AFH Ambrosia for Heads

DJ Jazzy Jeff Recounts His Surprise Performance with The Fresh Prince on Graham Norton (Video)

Remember the surprise performance by DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Fresh Prince, Jaden Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro on The Graham Norton Show last year? Jeff breaks down the story of how it all came to pass in the latest episode of Vinyl Destination. It was not an easy trip...Check out the... Read more

Five Years Later, J. Cole Drops A Visual For Lights Please & A Letter To Fans (Video)

Time flies. Five years ago yesterday (June 15), J. Cole liberated one of the greatest free projects in recent memory. The Warm Up would be Cole's major introduction to the same masses who would help him reach Gold-status in his albums to come. One stand out track on that '09... Read more

Marsha Ambrosius Spreads Hope In The Poweful Visual To Run (Video)

Floetry alum Marsha Ambrosious remains super versatile. The singer who's been close to the productions from both Dr. Dre and DJ Hi-Tek over the years is an R&B purist at heart. With tinges of Pop, Marsha makes an inspirational song about escaping the confines in life for true spiritual freedom.... Read more

DJ Scratch Goes Into The Crates With An All-45 James Brown Mix (Mixtape)

In one of the cooler reveals in Hip-Hop as of late, it turns out that J. Period was not alone in honoring James Brown this week. As the True Elements DJ went in on #The Legend Of James Of Brown, EPMD/Flipmode Squad alum DJ Scratch offered up a companion mix,... Read more

J Dilla’s Sought-After Collaboration With Supa Dave West Comes To The Light (Audio)

Not even at the halfway mark, 2014 has been especially big in unreleased J Dilla/Jay Dee music. The Slum Village co-founder's unheard gems continue to surface, this time by way of a collaboration with "Supa" Dave West. The De La Soul, Talib Kweli, and E-40 producer had a particular knock... Read more

The LOX Reminisce on Working with The Notorious B.I.G. (Video)

Today, The LOX are giants in Hip-Hop. However, back in 1996, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P were still on the come-up. Two years removed from an uncredited (pre-Styles) feature on Main Source's sophomore LP, F**k What You Think, the Yonkers, New Yorkers were the new acts on Puff Daddy's... Read more

Look Back To An Ill 1998 Future Flavas Freestyle From The Last Days Of A Tribe Called Quest (Audio)

Heads may remember the late '90s, early 2000s HOT 97 "Future Flavas" radio show hosted by Marley Marl and Pete Rock. In the glory days of underground Hip-Hop, this show bridged the gap between old school and emerging greats, with two legends on the boards, transmitting to the tri-state. This... Read more

Keep on Movin’: The Story of Soul II Soul

25 years ago, the U.K. collective Soul II Soul released Keep On Movin' and changed the sonic landscape. Wax Poetic caught up with Jazzie B and Caron Wheeler to discuss the making of the album. Check out an excerpt and link to the full article below. Here's an excerpt from... Read more

Exclusive: Here’s the Real Story About Jay Z And Solange

If you have just clicked this to hear more about the Jay Z and Solange rift that recently exploded all over the Internet, then you have come to the right place but for reasons that may differ from your expectations (but keep reading). Before we begin, ask yourself, "Why did... Read more

Deltron 3030 Is Always On Some Next Ish, Including A Wheelchair Rocketship (Video)

Approaching 25 years of making albums, Del The Funky Homosapien is constantly evolving down his many corridors of music. The Hieroglyphics' most recognizable member was always different, even when he was a charting MC on Elektra Records. However, in 2000, teaming with Dan The Automator, who had already made a... Read more

There Is A Pop Superstar Heads Might’ve Missed From The Wu-Tang Clan Once Upon A Time In Shaolin Teaser…

Yesterday (May 6) brought the first listen (by "any civilians" anyway) of the upcoming Wu-Tang Clan album, Wu—Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. Recorded and under lock and key in Marrakesh, Morocco, this one-of-one, open-market auction LP is helmed by longtime Wu affiliate Cilvaringz, who shared just under a minute of... Read more

T.I. & DJ Toomp Are Back To Making Trunk-Rattling Trap (Audio)

Does anybody make trunks rattle quite like DJ Toomp? A product of the Miami Bass movement of the late '80s and early '90s, Toomp found mainstream success in developing a sound that fit so snugly with T.I.'s cocky lyrics about never backing down. The pair, like Common and No I.D.,... Read more

Here’s a New Mixtape of OutKast Rarities & Remixes from MICK (Boogie) (Mixtape)

MICK (formerly known as Mick Boogie) has put out countless classic mixtapes over the years, and he's just added another to his collection. In honor of OutKast's Coachella reunion, MICK has released Greetings Eartling: OutKast Rarities & Remixes. Check out MICK's words on the project, the full stream and download... Read more

DJ Cash Money & DJ Scratch Rock The Bells, With Some Biz Markie Hilarity (Video)

Although he made one classic Hip-Hop single, Philadelphia's DJ Cash Money is a turntable innovator to the highest degree. Along with DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Spinbad, and DJ Code Money, Cash ushered in a Philly dominance in the scratching and mixing in the mid-late 1980s that's still up there with... Read more

Big Boi Gets Beautifully Trippy With A Paul McCartney & Wings Blend (Video)

OutKast Heads may remember that the third member of Earthtone III, 'Kast's mixmaster, Mr. DJ, had a Wings sample on his MySpace back in the day. While Big Boi's latest mash-up does not tap into that "Wild Life" joint, Daddy Fat Sax morphed his 2012 single, "Mama Told Me" with... Read more

Here’s Some Previously Unreleased D’Angelo That Will Get You Jonesing for More (Audio)

Few artists have had such a huge impact on music with such a small catalog of recordings as D'Angelo. Both Brown Sugar and Voodoo are revered and considered by many to be classics but, sadly, D has not released a new album since 2000. That will change (sorta) next week... Read more

Holy _____!! King Los Dropped 1 of the Best Freestyles in AGES (Video)

You may remember King Los as having dropped one of the best of all the responses to Kendrick Lamar's Control verse. Well, he's back, and now he has done a freestyle that is 1 of the best in years. He tackled Sway's 5 Fingers of Death and just plain DESTROYED... Read more

King T Says That He Was Originally Supposed To Be On Kendrick Lamar’s Compton

2012's good kid, m.A.A.d city major label debut from Kendrick Lamar featured more than one Compton legend. Dr. Dre, whose Aftermath Entertainment co-released the album, appeared on "Compton," while MC Eiht provided chilly vocals to one of the LP's two title tracks. A new interview with DJ EFN's Crazy Hood... Read more

Prince Has a New Girl in Zooey Deschanel (Audio)

Fans who saw Prince's appearance on Zooey Deschanel's New Girl after the Super Bowl may remember the quick preview of FallInLuv2Nite, their duet together. The pair have released the full song, which you can hear below. With the New Girl appearance and the Arsenio interview, Prince has been in the... Read more

Black Star Isn’t The Only Squad Busting Raps In Vans. Murs & Jabee Keep It Moving (Video)

Remember the Black Star "Definition" video? Everybody from Common to El-P to Pharoahe Monch hopped in the van driven by DJ Hi-Tek while Talib Kweli and the Mighty Mos Def kicked rhymes influenced by Boogie Down Productions as well as Hip-Hop perceived threats in 1998. Over 15 years later, Murs... Read more

Ice-T Cosigns Papoose In A Modernized 6 In The Mornin’, Featuring Jadakiss & Jim Jones (Video)

Papoose knows his Hip-Hop. Whether with Jive Records or with Empire Distribution, Nacerima Dream used its big budget to enlist some skilled producers and MCs to work with the Brooklyn sensation on his proper debut. Over a year later, Heads are still seeing Pap's pride as he pushes the album.... Read more

Tommy Hilfiger Gear & Death Row Records’ Reign Covered In Part 3 Of The Tanning Of America (Video)

Yesterday (February 26), Steve Stoute's week-long, four-part documentary series, The Tanning Of America, continued on Vh1. Part Three ("Gimme The Loot"), aired. The third installment highlighted commercial Hip-Hop's plateau in the mid-1990s, including the uber-success of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Death Row Records (and how New York Hip-Hop reacted).... Read more

It WAS a Good Day. How Ice Cube Got His Name on the Goodyear Blimp (Video)

On January 20, 2014, Ice Cube actually got his name on a Goodyear blimp, as he foreshadowed 20+ years earlier on It Was a Good Day. What may have gotten lost in the shuffle was that the event was to benefit a children's after school program called, A Place Called... Read more

Juvenile Is Signed To Rap-A-Lot Records Now. Get A Glimpse Of What His New Album Sounds Like (Audio)

What a long, strange trip it's been for Juvenile. One of Bounce music's breakthrough stars came up with Warlock Records, which Heads may remember from late '80s releases by The Jungle Brothers, as well as early Trick Daddy/Slip-N-Slip material. Shortly thereafter, Juvy inked with Cash Money Records, where he became... Read more

Kevin Hart Discusses His First Sex Scene, Drops a Freestyle and More with Sway (Video)

Kevin Hart dropped by the Sway in the Morning show to discuss many of the the recent developments in his career, including the 6 movies he has coming out between now and 2015, doing his first sex scene, Sway's Kanye interview, Chocolate Droppa's career and more. He even dropped a... Read more

Redman Invites MTV Back to His Crib and He’s “Beyonce’d” the Bathroom. Greatest Cribs Segment Ever? (Video)

As part of MTV's "RetroMania" week, they've returned to Redman's crib 13 years after the last visit. True to his nature on records, the Hit Squad/Def Squad MC was a simple dude: turntables, fish-sticks, a dollar box/cookie jar sort of bank. Even in the era of RIAA album plaques and... Read more

Pharoahe Monch & Prince Po Chronicle The Cab Racism & Label Tensions That Created Stress

This week, Organized Konfusion's sophomore album, Stress: The Extinction Agenda turns 20 years old. Queens, New Yorkers Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po (fka Prince Poetry) are coming together for a rare headlining concert with longtime affiliates O.C. and Large Professor, among others, for a concert in Brooklyn, New York. NahRight... Read more

It Was A Good Day Indeed, Ice Cube Finally Got His Name On A Good Year Blimp (Photos)

While you might never see "the Lakers beat the Supersonics" again, there's still a lot at play in Ice Cube's "It Was A Good Day" 21 years later. From the trip to Fat Burger, to pick-up basketball, to that triste with the girl he forever lusted for, the DJ Pooh-produced... Read more

Marco Polo & DJ Revolution Go Crate Digging & Talk Beats, Rhymes & Life (Video)

Marco Polo and DJ Revolution both have strong ties to New York City label, Soulspazm (as well as Duck Down). In 2013, Canadian born Marco released two albums on the Soulspazm: his Newport Authority album, and PA 2: The Director's Cut, both featuring a jaw-dropping lineup of lyricists from the... Read more

Today It All Makes Sense: A Retrospective on the Chicago Hip-Hop Sound (Food For Thought)

Published by: Bandini “This the city of Chicago, the state of confusion The style I'm using is free or at least it would be if my mind was…” – Malik Yusef, “My City” (One Day It’ll All Make Sense) Since the 1990s, Common Sense has always been among my favorite... Read more

You Got the Juice Now…Here is the Most Definitive Piece Ever Written on The Making of Juice.

"Tupac, Fist Fights and the Making of Juice" is an amazing oral history which features inside commentary from many of the film's key contributors. MySpace interviewed Ernest Dickerson (the film's director and co-writer), Omar Epps (Q), Treach, key producers, the actors who played Raheem and Steel, as well as soundtrack... Read more

Just Blaze Merges His Roc-A-Fella Sound With Recent Work In Collab With Sinjin Hawke (Audio)

Great Hip-Hop producers can bring back certain movements in their evolution at special times. Dr. Dre touches on some G-Funk when it's called for, as Heads heard on Game's The Documentary breakthrough. DJ Premier, over 15 years removed from Moment Of Truth, can piece together a sharp scratch-chorus for certain... Read more

What’s Master P Sounding Like In 2014? He’s Linked With Game’s Producers (Audio)

Early this month, AFH looked at the understated impact Master P and No Limit Records had on Hip-Hop. Moreover, the published essay stresses that P's influence will ring strong in the road ahead, especially as the onetime mogul plots a comeback. Well, not even two weeks later, P's giving us... Read more

Guilty Simpson & Planet Asia Switch Seats With Apollo Brown & Gensu Dean (Audio)

Mello Music Group loves MC/producer tandem projects—especially combining complete strangers. They took veteran D.I.T.C. MC O.C. and introduced him to Detroit, Michigan producer Apollo Brown for 2012's Trophies. In the last 12 months, they took Fresno, Cali vet Planet Asia and linked him with New Yorker Gensu Dean for Abrasions.... Read more

Fact Or Fiction: John Cusack A Graffiti-Writing B-Boy? (Photos)

In the 1980s, John Cusack was something of an Everyman. The Illinois native appeared in a host of teen comedies, usually playing likeable, nerdy guys with the best of intentions. He was a boombox-blaring romantic in Say Anything, a suicidal hamburger cook in the black comedy Better Off Dead, and... Read more

The Game Is To Be Told: A Celebration Of No Limit Records…By A Hater (Food for Thought)

Published By: Bandini Long before Hip-Hop was ever reported dead, I was once of the belief that Master P was trying to kill it. No Limit Records sprouted into mainstream success in the closing credits of the Death Row dynasty, and anyone who loved the chicken seemingly scoffed at the... Read more

Like Pink Floyd? Like George Washington & Ben Franklin Getting It In? Check This (Video)

DJ House Shoes' affiliate DertBeats made a very cool flip of Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon hit "Money." The re-imagined beat has that thump, and serves as a true MPC clinic to anybody who studies arrangement. Well, there's a fantastic new video to capture the street vibe of... Read more

Raekwon Discusses Why Wu-Tang Clan Has Broken Up, the Loss of ODB and More with DJ Whoo Kid (Video)

Raekwon sat down with DJ Whoo Kid's Hollywood Shuffle recently. The Staten Island General was asked a series of dope questions by Whoo Kid. There, he admits he wished he was included on Ghostface Killah's "All I Got Is You" single from Ironman. He speaks about his growing interest and... Read more

Kendrick Lamar Makes Breaks Away From Birdman & Detail On 100 Favors (Video)

Kendrick Lamar has been down with YMCMB family for almost three years, courtesy of recordings and touring with Drake. With Jay Rock's early collaborations with Lil Wayne, the whole TDE and Young Money team share some affinities. On Cash Money's first label compilation since 2000's Baller Blockin' Soundtrack, the greatly-expanded... Read more

Kendrick Lamar Gets an Album of the Year Nomination from the Grammy’s. Jay Z Gets 9 Noms. Here’s the List of All Nominees in Hip-Hop’s Strongest Showing Ever.

Though he released good kid, m.A.A.d. city in 2012, 2013 has belonged to Kendrick Lamar. In the Spring, he was named MTV's Hottest MC of the Year. By Summer, his Control verse became the biggest story in Hip-Hop in the last several years. In the Fall, he again shook up... Read more

Bring ‘Em Back: D’Angelo Plays Curtis Mayfield’s Gimme Your Love in the Brown Sugar Era (Video)

If you're a fan of the 70's film Superfly or even Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle album, you know the impact that Curtis Mayfield had on soul music, Hip-Hop, film and pop culture, generally. I first saw D'Angelo channel the late, great Mayfield as he opened a soulful show on New... Read more

Like Parker Lewis, Elzhi Can’t Lose (Audio)

A teen TV reference for the Heads who remember those old days of FOX ("In Living Color" / "True Colors" back-to-back). Anyway, it was five years ago that then-Slum Village member Elzhi teamed with Black Milk to make a 2008 contender for A.O.T.Y. in The Preface. Now solo-dolo, Elz is fund-raising... Read more

A Look At Bill Adler’s Def Jam Records Archives (Video)

Bill Adler was among the first folks hired at fledgling early 1980s label Def Jam Records. The house that Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin built, in its earliest days, would include T. La Rock, LL Cool J, and the management of Rap superstars Run-DMC. Adler directed the label's Publicity department... Read more

Wu-Tang Clan Reflects On Place In Hip-Hop After 20 Years (Video)

Five members of the Clan, as well as Shyheim and Cappadonna reflect on the group's 20 years of greatness for Revolt. It's short quotes, but a nice montage that makes you catch the vibe of one of the active jewels of Rap. Masta Killa says it's "20 years at the... Read more

Eminem Unveils The Marshall Mathers LP 2 On iTunes (Album Stream)

In a strange year for Hip-Hop, Eminem's 8th studio album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 has had a cycle less than 10 weeks from its MTV Video Music Awards announcement. #MMLP2 as it could seemingly also be known pairs Em with Rick Rubin, a Rap production pioneer who shaped the... Read more

The Natural Elements Return In An Unlikely Fashion, Saying There’s No Competition (Audio)

In the booming late '90s-early 2000s scene of "Underground Hip-Hop" in New York City, one group who was deeply present was the Natural Elements. Alumni of Stretch & Bobbito's radio show, the crew which included A-Butta, L Swift and Mr. Voodoo as core MCs got a major cosign from DJ... Read more

Scarface, Jadakiss, Meek Mill, John Legend, Akon & Anthony Hamilton Appear In DJ Khaled’s Never Surrender (Video)

DJ Khaled has pulled off some pretty substantial collaborations over the years. In addition to his extensive work with YMCMB and Maybach Music Group, it was Khaled who united Jadakiss and Beanie Sigel, it was Khaled who pushed the button on "Grammy Family," which will be a highlight of the... Read more

Bob James Discusses Nautilus Becoming A Hit By Way Of Hip-Hop

When Heads get into rare groove/sample sources, pianist, composer and arranger Bob James is an ideal starting point. To laymen, James may be best known for creating the smooth theme song to "Taxi," however to those who read the labels, James has a massive catalog of hits that's resurrected by... Read more

A Look at 17-year Old Tupac Shakur 17 Years After His Death (Video)

I remember exactly where I was when I learned Tupac had passed away. It was a Friday the 13th just like today, 17 years ago. Though he had been in the hospital for several days before, it seemed that the prognosis was good in the days leading up to his... Read more

Flatbush ZOMBiES – BetterOffDEAD (Mixtape)

With over a year passing since their last mixtape D.R.U.G.S., Flatbush ZOMBiES have returned with their highly-anticipated new project BetterOffDEAD and  are just as dark as we remember. The 19-track project only comes with two features (Action Bronson and Danny Brown), really giving the Brooklyn trio a chance to do all... Read more