AFH Ambrosia for Heads

King Los Always Had Bars. Now He’s Got Hooks Too. MCs, Beware…(Audio)

Over the last few years, King Los has established himself as an elite MC. When Kendrick Lamar took out an entire generation of MCs with one verse and caused even more to respond to his taking "Control," it was Los' verse that Kendrick deemed to be the best reply. Los... Read more

Yasiin Bey’s ‘Basquiat Ghostwriter’ is Full of Unexpected Negatives (Video)

Yasiin Bey (pka Mos Def) has released a music video to accompany "Basquiat Ghostwriter," a song he dropped just a few days ago that took many Heads by surprise. The Brooklyn MC hasn't released a solo album since 2009's The Ecstatic and in the years since he's spent much time... Read more

Yasiin Bey Uses Basquiat as His Ghostwriter For an Inspired Song About Injustice & Hope (Audio)

For years, Yasiin Bey (pka Mos Def) has shown he is an artist who walks his own path. Whether advocating for social justice or lyrically taking out sucker MCs, he has proven to be equally adept. After a private video where he challenged the entire industry to battle himself, King... Read more

Fabolous’ New Visual Recreates “Juice” and Guess Who’s Bishop? (Video)

After a series of weekly freestyles, and a comprehensive throwback mixtape alongside DJ Clue, Fabolous is back to work. The Def Jam/Desert Storm MC returns to promoting his The Young O.G. Project. For "Gone For The Winter," Fab' continues a popular trend of honoring 1990s films through contemporary music culture.... Read more

Sean Price Passes Away At Age 43. Rest In Peace.

The Hip-Hop and music community is saddened to learn that Sean Price has died. The MC formerly known as Ruck reportedly passed away this morning (August 8) at his home in Brooklyn, New York. Details are emerging, but the 43 year-old Price was found unconscious in his sleep. Cause of... Read more

Yasiin Bey Says He, Black Thought & King Los Can Take ANYBODY in a Battle (Video)

Although Mos Def came up through freestyles and ciphers (as chronicled in Kevin Fitzgerald's 2000 film, Freestyle), the Brooklyn, New Yorker is not typically thought of as a battle MC. Often outspoken about his peers, the artist now known as Yasiin Bey released a video today (August 7) by YouTube user... Read more

King Los, Isaiah Rashad & Kent Jamz Bring Power To The Lyric Video Format

Lyric Videos, in theory are promotional devices. These videos tend to follow audio releases, and blaze a trail for eventual produced videos. They can effectively create an experience that brings attention to artistic intent, and quite clearly own the space and monetize a song for label and artist. But in... Read more

Method Man & Redman Are Back And Keeping It Straight Gutter (Audio)

Whether as individuals, or as a team, Method Man and Redman have become stars, almost by accident. The Staten Island-Newark tandem is as talented as they come in Hip-Hop, but neither the Wu-Tang Clan MC or the Def Squad lyricist ever seemed to tailor their theses to the mainstream. Instead,... Read more

Skyzoo Discusses His New Album and the Changing Landscape of Brooklyn (Interview)

2015 is a monumental year for Skyzoo. While the journey extends back longer, it has been a decade since much of the Rap consciousness first heard the smooth cadence from the Brooklyn, New York MC. In that span, Sky' has released and appeared on handfuls of acclaimed and charting albums.... Read more

Vic Mensa Is Breaking New Ground. But He Can Still Crush Old Ice Cube Beats (Video)

Vic Mensa fronted a Rock & Roll band. Vic Mensa made hits with House music. But can Vic Mensa obliterate some '90s and 2000s G-Funk? Most definitely. The Save Money MC hits "The Cruz Show" to munch on some "Breakfast Bars," better described as classic Ice Cube instrumentals. The Chicago,... Read more

DJ Quik & Hi-C Remix Rihanna With A Flair For The Early 1990s (Audio)

Rapper/producer DJ Quik released his own remix of Rihanna's latest single with longtime friend and collaborator Hi-C. The two West Coast natives are remembered for being part of the movement of the same name for Rihanna's most recent record. Quik and C are now back together to do a little... Read more

LL Cool J Classics Are Mixed While He’s Interviewed…by Marley Marl (Audio)

LL Cool J and Marley Marl go back. These two Queens, New York icons crossed paths in the late-1980s, when LL Cool J was widely touted as one of Hip-Hop's finest MCs, and Marley Marl was the go-to producer. From mixes of "Jinglin' Baby," to "Around The Way Girl," these... Read more

Raury Dances With The Devil, Making Refreshingly Original Music (Audio)

Atlanta, Georgia's Raury defies genre in so much of what he does. The just-released "Devil's Whisperer" is a testament to that. Immersed in American Roots music, Raury knows how to weave in an Electronic bassline, hard drums, and then chant, spit, and master the ceremony on the song. Timeless, this... Read more

Rest In Peace Pumpkinhead, Friends & Collaborators Mourn

Veteran Brooklyn, New York MC Pumpkinhead (a/k/a PH) has been reported dead this morning (June 9). Friends and collaborators of the man born Robert Alan Diaz have begun to publicly mourn. Notably, Pumpkinhead appeared on acclaimed albums such as Immortal Technique's Revolutionary 1 and Revolutionary 2 albums, in addition to... Read more

Dom Kennedy Releases a True Hip-Hop Love Song (Audio)

When's the last time you heard a Hip-Hop love song? Not a song about a conquest, but one with courtship and true complimentary words about the object of the artist's affection? Some come to mind, like The Roots' "Silent Treatment," dead.prez's "Mind Sex" and Common's "The Light." And, of course,... Read more

Do Remember: Talib Kweli & DJ Quik’s Put It In The Air (Audio)

Few artists have the excitement leading into their solo debut as Talib Kweli, especially by 2000s standards. Entering Quality, the Brooklyn, New York MC had already found success with two groups, Black Star and Reflection Eternal. Both acts, duos with Mos Def and DJ Hi-Tek, respectively, had been met with... Read more

Finding The GOAT (The Final Battle): Eminem vs. Tupac…Who You Got?

The championship round of "Finding The GOAT" has arrived. After eight months, 200-plus MCs, and plenty of down-to-the-wire races, the two finalists meet at last. Both Eminem and Tupac have been undefeated in "Finding The GOAT." For Tupac, twice those triumphs came down to a single percent. For Em', those... Read more

At 15 Years Old, Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP Still May Reign Supreme

The problem with an incredible work is often following it up. In Hip-Hop, for every Doggystyle, there's a Doggfather, for every Black Album, there's a Kingdom Come, and for every Stankonia, there's well,...wonder. Although he had been plugging away in Hip-Hop starting in the mid-1990s, Eminem skyrocketed to fame in... Read more

For National Prevention Week, Watch This 1987 Public Enemy Anti-Drug PSA (Video)

Beginning May 17, we are in the midst of National Prevention Week, a seven-day annual event produced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). With that in mind, Ambrosia For Heads is proud to shed light on not one, but two anti-drug PSA's this week that aired briefly... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Final 4): Eminem vs. Big Daddy Kane…Who You Got?

Update: Polls have now closed There are now only 4 MCs remaining in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). Both Nas and The Notorious B.I.G. were dismissed at the winning hands of Tupac (even if it took a second, certified ballot in the Nas... Read more

Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Brought Their Vibes To HOT 97 In ’96 (Mix)

Throughout the 1990s, DJ Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito The Barber shaped radio weekly. In doing so, from Columbia University's WKCR FM signal, the pair would help introduce those within frequency range to Nas, Big L, Mobb Deep, Cenubites (Kool Keith, Godfather Don and Percee P), and plenty of other legendary... Read more

Do Remember: The Nonce’s Mix Tapes (Video)

2015's Los Angeles, California Hip-Hop scene includes a plethora of colorful figures. It is now cool (and accepted) to be unconventional. Whether Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, or Blu, plenty of MCs from Southern Cali have come to creative forks in the road, and blazed trails by simply going straight. In... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 5): Eminem vs. Busta Rhymes…Who You Got?

With just 11 MCs remaining we have reached the critical Round 5 in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). Now, only five match-up’s—all running this week—separate Round 5 from the final six MCs, including Round 4 bye winner Big Daddy Kane. Since the elimination,... Read more

Sean Price Borrows Kanye West’s Breakthrough Beat and Spits The Truth (Audio)

In a career that's 20 years old, Sean Price has been very calculated with mixtape releases. Three times, the Brownsville, Brooklyn MC has offered up a non-album release, and starting with 2004's Donkey Sean, Jr., (before Monkey Barz) each time they have been a warning shot before an album that's... Read more

Hip-Hop Myths: Here Are 5 Common Misbeliefs That Will Surprise You

During its nascent period, Hip-Hop was dismissed by many as simply a passing fad, much like Disco. As we all can see now, those critics were drastically mistaken, and it has not only grown, but has become the most influential cultural presence in fashion, dance, language, art, and of course... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 3): DMX vs. Joe Budden…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

Finding The GOAT (Round 3): Eminem vs. Talib Kweli…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

Do Remember: When Charles Hamilton Passed The Mic To An Unknown Kendrick Lamar (Video)

Miss Lauryn Hill once eloquently rhymed, "Seasons change, mad things re-arrange." In life, love, and Hip-Hop, is this not a rugged truism? As the world shifts, there are some interesting cycles. This week in the culture, Kendrick Lamar took center-stage, giving Heads a name for his sophomore major label album,... Read more

Is Kendrick Lamar’s “Butterfly” Artwork The Next Classic Hip-Hop Image?

After midnight EST this morning (March 11), Kendrick Lamar appears to have revealed the artwork to his sophomore major label album. While the March 23 LP title remains unconfirmed, the Compton, California MC took to Facebook to share a stickered image, suggesting that it's the packaging associated with his good... Read more

Vince Staples Holds Open The Screen Door & Welcomes Us Into His World (Video)

Vince Staples made a big dent in 2014. His Def Jam Records debut, Hell Can Wait, was a critical and fan favorite of the year, as the Long Beach, California MC added to the emerging youthful narratives from his close associates Odd Future and Mac Miller. "Screen Door" was a... Read more

Do Remember: Cannibal Ox’s Painkillers (Video)

This month, after 14 years, a reunited Cannibal Ox announced a sophomore album, Blade Of The Ronin. The announcement after years of refuting the prospects of a follow-up to 2001's The Cold Vein debut. As time evolved, Vast Aire and Vordul Mega pursued solo careers, still making songs on each... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Joe Budden vs. Jay Rock…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

O.C. May Be One Of The Only Artists Who Can Claim To Have Received A Free Jay Z Feature

D.I.T.C. MC O.C. has several championed releases, stemming from his 1994 Wild Pitch Records debut, Word...Life, his 1997 Payday follow-up, Jewelz, his near-bootleg release Starchild, to his Apollo Brown tandem, Trophies. 2001's Bon Appetit is not one of O's more celebrated works, though the Brooklyn, New Yorker maintains it's the... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Kanye West vs. Ja Rule…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

Erick Sermon Speaks Openly About Earnings, Helping Create Atlanta’s Scene (Video)

Erick Sermon does not do a ton of interviews. However, when the EPMD and Def Squad co-founder speaks, he's never big on canned, diplomatic answers. E-Dub opens up in a major way when speaking with This Is 50's Jack Thriller. The Brentwood, Long Island MC/producer breaks down his 2000s-era comeback... Read more

Dipset’s Core 4 Members Are Together, Recording A New Mixtape

2015 marks five years since Cam'ron and Jim Jones laid to rest their differences, and began what has become a slow crawl back to restoring The Diplomats activity. In 2010, the clique was photographed in the studio with Dr. Dre, an artist who had never previously worked with Cam'ron, Jim... Read more

Stream and Download More Than 35 of the Best Mixtapes of 2014 (Mixtapes)

2014 was a year of incredibly diverse mixtape offerings. There were amazing blend projects like Yasiin Gaye which combined Mos and Marvin, beat-jacking tapes like Jon Connor's amazing takeover of Kanye West tracks, albums in disguise like Travi$ Scott's Days Before Rodeo, remix wonders like Soul Cookin's complete re-imagination of... Read more

Finding the GOAT: Pick Yet Another ’90s Great Wild Card For Round 2?

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

Finding the GOAT: Who is Your Wildcard Pick for Round 2?

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

GOAT: Which One of These MCs Deserves a Shot at Advancing to Round 2?

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

Finding The GOAT: Crooked I vs. Jadakiss…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

Keith Murray Talks His Career, With Crooked I & Wale Joining Sway’s Party (Video)

Keith Murray can be a movie. Just like he is on his heralded Jive (and later, Def Jam) Records albums, the Central Islip MC is animated as ever. On a recent Sway In The Morning episode (also featuring Crooked I), the Def Squad MC opines on the greatest Rap record... Read more

Finding The GOAT: Joe Budden vs. Ab-Soul…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

20 Amazing Hip-Hop Projects From 2014, So Far (Videos)

2014 is entering its fourth quarter. As a whole, the year has seen some amazing musical developments in Hip-Hop. Mainstream artists like Common, The Roots, and Rick Ross (coincidentally, all Def Jam Records acts) have made statement albums, adding to respected and evolved catalogs. Veterans such as Cormega, Pharoahe Monch,... Read more

Watch Never Before Released Footage of Talib Kweli Freestyling in 1998 (Video)

Wow. DJ Eclipse's Throwback Thursday treats just keep getting better and better. After releasing dope late 90's freestyles from Kanye West and Common Sense, he now lets loose never before seen footage of Talib Kweli ripping the mic at an in-store appearance at NYC's Fat Beats in 1998. Kweli is... Read more

Statik Selektah Assembles Logic, Ab-Soul & Jon Connor For A Soulful Wakeup (Audio)

With What Goes Around three weeks away (August 19), Statik Selektah's roll-out rolls on. In the last seven years, the New England native has rivaled the likes of DJ Khaled and DJ Drama in his ability to make massive collaborations work, all while being thematic. Looking to the new class... Read more

Who’s the King of Guest Verses? Here’s a Playlist of Some of the Best of the Best (Playlist)

Over the years, there have been a number of great guest verses, but there are some that stand above others. When done properly, a killer guest verse can become career-defining (just ask Busta and Kendrick). Here's a playlist of some truly standout guest verses. You'll hear music from Andre 3000,... Read more

Golden Age Stories From Black Sheep Dres Receive A Comedic Twist (Video)

The free form style of improv in the comedic world could easily be compared to the off the top freestyles of Hip-Hop. Both art forms are blended together when Black Sheep Dres hits the stage in New York City in a far different capacity than many are used to, telling... Read more

Did Drake Just Blow Up Jay Z & Kanye’s Throne? 0 to 100. You Do the Math…(Audio)

Drake just released a new track that is deceptively catchy and lyrical. On first listen to the 2-part song, it's easy to get caught up in the dual personality of the track (a la Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2) and skip over the lyrical content. Upon review, however, what's revealed... Read more

The Week in Hip-Hop Video Featured Camp Lo, Ab-Soul, Styles P, Jadakiss, Murs & More (Video Playlist)

The past week in Hip-Hop video brought sneak peeks at upcoming projects from Camp Lo and Yasiin Gaye (the 2nd part of the Mos Def/Marvin Gaye blend mixtape), strong freestyle from Brother Ali and Mayhem Lauren, new music videos from Ab-Soul, Murs & Mayday, Styles P & Jadakiss and more.... Read more