AFH Ambrosia for Heads

Foe Turned Friend. Jay Z Signs Jim Jones To Roc Nation.

At the height of Roc-A-Fella Records, a number of interviews have suggested that co-founder Jay Z was not always thrilled with Cam'ron and The Diplomats. From Dame Dash's impromptu promotion of childhood friend Cam' to label VP, to reports of wrongly parked cars in the mogul's designated spot, to reportedly... Read more

Kxng Crooked Says Kellyanne Conway Should Rap Since She Lies Like Most MCs (Audio)

It's been a particularly unusual first week of a new president's tenure. Since being sworn in on January 20, Donald Trump and his staff have said and done things that have angered millions of Americans. Entertaining as some of it may be, under all of it lie serious implications, with... Read more

A New Film Shows Craig Mack’s Career Ended Because Of His Bad Flava With Puffy & Biggie (Video)

It could be argued that Craig Mack is one of Hip-Hop's greatest one-hit wonders. 1994's "Flava In Ya Ear" and star-studded remix helped make a name for Craig, as well as his label-mate The Notorious B.I.G., and their leader Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs. However, Craig's career and Hip-Hop philosophy has... Read more

DMX & Swizz Beatz Return With A New Banger That Confirms The Dog Is BACK (Audio)

Last year, Swizz Beatz teased Rap fans. In an Instagram post from 2016, he said "I am truly ultra proud of the steps my brother has been taking to greatness ???????? Some people think it's easy to shake unfortunate situations but it's not! I would love for all the fans... Read more

Skillz’s 2016 Rap Up Reminds Us Of The Year’s Highs, Lows & Reasons To Stay Woke (Audio)

2016 is coming to a close. Years from now, how will we, the people, remember such an expansive year in Hip-Hop music, news, and culture? This year, some of the biggest MCs in the genre released new albums. Several of these efforts came in short notice, challenging new distribution platforms... Read more

Tony Touch Makes A Moving Tribute Mix Dedicated To The Artists We Lost In 2016 (Audio)

2016 has been something else. While there has definitely been good in the year that's finishing out this weekend, there has been a lot of shock and awe in between. In the art world, music lovers lost more than a few icons. None of these deaths seemed to come as... Read more

UndergroundHipHop.com Will Remain Open After A Hip-Hop Artist Purchases Store

UPDATE: Following the December 28 report (below), UndergroundHipHop founder Adam "Quest" Walder has announced that the vendor and website will have some new ownership, preventing its previously announced closing. In a January 3 update, Walder discussed the outpouring of support from customers, forum users, and artists. "I had a fantastic... Read more

Comedian & Actor Ricky Harris Has Passed Away At Age 54

Comedian, actor, and music personality Ricky Harris has died. Social media posts by DJ Pooh, Snoop Dogg, and Daz Dillinger confirmed Harris' passing. Reportedly, the 54 year old died of a heart attack today (December 26). Throughout the last 23 years, Harris established himself as an actor and comedian. He... Read more

Troy Ave Has Been Shot For The Second Time This Year

For the second time this year, Troy Ave has been shot. The Brooklyn MC made headlines in May, as he was involved in a high profile shootout at a T.I. concert at Manhattan's Irving Plaza. That incident was caught on film, in part, as Ave was seen backstage, in pursuit of... Read more

Here Are The Best Hip-Hop Performances & Videos Of 2016

2016 has been a unique year. With it, Hip-Hop had a lot to say, visually. Poets new and old, independent and well-heeled, used their art to promote awareness, suggest change, and when appropriate, provide distraction. At a time when the music video largely lives online, artists made statements—about themselves, their... Read more

Wale Celebrates Black Women As The Beautiful Gold They Are (Video)

Wale chose the last month of 2016 to find his best stride in some time. Earlier this month, J. Cole released "False Prophets (Be Like This)." Without naming names, the song challenged some of Cole's peers and greatest inspirations. Less than 48 hours after it released, Wale responded with "Groundhog... Read more

The LOX Release The 1st Video For Their New Album. The Foundation Is ROC Solid.

At the end of this week, The LOX will release their highly-anticipated third album, Filthy America...It's Beautiful (December 16). Their first album in more than 16 years comes on their third different label. Striking success in the late '90s with Puff Daddy and Bad Boy, the Yonkers, New York trio... Read more

The Symphony 2016 Was Just 1 Of The Truly Amazing Performances & Videos Of The Year

2016 has been a unique year. With it, Hip-Hop had a lot to say, visually. Poets new and old, independent and well-heeled, used their art to promote awareness, suggest change, and when appropriate, provide distraction. At a time when the music video largely lives online, artists made statements—about themselves, their... Read more

Shia LaBeouf Says Compare Him To Eminem. Is He Really Da Bomb? (Audio)

In the last month, Shia LaBeouf's rhyme skills have come into strong focus. Ever since the MC appeared on Sway On The Morning, the Disney actor-turned-X-Men star elicited a lot of opinions across the Rap listening world. The Hollywood fixture (who once wanted to make a film about Eastern Conference/Def... Read more

DMX Made Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood Because Of A $1 Million Wager

In the span of seven months, DMX released two albums which combined went platinum seven times. It was 1998, and the Yonkers, New York rapper was taking the industry by storm, establishing himself as a domineering presence with uncompromising virility. First with May's It's Dark and Hell Is Hot and... Read more

Pete Rock Discusses His Smoke DZA Collabo Album & Who Would Be In His Dream Band (Video)

Last Friday (December 2), Smoke DZA & Pete Rock released their first collaborative album, Don't Smoke Rock. The Babygrande Records LP features Rick Ross, Royce 5'9", Jadakiss, Mac Miller, Styles P, Big K.R.I.T., and Cam'ron (among others) on 13 brand-new Pete Rock productions. DZA, who has known Pete since he... Read more

15 Years Ago, Nate Dogg & Pharoahe Monch Made a Pledge To The Funk (Audio)

Nearly 16 years ago to the date, Rawkus Records dropped Lyricist Lounge 2, a compilation album featuring - among others - the Notorious B.I.G., Big L, Guru, Q-Tip, and Royce 5'9"; not to mention production from J Dilla, DJ Premier, Madlib, Hi-Tek, and so on and so forth. But the... Read more

Kurupt Looks Back At The Major Beefs Of His Career In “Unsung” (Video)

This week, the Unsung series aired its episode dedicated to Kurupt. The TV One program examined the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania upbringing of Tha Dogg Pound co-founder. Kurupt admits that Rakim is a leading Rap influence in his lyrical style and enhanced vocabulary. The biography follows Kurupt's move to California, and subsequent... Read more

Phife Dawg Got His Own Street Today. Watch It Being Unveiled (Video)

"Back in the days on the boulevard of Linden, we used to kick routines and presence was fittin'." 25 years ago, those words opened A Tribe Called Quest's "Check The Rhime," from their album, The Low End Theory. Now, the same Linden Boulevard upon which Tribe kicked those rhymes has... Read more

A Tribe Called Quest Make A Stand For The People & Phife’s Spirit Is With Them (Video)

After an 18-year hiatus from making albums, A Tribe Called Quest have once again taken the Hip-Hop world by storm. In August, record industry veteran L.A. Reid very casually revealed that the members of ATCQ had been recording an album, and it would be released before the end of the... Read more

There Was Scary Good Hip-Hop In October. Here’s Some Of The Best (Audio)

October was a scary month for a number of reasons. Of course, itended with Halloween, but it also featured some of the most low rent politics the country has ever seen, with even the FBI getting into the action. What's even more frightening, amongst all the jockeying for position, there... Read more

Meek Mill Breaks His Silence On Drake, Game & Beans. He Has A LOT To Say. (Audio)

Last week, Meek Mill released mixtape DC4. The fourth installment of the Dreamchasers series, which began in 2011, finds the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC in a completely different spot than when he began. In the years since, Meek has two gold solo albums, two platinum singles, and his own roster of... Read more

A New Mix Celebrates The 20th Anniversary Of Ghostface Killah’s Ironman Album (Audio)

Today (October 29), marks the 25th anniversary of Ghostface Killah's landmark solo debut album, Ironman. To celebrate the anniversary, Up North Trips and Its Overture have put together a new mix, spotted on Ego Trip, to commemorate the LP. In addition to featuring much from Ironman, the mix expands to... Read more

Ghostface Killah’s Ironman Showcased A Rap Superhero & The Man Behind The Mask (Video)

Twenty years ago tomorrow (October 29, 1996), Ghostface Killah released a seminal solo debut album in the form of Ironman. To that point, four Wu-Tang Clansmen (GZA, Method Man, O.D.B., and Raekwon) had all stepped to the front with solo efforts, spreading their creative darts across Rap's board. As the... Read more

Jeru The Damaja, Big Shug & Afu-Ra Stand Tall On The Gang Starr Foundation (Video)

Tragically, at the time of Guru's 2010 death, Gang Starr had not been a unit in more than five years. Guru and DJ Premier had pursued solo ventures, putting their legendary Hip-Hop group indefinitely on hiatus. At that same time, it had been years since the attached Gang Starr Foundation... Read more

This Black Sheep 25th Anniversary Mix Picks It Up, Picks It Up, Picks It Up! (Audio)

October 22 marks the 25th anniversary of Black Sheep's debut LP, A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. Dres and Mista Lawnge are now celebrating a quarter of a century of legacy-making music, having announced this summer a reunion tour and hinting at a possible third album from the duo, who spent... Read more

25 Years Ago, Del The Funky Homosapien Came Out Swingin’ Like ‘I WISH They Would’ (Audio)

Today, Del The Funky Homosapien may be thought of as an inventive, at times, experimental veteran MC from Oakland, California. D-E-L has worked with the Gorillaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School, and most recently BROOKZILL! to exercise his tremendous vocabulary, and display the range in his delivery. However, when it all... Read more

Black Sheep Discuss How A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing Separated Them From the Pack

Twenty-five years ago, a duo whose sound was decidedly different from what was popular at the time stepped to Hip-Hop with A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. Black Sheep's debut LP was the result of two minds, Dres and Mista Lawnge, merged into a unit who existed within the parameters of... Read more

Joe Budden Discusses Why His Music & Personal Life Are At Their Best In 2016

If you're not constantly challenged, you're probably not doing it right. Joe Budden entered 2016 with a proven career—decorated with a cult music following, reality television history, a podcast, and an Eminem-backed super-group at his side. However, throughout the last 15 years, Joe Budden never seems to get complacent. When... Read more

Common Releases The Artwork & Tracklist For His Black America Again Album

Common has taken one of the defining singles of his career and extended it to an album title. Black America Again is the name of Comm's 11th album. Common Speaks On Why He’s Not A Conscious Rapper. He’s a Human MC (Video) To be released in less than one month... Read more

Big K.R.I.T. Details Being Moved To Tears For His BET Performance (Video)

Last week, Big K.R.I.T. seemingly delivered the musical performance of his career to date. During the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards, the Mississippi MC/producer performed a remix to Kenneth Whalum's "Might Not Be OK" dressed as an officer of the law. In addition to the highly evocative lyrics, Krizzle's delivery... Read more

The Game Lists His Top 3 Los Angeles Lyricists Of All-Time (Video)

The Game joined The Breakfast Club on Friday (9/23) for an extended conversation. There ostensibly to promote his forthcoming album, 1992, he spent the vast majority of his time discussing his current beef with Meek Mill, including vast details about its genesis, the making of his scathing "Pest Control" diss,... Read more

Watch The Making Of The Mural That Immortalizes A Tribe Called Quest In Queens, NY (Video)

Today marks the 25th anniversary of A Tribe Called Quest releasing their album, The Low End Theory. The group's second LP, often considered their master work, was released on September 24, 1991—changing the musical landscape around it ever since In a 2016 that has tragically lost group co-founder Phife Dawg to... Read more

The Making Of ATCQ’s The Low End Theory, Told By People Who Were There

Twenty five years ago today, A Tribe Called Quest released The Low End Theory. The Queens, New York collective had seemingly achieved what so many of their peers aspired to: a record contract, devoted fans, and hits in rotation through a certifiably respected debut. Still, with Q-Tip at the helm,... Read more

Dante Ross Wanted To Make O.D.B. & Method Man “The Next Run-D.M.C.”

In the canon of Hip-Hop music, Dante Ross may be what we now know as "the plug." From De La Soul to Missy Elliott, MF DOOM to Digital Underground, Lil Dicky to Brand Nubian, Dante has discovered some of Hip-Hop's most respected artists. Beyond simply the exploration, Ross has thrived... Read more

9th Wonder Makes A Powerful Case For Tolerance Between Generations In Hip-Hop

In recent weeks, there have been several incidents, primarily on social media, that suggest a generational divide within Hip-Hop. Three of the biggest breakout stars of the last year ran into isolated incidents, and collided with some of Rap's veterans. Beyond simply music, age played a factor in the conflicts... Read more

15 Years Later, J-Live Reflects On His Gripping 9/11 Commentary On “Satisfied”

Today marks the 15th anniversary of September 11, 2001. Within hours 2,996 people lost their lives that tragic day, as a result of four plane hijackings and subsequent crashes in New York, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. For all who lived through it, the events and their impact continue... Read more

Daylyt Explains His Face Tattoo & Its Much Deeper Than You Think​ (Video)

In recent years, the interest driving the sport of Battle Rap rivals that of mainstream Hip-Hop. While there are no album sales to track, and less resources to hype a career (the daily stream of songs and videos), Hip-Hop superstars (Eminem, Drake) are showing that they personally are excited by... Read more

Token’s Storytelling Proves That Happiness Can Be A Hard Place To Reach (Video)

From DJ Quik's "50 Ways" to Eminem's "Rock Bottom," DMX's "Slippin'" to Geto Boys' "Mind Playing Tricks On Me," lack of happiness and depression has been a theme to many Hip-Hop records. Artists like Blu, Slug, Ghostface Killah, Scarface, and Eminem have defined their legacies by writing and rapping openly... Read more

Hear One Of The Earliest Rap Battles Ever Recorded From 1981 (Audio)

The Rap Battle has become a pop culture institution. The sport of two (or more MCs) competing has excited Hip-Hop culture since the art of rapping stepped to the front. Some of the most successful and acclaimed MCs began their careers through battling, and distinguished their legacies with combative moments... Read more

Frank Ocean’s Blond(e) Gets Bleached To Its Roots By !llmind (Audio)

It's safe to say that with the release of Blond(e), Frank Ocean has delivered one of the year's most sought-after musical content of 2016. His inclusion of Andre 3000 only added to the fervor, with music fans justifiably clamoring over any new material from the Outkast MC who has never... Read more

Akinyele Suggests An Unkept Promise Planted The Seeds For The Nas & JAY-Z Beef

Queens, New York veteran MC Akinyele has not released an album of new material in more than 15 years. However, the raspy-voice rapper remains very much tied to the Hip-Hop culture he came up through. DJ Khaled and Drake's current hit "For Free" is an homage to a 1997 single... Read more

Redman Discusses His Battle Rap Days Spent Rolling With Biz Markie (Video)

To the Hip-Hop record-buying community, Redman's career would largely take shape in 1990, care of EPMD's Business As Usual album. On a Top 40 LP (Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith's first with Def Jam Records), Reggie Noble appeared twice, including single "Hardcore." However, that is not where the Newark, New Jersey... Read more

Taylor Bennett’s Song Highlights How Chance The Rapper Really Is His Brother’s Keeper

Last week, Taylor Bennett made Hip-Hop history as the first MC to double up on Sway In The Morning's "5 Fingers Of Death" freestyle challenge. "10 Fingers Of Death" definitely requires two hands, especially to clap it up for the unsigned Chicago, Illinois MC—who happens to be the younger brother... Read more

Tish Hyman Has Co-Signs From The Roots, Kanye & More For Good Reason. She Tells Her Story

Over the last 18 months, Tish Hyman has emerged as one of the most promising voices in years. The talented singer, songwriter and MC has earned the respect of Alicia Keys, The Roots, Kanye West, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Fabolous and more, not to mention countless new fans. She also... Read more

Episodes Of Marvel’s Luke Cage Series Will Be Named After Gang Starr Songs

For a run lasting more than 14 years, Gang Starr cast a profound impact on Hip-Hop music. The duo of Guru and DJ Premier released six albums together, along with gold-certified compilation, Full Clip: A Decade Of Gang Starr. The group participated in legendary tours, introduced a host of enduring... Read more

DJ Khaled May Be The Key Reason Big Pun & Fat Joe’s Twinz (Deep Cover 98) Became A Hit (Video)

In 2004, the Terror Squad released #1 single "Lean Back." With verses by Fat Joe and Remy Ma, T.S. shouted out DJ Khaled. Outside of Miami, Florida, the DJ, radio personality, and producer (of the alias "Beat Novacane") was not a known name in the mainstream. In 2016, Khaled Mohamed... Read more

Juice’s Director Reveals The Original Ending Hollywood Did Not Want

Earlier this month, The Roots' Black Thought hosted a special event, celebrating the 1992 movie Juice. The afternoon consisted of a screening of the film, a panel discussion moderated by Black Thought, featuring director and co-writer Ernest Dickerson, co-writer Gerard Brown, and actors Khalil Kain (Raheem) and Jermaine Hopkins (Steel),... Read more

Underground Hip-Hop Is Very Much Alive In 2016. One DJ Mixes It All Together.

Often times, the glory days of Underground Hip-Hop appears coincidental with the booming resurgence of vinyl records in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Out of a movement spearheaded by radio personalities such as Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito, and Sway and King Tech, a crop of hungry artists emerged that... Read more

Redman Salutes Shaq’s Raps. He Also Knights 50 Cent As The Last Of His Era (Video)

Redman is a true Hip-Hop character. When the Def Squad MC sits in front of a camera, he commands attention. Appearing in First We Feast's "Hot Ones" hot wings challenge, Reggie Noble is no exception. As the hot sauces turn up the spice, Funk Doctor gets teary, he puts his... Read more