AFH Ambrosia for Heads

C.L. Smooth Drops New Music & Opens Up About His Relationship With Pete Rock (Video)

C.L. Smooth was a guest on Sway In The Morning this week. The veteran MC/producer released two solo singles, "Too Cold" and "Just In Town" (embedded below) in 2019. While on the show, the buttery-voiced rapper discussed the standing of his relationship with Pete Rock. During the 1990s, Pete Rock... Read more

Griselda’s WWCD Album Features Eminem, 50 Cent & Raekwon. Here’s The LP Trailer

This Friday (November 29), the Griselda Records trio of Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher are releasing their full-length Shady Records debut, WWCD (What Would Chine Do). Following the release of "Dr. Bird's" and "Chef Dreds" (embedded below), the trio of Buffalo, New York MCs have released... Read more

Talib Kweli Is Recording An Album Produced By Diamond D. Take A Look. (Video)

Earlier this year, Diamond D released his latest album, The Diam Piece 2. On that LP, "The Zone" features Talib Kweli as well as Terror Van Pooh, and Niko Is. The Bronx, New York producer, MC, and DJ and the Brooklyn, New York MC, entrepreneur, and show host have some... Read more

David Banner Bodies Diamond D Production With Some Food For Thought (Video)

It has been five years since Diamond D dropped The Diam Piece. Following some independent projects, that Dymond Mine/EMPIRE release garnered the D.I.T.C. triple-threat his greatest acclaim since 1997's Hatred, Passion and Infidelity sophomore drop. In 2019, the Bronx, New Yorker assembled The Diam Piece 2, a sequel with an... Read more

Benny, Conway & 38 Spesh Rewrite A Page Out Of Scarface’s Diary (Audio Premiere)

Rochester, New York MC/producer 38 Spesh has made a hard push in the last two years to reach the forefront of underground Hip-Hop. Be it releasing a litany of solo and collaborative albums or mentoring promising young talent like Che Noir, T.C.F. Music Group's founder has established himself as a... Read more

Big Daddy Kane For President. He Rocks Russia With R.A.W. Not WAR (Video)

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Big Daddy Kane became a global Hip-Hop ambassador. From his roots in New York City rap battles, Antonio Hardy's brilliant rhyme schemes, supreme confidence, and rich subject matter reached the world, and it left a mark. Across color lines and language barriers, so... Read more

Che Noir & 38 Spesh Are Reviving A Dying Breed Of Hardcore Hip-Hop (Video Premiere)

Within a very short time, Buffalo, New York native Che Noir has established herself as a force to be reckoned with on the microphone. This young MC only came on the scene a couple of years ago, but with the help of 38 Spesh and his TCF Music Group label,... Read more

Elzhi Rapping To Diamond D Production Is A Winning Combination (Video Premiere)

Diamond D’s status as an icon in Hip-Hop is forever etched in stone. Since his classic debut Stunts, Blunts, and Hip-Hop released in 1992, his groundbreaking work with the D.I.T.C. (Digging In The Crates Crew) and his production on multi-platinum album, The Score by The Fugees, Diamond D has consistently... Read more

O.C. Releases 3+ Hours Of ’90s Rarities, Demos & Freestyles. Dig In. (Audio)

For more than 25 years, O.C. has been a vicious MC. From JAY-Z to Big L, Pharoahe Monch to Murs, rappers across the Hip-Hop landscape have been eager to work with the Diggin' In The Crates member. O' has fed the masses, from the acclaimed Word...Life and Jewelz one-two punch,... Read more

Diamond D Released A New Album Filled With Great MCs. Listen Here.

Yesterday (May 10), Diamond D released his first album in nearly five years, The Diam Piece 2. On the producer/MC/DJ's Dymond Mine Records imprint, the release features Talib Kweli, Xzibit, Erick Sermon, Snoop Dogg, Styles P, Raekwon, A-F-R-O, Elzhi, Twista, David Banner, and Fat Joe, among a host of others.... Read more

Large Professor Lights The Fuse For Tragedy Khadafi & Truth On A Remix That Bangs

Queens, New York MC Truth has been rapping for more than half of his life and is influenced by the likes of Mobb Deep, Run-D.M.C., Nas, Kool G. Rap, A Tribe Called Quest, Organized Konfusion and other local legends that have played a significant role in shaping his style. While... Read more

DJ Premier Recalls Nas & Big L Signing Their Record Deals Together (Video)

DJ Premier has been a part of many albums that are considered classics by Heads. However, few can equal the importance of Nas’ 1994 debut Illmatic. Mass Appeal recently launched a new video series where producers behind this magnum opus detail its creation and importance, leading up to the LP’s... Read more

Diamond D’s New Album Features Erick Sermon, Pharoahe Monch, Talib Kweli & More

It has been nearly five years since D.I.T.C. co-founder Diamond D released a solo album. The self-proclaimed "best producer on the mic" dropped one of his most exciting albums in the form of 2014's The Diam Piece. Producing all but one of the tracks (which was by DJ Scratch), the... Read more

Elzhi Releases A Verse That Wins Like G Money On The Court (Audio)

On top of dropping a celebrated joint album with Khrysis last year under the group name Jericho Jackson, Elzhi also spent a lot of 2018 keeping MCs on their toes with vicious guest verses. He more than delivered on Masta Ace & Marco Polo’s A Breukelen Story, Conway The Machine’s... Read more

Vinnie Paz, Ill Bill, O.C. & Rasheed Chappell Make Hip-Hop Music To Blast On The Corner

Rasheed Chappell has been in the game for a lot longer than most Heads may realize. He is from the era of J-Love mixtapes that birthed Outdoorsmen members Action Bronson and Meyhem Lauren. However, when iconic producer Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez took him under wing, he evolved from simply a dope... Read more

20 Years After Big L’s Passing, This Rarity Showcases The Man Behind The Punchlines

Twenty years ago today (February 15, 1999) Big L was fatally shot just steps from his childhood home at 45 West 139th Street in Harlem. It was the block he prophetically deemed the "The Danger Zone" in his early songs. On that fateful Monday night, Lamont Coleman was struck nine... Read more

A New Book Will Explain How J Dilla Re-Invented Rhythm & Changed Music

Today (February 7) marks J Dilla's birthday. The iconic producer, MC, and DJ would have turned 45 years old. Tragically, the incredible artist born James Yancey passed away on February 10, 2006, days after his birthday and the release of acclaimed instrumental Hip-Hop album, Donuts. However, his music, impact, and... Read more

Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz Discuss Their Album, Slaughterhouse & More (Video)

Apollo Brown and Joell Ortiz released their Mona Lisa album on Friday, October 26 (embedded below). These two stalwarts of the culture have put together 11 tracks of soulful, insightful, and competitive-spirited Hip-Hop. Having had a chance to digest this nuanced body of work, Ambrosia For Heads' Editor-in-Chief Jake Paine... Read more

Ras Kass & Apollo Brown Make An All-New Soul On Ice. It’s As Cold As Ever (Audio)

Ras Kass is overtly re-channeling his landmark debut Soul On Ice on his latest song. "SOI3 (Soul On Ice 3)" is produced by Ras' celebrated Blasphemy collaborator, Apollo Brown. The track deliberately reworks Ras' 1996 remix that presented one of the coldest lyricists in the game. Producer Apollo's dark and ghoulish instrumental... Read more

Rasheed Chappell’s Latest Kenny Dope-Produced LP Finds Him At Work With The Masters (Audio)

While New Jersey's Rasheed Chappell hasn’t dropped a proper album since his Kenny Dope-produced debut Future Before Nostalgia in 2011, he seems to pop up on dope albums regularly. Check his molten lava stanzas on recent projects by Recognize Ali (The Shining) and Napoleon Da Legend (Steal This Mixtape 4).... Read more

Pharoahe Monch Details His Upcoming Album. He Vows It’s His Hardest To Date (Audio)

Pharoahe Monch has not released an album in almost five years. The Queens, New York MC/producer boasts a consistent catalog, whether solo or his three albums with Prince Po in Organized Konfusion. 2014's P.T.S.D. was a critically celebrated release that examined the stresses (and stressors) of the world and in... Read more

Mac Miller Has Passed Away At The Age Of 26

The Hip-Hop community is mourning the death of Mac Miller. The 26-year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania MC and producer born Malcolm James McCormick was pronounced dead by first responders today (September 7) at Miller's San Fernando Valley, California home according to TMZ. Sources told the publication that the death appears to be... Read more

Termanology’s Latest Video Is A Dope Rap Reminder That Crack Is Wack

Termanology is a well-established MC endorsed by the likes of key players in Hip-Hop such as DJ Premier, Bun B, the late Sean Price, Pete Rock, and boundless of others. The 1982 co-founder's musical credits surpass a decade with over 30 projects and sold out tours. The Lawrence, Massachusetts native... Read more

DJ Skizz Recruits Freeway, Vinnie Paz & Westside Gunn In The Name Of Hardcore Rap (Audio)

New York City-based producer DJ Skizz has previously dropped full albums with Big Twins, Da Villins, and D.I.T.C. affiliate Milano Constantine. However, this summer he’s back with another producer compilation in the vein of 2016’s Cruise Control. This DJ/producer who was at the front-lines of Your Old Droog's breakthrough has... Read more

A.G.’s New Album Features Sounds By Alchemist, Lord Finesse & Diamond D. Listen Here (Audio)

A.G. may be best known for his classic material with partner Showbiz from the 1990s, but Heads who have not checked out his solo and collaborative catalog are missing out. The Bronx, New Yorker, and D.I.T.C. co-founder has done projects with O.C., Koss, Ray West, and others. Meanwhile, 'Dre has... Read more

Finding The GOAT Group: A Tribe Called Quest vs. Black Sheep. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual competition series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups have been pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot will be reserved for a wild-card entry (which has been determined), including the possibility... Read more

Does Rhyme Still Pay? Slug & Evidence Weigh In On A Dope Vanderslice Beat (Audio Premiere)

Producer Vanderslice has been a source of dusty sounds for years. From the town of Phoenixville, outside of Philadelphia, the beat-miner has worked with Prodigy, Freddie Gibbs, Apathy, Roc Marciano, and others. He has released a string of instrumental and producer-compilation style albums. 'Slice's next LP is called The Best... Read more

Finding The GOAT Group: Black Sheep vs. Main Source. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups have been pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot will be reserved for a wild-card entry, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to... Read more

A.G.’s Next Album Will Have Magic From Alchemist & Diamond D. Here’s The New Video.

Last June, when JAY-Z accepted his place as the first Hip-Hop artist to enter the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, he thanked the peers that inspire him by name, online. One of the acts Jay saluted was Showbiz & A.G. While Show has focused solely on production (and running D.I.T.C. Entertainment),... Read more

20 Years Ago Grand Puba & Brand Nubian Reunited And Put Egos Aside (Video)

The late 1990s marked a wind of change for Hip-Hop. Radio was changing, video platforms were evolving, and the music industry, especially for Rap, music was scaling upwards, fast. The genre surpassed Country music in sales for the first time in 1998. It was suddenly common to see music videos... Read more

Fat Joe Talks About The Time Big L Said He Was Going To Steal All Joe’s Fans (Video)

In 1997, Diggin' In The Crates was in strong stride. The New York City MC and producer collective saw albums by O.C., and Diamond D. Fat Joe was one of the members of the crew that was on the rise. The following year, Joe earned a gold plaque through third... Read more

O.C.’s Tiny Desk Concert Shows Time Is Never Up For Classic Hip-Hop (Video)

There’s a special kind of flavor required for an MC to shine at one of NPR’s "Tiny Desk" concerts, and Brooklyn, New York spitter, O.C. really spreads it on for his five-song set. The low-key backdrop provided by Soul'D U Out, a Jazz band headed by Maurice “Mobetta” Brown (Talib... Read more

DJ Premier Speaks About How Real Moment Of Truth Was For Hip-Hop & Gang Starr (Video)

On March 30, 1998, Gang Starr stepped forth with Moment Of Truth. Guru and DJ Premier had taken four years since giving the masses their seminal album, Hard To Earn, and Hip-Hop was at a pivotal place in history. "We had platinum-respect. You'd think we were platinum artists that sold... Read more

Apathy Battles Aliens With Battlestar Bars On A Nottz Beat (Audio Premiere)

It doesn’t matter what planet you’re from, no one is safe from Apathy in “Alien Weaponry.” The first single off his forthcoming LP, The Widow’s Son is produced by Nottz, and the beat is just bizarre enough to take the edge of Ap’s sharp tongue. This track nods to the... 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

O.C. & Apathy’s New Concept Album Boasts Cold Rhymes & Rugged Beats (Audio)

From Russia with love...of beats and rhymes. Two-and-a-half years after the collaborative album was announced O.C. (D.I.T.C.) and Apathy (Army Of The Pharaohs/Demigodz) release Perestroika. Evident from the first single, which premiered at Ambrosia For Heads, the Brooklyn-to-Connecticut LP plays around with the Soviet/Evil Empire theme. Titles on the record include... Read more

Diamond D’s “Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop” Is A Hip-Hop Classic That Still Burns Strong

Today (September 22) marks 25 years since the release of Diamond D's landmark debut album Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop. In this era when the MC/producers like J. Cole, Kanye West, and Logic are celebrated among music's biggest stars, this silver anniversary is significant to their career as commercially viable artists transcending... Read more

Big L’s First Verse On Wax Showed Heads That He Was A Rookie MVP (Audio)

Big L lived to see just one of his albums release. 1995's Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous has become something of a cult classic. The Columbia/Sony Records LP has early JAY-Z and Cam'ron appearances and lethal D.I.T.C. production from Lord Finesse, Showbiz, as well as Buckwild. However, all of... Read more

A New Book Will Teach Kids Their ABCs AND The Importance Of Hip-Hop History

"Back to school season" is heavily upon us. Hip-Hop has increasingly become an integral part of grammar school teachers' pedagogy, and many rappers have contributed to academia with their own children's books. Lordz Of Brooklyn MC, tattoo and graffiti artist Michael "Kaves" McLeer has co-authored a new children's book with... Read more

O.C.’s “Jewelz” At 20: It May Be The True Diamond In His Discography

Following the assassinations of the Rap industry's biggest stars The Notorious B.I.G. in 1997 and Tupac Shakur one year prior, the genre was a powder keg that exploded. The remaining stars of Hip-Hop were trying to figure out how to clean up the mess. Some hardcore outfits like Wu-Tang Clan... Read more

For The First Time, A Woman Has Won The National DMC DJ Championship

Since 1985 the DMC DJ Championships organization has named DJs representing a vast array of countries the winners of the competition, considered the preeminent battle in the world of turntablism. Roc Raida, Mixmaster Mike, Q-Bert, A-Trak, and Craze are just a few of the gifted disc jockeys to have walked away... Read more

Fat Joe, MC Lyte, DJ Premier & MC Eiht To Headline Final Rocksteady Anniversary Weekend

Next weekend, the Rocksteady Crew will celebrate its 40th anniversary. The yearly New York City event was announced by Crazy Legs to be the organization's final concert event of this kind. While the R.S.C. lives on, Crazy Legs suggested there would be new platforms put in place to show its... Read more

Twelvyy Steps To The Front Of A$AP Mob And Takes His Shot (Video)

UPDATE: A$AP Twelvyy has released the visual to "Strapped." The artful visual captures the New York MC in his element as he tells his story. Old A$AP Mob footage shows Ferg, the late Yams, and more as the crew's 2010 rise is documented. Twelvyy looks to stand apart, and his... Read more

Brand Nubian’s First Concert Shows They Were All For One From The Start (Video)

On December 4, 1990, Brand Nubian dropped their debut album, One For All, on Elektra Records. Six days later, on December 10, they performed it for the first time at the Hard To The Left Rap Party, an artist showcase put together by the label. Shot by none other than... Read more

AZ, Raekwon & Prodigy Show That Rhymes Are Like Life Or Death To Great MCs (Video)

In April, AZ released a powerful collaboration alongside Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon and Mobb Deep's Prodigy. "Save Them" was guttural East Coast Rap, produced by D.I.T.C. member Buckwild. These three MCs proved that they've been able to stay sharp, make incredible product, and never compromise from who they said they were... Read more

On Big L’s 43rd Birthday, This Freestyle Shows Why His Rhymes Are Immortal (Video)

May 30 marks the birthday of Lamont "Big L" Coleman. The Harlem, New Yorker was born 43 years ago today. While he died more than 18 years ago, at a time when many believe his career was reaching its next level, the member of D.I.T.C. and Children Of The Corn... Read more

Vinnie Paz Takes It Back To 1993 & Shows The Infinite Power Of Hip-Hop (Video)

In 1993, some truly great Hip-Hop music released. Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, and Black Moon made powerful impact with stellar debut albums. They were not alone either. Critical first LPs dropped from The Alkaholiks, Digable Planets, Fat Joe,  Spice 1, Souls Of Mischief, and The Roots hit record store shelves... Read more

Listen To The Sure Shot Verse From MCA’s Career Through Large Professor’s Remix (Video)

Five years ago today (May 4, 2012), the world was shocked to learn about the death of Adam "MCA" Yauch. It is a loss that Hip-Hop is very much still mourning. The co-founder of the Beastie Boys impacted lives on and off the microphone, across mediums. However, from Tibetan Freedom... Read more

It’s Record Store Day. Go Back & Tour Hip-Hop’s Most Famous Vinyl Destination (Video)

Hip Hop music started in the early 1970s, when DJs used at least two turntables and their vinyl records to prolong the sections of songs that dancers and party-goers most responded to. By the end of the decade, rappers and DJs were making their own Hip-Hop records, including hits by... Read more

Showbiz & A.G. Plan Their First Album In 5 Years. Soul Clap To The Single. (Audio)

Twenty five years ago last month, Showbiz & A.G. released the Soul Clap EP. The first release from the Bronx, New York duo would launch a strong catalog, and give Lord Finesse some esteemed company in making Diggin' In The Crates a stacked crew. Show and 'Dre have stayed a... Read more