AFH Ambrosia for Heads

Naturally 7’s Acapella Remake Of Digable Planets’ Hit Is Slick & Cool Like That (Video)

Naturally 7 are a seven-man acapella group out of New York City. However, the septet strafes the line between traditional vocal group and beat-boxers. They don’t simply sing. Each member has also all mastered imitating a specific instrument. While they have dropped eight albums full of original material since they... Read more

Rakim Explains Why He Refused To Do A Gangsta Rap Album With Dr. Dre (Video)

When word broke in the early 2000s that Rakim was signed to Aftermath Entertainment, the Hip-Hop world went crazy. The prospect of arguably Hip-Hop's greatest MC working with a GOAT producer, was mind-blowing. At the time, Rakim was seen as an MC who was a celebrated member of a group... 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

25 Years Ago, ONYX Knew Just How To Make Heads Back Up & Slam (Video)

On Friday (March 30), ONYX's debut album Bacdafucup turned 25 years old. The LP is quintessential Big Apple "tough-guy Rap" and perhaps one of the more hardcore Hip Hop albums of all-time. Back in 1991, the group sent a demo of some of their earliest music to Jam Master Jay,... Read more

30 Years Ago DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Gave Hip-Hop Something Brand New (Video)

Thirty years ago this week (March 29, 1988), DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince released a landmark double-album courtesy of He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper. At a time when Rap music was just getting comfortable with the album format, an MC/DJ battery from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania raised the... Read more

Roxanne Shanté Describes How Real “The Roxanne Wars” Got In Concerts (Video)

This weekend, Roxanne, Roxanne is now available on Netflix. The biopic, written and directed by Michael Larnell, covers the life of MC Roxanne Shanté (aka Lolita Shanté Gooden). The Juice Crew rapper co-produced the film and worked with the likes of Pharrell Williams, Forrest Whitaker, and Mimi Valdes to tell... Read more

dvsn Remind That Prince & Aaliyah Are One In A Million, With A Purple Mash-Up (Video)

Toronto, Ontario R&B duo dvsn is one of the more recognized acts on Drake's OVO roster. Daniel Daley and Nineteen85 made an impact on Views (see: "Faithful") right around the time they began releasing albums together. The pair's latest, Morning After recently snuck into the US charts' Top 40. Nineteen85... Read more

Murs Says Hip-Hop Can’t Be Dead If Wu-Tang Is Forever & He’s Still Rapping (Video)

In celebration of his 40th birthday (March 16), Murs drops his latest solo album, A Strange Journey Into The Unimaginable with Strange Music. The project is exclusively produced by longtime Tech N9ne producer Michael "Seven" Summers. Leading up to today, ("Murs 3/16"), the Los Angeles, California veteran MC has leaked... Read more

Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Consequence Explain Why ATCQ Was Angry About The Grammys (Video)

To most, the 2018 Grammys represented a strong field of what Hip-Hop music had to offer in the previous year, but many believed that a few were snubbed in the nominees for Best Rap Album. The decision not to select A Tribe Called Quest was a particular sore spot for... Read more

Talib Kweli’s New Video Is Incredibly Powerful In Its Silence

Talib Kweli’s newest video for the single “Radio Silence” featuring Amber Coffman and Myka 9, visually mirrors the track’s message in the most artfully accurate way. The visuals for the title track off Kweli’s eighth solo album, Radio Silence (an inclusion in Ambrosia For Heads' Top 15 albums of 2017),... Read more

Roxanne Shanté’s Biopic Trailer Shows A True Survivor In The Rap Game (Video)

In just over one month, Roxanne, Roxanne will be available to the public via Netflix. On March 23, the film produced by Pharrell Williams and Forest Whitaker will tell the story of MC Roxanne Shanté. The first Rap star of Marley Marl and DJ Mr. Magic's Juice Crew (according to... Read more

Ron Beatty’s Video Pushes His Rap Plans From 2018 To Infinity

Hailing from New Bern, North Carolina by way of Atlanta, Georgia, Ron Beatty is an MC that has a raw, soulful sound and energy that he brings to his music; true to his southern roots like eating chicken out of a box, on a park bench. This is depicted all... Read more

Black Panther Is Not A Movie. It’s A Movement & It’s Bigger Than Box Office Success.

There have been literally hundreds of interviews with the cast of Black Panther, and thousands of write-ups about the film's commercial and cultural impact. However, there’s a moment that occurs in a Sway In The Morning town hall discussion with the entire cast that captures the essence of why this... 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

Murs Is Starting A Residency At Duke University (Video)

The long-term partnership between Los Angeles, California MC Murs and producer 9th Wonder is taking a new turn, as the self-described "Captain California" heads to Duke University to start a week-long residency as part of its African and African American Studies program. Finding himself in a college setting is not... Read more

Kendrick Lamar & SZA Show The Gorgeousness Of Wakanda In Their New Video

Hip-Hop is poised to win big at the box office when Black Panther hits theaters later this month, replete with a soundtrack boasting features from most of TDE's roster, Vince Staples, Anderson .Paak and more. On Friday, February 9, the official soundtrack drops, and with it an executive producer credit... Read more

DJ Premier & Royce 5’9 Release The First Video From Their Upcoming PRhyme 2 Album

Royce 5'9 and DJ Premier's PRhyme group announced a March 16 release date for PRhyme 2 earlier today (February 1). The news came with the arrival of first P2 single, “Era,” featuring Dave East. Only hours later, the visual, directed by Jacob Arden McClure is unveiled. The dark aesthetic is... Read more

Evidence Explains How Weather Or Not Is A Personal & Therapeutic Album (Video)

Just days ago, Evidence released his fourth solo project, Weather Or Not. Featuring Styles P, Alchemist, Rapsody, and his Dilated Peoples cohorts Rakaa and DJ Babu (among others), the Rhymesayers release closes out a nearly 11-year-old album series from Mr. Slow Flow. Last night (January 31), on a Midtown Manhattan... Read more

An New Video Shows The Rise Of The Soulquarians & Why Things Fell Apart

During the week of special engagements leading up to last Sunday's Grammy Awards, The Roots held a four-day residency at The Gramercy Theatre in Manhattan. During the day, the three-time Grammy-winners programmed events that included the first live taping of Questlove Supreme with guest Common, as well as a Black... Read more

Joey Bada$$ Turns A Prince Classic Into A Cry To Stop The Violence (Video)

UPDATE: Pro Era has released the official audio to "Thugz Cry":  ORIGINAL JANUARY 18 STORY: Over the course of his career, Joey Bada$$ has shown himself to be absolutely fearless, when it comes to making music. When he burst onto the scene with his 2012 mixtape, 1999, he eschewed... Read more

GZA & Inspectah Deck’s Cold World Lyricism Still Causes Chills (Video)

Summer may be Hip-Hop's most treasured season. Cookouts, drop-tops, park jams, and "just hangin' out" have spawned plenty of beloved playlist hits. However, the winter section of the year has inspired some incredible Rap music in its own right. Bundled up bars about construction Timbs, 4x4 Landcruisers and Jeeps, skull... Read more

D12’s Bizarre Says Eminem Sent Shots At Joe Budden On His New Song (Video)

Yesterday (January 8) Eminem released the "Chloraseptic (Remix)." In a grabbing new verse alongside bars from 2 Chainz and Phresher, Marshall Mathers confronts critics, haters, and naysayers of his artistic direction, especially 2017 album, Revival. According to at least one Shady Records artist (and somebody with more than 20 years... Read more

Lyric Jones Celebrates Solidarity & Getting By In “Got Bills” (Video)

Boston-born, L.A.-based Lyric Jones describes herself as “MC, Vocalist, Drummer,” while also noting that she is the only MC around these days who can play the drums, while she delivers her rhymes. Now this visual for “Got Bills” directed by Jones also shows she is an artist with a strong... Read more

Scarface’s Life Story Is Told Against The Soundtrack Of His Latest Song (Video)

Plenty of Hip-Hop legends are living, but not nearly as many are releasing consistent, quality product. Scarface is approaching 30 years on wax, and his newest single, "Black Still," finds him spitting hard, political rhymes with fire in his belly. The just-released Deeply Rooted: The Lost Files contains six new... Read more

Dave Chappelle Tells A Joke That Becomes Funny In The Last Second (Video)

Dave Chappelle is The Comeback Kid. After walking away from a reported $50 million dollar contract with Comedy Central, on principle, Chappelle has had an epic year. He landed a Netflix deal that allegedly made up for what he sacrificed by leaving Chappelle's Show in 2005, and, over the Summer... Read more

Tyler, The Creator’s Best Rap Album Contender Sounds Even Better Live (Video)

Two weeks ago, Tyler, The Creator's Flower Boy album was nominated in the Grammy category for "Best Rap Album." The nod marks a first for the 26-year-old MC/producer. In 2013, Tyler was part of Frank Ocean's Channel Orange cast that received an "Album Of The Year" nomination. Looking into next... Read more

20 Years Later, Rhyme & Reason Remains Rap Music’s Ultimate Backstage Pass (Video)

During the late 1990s, Hip-Hop was a seismic force that garnered mainstream recognition as a billion-dollar industry. The culture had invalidated scores of critics who dismissed it as a fad during the previous two decades. Hip-Hop achieved this while rewriting the rules of the music business and redefining the American... Read more

9th Wonder Details Producing Kendrick Lamar’s DUCKWORTH & Reveals Its Original Title (Video)

Working on a Kendrick Lamar record requires a vow of secrecy as demanding as any spy code, 9th Wonder shares in the latest Rap Radar Podcast. With longtime colleague and Roc Nation producer/engineer, Young Guru by his side, 9th speaks on how he made “DUCKWORTH.” the closer for this year's Grammy-nominated... Read more

Q-Tip is FURIOUS. He Calls Out The Grammys For Snubbing A Tribe Called Quest (Video)

Last February, A Tribe Called Quest were joined by Busta Rhymes and Anderson .Paak for a show-stealing Grammy Awards performance that included "We The People," "Movin Backwards," and splashes of "Can I Kick It?" and "Award Tour." Nine months later, neither A.T.C.Q. nor their final album (released one year ago... Read more

Ma$e Explains Why He Dissed Cam’ron & Says He Beat Him By A “Landslide” (Video)

On Black Friday (November 24), Ma$e tried to put the lights out on Cam'ron. The former Bad Boy Records superstar and onetime G-Unit artist laid into his past collaborator and Children Of The Corn band-mate for four minutes straight on "The Oracle." His diss used JAY-Z's "Blueprint 2" instrumental (produced... Read more

By All Means Necessary: How Boogie Down Productions Was Formed Against All Odds (Video)

"You could call a man a bum with disgust on your morning run. 'Cause he lives outside in the street, you don't know this, but you've failed to realize that the one you so despise reflects yourself  'cause every Black man is homeless." KRS-One has never hidden the fact that... Read more

Sweet Love: Why Andre 3000 & Kendrick Lamar Are Infatuated With Anita Baker (Video)

Several high profile R&B acts like Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, Loose Ends, and Soul II Soul made music in the 1980s that, through sampling, reference, and homage, can be heard in contemporary Hip-Hop. Babies of the 1980s, '90s, and early 2000s were inevitably raised on Urban Contemporary radio which housed... Read more

See The Evolution Of Hip-Hop From 1979 To The Present In 30 Minutes (Video)

Over the years, there have been a number of vehicles that show the transformation of Hip-Hop from its inception to the present. The vast majority of these tend to be either hyper-kinetic mashups that showcase 2-3 second snippets of songs, or exhaustive documentaries that unfold over hours, showcasing years of... Read more

Dave Chappelle Spoofs “Stranger Things” In The Trailer For His New Comedy Special (Video)

There may be new incentive to stay in on this New Year's Eve. It has been announced that Dave Chappelle's third stand-up special of 2017 will be arriving on the last day of the year. Already in '17, Chappelle released The Age Of Spin and Deep In The Heart Of Texas... Read more

CyHi The Prynce Explains Why He Likens JAY-Z To A Modern Day Martin Luther King (Video)

CyHi The Prynce is recognized for his ability to combine the spiritual and political in his rhymes, so it’s no surprise he relates to the world and the people within it through a similar lens. When speaking with Billboard this week, CyHi likened JAY-Z, the man he considers his mentor, to Civil... Read more

Wu-Wear Returns After 10 Years (Video)

In June, it was reported that one of the biggest intersections of Hip-Hop music and apparel was coming back to the masses. Wu-Wear Renaissance marked a return for one of Wu-Tang Clan's most successful merchandising divisions. Spearheaded by Wu-Tang executive producer Oliver “Power” Grant, Wu-Wear burst on the scene in... Read more

Daz Tells B-Real Who Supplied The Chronic For Dr. Dre’s Masterpiece (Video)

Dr. Dre named his 1992 solo debut album The Chronic and had millions of consumers aiming to catch a contact. The first LP released on Death Row Records took its name from a notoriously powerful strain of marijuana circulating around Southern California at the time. Combined with old Funk records... Read more

The D.O.C. Speaks About Idolizing Rakim & Making Plans To Work On New Music Together (Video)

On August 1, 1989, The D.O.C. released his debut album, No One Can Do It Better. The Ruthless/Atco/Atlantic Records album was the solo debut from the Dallas, Texas MC, formerly of the Fila Fresh Crew. Produced by N.W.A.'s Dr. Dre, it was not only an important mainstream representation of Southern... Read more

Redman Blasts Critics Of Eminem’s BET Cypher & Says EVERYONE Should Respect It (Video)

Redman and Eminem are friends. Over the years, each has showered the other with praise, great MC to great MC. It started with Eminem showing his love for Reggie Noble's music by remaking "Pick It Up" in 2002, alongside Proof. Years later, Redman returned the favor, by flipping Em's "Just... Read more

Dancer For Many Classic Hip-Hop Videos, Voodoo Ray, Has Passed Away At Age 50

Throughout the decades, Voodoo Ray (born Raymond Ultarte) brought the dance moves he displayed in New York City clubs in the 1980s to some of Hip-Hop culture's more memorable late 1990s videos. Formerly known as Boogie Ray, Ultarte's dancing eventually went on to appear in visuals such as Run-D.M.C. &... Read more

A Tribe Called Quest Have Performed Their Last Show Ever (Video)

In a career that lasted more than 29 years, A Tribe Called Quest have completed their final concert. Over the weekend, Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi White played Bestival in East Lulworth, United Kingdom before hanging up their mics and turntables as a collective. The 90-minute-show followed an international run... Read more

Nas Details What Made Biggie One Of The Greatest To Ever Touch The Mic (Video)

Nas and The Notorious B.I.G. were both friends and rivals. With a complicated history—one of legend, the two artists tragically never were able to share a song—despite plans for a "Gimme The Loot (Remix)" in 1994-1995. Looking at the life and work of his man, Nas gives it up for... Read more

Women In Rap Are Back & They Don’t Dance. They Make Money Moves (Video)

2017 may prove to be a watershed year in Hip-Hop. Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. married concept and advanced technical lyricism with commercial dominance in a way that forced the mainstream to conform. As recently as last week, artists from Logic to Bun B to Trae Tha Truth are taking action on... Read more

God May Forgive, But Apparently Rick Ross Does Not. Ask Meek Mill… (Video)

It will soon be nine years since Rick Ross and 50 Cent entered a beef. According to some theories, that conflict reportedly began over 50 Cent complimenting Ross on an album milestone while warning him to not associate with Fat Joe in 2008. Later that year, a reported glance at... Read more

Floyd Mayweather Has A Humble Conversation With Snoop About How To Build Wealth (Video)

Over the last few months, it has become virtually impossible for anyone who follows the sports world to escape the thunderous hype surrounding the upcoming boxing match between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Conor McGregor tomorrow night (August 26). The buildup has reached epic proportions, sometimes resembling a pro wrestling match... Read more

DJ Quik & Scarface Confirm Upcoming Collaborative Project (Video)

DJ Quik and Scarface are two living legends of Hip-Hop, Gangsta Rap, and music, period. Together, the two artists jammed on stage in The Novo in Los Angeles, California last night (August 17). With that show currently on the road, the Geto Boys icon and the producer for Tupac, 2nd... Read more

Grandmaster Flash Calls Out Kool Herc’s DJ Skills In A Push For Peace (Video)

One week ago today, Hip-Hop celebrated its 44th birthday. That day is associated with an August 11 Bronx, New York party where DJ Kool Herc (aka Clive Campbell) prolonged the dance section of a record by using two turntables with copies of the same disc. For the event, an incredible... Read more

Why MCs Avoid The Term “Christian Rap” Like It’s A Dirty Word (Video)

Less than three years ago, Lecrae reached the top of the pop charts with Anomaly. The Reach Records release, which subsequently went gold, marked a new pinnacle for what is commonly referred to as "Christian Rap." In this week's episode of TBD, Justin "The Company Man" Hunte examines the weird... Read more

JAY-Z’s Video For “Moonlight” Re-Creates “Friends” With An All-Star Black Cast

In 2003, Aisha Tyler joined the cast of NBC's long-running television series, Friends. She played a recurring character who represented the show's most visible Black character in its then nine-year history. Along with shows like Sex and the City and Seinfeld, the New York City-based sitcom often came under fire for the lack of... Read more

A New Biggie Documentary Features Unreleased Footage And Nas & JAY-Z Rapping His Lyrics (Video)

In less than one month, the Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G. documentary will air on television. This is the first doc authorized by the rapper's estate, and contains never before released audio of Biggie talking. It will feature Biggie's wife Faith Evans, his mother Voletta Wallace, his right-hand man... Read more