AFH Ambrosia for Heads

Chris Rivers’ Latest Visual Examines The Battle for Greatness (Video)

As Heads may know, New York MC Chris Rivers is an avid boxer and is just as passionate about the sport as he is about his music. He participated in the 2014 Golden Gloves and has a goal of becoming heavyweight boxing champion of the world someday. The visual for... 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

Alchemist & Oh No Bring Grand Theft Audio To Los Santos (Album Stream)

Alchemist and Oh No infected many ears with their Gangrene work. Not a Gangrene project, Alan The Chemist and Oh No The Disrupt come together for Welcome To Los Santos. Releasing tomorrow (April 14), the Mass Appeal Records effort welcomes an array of genre (E-40, Ab-Soul, MC Eiht, Curren$y, Little... Read more

Finding the GOAT: These MCs Are Going to Round 4

The polls have closed and, after a fiercely competitive and unpredictable Round 3, there are only 21 MCs remaining in the quest to name Hip-Hop's greatest MC, as determined by you. Since Round 1 began in September, more than 200 MCs have been considered and millions of Hip-Hop fans have... Read more

Finding The GOAT: What We’ve Learned So Far & Why No MC is Safe

Ambrosia For Heads’ Finding The GOAT series, the search for the Greatest Of All Time MC (as determined by you), began in September, 2014 and is soon down to its final 21 contestants. The MC who wins by the biggest margin in Round 3 will get a bye in Round... Read more

Inspectah Deck, Esoteric & Meyhem Lauren Flash The CZARFACE Signal (Audio)

It was more than two years ago that CZARFACE was born. Part group, part album, the Brick Records effort linked Wu-Tang Clan member Inspectah Deck with Boston, Massachusetts underground Hip-Hop veterans 7L & Esoteric for what would be a career-defining work. Featuring involvement from Ghostface Killah, DJ Premier, and Action... Read more

Listen to the Best Hip-Hop of March 2015 All in One Playlist (Audio)

Along with the start of Spring, the month of March brought much to celebrate in Hip-Hop. Action Bronson released Mr. Wonderful, his major label debut album. DJ EFN hit Heads off with a slew of amazing collaborations on his Another Time LP. Earl Sweatshirt fired the latest salvo from Odd... Read more

Joey Bada$$ Joins B-Real’s Smokebox, Talks Artistry & Originality (Video)

Joey Bada$$ is the latest to join Cypress Hill legend B-Real on his YouTube series, "The Smokebox". The concept is simple: they hot-box a car and talk as they would as artists getting to know each other, without a camera. B-Real gets Joey to talk about establishing himself as a... Read more

Ludacris’ Personal Revelations Come To Life With The Roots’ Support (Video)

Ludacris truly seems to have something special with Ludaversal (March 31). The DTP founder's most honest, most vulnerable, and most courageous album to date comes at a time when Heads may not be expecting it from him. After all, Luda' seemingly has it all already, after 15 years running things—different... Read more

Chance The Rapper Confronts Suicide, Consults ‘Mr. Happy’ In Short Film (Video)

In his lead acting debut, Chancellor Bennett (a/k/a Chance The Rapper) takes the role as a nervous supply store employee in the short film, Mr. Happy. The mini-movie itself is exceptionally shot by director and friend to Mr. Bennett, Colin Tilley. The plot captures a deeply sad Chance The Rapper... Read more

Joey Bada$$ Goes To Town With A Freestyle Over Dre & Premier Beats (Audio)

Joey Bada$$ seemingly never is too fatigued for a freestyle. The Brooklyn, New Yorker who emerged from hallway cyphers and throwback-minded Rap activities is true to form. Stopping through the L.A. Leakers radio show, the hosts throw down some plates of production from the era Joey pulls from. Nimbly, he... Read more

Kool G Rap & Mic Geronimo Support Nutso On A Hardcore Queens Cut (Audio)

Kool G Rap may have the Midas touch of cosigns. From Nas to Papoose, Large Professor to MF Grimm, the Kool Genius has an ear for fellow lyricists on the come-up. Fellow Queens, New Yorker Nutso is far from new, having worked with G, along with Trae Tha Truth, Psycho... Read more

Roc Marciano Tears Up A New Purist Beat (Audio)

London, UK-based producer The Purist is getting ready to release a new album, Pyrex Scholar, on March 17. He recently released the first song on the album, "Patina", which features Roc Marciano spitting dense rhymes over a mellow, soulful beat. The song has no hook, just straight rhyming with a... Read more

Finding The GOAT: Which MCs are Going to Round 3? You Decide.

Ambrosia For Heads' Finding The GOAT series, the search for the Greatest Of All Time MC (as determined by you), began in September, 2014 and is soon down to its final 42 contestants. At 11:59pm EST on Saturday March 7, Round 2 polls will close, kicking off Round 3. But... Read more

Listen to the Best Hip-Hop of February 2015 All in One Playlist (Audio)

The month of February had less days, but it was not short on good music. The tight four weeks brought new songs from Kendrick Lamar, Ghostface Killah, Scarface, Method Man, Redman, Talib Kweli, Logic, Big K.R.I.T., Slum Village, Rah Digga, Action Bronson, Kanye West, Cannibal Ox, Drake, GZA, Fashawn, Nas,... Read more

Rare Juggaknots Demo Recordings To Release, Showing The Crew’s Magic (Audio)

If you're not up on The Juggaknots, you need to be. Back in Bobbito's Fondle 'Em Records days, the crew morphed into Underground Hip-Hop luminaries, alongside MF DOOM, The MHz (RJ2, Camu Tao, Copywrite, Tage Proto, Jakki Da Mottamouth), Kool Keith, and Cage. Originally signed to Elektra/EastWest Records, New York... Read more

If You Heckle Ghostface Killah, You Will Be Sorry…(Video)

At 44 years old, Ghostface Killah is still no one to play with—on or off the mic. Although he may appear on VH1's "Couples Therapy," and be a fan of skydiving and hang-gliding, don't get it confused. One listen to 2014's 36 Seasons is a cold wake-up call that Tony... Read more

Listen to the Best Hip-Hop of January 2015 in One Playlist (Audio)

The beginning of the year often brings a smorgasbord of new music, and this past January was no exception. Here's a playlist of some of the best tracks released, including music from Joey Bada$$, Lupe Fiasco, Action Bronson, Big Daddy Kane, Grand Puba, The Diplomats, Scarface, Eightball & MJG, Master... Read more

Drake, Wiz Khalifa & Childish Gambino Can Make Fun Of Themselves, Or Read Along As You Make Fun Of Them (Video)

Many of today's elite Rap superstars may seem immune to the rough, rugged, and raw criticism they receive on social media. Short of Wale and Lupe Fiasco, not many of the chart-topping artists will entertain the trolls. As guests on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," the stars are asked to confront some... Read more

Joey Bada$$ Breaks Down Malia Obama Situation On Sway In The Morning (Video)

B4.Da.$$ season is in full effect as Joey Bada$$ makes his rounds at all the major radio stations and talk shows. This time, Joey stopped by Sway In The Morning for an interview where he gave his perspective on some publicity thrown his way and broke down some lyrics from... Read more

Joey Bada$$ Drops Wisdom While DJ Premier Drops A Scorching Beat (Audio)

"B4.Da.$$" is the title of Joey Bada$$' studio debut, releasing this coming Tuesday (January 20) on Pro Era/Cinematic/Sony Red. The Brooklyn, New York MC reflects this title, not just as a conveniently clever time-capsule of his rise to stardom, or an ah-ha to the doubters and skeptics. Rather, the Pro... Read more

Your Old Droog Gets the Paper with a Killer Beastie Boys Sample (Audio)

If 2014 was Your Old Droog's coming out party, 2015 looks to be the year where he proves to all the naysayers that he's here to stay. His latest song, "Get the Paper" produced by El RTNC, is an ode to the Beastie Boys which features a groove Dr. Dre... Read more

2 Chainz Eloquently Argues the Merits of Legalizing Marijuana on CNN (Video)

Many may not know that before his Rap career, 2 Chainz finished number two in his high school class and attended college. The resilient MC has a strong command of the language both on and off the mic. He donned his debate hat on CNN recently and had a substantive... Read more

Listen to Over 170 of the Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2014 in One Playlist (Audio)

2014 was an incredibly diverse year for Hip-Hop, musically and thematically. Many of the sounds that have dominated airwaves and web streams remained, but something returned that had been missing from the culture for quite some time: the voice of the people. In a year that saw more unrest in... Read more

Macklemore Gets Deep About Race, White Appropriation, Grammy Awards & His Biggest Mistake (Video)

In addition to all of the great things that happened in music, especially Hip-Hop, for 2014, there have been some uncomfortable moments. As art parallels life, and life parallels art, America witnessed murders, arrests, protests, actions (and non-actions) and other public issues raise the question of racial equality. In Hip-Hop... 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

With Sounds By The Roots & J Dilla, Preview Snippets Of Joey Bada$$’s B4.Da.$$ (Audio)

Over the weekend, the full artwork, tracklisting and production credits for Joey Bada$$' studio debut, B4.Da.$$ (January 20) were released: 1. Save The Children (prod by Statik Selektah) 2. Greenbax (prod by Lee Bannon) 3. Paper Trails (prod. by DJ Premier) 4. Piece of Mine (prod by Freddie Joachim) 5.... Read more

Noisey Releases The Biggest Posse Cut Ever Featuring More Than 35 Rappers (Video)

In the quest to put together the ultimate posse cut, Noisey assembled 35+ rappers in Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York for a series of verses to be fused into one song. After seeding verses in pieces for the last few weeks, they have now released the full 42 minute... Read more

GOAT: Which One of These MCs Deserves a Shot at Advancing to Round 2?

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

Joey Bada$$ Unleashes A New Album Single. He & Statik Selektah Have Chemistry (Audio)

For an artist who puts art above image, music above interview antics, and the engaged live show above dedicated social media presence, January is a great month to release an album. Slow burn and long consideration will go a long way for Cinematic's longtime emerging star. With January 20, 2015... Read more

Here’s a Compilation of Killer Mike’s Lyrical Sunday Morning Massacres (Mixtape)

Killer Mike has been on a tear as of late with partner El-P with their Run the Jewels albums. The Dungeon Family-affiliate has been assassinating microphones for the better part of twenty years, with the likes of OutKast, Jay Z and, of course, P. Despite these formidable collaborations, some of... Read more

Freddie Gibbs Delivers Gripping Gangsta Rap With A Geto Boys Producer (Audio)

For the upcoming "GTA: V" video game soundtrack, Freddie Gibbs teamed with Mike Dean to make "Sellin' Dope." Following some work with N.O. Joe, this is the second time Gangsta Gibbs has chased down some of the sound-providers for the Geto Boys and 1995-2005 Rap-A-Lot Records production. Dean now works... Read more

30 Of Your Favorite Rappers Are Getting Together On One Track (Video)

Just days after the Shady cXVpher rattled the Hip-Hop nation, traveling to five locations to film one grandiose, show-stopping cypher, a new trend in Hip-Hop may be on the rise. Noisey/VICE have announced Rap Monument. With a trailer released, this video plans to combine 30 artists in their element, for... Read more

Alchemist & Statik Selektah Co-Produce A New Term Joint With REKS & Willie The Kid (Audio)

In 2014, co-production in from some producers is very rare. Two such cases are Alchemist and Statik Selektah. Eminem's DJ and Q-Tip's (onetime) DJ are two respected sources on the boards, and while they work with a lot of the same cats (Action Bronson, The LOX, Dilated Peoples), they aren't... Read more

Mac Miller Inks A Deal With Warner Bros. For 8 Figures & Drops Off A Loosie (Audio)

After a January, 2014 amicable-but-high profile exit from the Rostrum Records team that helped bring him to stardom, Mac Miller has officially made his next move. The Most Dope front man has headed to Warner Bros. Records, according to The Fader. The report states that the deal, including housing M.M.'s... Read more

Lupe Fiasco is Feeling Lost In The Atlantic Ocean (Audio)

Lupe Fiasco is gearing up for a busy three months. The 1st & 15th veteran plans Lost In The Atlantic Ocean, the tongue-in-cheek titled effort alluding to how one of the few gold-selling artists on Atlantic is often treated less than the major's flagship, or quite differently than recent stars... 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

Here’s a Playlist of the Best Hip-Hop of August 2014 (Audio)

August was a banner month for Hip-Hop. Not only was there good music but several artists used their talents to speak out against the killing of Michael Brown and the events that transpired in Ferguson, MO. Though the Summer is fading, the heat generated from the music in August lingers.... Read more

The 2014 BET Hip-Hop Awards Nominees Announced

The 2014 BET Hip-Hop Awards will air Tuesday, October 14 at 8pm EST. Leading up to the annual affair, the network has announced its categories and nominees. Hip-Hop elite, including Drake (leading all nominees), Kanye West, Eminem, and Jay Z are prominently nominated, while stars of the last year including... Read more

Snoop Goes All the Way in on an Exquisite Statik Selektah Track (Audio)

Statik Selektah drops one more cut, "All The Way (Pimp Hop)," just before the release of his upcoming album, What Goes Around. Snoop Dogg, who is no stranger to pimping himself, leads off the cut with Ransom, Wais P (The Ranjahz), and CharlieRED to spit their pimp game over some... Read more

Here’s a Look Back at the Week’s Best Videos in Hip-Hop (8/10/14) (Video Playlist)

This week in Hip-Hop video brought new music videos from Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Spesh & Kool G Rap, Dom Kennedy, Lil Boosie, Saigon, Jeezy, Mick Jenkins, Rick Ross and more, Souls of Mischief discussing their new album, a Dipset reunion with Cam'ron, Jim Jones and Hell Rell, as well... Read more

DJ Doo Wop Releases Mixtapes Not Dead Pt. 2: This is Anarchy (Mixtape)

DJ Doo Wop has released part 2 of his Mixtapes Not Dead series. Like the first installment, this is primarily a compilation of recent releases from the likes of Rah Digga, M.O.P., Scarface, Cormega, Redman, Action Bronson, Cam'ron, Raekwon, Lil Kim and more. There are also choice exclusives like AZ's... Read more

Chuck Inglish Is in Cool Kid Form on Keith Sweat (Video)

Taking a page out of A$AP Ferg's book, Chuck Inglish releases a song titled after a back in the day star that has absolutely nothing to do with the song's subject. That doesn't matter though. "Keith Sweat" has enough Cool Kid boom bap to get your head nodding no matter... Read more

Royce Da 5’9 Slows It Down & Cuts The Lights Out Alongside Rock Band Pink Grenade (Audio)

Throughout his extensive 15-plus-year career, Royce Da 5'9 has worked outside the box. The Detroit, Michigan mainstay and Bad Meets Evil co-founder toured and worked with late '90s Pop tart Willa Ford on her hit "I Wanna Be Bad," before eventually working with a pre-stardom Amerie on "Life," as well... Read more

Royce Da 5’9″ Releases New Song, Talks with Joe Budden & Jalen Rose About Total Slaughter (Video)

The Slaughterhouse crew stays on the grind, together and solo. Even as they are gearing up for the release of their new album, Joe Budden is preparing to battle Hollow Da Don on Saturday and Joell Ortiz is readying a new solo album. Now, Royce Da 5'9" has announced he'll... Read more

Celebrate A Decade Of The Alchemist’s Audio Evolution (Mixtape)

Although his sounds are versatile, Alchemist's status in Hip-Hop spans nearly 20 years. The Beverly Hills High School alum (classmates with Step Brothers partner Evidence) has since put in major work with the likes of Eminem, Lil Wayne, Infamous Mobb, Cam'ron, Screwball, Jadakiss, Bumpy Knuckles, Nas, Roc Marciano, and a... Read more

O’My, Ab-Soul Is Hot These Days (Audio)

Ten days before the June 24 release, Ab-Soul reveals the title track to his album, These Days. "Swear to God, this the only time I use this flow," he proclaims. Soul epitomizes the cut in more ways than one as the song opens with the vocal prowess of Chicago's "band... Read more

The Best Hip-Hop in May Included Slaughterhouse, KRS-One, Ghostface, Ab-Soul, Common, Cormega, The Roots & Much More (Audio Playlist)

Before we get too deep into June, here's a look back at some of the best Hip-Hop to drop in May and there was an abundance...You'll hear new music from Slaughterhouse, Cormega, KRS-One, Ab-Soul, Rapsody, Ghostface, Common, Mac Miller, De La Soul, Nitty Scott, MC, The Roots, Blu, Freddie Gibbs,... Read more

Ab-Soul Strips Jay Z Lyrics To Break Down Stigmata (Video)

Ab-Soul, the introspective Carson, California MC, sits down with Jay Z's "Life and Times" to break down the lyrics to his recently released Action Bronson-assisted track, "Stigmata," just days after he dropped the official video. "The Black Lip Pastor" takes this as an opportunity to change up the game and... Read more

Ab-Soul Bears His Cross in Stigmata (Video)

In 1999, Nas released what, at the time, was an extremely controversial video for his song "Hate Me Now." The video depicted Nas being crucified and the airing of a version also featuring Puff Daddy on the cross led to the infamous Champagne bottle altercation between Diddy and Steve Stoute.... Read more