AFH Ambrosia for Heads

Black Thought & Royce 5’9 Rap About Writing Their Way To Better Lives (Audio)

Hamilton, as a cultural phenomenon, has already done so much for Hip-Hop by way of social awareness, so it’s no surprise that each time its name comes up, there’s always unadulterated talent attached to it. This time it’s by way of Royce 5’9’, Black Thought and Joyner Lucas. Just one... Read more

DJ Premier Says He & Pete Rock May Be Exclusively Producing De La Soul’s Next Album (Video)

DJ Premier has had one of his busiest years in recent memory. The Gang Starr member released and produced albums by MC Eiht and Torii Wolf. He just followed those efforts with a video collaboration with A$AP Ferg, helping relaunch '90s Hip-Hop source Payday Records. Preemo is the latest guest... Read more

Kxng Crooked & Royce 5’9 Are More Than Enough To Slaughter Most MCs (Audio)

As fans eagerly await a third Slaughterhouse album, Kxng Crooked (fka Crooked I) and Royce 5'9 get ready for Halloween with a bloodbath of bars. "Truth (Why You Mad)" is the first glimpse of Crooked's Good vs. Evil 2: The Red Empire (December 8) the follow-up to 2016's RBC Records... Read more

Some Of Royce 5’9″ & Black Thought’s Best Work Is Side By Side In This Killer Mix

In the last two decades, two of Hip-Hop's most extraordinary MCs are The Roots' Black Thought and Slaughterhouse's Royce 5'9". Each rapper puts their working-class cities in the bars about survival, pain, addiction, and perseverance. These great minds have come together before, such as PRhyme's "Wishin' II," Statik Selektah's 2014... Read more

The 2017 Paid Dues Festival Is Postponed

Less than two months ago, it was reported that Murs' Paid Dues Festival was revived after a hiatus since 2013. With the news came word that Ghostface Killah & Raekwon, Lil Wayne, PRhyme, Rapsody, and others would headline the Los Angeles, California event on September 16 and 17. That event... Read more

Royce 5’9’s Verbal Calisthenics Show That Wrecking MCs Is A Light Workout (Audio)

Over the last few years, Royce 5'9" has enjoyed an epic resurgence. Since gaining his sobriety in 2013, Royce has formed PRhyme, his potent duo with DJ Premier, released one of last year's most well-received albums, in Layers, and delivered punishing line after punishing line on this year's Bar Exam... Read more

DJ Premier Says It’s Still Possible He Will Release The Final Gang Starr Album (Video)

In one of the busiest seasons in his career, DJ Premier appeared before a studio audience to discuss more than 30 years of music. Earlier this month, the member of Gang Starr, PRhyme, and The Badder Band sat with Genius' Rob Markman (and Letty Martinez) to discuss his truly marvelous... Read more

DJ Premier & His Band Rock Funky Beats From Nas To Gang Starr To KRS (Video)

As Hip-Hop celebrates its 44th birthday this month, NPR "Tiny Desk" concert honors the DJ in a way that Heads can appreciate. DJ Premier is the first mix-master on the popular video series, but he did arrive alone. This summer, DJ Premier & The Badder Band toured the United States... Read more

The Roots Release A Song To Humanize The Pain, Confusion & Sadness Many Feel (Audio)

Six years ago, Bilal appeared on The Roots' 10th album, undun. That Philadelphia chemistry was also not done. In the time since 2011, Bilal has heavily contributed to important Hip-Hop albums from Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, and Common. Now, he re-crosses paths with The Roots for a precise take on... Read more

This 6 Hour DJ Premier Tribute Takes All Other Mixes Out With The Fader (Audio)

DJ Premier has had a busy June. After years upon years in the making, he and Year Round Records released MC Eiht's Which Way Iz West album. Furthermore, Preemo, Brady Watt, and the rest of The Badder Band toured the States for the first time. With PRhyme 2 confirmed to... Read more

Royce 5’9 Sets The Bar 4 2017 With The Best Mixtape Of The Year (Audio)

With 2016's Layers, Royce 5'9 landed the highest-performing solo LP of his career, a laudable accomplishment for an MC whose presence in the game extends back decades. Since its release, Detroit, Michigan's Nickel Nine never retreated from the mic, dropping punishing, razor-sharp features on projects from Westside Gunn & Conway, Consequence,... Read more

Royce 5’9’s Ill Rhymes Put Other MCs In The Sunken Place (Audio)

Conway The Machine is set to drop a midweek project titled Reject On Steroids tomorrow (May 25), and a new collaboration with Royce 5'9 for DJ Green Lantern will inject Hip-Hop Heads with enough bars to last a good while. "iLL" partners the Buffalo, New York rapper with the Detroit, Michigan MC for... Read more

Here’s The Musical Life Of Ghostface Killah Told In 2 Minutes (Video)

Today (May 9) is the 47th birthday of Ghostface Killah. For just over half of his life (dating back to 1993), the Staten Island, New Yorker has been widely revered as one of the most original, convention-defying lyricists in Hip-Hop. In that esteemed catalog are more than two handfuls of... Read more

MC Eiht Releases The Tracklist & A New Song From His Collabo Album With DJ Premier (Audio)

One week ago, MC Eiht and DJ Quik released not one but two collaborations on Q-U-I-K & Problem's Rosecrans album. Those tracks, which closed the Diamond Lane Music Group release signified peace after a beef that dominated the 1990s in Rap music. Two Compton, California natives who literally threatened each... Read more

Black Thought Asks “Who Want It” With Him On The Mic. The Answer Is NOBODY (Audio)

The Roots have not released an album since 2014. During that time, however, Black Thought has stayed hard at work. He and his longtime musical partner, Questlove, were deeply involved in the Broadway sensation, Hamilton, curating mixtapes, cyphers and more for the musical. Thought has continued working with DJ J.... Read more

DJ Premier Recalls The First Show Gang Starr Ever Did (Video)

Nearly 30 years into his recording career, DJ Premier actively tours across the globe. The iconic Gang Starr producer performs regular DJ sets, shows with PRhyme, jams with his band, and playing with other artists. Currently overseas with his artist Torii Wolf, Premier recalled the first time he took the... Read more

Celebrate DJ Premier’s Birthday With A 5 Minute Megamix Of His Greatest Hits (Audio)

Today marks the birthday of one of Hip-Hop's most beloved figures. DJ Premier turns 51 years old on March 21. For nearly 30 years, the Prairie View, Texas native-turned-bona fide New York musician has been making Heads nod, along with causing their faces to scrunch up, and air-scratch with their... Read more

Joey Bada$$ Recruits Some All-Star Collaborators For His New Album

More than two years ago, when Joey Bada$$ released his album debut B4.Da.$$, the Brooklyn, New Yorker did so largely free of major guests. Peers such as Raury, Maverick Sabre, and BJ The Chicago filled out the MC's debut. Even his Pro Era cohorts, who were instrumental to acclaimed mixtapes,... Read more

You’ve Decided. DJ Premier Is Hip-Hop’s Greatest Producer Of All-Time (Video)

Today (March 9), the winner of Ambrosia For Heads’ Finding The GOAT Producer competition, the quest to name Hip-Hop’s Greatest Of All-Time Producer, was determined. In the championship round, DJ Premier defeated J Dilla 63.41% to 36.59%, meaning that Preemo is the GOAT Producer, as decided by AFH readers. DJ... Read more

Finding The GOAT Producer (The Final Battle): DJ Premier vs. J Dilla. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

Finding The GOAT Producer: Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

Finding The GOAT Producer: DJ Premier vs. RZA. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

Finding The GOAT Producer: DJ Premier vs. Rick Rubin. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

Royce Takes The Keys From Khaled & Jay Z And Unlocks A New Level (Audio)

Royce 5'9" says he's starting to have fun young again. That is deeply apparent on his "I Got The Keys" freestyle. In what may be shaping up to be a weekly song series from Nickel Nine, the Detroit, Michigan veteran takes one of the biggest records of 2016 (by DJ... Read more

Finding The GOAT Producer: DJ Premier vs. Large Professor. Who Is Better? (Audio)

“Finding the GOAT Producer” begins. The third installment of Ambrosia For Heads' annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and 2 slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to insure no deserving... Read more

This MF DOOM-Curated Playlist Features Classic Cuts & Brand New Remixes (Audio)

The masked man whose varying personas help make him one of Hip-Hop's greatest innovators, MF DOOM, has released a 19-track mix as King Geedorah, a name he first recorded under in 2003, when Take Me to Your Leader dropped. In the years since, no new King Geedorah LPs have emerged,... Read more

No More Mr. Nice Guy. DJ Premier Tells MCs & NYC DJs To Step Their Games Up (Video)

DJ Premier is known for being one of Hip-Hop's gap-bridgers. The Gang Starr producer/DJ has been a sonic leader in Hip-Hop for nearly 30 years. He has worked with artists who released records before him like Rakim and Just-Ice as well as 2010s breakouts such as Joey Bada$$ and King... Read more

Smoke DZA & Pete Rock Release The Full Stream For “Don’t Smoke Rock” & It’s Crack (Audio)

Don’t Smoke Rock, the long-awaited album by legendary producer Pete Rock and Harlem’s own Smoke DZA, released on Babygrande Records, is finally here — and not since DJ Premier and Royce Da 5’9” linked for their PRhyme project has such a dope multigenerational collaboration occurred. Incidentally, Royce joins Jadakiss, Styles... Read more

DJ Premier & Prince Paul Discuss Hip-Hop’s Generation Gap & Why We All Need Perspective (Video)

DJ Premier and Prince Paul are two legendary producers in Hip-Hop (and beyond) with discographies that span back to the 1980s. Back then, Preemo joined Guru to launch the album-making years of Gang Starr. In the very same 1989 that No More Mr. Nice Guy released, Paul celebrated strong accolades... Read more

Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap & More Takeover The Roots Picnic New York (Video)

This past weekend, The Roots held the first ever New York version of their annual picnic. Pulling out all the stops, they expanded the traditionally one day festival into two days, and built a star-studded lineup. Participating acts included Wu-Tang Clan, D'Angelo, David Byrne, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Swizz Beatz, EPMD,... Read more

Method Man & Ali Shaheed Muhammad Talk Luke Cage’s Full Clip Of Hip-Hop Music (Video)

Less than one month from today (September 30), the "Luke Cage" series will reach fans. Perhaps more than any other comic superhero in history, the character of "Luke Cage" is a product of the Hip-Hop Generation. The Marvel Studios series episodes all take their name from Gang Starr songs, and... Read more

The Extended First Look At Marvel’s Luke Cage Series Is Bulletproof (Video)

Since the announcement that Marvel would be creating a series based on its character, Luke Cage, excitement for it has only grown. The show, about the hero with impenetrable skin and superhuman strength, is steeped in Hip-Hop, particularly that of the 90s vintage. It is helmed by Cheo Hodari Coker,... Read more

Royce 5’9″ Blacks Out On A Song About Living Carefree (Audio)

Earlier this year, Royce 5'9" put some of the best work of his career down on the album Layers. As that self-released project continues to make its due rounds, Nickel Nine shows the world that he's in stride beyond just his album in 2016. "Carefree Black Man" is a song... Read more

Forget Eminem. Logic Says HE Is The Rap God (Audio)

At 26-years-old, Logic has had as much success in his career that others are still chasing after years in the game. The Maryland native is currently performing around the globe along with YG and Yo Gotti on G-Eazy's Endless Summer Tour, a culmination of the serious work he's been putting... Read more

11 Must-Listen To Albums, EPs & Mixtapes So Far In 2016

Approaching this year's midpoint, there has been some incredible music that will be appreciated long beyond 2016. Like the art itself, the year that is has represented some tectonic shifts in how works are released, consumed, and ranked on the charts. Grammy Award-winning artists are dropping albums without warning—with videos ready to... Read more

DJ Premier & Dilated Peoples Reunite To Bring Torii Wolf Into The Mix (Audio)

Nearly 15 years ago, Dilated Peoples and DJ Premier crossed paths on their sophomore album, Expansion Team. The trio from Los Angeles, California did just that, on an LP that also featured production from Questlove, The Beatnuts, and Da Beatminerz. Preemo's Gang Starr brother Guru would also appear on the... Read more

The Roots Are Chosen For The NBA Finals Theme Song & Do It Like Champions (Audio)

Earlier in the year, PRhyme, the duo of DJ Premier & Royce 5'9", were commissioned to create the theme song for ESPN's NBA Countdown. "Rockin' With The Best" was one minute of pure boom bap Hip-Hop, accompanied by a video featuring footage of the league's biggest and brightest stars intercut... Read more

DOOM & Jay Electronica’s Collaboration Surfaces From 2 Of Rap’s Most Elusive MCs

For more than 25 years, DOOM (a/k/a MF DOOM) has been one of Hip-Hop's hardest MCs to pin down. The British-born lyricist has historically swapped out names, reinvented himself with a masked face, and retreated to tropical islands for years on end. However, when the Operation Doomsday creator makes an... Read more

Royce 5’9″ Details Just How Much Eminem Helped Him In Getting Sober (Video)

Over the last few years, Royce 5'9" has been extremely candid about his struggles with alcohol, both in his music and in conversations. Recently, however, Royce opened up about the challenges that accompany sobriety, and how he overcame them. Royce 5’9″ Discusses “The Most Significant Day Of His Life” &... Read more

Royce 5’9″‘s New Freestyle Shows His Time To “Shine” As A Solo Artist Is Now (Video)

For more than 20 years, Royce 5'9" consistently has been one of the most skilled wordsmiths in Hip-Hop. Coming of age with Eminem as part of Bad Meets Evil in the late 90s, Royce always surrounded himself with the best of the best, and thrived. After his 2000 single "Boom,"... Read more

Royce 5’9″, Pusha T & Rick Ross Show That Each Has Many Layers As An MC (Audio)

With only 11 days until the release of his solo album Layers, Detroit's Royce 5'9" is in the home stretch of a promotional undertaking that has resulted in more than enough work to prove that one need not be the next hottest thing to put forth inspiring and lyrically punishing... Read more

Royce 5’9″ & Black Thought Deliver Rap On Steroids On Royce’s New Free EP (Audio)

Royce 5'9" has been on a tear in 2016. Just over a month ago, he announced the release of Layers, his first solo album in nearly 5 years, on April 15. Since then he has dropped a slew of blistering freestyles, songs and videos. Keeping his foot on the gas,... Read more

Royce 5’9″ Savages A Track For Nearly 5 Straight Minutes. Playtime Is Over (Audio)

Royce 5'9" has gone to another level. Since announcing the release of his forthcoming album, Layers, here on Ambrosia For Heads in February, the Detroit MC has been on a mission to destroy anything that gets in his path to be recognized as one of the greatest lyricists in Hip-Hop,... Read more

Royce 5’9″ Blacks Out on Another Song & Announces Free EP (Audio)

In just under a month, Royce 5'9" will be releasing Layers, his sixth studio album and first since 2011's Success Is Certain. In the years since, he has proven himself to be an integral part of various groups like PRhyme and Slaughterhouse,but his longtime fans have always known of his... Read more

Royce 5’9″ Discusses “The Most Significant Day Of His Life” & Debuts 2 New Songs (Video)

On the heels of announcing the forthcoming release of Layers (April 15), his first solo album in nearly 5 years, Royce 5'9" paid a visit to the Sway in the Morning show to premiere the album's lead single, "Tabernacle." Over the course of a nearly 35-minute interview, Royce would play... Read more

Royce 5’9″ Is Releasing a New Solo Album & It’s His Best Work Ever. This Video Shows It.

Royce 5'9" (as it is now officially stylized) is releasing his sixth solo album, Layers, on April 15, 2016, his first in nearly 5 years. Distributed through his own Bad Half Entertainment, the Mr. Porter and Royce executive-produced LP delves deeply into the many sides of the Detroit, Michigan veteran... Read more

Joey Bada$$’ New Single Shows He’s Ready To Do It All Again, In 2016 (Audio)

Joey Bada$$ has released his first proper single of 2016. "Ready" keeps one of the Pro Era front man MC's strongest music mates close to the fold in Statik Selektah. In the song, the Brooklyn, New Yorker promises to be around a mighty long time, as he stretches out his... Read more

Mick Jenkins’ Clever Lyricism Is Accentuated In A Marco Polo Remix (Audio Premiere)

Marco Polo is one of the Hip-Hop artists who is still bringing creativity and innovation to the remix medium. The veteran producer has provided his own spin on joints by PRhyme, Talib Kweli, and D.I.T.C. For his latest re-imagining, one-half of Double Barrel goes to the Windy City and comes... Read more

Black Thought Reveals What Artists Used To Do To Get J Dilla’s Best Beats (Video)

Between 1999 and 2006, The Roots would work with J Dilla (f/k/a Jay Dee) a number of times. Then label-mates at MCA Records, Dilla produced elements of the Grammy-nominated platinum Things Fall Apart album. While "Dynamite!" would make the LP, "New Year's @ Jay Dee's" would be a hidden jewel... Read more

Royce Da 5’9 Answers Fan Questions & Reflects on His Idol J Dilla (Video Interview)

On Sunday, January 31, Ambrosia for Heads hosted a live-streaming conversation with Royce Da 5'9, the celebrated Detroit MC whose work as a solo artist, a member of Slaughterhouse, and a member of PRhyme makes him one of the busiest and most in-demand performers in the game. With a headlining... Read more