AFH Ambrosia for Heads

Remember When Little Brother & Black Star Picked Up Where Native Tongues Left Off? (Audio)

In the late 80s and early 90s, Native Tongues, the collective led by De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, and consisting of members like Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah, Black Sheep, Monie Love and more, began a movement that would last well into the 2000s. Beyond the musical legacy... Read more

America’s Gun Problem Gets Broken Down & It Is Scary (Video)

It is undeniably tragic that for most Americans, gun violence is an issue that forces itself into discussion frequently. On the heels of the worst mass shooting by a lone gunman in United States history, once again the topic of access to weapons like assault rifles has reared its controversial... Read more

DJ Premier Gives The Inside Story On The Making Of Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt 20 Years Later

Twenty years ago, Jay Z had a hustler's ambition of releasing an album and then walking away. His lifestyle already afforded the finer things in life, so he was not making the music for the money. Rather, in his 26 years of life, he had accumulated some formidable stories that he... Read more

Domino’s 1993 Hit Forecast The Way Hip-Hop And R&B Would Jam (Video)

Where there is smoke, there is fire—especially in the eyes of record labels. In many ways, Snoop Dogg's appearance on "Deep Cover" set the table for Hip-Hop's awareness to Long Beach City, California. Combining the stylings of Slick Rick and Smooth B, the lanky MC with the liquid flow appealed... Read more

Questlove Remembers Prince & Says “He Was More Hip-Hop Than Anyone”

For decades, Questlove has unabashedly worn his fandom of Prince on his metaphorical purple sleeve. The Roots Crew drummer and music savant has referenced His Royal Badness countless times in interviews and, it was that shared mutual love that helped to forge a bond between Quest and D'Angelo. On the... Read more

10 Years Later, D12 Show Proof’s Memory Is Very Much Alive In A New Documentary (Video)

It's been a decade since Detroit, Michigan's Proof passed away. An integral part of the city's Rap scene, his 2006 death was only 2 months after fellow Motor City native J Dilla left a gaping whole in the Hip-Hop community. Having performed as a member of the oft-overlooked 5 Elementz,... Read more

Remember When LL Cool J Jacked A Commercial And Made It “For Us By Us On The Low?” (Video)

Earlier this week, Ambrosia For Heads spoke with Chris Latimer, who is looking to bring back the iconic and socially-minded African American College Alliance clothing brand. Latimer, who is seeking to raise $100,000 to re-launch the company that helped fund the educations of countless students, mentioned a moment in time... Read more

Q-Tip Remembers Phife Dawg As His “Hero” In A Heartfelt Statement

Besides a formal statement from A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip remained publicly silent for more than a week after the March 22 death of friend and band-mate Phife Dawg. On social media yesterday (April 3), the accomplished MC, producer and Kennedy Center director spoke about Malik Taylor. The message about... Read more

Dot Demo Turns A Careful Whisper Into A Crazy Freestyle (Video)

Dot Demo is one to watch. With influences like Big Pun, Nas, Jay Z and J Dilla, the Bronx, NY MC has high standards and high expectations. He recently hit Statik Selektah’s Show Off Radio and wrecked a couple of beats, turning a careful whisper into a crazy freestyle. Dot... Read more

Elzhi Drops First Visual Dose of “Lead Poison” & Describes Deeply Personal Inspiration

In the nearly five years it's been since Detroit MC Elzhi has released a full-fledged solo project in the form of his Elmatic mixtape, Heads have been eager for his return. So eager, in fact, that many gladly contributed to the rapper's Kickstarter campaign in an effort to raise the... Read more

Boogie Down Productions’ Criminal Minded vs. Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

Prince Paul Recalls MF DOOM’s “Impostor” Idea & Wu-Tang’s Earliest Days (Audio)

The "devastating" Prince Paul is a living Hip-Hop legend. Although he is a self-professed "shy guy," the Long Island, New Yorker would eventually find himself winning Grammy Awards for cracking jokes around Chris Rock and elite comedians. Listening to Paul is a joy in and of itself; an experience filled... 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

Your Old Droog Walks Down 42nd Street With Some Fresh Nu Shooz (Audio)

Coney Island, Brooklyn's Your Old Droog represents a different kind of New York City experience. In his twenties, Y.O.D. is a bit young to remember the 42nd Street of the Mayor Koch-era NYC, filled with grind-house movie theaters, peep shows, greasy food, and an assortment of sidewalk hustles. However, the... Read more

Schoolly D Remembers “P.S.K.” By Clarifying What Gangsta Rap Really Means (Video)

In 1985 Schoolly D released "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?" on his own label. From West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the record's acronym stood for his neighborhood crew: Park Side Killaz. To many Rap historians, the self-produced 12" (later included on Schoolly's self-titled full-length debut) marks the first Gangsta Rap record. With... Read more

Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt vs. Ice Cube’s Death Certificate. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

Sean Price Music Will Release For Years To Come, According To Duck Down

This month, Duck Down Music (formerly known as Duck Down Records) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It's been a challenging year for the independent label launched by Dru-Ha and Black Moon's Buckshot. Although the label continues to expand its roster and extend its storied catalog, it lost a Duck Down... Read more

Kendrick Lamar Was Making Great Music Long Before “Section.80.” Remember “Vanity Slaves” (Audio)

By now, Kendrick Lamar is a household name. Considered by many to be one of today's most talented Hip-Hop stars, his appeal has extended beyond the realm of Rap into pop culture and politics, thanks in part to his work with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. and his... Read more

Redman Breaks Down “Bars” From His BET Cypher Verse (Video)

Last month, Redman became a trending term after his 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher verse. The Newark, New Jersey veteran MC appeared alongside his Def Squad cohorts Erick Sermon and Keith Murray, where he spit a verse that had Heads replaying the video just to keep up. Related: So... Read more

Snoop Doggy Dogg’s Doggystyle vs. Main Source’s Breaking Atoms. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt vs. Compton’s Most Wanted’s Music To Driveby. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die vs. MF DOOM’s Operation Doomsday. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

Vince Staples Clarifies “Golden-Era” Remarks. In Doing So, He Raises Some GREAT Questions (Audio)

Vince Staples appears in a Time magazine video that published online yesterday (October 27). In it, the Def Jam Records artist from Long Beach, California was asked to reflect on 1990s pop culture. While admitting that he has never heard an album of Justin Timberlake's work with N*SYNC or Mel... Read more

Label Politics, Claims of Song Stealing, Criticism of Selling Out…This Ja Rule Documentary Has It All (Video)

It's been 15 years since Ja Rule released "Put It On Me," his first top-ten hit and one of several charting scorchers on his sophomore album, Rule 3:36. The milestone has set the stage for a look back at the song and its role in shaping Ja Rule's career, and... Read more

Peter Dougherty, ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ Creator, Has Passed Away (Video)

In today's era, when MTV hardly plays any music, it becomes easy to forget just how influential the television network was to the promotion of music and popular culture. Its "Yo! MTV Raps" program would revolutionize the way Hip-Hop artists were seen in mainstream America, but it took several years... Read more

Boogie Down Productions’ Criminal Minded vs. Big Daddy Kane’s It’s A Big Daddy Thing. What’s Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

Pimp C’s Diverse Musical Talents & Mental Health Struggles Remembered in His Definitive Biography (Interview)

This December marks eight years since Pimp C passed away. The man born Chad Butler built a career around making a well-seasoned gumbo with his far-reaching love of music. UGK, the Underground Kingz that Pimp C and Bun B established in the late 1980s, sprinkled Hip-Hop with elements of Blues,... Read more

The Game Tells The Story of The Doctor’s Advocate & Why It’s His Best Album (Video)

This month, Compton, California MC Game is in the midst of releasing two discs to The Documentary 2. Featuring involvement from Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and Q-Tip (among others), the LP is an independent homage to Jayceon Taylor's 2005 breakthrough. Speaking with HipHopDX last... Read more

Photographer Jamel Shabazz’s Hip-Hop Influence is the Subject of New Documentary (Video)

Throughout the '80s, a Brooklyn man named Jamel Shabazz began messing around with a camera, documenting the style and fashion surrounding him on New York City streets. Fast forward three decades and his name is mentioned whenever the topic of Hip-Hop photographers comes up, and rightly so. He has been... Read more

Today Is Harold Hunter Day. Remember The Skate Icon/”Kids” Star Through This Compilation (Video)

Harold Hunter epitomized 1990s New York City cool. A feature actor in Kids, Hunter is best remembered for his skate style, grit, and sense of humor. He would go on to be a primary figure helping launch the Zoo York brand. In 2006, at the age of 31, the East... Read more

Boogie Down Productions’ Criminal Minded vs. Public Enemy’s Yo! Bum Rush The Show. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

Mary J. Blige & Grand Puba Shut Down YO! MTV Raps. That’s The 411. (Video)

Mary J. Blige's Hip-Hop collaborations may as well be a genre of their own. The Queen Of Hip-Hop Soul has worked on heralded albums such as Ghostface Killah's Ironman, Jay Z's Reasonable Doubt, Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation..., and Nas' Life Is Good, among many, many others. However, when it comes... Read more

Masta Ace Remembers Feeling Ostracized By His Native Brooklyn…& Other Personal Stories (Audio)

Masta Ace's nearly 30-year career as a tremendously gifted MC has hit its rough patches along the way, but as his fans around the world are well aware, his resiliency and tenacity have allowed for his name to be continuously mentioned in conversations about great - even if underrated -... Read more

On Its 10 Year Anniversary, Little Brother Remember The Minstrel Show With New Perspective

According to many Hip-Hop Heads, one of the most complete, cohesive Rap albums of the 2000s is Little Brother's The Minstrel Show. Released by Atlantic Records, the LP is a bittersweet moment for its makers and its legions of fans. Ten years ago yesterday (September 13, 2005), 9th Wonder, Phonte,... Read more

Turntables Might Wobble, But They Don’t Fall Down… Technics Returns

The Technics turntable is one of Hip-Hop music's most iconic symbols. As old as the culture and genre itself, these direct-drive tables are famously sturdy, regardless of low-end bass vibrations, an explosive moving crowd, or heavy-handed DJs cutting back and forth the records. Durable, dependable, and incredibly sleek, it is... Read more

Master P Says He Saved Snoop Dogg’s Life, Wants Tyler Perry To Direct Biopic (Video)

To a skeptic, Master P's upcoming biopic King Of The South may appear to too closely follow the success of Straight Outta Compton. With No Limit built upon much of the Ruthless model, and TRU following N.W.A., one could argue that the New Orleans, Louisiana rapper/mogul/actor is simply pulling a... Read more

Remember the Classic Board Game Guess Who? Here’s a Wu-Tang Inspired Version

Childhood nostalgia for board games and the old-school have merged in a Noisey-developed rendition of Guess Who?, a guessing game that became popular in the United States in the early '80s. Called "Guess Wu?", their version uses te same concept behind the original, only the faces adorning the game board... Read more

The Documentary About The Real “KIDS” Who Inspired The Movie Has a Trailer (Video)

The movie KIDS has resonated in the collective consciousness for more than twenty years, not just because of the controversial issues it addressed--HIV, teen sex, teen drug use--but also because of the authenticity in which those topics were covered. Many of its stars were first time actors and they fully... Read more

Remember When Jayo Felony, Method Man & DMX Made A Cross-Country Def Jam Hit Together? (Video)

While ONYX and 50 Cent are two of Jam Master Jay's star proteges—even if the latter found his success beyond JMJ Records, there is another artist he ushered in that is often overlooked. Jayo Felony became one of San Diego, California's first national Rap stars. Signed amidst the height of... Read more

Take a Long Walk Down Memory Lane With Jill Scott as she Revisits Her Debut Album

Earlier this month, the Hip-Hop infused Neo-Soul songstress Jill Scott celebrated the 15th anniversary of her debut album, 2000's Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1. With it, she answered her own question, and the album's platinum-selling status suggested that few were left unfamiliar with her name. She... Read more

A Week Before it Turns 20, the Movie ‘Kids’ is Being Remembered as a Classic

Rolling Stone called it "the most controversial film of the Nineties." With mid-'90s New York City as its setting, the Larry Clark-directed film Kids struck a chord with an entire generation, candidly portraying the sexual lives of a handful of teenagers. Released nationwide on July 28, 1995, the NC-17 drama... Read more

Hussein Fatal’s Range & Versatility Remembered In A Successful Career, Below The Radar (Audio)

Less than one week ago (July 10), Outlawz member Hussein Fatal died in a Gainesville, Georgia car accident. The 38 year-old born Bruce Edward Washington, Jr. had nearly 20 years invested in a Rap career at the time of his death, with nearly two dozen releases, including albums, collaborative projects... Read more

Big Pun’s Widow & Chris Rivers Offer Up The Real & Uncut Story of Life With Pun (Audio)

Fifteen years removed from Big Pun's death, there has been a lot of attention paid to one of Hip-Hop's greatest lyricists. The Bronx, New Yorker Terror Squad founder born Chris Rios has been survived by his wife, Liza Rios, and three children. The youngest, Christopher Rios (same name as his... Read more

Kendrick Lamar & Nicki Minaj Continue to Dominate the BET Awards

Last night's (June 28) BET Awards were equal parts nostalgic and forward-leaning. A Bad Boy Records reunion featuring Lil' Kim, Diddy, Ma$e, and The LOX as well as appearances from Janet Jackson and Smokey Robinson sparked reflection around the web, with viewers expressing delight at seeing some of their favorite... Read more

In The Wake Of Tragedy, Killer Mike Speaks Out About Gun Control & Domestic Terrorism

Rapper and activist Killer Mike has been in the news a lot recently, most prominently in relation to social and political events. After an appearance last month on HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher," he announced just last week that he was running for Georgia State Representative. Combined with his... Read more

Ever See This Kurupt Freestyle With DJ Quik Beatboxing in a Tuxedo? (Video)

Back in 2009, two of the West Coast's OGs teamed up for a collaborative album. DJ Quik and Kurupt's BlaQKout featured both MCs on the mic and Quik holding it down on the boards with his patented G-Funk. Here's a look back at a behind the scenes moment of the... Read more

Mannie Fresh Recalls Big Tymin’ With First Check, DMX’s Dog Fancy (Video)

Mannie Fresh may be a lover of flaunting jewels, cars, and even helicopters on some of his album covers and in older videos. However, the New Orleans, Louisiana icon and Bounce music pioneer had some humble beginnings. In a particularly jovial mood, Mannie sat down with Montreality to discuss some... Read more

Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa’s Chemistry Never Rests, Even If They Do (Audio)

After a friendly, little conversation on Twitter, Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa have leaked another single from their newest project, #2009. Heads have seen and heard Jet Life and Taylor Gang collaborate on numerous singles and celebrated mixtapes like their 2009 joint project How Fly, but after the release of "Uber... Read more

Do Snoop Dogg & Pharrell Have Another Hit? Leave It To The Pros (Audio)

Snoop Dogg is the comeback master. Whether his albums are experimental or returns to early form, Tha Doggfather is able to always please enough masses in certain moments to reclaim the high-ranking post he's had in Hip-Hop and music for more than 23 years. BUSH (May 12) follows what may... Read more