prison, rather than seeking to glorify his stint, as most rappers do, he's used the experience to caution others against following in his footsteps. He also consistently has been one of the more outspoken voices against much of the negative... Read more

CyHi The Prynce Shows Why Rap’s Biggest MCs Buy His Rhymes, In A Killer Cypher (Video)

Although CyHi The Prynce might not be a household name yet, his rhymes are already universal. As one of Kanye West's most acclaimed co-writers, CyHi's prodigious pen was a prominent part of West's albums My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Yeezus. His contributions would earn him a spot on Kanye's... Read more

Eminem Destroys Donald Trump For 5 Minutes In A Devastating BET Cypher (Video)

Beginning in 2009, the MC cypher has taken center stage at the BET Hip Hop Awards. Exciting groupings of rappers, often tied by region and label affiliation or simply raw talent, freestyle on one of the mainstream Rap world's biggest platforms. Eminem is a cornerstone of the Hip Hop Awards... Read more

Method Man Details The Life Experiences That Influenced His Complicated Role On The Deuce

For 13 episodes of The Wire, Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man played Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff. Well into a career that included film and television roles, "Cheese" showed Meth build on his portrayal of a Baltimore drug dealer over multiple seasons. He is back at work with The Wire's creator, executive producers, and many... Read more

Problem Blows The Top Off Over A Thunderous 9th Wonder Production (Video)

While 9th Wonder may be best known for his productions in the 00s for artists like Little Brother, JAY-Z, Erykah Badu and Destiny's Child, over the last few years, the North Carolina producer has been quietly and diligently releasing some of the best work of his illustrious career. In 2016, his... Read more

Prince Paul Shares Unreleased De La Soul Music That Stands With Their Best Work (Audio)

Last month, Prince Paul dropped a knocking alternate mix of “Chubb Rock Please Pay Paul His $2200 You Owe Him (People, Places, and Things),” a 14-year-old album cut featuring DOOM, Chubb Rock, and Wordsworth. The Grammy Award-winning member of Stetsasonic, Gravediggaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School, and BROOKZILL is not done. Paul... Read more

Black Thought Explains How The Roots Are Approaching Their Next Album Differently (Video)

Hip-Hop news and culture move fast, and it’s easy to miss significant developments. Every week, Ambrosia For Heads takes a look back at the LAST 7 days. This video series, hosted by Justin “The Company Man” Hunte examines the current issues with a colorful rundown of the what, where, and why. While the LAST... Read more

Doughboyz Cashout Member Roc Shot & Killed In Detroit

Yesterday (October 9) Doughboy Roc of CTE-affiliated group Doughboyz Cashout was fatally shot in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. The veteran rapper born Rodney Yeargin was 29 years old. Reports from the local CBS affiliate claim that Roc was fired upon while sitting in a car at Stoepel Street and... Read more

The LOX Inhale The Wisdom & Exhale The Stress On A New Loosie (Audio)

One month ago, Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch showcased a must-listen single from Statik Selektah's upcoming 8 album. Featuring '70s-'80s legend James Mtume, "But You Don't Hear Me Tho" is a nostalgic walk-back to yesteryear in New York City, Hip-Hop, and life in general. "Hit A Roach" honors LOX... Read more

Q-Tip Explains Why The Institutionalization Of Hip-Hop Is A Good Thing (Audio)

In March of 2016, A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip was named Artistic Director of Hip-Hop Culture at Washington, D.C.'s famed Kennedy Center. With fellow Queens, native LL Cool J already confirmed as a center honoree for December, Tip spoke with NPR and explained why the looks are validations at a... Read more