AFH Ambrosia for Heads

Clarence Avant “The Black Godfather Of Music” Has Passed Away

Clarence Avant, one of the most influential and respected figures in Black Music's history, has died at age 92. The famed executive "passed away gently at home" yesterday (August 13), according to a family statement given to The Los Angeles Times. "Through his revolutionary business leadership, Clarence became affectionately known as 'The... Read more

Magoo Has Passed Away At Age 50

Magoo, one-half of Timbaland & Magoo, has reportedly passed away. The Chesapeake, Virginia artist born Melvin Barcliff died yesterday (August 13) at 50 years, according to friends and collaborators, including Ginuine and Playa producer Digital Black. No cause of death has been revealed at this time. “I don’t even know... Read more

Vic Mensa Kicks The Year’s Two Best Freestyles Back To Back

Over the last decade, Vic Mensa has cemented himself as one of the most exciting freestylers of his generation. The Chicago, Illinois MC often uses the free-form opportunities to provide substantial commentary—whether notes about ugly Hip-Hop history, his personal conflicts, or systemic oppression. Just days after a fellow Roc Nation... Read more

JAY-Z’s “U Don’t Know” Was Originally Offered To Busta Rhymes & Prodigy

Hip-Hop history is filled with what-ifs, especially concerning beats and production. Tupac's diamond-certified All Eyez On Me once featured verses from Inspectah Deck and The Lady Of Rage. Moreover, Disc 2's Dr. Dre-produced "Can't C Me" was rumored to be created for a shelved Ice Cube collaboration before another iteration had Tha Dogg Pound rapping. Jadakiss'... Read more

Heavily Sampled Artist Bobby Caldwell Has Passed Away

For more than 45 years, singer, songwriter, and musician Bobby Caldwell blurred the lines of genre with a celebrated, multi-platinum catalog of music that wove together Jazz, R&B, and Soul. Much of that music was inspired by the complexities of romantic relationships. Bobby passed away this week at age 71,... Read more

How Biggie Went From Ashy To Classy: By People Who Styled Him

Biggie Smalls was the illest...Big had a top-notch flow, a booming voice, and lyrics drenched in authenticity and humor. The all-time great MC born Christopher Wallace said it was all a dream, and then he took us on a ride from his time as a stressed-out kid in the streets... Read more

JAY-Z & Kendrick Lamar Are Competing For Best Lyricist On Music’s Biggest Stage

Earlier today (November 15), the Recording Academy announced their 65th annual Grammy Awards nominees in an online broadcast featuring Smokey Robinson, John Legend, and others. The precursor to the CBS televised February 5, 2023 event sets the stage for an exciting night for fans, especially those who closely follow the... Read more

The Game’s Freestyle Shows He’s 1 Of Hip-Hop’s Most Underrated MCs

Tupac and Ice Cube are often cited as 2 of the greatest MCs of their generation, as is Kendrick Lamar. However, the man who bridged those generations, and put West Coast Hip-Hop back on the map, is often omitted from those conversations. When The Game released his debut album, The... Read more

Conway The Machine & Funkmaster Flex Release A Freestyle But Have They Made Peace?

Earlier this month, Conway The Machine called out Funkmaster Flex on Instagram Live. The Buffalo, New York MC demanded new Hip-Hop gatekeepers. This came after the artist reportedly saw Flex publicly say he was not a fan of Griselda while speaking to Wallo, the high-profile podcast host who recently appeared... Read more

The Top 20 Rap Albums Of All-Time As Determined By Millions Of Fans

Earlier this month, the Hip-Hop community reacted to the latest high-profile lists ranking the greatest Rap albums of all time. Rolling Stone magazine and a team of journalists and writers ranked 200 Hip-Hop LPs, prompting plenty of reaction. It was not the first list of this kind, and it certainly will not... Read more

KRS-One Raps Hip-Hop’s History & It Doesn’t End Well

Over a quarter-century ago, KRS-One assisted Das EFX in a cultural anthem, "Real Hip-Hop." Featuring production by DJ Premier (and Pete Rock on the remix), the EastWest Records single served as a battle cry for the culture these artists loved in the winds of change. In 2022, Kris returns with "Raw Hip... Read more

Force MD’s Member Jessie D Has Passed Away

During the 1980s and early 1990s, the Force M.D.’s (f/k/a Force M.C.’s) were at the frontier of bridging Hip-Hop with R&B and New Jack Swing. The popular New York City outfit which has included a number of members since its 1981 Rap inception would find greater success with hits such... Read more

Actor & Screenwriter Max Julien Has Passed Away

Following a 2021 marred by losses, 2022 began with news of another legend passing away. Actor Max Julien passed away at the age of 88 in Sherman Oaks, California, yesterday (January 1). No cause of death has been determined at this time. His wife of 30 years, Arabella, confirmed the... Read more

Mickey Factz Joins The Royce & Lupe Battle With The Best Diss Record Yet

Hip-Hop is witnessing its most exciting battle in more than a year, and it is playing out with more than just two opposing MCs. In 2020, two Midwest giants, Lupe Fiasco and Royce 5'9, partnered in a podcast. The two veterans joined forces to create 45 episodes of The Lupe... Read more

Questlove Is Bringing The Greatest Soul Festival Never Seen To Screens

In the summer of 1969, Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon, Jimi Hendrix rocked Woodstock and the Harlem Cultural Festival lit up Sunday afternoons in New York City with a six-week-long explosion of Afrocentric sights, sounds and soul. Unfamiliar with the latter? Well, more than 300,000 attendees grooved in a... Read more

Evidence Discusses Starting Over After Dilated Peoples (Video)

Last Friday (June 25), Evidence released his latest solo album, Unlearning, Vol. 1. The Rhymesayers Entertainment release featuring Conway The Machine, Alchemist, Boldy James, and others has already been met with applause, including Ambrosia For Heads' 10 Best Albums of 2021 (so far) list. Notably, Unlearning breaks from Ev's Weatherman series, dating back to his first solo album,... Read more

Black Thought Shows He Really Is Every MC On An Unreleased Roots Song

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads sift 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 can we go back and... Read more

Nas & JAY-Z Are Still Competing But For Much Higher Stakes (Video)

JAY-Z and Nas have been competing for more than 20 years. At the turn of the century, the two had razor sharp bars for one another on songs like Jay's "Takeover" and Nas' "Ether." The beef would become one of Hip-Hop's most high profile and well-documented feuds, amongst two of... Read more

Redman & Method Man Are Making Blackout 3

Last night (April 20), Method Man and Redman proved to be the big dogs of Verzuz, with one of the most anticipated displays since the platform's creation. The performance was part concert, part competition. Two of Hip-Hop's closest figures made all who tuned in feel their chemistry as they ran... Read more

Raekwon Will Take On Ghostface Killah In An Upcoming Verzuz

On Saturday (February 28), D'Angelo participated in a new type of Verzuz set. The veteran singer, musician, and producer performed at Harlem's Apollo Theater in a concert that included a surprise Method Man & Redman appearance as well as turntable work from DJ Scratch. True to form, one of Verzuz'... Read more

Double K Of Hip-Hop Group People Under The Stairs Has Died

Hip-Hop Heads woke up to tragic news on Sunday morning (January 31). Double K, born Michael Turner, of the Los Angeles, California Hip-Hop duo People Under The Stairs, has died. While no cause of death has been made public, it is believed that Turner was 43 years old. P.U.T.S has... Read more

How MF DOOM Became Hip-Hop’s Biggest Hero

On December 31, the family of MF DOOM (aka Daniel Dumile) publicly announced that the legendary MC/producer/visual artist had died two months earlier. While information surrounding DOOM's passing may still be forthcoming, the hurt felt around the Hip-Hop community was immediate and profound. At just 49 years old at the... Read more

Scarface Is Sick & He’s Asking Hip-Hop For Help

Rapper Scarface has had a challenging 2020. He is a Hip-Hop legend who was infected by the COVID-19 virus back in late March. In the weeks that followed, the Houston, Texas-based icon's fight was so strong that it led to pneumonia in both of his lungs, kidney failure, a 103-degree... Read more

Page Kennedy Pulls Up On Challenging Issues & Confronts Them With Hard Bars (Video)

It's no secret that Detroit, Michigan's Page Kennedy prides himself on delivering rewind-worthy punchlines and thoughtful concepts. Yet his most recent art has him showcasing another sort of pride. Pulled from his latest tape, late 2019's Straight Bars III, the actor and lyricist shares his thoughts on all the ill-will... Read more

R.A. The Rugged Man Is A Hip-Hop Showman Who Rapped His Way From Loser To Legend

R.A. The Rugged Man knows how to grab eyeballs. The Long Island lyricist with the cult following announced his first album in nearly seven years today (January 15). So in sharing the good news, the respected MC leads with a video single that is captivating visually while offering a lot... Read more

Method Man & Mary J Blige Will Star In A “Power” Spinoff Series

Nearly 20 years ago, Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man and superstar R&B songstress Mary J. Blige won "Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group" for their collaboration, "I'll Be There For You / You're All I Need To Get By" (embedded below). The song was featured on Meth's 1994 solo... Read more

Here Are Ambrosia For Heads’ Top 25 Rap Albums Of The Decade

In the final hours of a decade, Ambrosia For Heads presents our Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums. The 2010s were a wild ride, with an onslaught of important new voices, and incredible maturation from veteran MCs. It was a 10-year span where artists and songs were discovered new places (including the... Read more

Ambrosia For Heads’ Top 15 Hip-Hop Albums Of 2019 List

It is that season when “best of” lists abound and, in a year that featured some remarkable music from artists across the landscape, 2019 kept Hip-Hop fans on the edge of our seats. There were reunions, surprise collaborations, and show-stopping debut albums. The year also featured innovative label compilations, unexpected... Read more

Eminem Raps A Response To Nick Cannon Claiming He Tried To Beat Him Up Over Mariah

UPDATE: Nick Cannon has now reacted to Eminem's diss today (December 6). “[Eminem] has been doing this forever,” Cannon says in the clip uploaded to Instagram from his Power 106 studio. “He should change his name from Eminem to Percocet—what’s the pills that old people take? We gonna call him... Read more

Royce 5’9, T.I. & CyHi Use Bold Bars To Redefine The Meaning Of Savage (Video)

Yesterday (November 14), Royce 5'9 released a powder keg of bars in the song "Black Savage." Produced by the decorated MC, the song was posted on social accounts by the NFL, reportedly tied into JAY-Z's Inspire Change initiative with the league. However, the song is not about football. Instead, the... Read more

Royce 5’9 Drops 1 Of The Most Savage Verses Of 2019 (Audio)

Royce 5'9 has been working hard behind the scenes in 2019, after releasing two acclaimed albums last year. Following The Book Of Ryan (named one of Ambrosia For Heads' top albums of '18), Royce began the new year with the highly-potent "Field Negro" single. Since then, he's remained quiet. Former... Read more

Scarface’s Political Agenda Is Just Like His Music: Revolutionary (Video)

Scarface is the latest guest on The Connect Podcast. Hosted by fellow Houston, Texas native and longtime 'Face collaborator Slim Thug, as well as O.G. Chi, Rico, and DJ Young Samm, the H-Town cast interviewed Brad Jordan at length. The interview was filmed as the legendary MC-turned-politician advanced one step... Read more

Tha Alkaholiks Recall Discovering & Mentoring Madlib (Video)

Madlib & Freddie Gibbs have made one of 2019's best Hip-Hop albums in the form of Bandana. The Keep Cool/RCA Records album is a benchmark release in both artists' discography. While Gangsta Gibbs' journey dates back to the mid-2000s, Madlib's credits date back more than 25 years. In 1993, Madlib's... Read more

Futura 2000 Is A Graffiti Legend Who Continues To Leave His Mark On The Globe

Futura 2000 is a Hip-Hop trailblazer in more than one facet. Now in his sixties, the New York City graffiti writer, artist, and cultural conduit tells his story in the latest episode of  The Masters. This veteran creator has been in the game for half a century, and in that... Read more

Nas Explains How Prince Rejected & Schooled Him At The Same Time (Video)

Nas is one of Prince's biggest fans. The Queens, New York MC has made his admiration of the late icon public for years, referencing him in lyrics, interviews and his social media. The two even appeared on President Barack Obama's 2016 summer playlist, a fitting place for two artists who... Read more

T.I. Says Blacks Should Celebrate Veterans Day For Surviving The Drug War

T.I. is the latest guest on People's Party With Talib Kweli. In a nearly one-hour conversation that also involves co-host Jasmin Leigh, Tip discusses how his cult-lauded debut album, I'm Serious, lit a path to Rap superstardom. The three-time Grammy winner also explains the risks (and rewards) of putting his... Read more

Freddie Gibbs Sheds Tears In A Deeply Emotional Interview With Madlib (Video)

Last month, Madlib and Freddie Gibbs released their second collaborative album, Bandana. It stands as one of the best albums of 2019 so far. Plenty has happened to the two artists since 2014's Pinata, which also garnered its fair share of acclaim. Since then, the two veterans secured a major... Read more

Missy Elliott Is The 1st Female MC To Enter The Songwriters Hall Of Fame (Video)

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott has become the first female Hip-Hop artist to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. While JAY-Z became the first artist in Rap to join the prestigious circle two years ago, Missy follows a 2018 where Jermaine Dupri was admitted. Both appeared in New York City... Read more

In 1995, Mack 10 Made An Introduction Built To Last Foe Life (Video)

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Priority Records' distribution delivered some of the finest Hip-Hop and Gangsta Rap albums to the masses, even if fans might not have realized it. Bryan Turner's company, which historically found its first pivotal success backing the California Raisins claymation act, would go on... Read more

Teddy Riley, The Neptunes & Timbaland Recall Putting Virginia On The Rap Map (Video)

Beats 1 produced a very special episode of Pharrell Williams and Scott Vener’s OTHERtone radio show this week. The installment was recorded in front of a live studio audience at Pharrell’s recent Something In The Water Music Festival, and featured his Neptunes partner Chad Hugo, Pusha-T, Timbaland, and Teddy Riley.... Read more

The Cast Of In Living Color Reunites To Discuss Changing TV 25 Years Ago (Video)

Next month marks 25 years since In Living Color wrapped its fifth and final season. The FOX sketch comedy series started by Keenen Ivory Wayans introduced two handfuls of household names. The series, which debuted 29 years ago this month, also broke more boundaries in television than even its most... Read more

John Singleton Has Passed Away At The Age Of 51

UPDATE: Moments ago (April 29), the family of John Singleton confirmed that the 51-year-old film and television producer, director, and screenwriter has died. The report comes hours after family members released a statement to TMZ announcing that he would be removed from life support today. A Singleton family rep has... Read more

The Roc Boys In The Building: JAY-Z & Cam’ron Have Ended Their Beef (Video)

Last night (April 26), JAY-Z performed his "B-Sides 2" concert at New York City's newly-reopened Webster Hall. It was the first time the Manhattan venue hosted a Hip-Hop show since Action Bronson took the stage in the summer of 2017. Following his 2015 rarities set, Jay performed songs from his... Read more

A 300+ Song Mix Gives The Definitive History Of Southern Hip-Hop (Audio)

For more than 30 years, Rap music from the South has stood out. Many cities have their own sound, slang, and influences. During the 1980s and 1990s, many Southern Hip-Hop artists had to assert that their communities "had something to say" in the Rap music conversation. However, by the late... Read more

Nas & Mary J. Blige On Tour Is All We Need. Here’s The 411.

Nas and Mary J. Blige are embarking on their first ever collaborative tour this summer. Beginning in July, the artists with extensive creative history together will co-headline a North American run with stops in 22 cities between the United States and Canada. Previously, the two New York music veterans who... Read more

Jadakiss Has A Solo Album Coming Soon & The LOX Are Working Too (Video)

Joe Budden sat down with Jadakiss this month for the latest episode of Pull Up. For nearly an hour, Budden and 'Kiss discuss a range of industry-related and personal topics. These include his relationship with Def Jam Records, both artists' sons pursuing Rap careers, revenue in the streaming age, Rap's... Read more

Los Angeles Will Name The Intersection Of Crenshaw & Slauson Nipsey Hussle Square

Today (April 9), a little over a week after the death of artist and activist Nipsey Hussle, Los Angeles City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson has announced that the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and West Slauson Avenue in South L.A. will be named after Hussle. The area is home to Hussle's The... Read more

Boogie’s Skydive Video Shows The Risks Of Taking A Leap For Love

Three months into 2019, Boogie has the distinction of releasing one of the year's best albums in Rap. January's Everythings For Sale stands tall in the Shady Records catalog for the Long Beach, California native who spent his formative years in the Compton streets that he represents. Notably, Boogie is... Read more

L.A. Gangs Have Called A Historic Truce To Honor Nipsey Hussle (Video)

Less than one week after the March 31 passing of Nipsey Hussle, many communities are still recovering from the sudden tragedy. In addition to mourning the slain artist, activist, and entrepeneur, many people are taking action too. Yesterday (April 5), a vigil and peace treaty was held by street leaders,... Read more

Nipsey Hussle Proved His Dedication Far Beyond His Music

Less than 24 hours ago (March 31), Nipsey Hussle was the victim of a fatal shooting in South Los Angeles, California. More specifically, 33-year-old Ermias Davidson Asghedom, a father of two, a family man, an entrepreneur, a community activist, and a beloved figure of unity in Hip-Hop lost his life.... Read more