AFH Ambrosia for Heads

Joey Bada$$ & The Flatbush ZOMBiES Show Brooklyn Is STILL In The House (Audio)

In 2017, The Flatbush ZOMBiES seemed relatively quiet. Other than a couple of appearances on A$AP Mob projects, these eccentric Brooklyn spitters seemed to be laying deliberately low. Well, fans should have known that they were just locked up in the lab concocting a sophomore worthy of their debut, 3001:... Read more

Tech N9ne Knows The Plan To End Racism But Questions Whether We Can Follow It (Video)

Last Friday (March 2), Tech N9ne released his album, The Planet. It is a fitting title for the 46-year-old Kansas City, Missouri MC-turned-mogul. With platinum and gold singles now under his belt, Aaron Dontez Yates labored to create a bustling universe that existed beyond commercial radio, music video channels, and... Read more

Big K.R.I.T. Rates The Bars & Hands Pimp C The Lowest Score In The Batch (Video)

Big K.R.I.T. is the latest rapper in the hot seat for "Rate The Bars." More than most, Krizzle seems to be a generous rater (handing out almost exclusively 4's and 5's). Heads have long found this artist to be generous with his music, whether giving away acclaimed mixtapes and making... Read more

Mickey Factz & Royce 5’9 Serve Lyrics That Make Other MCs Say Their Prayers (Audio Premiere)

In 2016, Mickey Factz dropped The Achievement: circa '82, a collaborative album produced entirely by Nottz and featuring Styles P, Phonte, Blu, Smoke DZA and more. "The Sermon" didn't make it to the  Soulspazm/W.A.R.Media project's final track listing, but the Bronx-bred rapper is releasing a deluxe edition of the album... Read more

Ambrosia For Heads Presents: G.O.A.T. Producers – The Pete Rock Edition (Playlist)

Ambrosia For Heads' G.O.A.T. Producers series takes in-depth looks at the production discographies of some of Hip-Hop and R&B's greatest of all-time producers. As part of an exclusive partnership with Pandora, each installment explores the hits, the deep cuts, the rarities, the remixes and more. This edition showcases the production catalog... Read more

DMX Performs For The First Time Ever With A Live Band (Video)

Many of DMX's hits had a distinct sound. Especially in his work with Swizz Beatz, X had a synthetic sound that pulled Rap music away from the sample-covers of the late 1990s. While the Yonkers, New York superstar certainly tried his hand at that style too, tracks like "Ruff Ryders... 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

Pete Rock Dusts Off His Mic & Performs “One In A Million” With The Soul Rebels Band (Video)

Pete Rock and his latest partner in rhyme, Harlem's Smoke DZA performed a B.K. show last month with a band, The Soul Rebels—who headlined the Brooklyn Bowl event. In this footage shared exclusively with Ambrosia For Heads, viewers beyond B.K. get a taste of live band synergy, two MCs, and a... Read more

Strong Arm Steady’s Krondon Moves To Acting For DC Comics’ “Black Lightning” Role

A decade ago, Krondon and his group Strong Arm Steady were signed to Talib Kweli's Blacksmith imprint at Warner Bros. In the 10 years since, the Los Angeles, California veteran and S.A.S. teamed with Madlib for In Search Of Stoney Jackson, and has followed with projects with Statik Selektah and... 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

25 Years Ago Today Kid ‘n Play Switched It Up For Class Act (Video)

While Kid 'n Play's Hip-Hop career dates back to 1987's Select Records breakout "Last Night," the '90s would be their definitive decade. Christopher "Kid" Reid and Christopher "Play" Martin brought their showmanship to film, in a big way. In 1990, the pair were incredibly busy. In addition to a self-titled... Read more

Finding The GOAT Producer: Pete Rock vs. Kanye West. 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

De La Soul’s New Video Featuring Pete Rock & Estelle Is Masterpiece Theater

Earlier this week, De La Soul learned that their first LP in 12 years is nominated for the Grammy Award for "Best Rap Album." And The Anonymous Nobody, released in August, is a crowd-funded album that raised more than $600,000 in 2015. Coming on the Long Island, New York trio's... Read more

A Tribe Called Quest & Many More Gave Hip-Hop Much To Be Thankful For In November (Audio)

November 2016 was one of the most tumultuous months in a generation. Regardless of one's political affiliation the world seemingly changed over one long night on November 8 for hundreds of millions of Americans. When not fixated on the news, many turned to music for relief from the onslaught or,... Read more

The LOX Drop 2 New Songs & Prove They’re Back in a Major Way (Audio)

Heads are still jubilant since learning of the news that The LOX have signed with Roc Nation, a major move for the Yonkers, New York street legends. But that wasn't the only surprise. On Friday, December 16, the D-Block Records crew will drop Filthy America...it's Beautiful, their first since 2000's... Read more

Trademark Da Skydiver & Young Roddy Take Flight. Hear Their Album Early. (Audio)

Throughout the 2010s, Trademark Da Skydiver and Young Roddy have put in consistent work—often on the same tracks. The two New Orleans, Louisiana representatives helped fuel Curren$y's Jetlife crew for many years—appearing on every song on both volumes of Jet World Order as well as Spitta's Top 10 The Stoned Immaculate... Read more

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth Have An “Awesome” Third Album Coming In 2017

Last month, A Tribe Called Quest released its first album in 18 years. We got it from Here...Thank You 4 Your service featured the founding three MCs of the Queens, New York collective. The Epic Records LP debuted at #1, setting a new feat for the genre. Pete Rock &... Read more

Jim Jones & Dave East Fly High In Harlem (Video)

Dating back to Hip-Hop's first gold-selling solo MC, Kurtis Blow, Harlem has been integral. In the 1980s, that meant folks like Kurtis, Doug E. Fresh, and Spoonie Gee. For the 1990s, that flare was upheld through artists like Puff Daddy, Big L, Ma$e, Cam'ron, and more. In the 2000s, Cam'ron's... Read more

Mickey Factz Kicks A Verse Sway Puts In The Top 10 Ever On His Show (Video)

It's been a long journey for Mickey Factz. In the late aughts, his buzz was deafening, as he was heralded by digital publications, named a 2009 XXL Freshman and signed to a major record company poised to drop an album. Unfortunately, due to label politics, things stalled and he would... Read more

Pete Rock Comments On Who REALLY Invented The Remix (Video)

Since debuting Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth music in 1990, producer/MC/DJ Pete Rock has always been known to speak on his records. Songs like Nas' "The World Is Yours," his group's own "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)," and AZ's "Rather Unique" all feature notable background vocals from the Mount Vernon,... Read more

Mickey Factz & Phonte Prove Some MCs Actually Love Their Women (Audio)

Nowadays, to listen to Hip-Hop one would think that most male MCs hate women. Misogyny in lyricism is so prevalent as to not even raise an eyebrow. Also, seemingly no rapper has his own girlfriend, as all you hear about is what they're going to do to "your girl." Ironically,... Read more

Mickey Factz Readies His Nottz Collabo LP With 15 Styles In 15 Minutes (Audio)

Mickey Factz has a decorated music career to date. The New York MC has been featured as a XXL "Freshman" in the 2009 yearbook, in addition to making widely circulated songs with Drake, Yelawolf, and Kendrick Lamar, among others. Fresh off of the Nottz-produced video single "414 Words," Factz lays... Read more

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Nice & Smooth Each Announce Tour Dates

Spring and summer concert season is officially upon us. Two acclaimed Hip-Hop duos who have not released albums together in decades have each announced tour dates. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth have announced a series of West Coast dates for their 2016 All Souled Out Tour. HipHopDX announced the concert... Read more

Here’s Why G-Jet Is The Latest Artist On A Roster That Includes GZA, Grand Puba & Freeway (Video)

In late May and June, the Smokers Club Tour crosses the United States. As fans pack venues to see the likes of Cam'ron, Smoke DZA, The Underachievers, Pro Era's Nyck Caution, and others, they will encounter G-Jet, likely for the first time. A product of Columbus, Texas, G-Jet (an abbreviation... 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

Listen To The Best Hip-Hop of February (& January) 2016 In One Playlist (Audio)

The month of February brought many surprises in Hip-Hop. DJ Premier partnered with ambient songstress Yuna, for some boom bap vibe music. Blu rocked on a 45 King track reminiscent of "Hard Knock Life." Kendrick Lamar and Ice Cube got funky with Funkadelic. The Game waxed poetic with nothing but... Read more

Action Bronson & Roc Marciano Join Meyhem Lauren For A Bonus Round (Audio)

Queens, New York MC Meyhem Lauren has been earning the attention from Heads thanks to his collaborations with the likes of Buckwild, a member of the legendary Diggin' in the Crates (DITC) crew, and today he has dropped another hot collabo. Featuring Action Bronson (with whom he previously collaborated on... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 4): Kendrick Lamar vs. Big K.R.I.T.…Who You Got?

We have now reached the critical Round 4 in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 21 MCs remaining (with the largest winning margin, Rakim receives a bye for the round), things are really coming down to 10 match-ups, leading AFH’s bracket-style series towards... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 3): Big K.R.I.T. vs. Action Bronson…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

Dame Dash Lets Sway Ask Him Anything & The Tables Seem To Turn (Video)

Whether he's running Roc-A-Fella Records, producing films, or pursuing fashion, publishing, and independent record labels like DD172 and BluRoc, Damon Dash is entertaining. One part Martin Scorsese character, one part Nikki Barnes, Dame's fast-talking, street-informed style has absolutely changed the face of the Hip-Hop culture over the last 20 years.... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Big K.R.I.T. vs. ScHoolboy Q…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

Spotlight: Dave East Shows Everything That He’s About On Around Here (Video)

Spanish Harlem, New York's Dave East is one of the artists who is making big noise in the last several months. His Black Rose mixtape is making its rounds, with involvement from Sean C & LV (The Hitmen), Smoke DZA, and Chinx Santana. "Around Here," which was released exclusively to... 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: J. Cole vs. Big K.R.I.T…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

Curren$y’s Releases His 2nd Mixtape in a Week with Jet Life’s World Wide Hustlers (Mixtape)

Curren$y stays on his mixtape grind with his second release in a week. World Wide Hustlers features, Spitta, fellow Jet Life members Young Roddy, Corner Boy, Le$ and T.Y., as well as Smoke DZA, Freddie Gibbs and more. The project contains some original soulful beats as well as some old... 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

Action Bronson, Schoolboy Q, Vic Mensa & More Blow The Roof Off Peter Palooza III (Video)

Blow out the candles with Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg as the radio personality kicks it behind the scenes with some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop for his third birthday bash aptly titled Peter Palooza III. After snapping a few quick pictures with the likes of Chris Rivers, Retch, and... Read more

This Week in Video Brought Visuals of Jay Z & Jay Electronica, Talib Kweli, Phonte, Crooked I & More (Video Playlist)

This week in video brought lots of variety, ranging from Jay Electronica & Jay Z's first live performance of "We Made It," to a scaled down acoustic set by Phonte and his Foreign Exchange crew. Here's a video playlist of some of the best including a freestyle from Elzhi, Peter... Read more

Ab-Soul Comically Morphs Into The Black Lip Psychic (Video)

Ab-Soul gives viewers his best Miss Cleo impression as the Black Lip Psychic on Mass Appeal's segment, Ill Time. Hilarity ensues when Ab, who recently released his album These Days, takes calls from paying customers like "MC Chicken" requesting the card reading sage's advice. Who wants their future read next?... Read more

Trek Past The Snow Capped Mountain & Into The Desert Valley Where Flying Lotus’ Dreams Live (Video)

Trek past the snow capped mountain and walk into the desert valley where strange creatures roam and dreams live. It is within this wondrous other world where you can find Flying Lotus crafting his emotive instrumental orchestrations for our world at home and to the planets beyond. Filmed in New... Read more

Joey Bada$$ & Kirk Knight Go Back & Forth In The Booth For 10 Minutes, Over Classic Instruments (Video)

Stopping in London recently, Pro Era's Joey Bada$$ and Kirk Knight hit the recording studio for the "Fire In The Booth" series. Kirk gets a coming out party, noting that he doesn't even have a project available, while the pair play games with the BBC's Charlie Sloth, implementing some homegrown... Read more

Cam’ron Gets Down and Dirty with His Girlfriend JuJu on Devil (Audio)

Cam'ron and his better half, JuJu, get down and dirty on a flip of an 80's soundtrack gem. The Devil is in the details... Related: Smoke DZA and Cam’ron Resurrect the Ghost of Dipset (Audio)... Read more

Sean C & LV – Loud Dreams Vol. 1 Features Raekwon, Busta Rhymes, Big K.R.I.T. & Plenty More (Mixtape)

On his own, Sean C produced "Can't Knock The Hustle" and "Roc Boys" for Jay Z. The New Yorker not only co-founder the legendary X-Ecutionerz DJ crew (R.I.P. Roc Raida), but he was a major hand in Loud Records' success, thanks to his A&R role. Once he teamed with LV,... Read more

Big K.R.I.T. Does Not Take the Weekends Off. WeekOfKRIT Continues (Audio)

Just when it seemed WeekOfKRIT was over, Big K.R.I.T. returns with his hardest track of the week. He, Smoke DZA and oft collaborator Big Sant trade bars on the hard-driving Steps. Check it out. Related: Big K.R.I.T.'s Egyptian Cotton is Another Strong New Track (Video)... Read more

Here’s a Brand New Mixtape From Curren$y. Stream & Download The Drive In Theatre (Mixtape)

Curren$y has released his first mixtape of the year. Given that he's released more than 10 over the last 2 years, there are surely more to come. "The Drive In Theatre" contains slick rhymes and soulful beats, as well as verses from Action Bronson, B-Real, Smoke DZA, Freddie Gibbs and... Read more

Big K.R.I.T. & Z-Ro Give Some Soulful Support To Berner On Ready 2 Die (Audio)

Like Smoke DZA, Berner's built a Rap rep simultaneous to his seemingly endless supply of burnables. Thus, "Berner" has become of the more popular North Cali artists of late, and even squeezed a spot in Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Records. As Berner hones his craft, the rapper brings on Z-Ro... Read more

Trademark Da Skydiver Doubles As Flamingo Barnes 2 For Mingo Royale (Album Stream)

Everybody's got a second persona these days. Jet Life's Trademark Da Skydiver released his second installment under the Flamingo Barnes moniker, as Mingo Royale. From the cars to the ladies to the fast-life, James Bond and Trademark have some items in common, which are waxed on this here, featuring Dizzy... Read more

Eddie B & Harry Fraud Are About The Paper, Piff & Polo Life (Album Stream)

Childhood friends Eddie B & Harry Fraud go back to the last days of the New York City Underground Hip-Hop. Since Fraud has become a go-to producer for Action Bronson, Wiz Khalifa, and French Montana's Coke Boys, the shine's started rolling in. Man Bites Dog Records signed the project, Paper,... Read more

Eddie B & Harry Fraud Enlist Sean Price & Termanology To Give Warning (Audio)

Brooklyn's Harry Fraud served up some of 2012's best beats, between scorchers to Smoke DZA, Wiz Khalifa, and a Lords Of The Underground-sampling cut for French Montana. In 2013, Fraud laced Saaab Stories for Action Bronson's Warner Bros./Atlantic Records jump-off, and passed a few more around. For years, Harry's been... Read more

DeLorean – Sing On Key (Video)

For his latest visual, Houston MC DeLorean finds himself somewhere just a tad hotter than Texas. In the video for "Sing On Key" directed by Chad Tennies, Delorean hits the desert while he spits some hot bars. The track is from his mixtape GRACE, which is available now. Related: DeLorean – Philippe ft.... Read more