AFH Ambrosia for Heads

Prince Paul On Which Grammy Album He Got No Credit For, Magic Of Gravediggaz (Audio)

In Hip-Hop production, Prince Paul may be one of the quiet giants. Much like some of the music he's provided for himself and others, Paul Huston is whimsical, at times silly, and yet incredibly soulful. In a sentence filled with laughter and maybe some jokes of his own, the Long... Read more

Snoop Dogg & Uncle Charlie Wilson Revive The Funk With Retro Pharrell (Video)

Snoop Dogg & Pharrell have BUSH planned for May 12. First single "Peaches N Cream" shows that this is a major progression from Tha Doggfathers 2000s-era comeback with Skateboard P. However, Snoop uses a driving bassline and a song rooted in raw attraction to take dead aim on the dance-floor.... Read more

The Game Reveals Details About The Documentary 2 Including Its Release Date (Video)

Last Summer, Game heated things up when he put some hard and fast details to his plans to make a sequel to his breakthrough major label debut, 2005's The Documentary. The Compton, California MC confirmed that Dr. Dre (whose relationship with Game since has been speckled in hiatuses and reunions),... Read more

Ultramagnetic MC’s Make A Colorful Vid To Ego Trippin’ Almost 30 Years Later (Video)

The Ultramagnetic MC's debut album, 1988's Critical Beatdown may be the Bronx, New York group's most celebrated work. However, the Next Plateau Records release lacked the emerging video medium enjoyed by many other top Hip-Hop acts of the time. MC Ultra would eventually travel through several other labels in their... Read more

Lil Fame Talks Production Techniques, M.O.P. Beginnings and Biggie Smalls (Video Premiere)

Following last week's opening entry to the "Learn From The Legends" video series (Da Beatminerz), producer Rodney Hazard stays in Brooklyn, New York to talk to another 20-plus-year innovator in Lil Fame. These days, simply "Fame," the M.O.P. co-founding MC/producer has not only supplied some of his group's biggest hits,... Read more

Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly Tracklist Features Rapsody, Snoop Dogg & Bilal

Less than 10 days away from release, it appears that the tracklist to Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly has been made public. iTunes posted the tracks to the March 23 sophomore major label album from the Compton, California star. While only five featured guests were included on 2012's good... Read more

Big K.R.I.T. Gets Autobiographical About His Struggle To Climb Mt. Olympus (Audio)

Big K.R.I.T. is five years in on a journey to his own private "Mount Olympus." However, for the Merdian, Mississippi native, the journey goes back a long ways before 2010's Kritzwuzhere. On "K.R.I.T. 4eva (Chapter One)," the MC/producer channels the hunger—literally "a sandwich a day" as he recalls Greyhound bus... Read more

Happy Birthday Common. Celebrate with This Amazing Mixtape of Remixes (Audio)

Today (March 13), Common turns 43 years old. For nearly 25 of those years, the Chicago, Illinois MC, actor, and activist has kept Heads noddin'. 2015 appears to be the biggest professional calendar of Common's life, only in the first quarter. The onetime Relativity Records breakout, and former Source "Unsigned... Read more

Now Back In The Studio With Puff, The LOX Bring It Back (Audio)

The LOX continue to win with retro-minded approaches. "Bring It Back" is a simple concept built around a classic live recording of Hip-Hop in its purest essence. The trio hits the mic with confidence, keen wordplay, and that gritty attitude that makes this feel like a D-Block tape highlight from... Read more

Do Remember: When Charles Hamilton Passed The Mic To An Unknown Kendrick Lamar (Video)

Miss Lauryn Hill once eloquently rhymed, "Seasons change, mad things re-arrange." In life, love, and Hip-Hop, is this not a rugged truism? As the world shifts, there are some interesting cycles. This week in the culture, Kendrick Lamar took center-stage, giving Heads a name for his sophomore major label album,... Read more

MF DOOM Heads Rejoice…KMD’s 2nd Album Reissues as a Children’s Pop-Up Book (News)

There are multiple turning points in MF DOOM's illustrious career. Still a major label artist, 1993 saw DOOM (then known as Zev Love X), Subroc, and Onyx The Birthstone Kid hard at work on their Mr. Hood follow-up, Black Bastards. Never released as intended by Elektra Records, the LP is... Read more

Here’s the Story of How Mello Music Group Defiantly Built a Haven for Real Hip-Hop (Interview)

For the better part of the last decade, as independent label mainstays have been closing up their doors, going on hiatus, or reconfiguring their audience, Mello Music Group has secured a foundation. The Tucson, Arizona-based label has cultivated new voices, redeveloped lyrical legends, and built an industry model rooted in... Read more

Da Beatminerz Share Their Production Secrets with an Up and Coming Producer (Video Premiere)

For more than 20 years, Da Beatminerz helped define a predominant, defiantly Brooklyn, New York sound. With low end bass, heavily filtered samples, and rich sonic textures, the Bushwick-based crew has been sought out by major labels and indie labels alike, making 12" deep cuts and Rap classics played everyday... Read more

Sky’s The Limit When Kendrick Lamar Crushes A Freestyle Over Notorious B.I.G. Beats (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar verses can perform miracles. It's easy to imagine The Notorious B.I.G. smiling big, 18 years to the day after he physically left the world, as Kendrick Lamar touches some of the same kicks and snares he helped make famous. Appearing on opening day of Big Boy's Neighborhood on... Read more

Slum Village & Phife Dawg Make A Collaboration That Measures Up To The History (Audio)

Slum Village and A Tribe Called Quest's fates are forever tied. Thousands of miles apart geographically, A.T.C.Q. would be the archetype that T3, Jay Dee, Baatin and aspired to follow in the mid-1990s. Moreover, those early Villa tapes were what Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad were playing around... Read more

Lord Finesse Digs In His Crates & Throws Down Rare Grooves (Mix)

This week (March 10), Lord Finesse is releasing The SP1200 Project: A Re-Awakening on Slice Of Splice Records. Dubspot knows how to honor the Underboss. With the site's in-depth audio interview, the publication commissioned the Bronx, New York legendary producer/DJ (and MC) to get behind the wheels and spin some... Read more

Remember When Jay-Z and DMX Battled and Got Shown Up by Their Security Guard? (Video)

Here's a look back at one of the best moments of one of Hip-Hop's finest documentaries, Backstage. The scene was set for two of the all-time greats, DMX and Jay-Z, to go head to head in a battle. Each kicked icy cold verses...only to both be shown up by their... Read more

Kendrick Lamar Announces Album Release Date and Title. Here’s the Story (News)

Few albums have been more anticipated in the last year than Kendrick Lamar's long-awaited follow up to his debut major label release, good kid, m.A.A.d. city. Well, the wait is over, almost...A little over 20 minutes ago, Kendrick tweeted out a link and nothing else. The link takes the user... Read more

Erick Sermon Is Bringing Hip-Hop To Your Home With Def Rugs

Always about his business, EPMD MC Erick Sermon has started a new venture that has been turning heads: Def Rugs. Def Rugs is a carpet business that makes Hip-Hop logos into rugs that make for great pieces of home décor. In a recent interview with HipHopDX, Sermon and his business... Read more

Rick Ross Needs No Assistance Movin’ Bass In His Latest Visual (Video)

Rick Ross' "Movin' Bass" was the latest in a 10-year run of major collaborations between he and Jay Z. The Hood Billionaire and the near real-life billionaire blitz with bars about former D-boys making hits. For the video, Jay Z sat it out (something he's made a habit of in... Read more

Action Bronson Leaks Behind-The-Scenes Footage with Mark Ronson (Video)

Just days after releasing the single "Baby Blue" featuring Chance The Rapper, Action Bronson released some behind-the-scenes footage of him and producer Mark Ronson creating the song in-studio. The video shows Ronson recording on piano and guitar, and Bronson coming up with lyrics and laying them down in the vocal... Read more

Ludacris Calls Fake MCs’ Bluffs on the First Single From His New Album (Audio)

By the sounds of Ludacris' first single from his forthcoming album, Ludaversal, he's got something to prove. Namely, that the Luda who rhymed with aggression over vicious beats like "Southern Hospitality" is alive and well. "Call Ya Bluff" is back to basics. The track is a minimal high end loop... Read more

Dipset Release Their Comeback Visual In Proper Fashion (Video)

The Diplomats—better known as Dipset—are hitting the road. Moreover, Cam'ron, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, and Freekey Zekey are bringing Funkmaster Flex out on the buses and planes with them. Flex, a veteran DJ who played many clubs across the globe, is returning to the road for the first time in... Read more

Bad Lucc Has A Lot On His Mind & Lets Off With Style (Audio)

Bad Lucc has been around a lot longer than some Heads may realize. The Los Angeles veteran shows his wisdom on "Hands Down." Not an inclusion on the upcoming Diamond Lane America, this song certainly sounds inspired by Comptons Most Wanted and the aggressive early '90s MC Eiht sound. Moreover, the... Read more

Ludacris’ Ludaversal Might Have The Coolest Album Cover Of The Last Year

For all of his bragging on his raps, did you know Ludacris still (often) drives the same exact car he owned when he first broke through? The 1993 Acura Legend sedan is actually Chris Bridges' first car, before a career that would yield multi-platinum albums, recurring film franchise roles, and... Read more

Blu & MED Release a Mixtape Strictly for the Underground. No Fakers Allowed (Audio)

While they're both old soul MCs, both Blu and MED utilize the digital age to the fullest. The two sunny Southern California lyricists release music at a pace that would make 2Pac proud. Whether the albums are on major labels, legendary indies, or bootlegged by the men who made them,... Read more

Common Speaks on Why He Left Oprah Hanging at The Oscars (Video)

Common has deservedly received a lot of attention this week after winning his first Oscar, along with John Legend and Rhymefest, for Best Original Song for "Glory," from the movie Selma. His performance and acceptance speech were highlights of the Academy Awards. However, something that occurred immediately prior to his... Read more

Method Man Lays Down a Buttery Verse with Mr. Cream on Change Your Mind (Audio)

Amidst the high volume chatter about last week's Method Man vs. Common GOAT battle, many Heads commented about Meth's scene-stealing guest verses. From LL Cool J to A$AP Mob to Biggie, Meth consistently has shown he can hang with the best when he's in his zone. He's back with another... Read more

Redman, Talib Kweli and Wrekonize Bring a Slice of Pardise on a Super Soulful Track (Audio)

In terms of star power and interesting, thought-out collaborators DJ EFN's Another Time  (March 3) rivals albums by Funkmaster Flex, DJ Clue, and DJ Khaled—just see the tracklist. Heads delight, as "Paradise" unites Redman with Talib Kweli, joined by ¡Mayday!'s Wrekonize. The three MCs describe idyllic places, from romantic partners,... Read more

A Rakim Quick Mix Is Always Welcome…Especially By The Master DJ Revolution (Mix)

DJ Revolution is not a DJ who constantly feeds Heads with artist-driven mixes. Instead, much like his personality, the Wake Up Show alum/Malcolm and Martin-backer picks his spots. The West Coast DJ took a long look at Rakim's impact on Hip-Hop throughout the ages, and made a mix on the... Read more

Murs’ Strange Music Arrival Feels Like He’s Been Here Before (Audio)

Wherever Murs go, geographically, creatively, or label-wise, he always takes his core sound with him. The Los Angeles, California native has dabbled extensively in the last 15-plus years, from where he's lived, who he's worked with, and where he's gotten his proverbial Rap checks. Now at Strange Music, the Living... Read more

Jungle Brothers’ Afrika Baby Bam Says Because I Got It Like That Was Written For…Prince (Video)

One of the Jungle Brothers' breakthrough records was 1988's "Because I Got It Like That." The 1988 Idlers/Warlock Records single would be a keystone in the Native Tongues movement, predating De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest's formal arrival in the music marketplace. With that said, the Straight Out... Read more

Big Sean Has Pioneered Lots Of Flows. Is He Borrowing One In His Latest Visual? (Video)

Back in 2009 and 2010, when Drake was skyrocketing to the top of Hip-Hop's ruling class, Big Sean's name was coming up a lot. Many Heads, especially those who were following mixtapes in the late '00s, claimed that Drizzy's punchline-pause style, and other elements of his flow were coming from... Read more

25 Years Ago Today, Bell Biv DeVoe Made A Poisonous, Everlasting Hit (Video)

Twenty five years ago today (February 24, 1990), New Jack Swing's wrecking ball made one of its biggest smashes with the release of Bell Biv DeVoe's "Poison." The song served as an introduction to the New Edition spin-off group, and the first look from the would-be quadruple platinum self-titled MCA... Read more

Young Buck Brings 50 Cent and Troy Ave Together on His Latest (Audio)

When Troy Ave arrived on the scene in the early 2010s, the Brooklyn, New York MC immediately drew a lot of comparisons to G-Unit. In those days, G-Unit was fading, if not broken up. In 2015, Young Buck and 50 Cent are crewed up again, making some potent street music,... Read more

Elzhi Offers Up His First Single In Ages. Emotional & Dilla-Related, It’s Worth The Wait (Audio)

There is less than a week left to the month of February. Whether it's been the frigid cold (for some), some depressing headlines, or just the new year's lull, it's a complicated month. Elzhi writes from the moment in "February." The Detroit, Michigan veteran leads into his true Preface follow-up,... Read more

Rhymefest Now Has A Grammy & An Oscar. Is He One Of The Ghostwriter Greats?

Remember that time Rhymefest beat Eminem in a Rap battle at the 1997 Scribble Jam? Unless you were there, likely not. It seems now that the two Midwest MCs have more in common all these years later. During the 87th Academy Awards this past weekend, Rhymefest and Common simultaneously became... Read more

Bad Lucc, Ab-Soul, Problem & Punch Flip A Rare Dr. Dre Remix (Audio)

Bad Lucc has been paying 10 years of dues. However, as he and his Diamond Lane Music Group label-mate Problem have witnessed, good things happen to those who wait. A onetime member of Snoop Dogg's Dubb Union (with fellow dues-payers Damani N'kosi and Soopafly), Lucc is among the new guard... Read more

DJ Quik’s Safe + Sound Still Has Groundbreaking Funk 20 Years Later (Food For Thought)

Beginning his musical career on the mixtape circuit in Compton, California, DJ Quik has gone on to become the most expansive signee to Profile Records. In the 25 years since, he has spent time as an “R&B pretty boy,” the creator of a  Top 10 album, an independent distributor, and... Read more

Professor Bun B Talks Rap, Religion and Oscars with Intelligence and Humor (Video)

What isn't Bun B a novice expert on? The UGK co-founder and Trill O.G. loves sneakers, sports, street-wear, cars, music, and even film. In preparation for tomorrow's 87th Academy Awards (February 22), the Bun Beata weighs in for The Fader on who he thinks will get Oscar gold. Claiming that The... Read more

Kanye West Says His Next Album Returns To Music, Opens Up About Class, Religion & Dame Dash (Video)

A lover of surprises, Kanye West popped in on The Breakfast Club this morning (February 20), and the superstar sat in the hot seat for nearly an hour. In a particularly light mood (especially compared to his November 2013 visit), 'Ye takes any and all questions—including some penetrating inquiries from... Read more

Talib Kweli Freestyles About Suge Knight. Too Soon? (Video)

Featured in the 2000 film, Freestyle: The Art Of Rhyme, Talib Kweli has built his skills in the cyphers, and with the impromptu improvisation that is freestyling. These days, Kwe' is busy touring, making albums, and co-running a label conglomerate. The days in the parks may be few and far... Read more

Nas & Fashawn Give Us Something To Believe In With Support From Aloe Blacc (Audio)

When he released his first album, Boy Meets World, Fashawn garnered comparisons to the introspective Nas. When Fash' followed with Ode To Illmatic mixtape, the influence was overt. Last year, Nas signed Fashawn to his Mass Appeal imprint, making the proverbial cypher complete. Clearly, Nas something in Fashawn that he... Read more

Here’s the Inside Story of the Making of LL Cool J’s Classic Rock the Bells (Video)

In Ambrosia For Heads' ongoing GOAT ballot series to determine Hip-Hop's Greatest Of All Time MC, LL Cool J is facing off with Run (of Run-DMC) in Round 2. In this search to let fans decide the real winner, it is actually 30 years removed from a rivalry between the... Read more

The Very First Time Jay Z Performed On TV, They Didn’t Even Say His Name (Video)

Before 1990, Jay Z was not on too many radars. The guest on The Jaz' "Hawaiian Sophie" was in the place that a lot of hopeful artists can relate to. He had a moment in the sun (of a whimsical EMI Records single of his then-rhyme mentor), and was trying... Read more

Lil Fame Remixes M.O.P.’s Welcome 2 Brooklyn & Works In A Handful Of Classics (Audio)

M.O.P. bridged the gap with "Welcome 2 Brooklyn." The Street Certified EP video single merged Mash Out with Maino, and showed the made shades of BK. Still hard at work on the Nature Sounds release (executive produced by longtime M.O.P. affiliate DJ Premier), Lil Fame (a/k/a Fizzy Womack) reworked the... 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

Watch De La Soul Play A Dutch Game Show In Their Earliest Days (Video)

Twenty six years ago, De La Soul was bringin' brand new funk. The Long Island, New York collective had just released 3 Feet High And Rising on Tommy Boy Records, which was a Top 25 debut on its March 3 release. Posdnuos (or Posdnous), Trugoy, and Maseo were still getting... Read more

Inspiration Is The Theme Behind Big Sean, Kanye West & John Legend’s Next Hit (Audio)

Things may look pretty easy for Big Sean these days. The G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam sensation is living the good life, running at the top, with more industry movers and shakers in his corner than ever before. However, Sean is from Detroit, Michigan, and not so many years removed from just... Read more

Flip Flips Ill Beats With Elzhi, Edo. G, A.G. & Guilty Simpson Flipping Bars (Album Stream)

Australian producer Flip is the latest beat-maker from "down under" to distribute dope sounds with a plethora of his influences. On the just-released Ill Adrenaline Records (Neek The Exotic, The Legion, Confidence) effort Reflections. Included are respected vets such as A.G. (Showbiz & A.G.), Phat Kat, Kev Brown, Edo. G,... Read more