AFH Ambrosia for Heads

There Is No Hip-Hop Without Women. Every Day Is Ladies First (Video)

Throughout Hip-Hop history, there have been countless women who have helped carry a nascent culture into the mainstream. Not all of them do we know by name - the mothers, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, teachers, and others who encouraged a child to write rhymes, pursue her or his passion for music,... Read more

Allen Iverson Discusses Breaking Michael Jordan’s Ankles 20 Years Later (Video)

As much as any in his career, the last 6 months have been a victory lap for Allen Iverson. In September, the 6 foot warrior was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. His raw and honest acceptance speech was one for the ages, and all the way Hip-Hop, as... Read more

Preventable Environmental Hazards Are Killing 1.7 Million Kids Each Year

In the first report of its kind, the World Health Organization has published some horrendous statistics: every year, more than one-million children under the age of five are dying as a direct result of hazards in our environment. That figure translates to roughly 25% of all deaths of children in... Read more

J Rocc Shows What Biggie And Dilla Would Have Sounded Like Together…Incredible (Audio)

In their lives, Biggie Smalls and J Dilla never worked together. Jay Dee would produce for B.I.G. affiliates like Busta Rhymes, Keith Murray, and Heavy D, but would never work with Bad Boy Records in those mid-'90s glory years. While almost all of Biggie's unused reels have been released on... Read more

KXNG Crooked, Elzhi, Rapsody, Nick Grant & More Will Take The AFH Stage At SXSW

On Wednesday, March 15, Ambrosia for Heads will be cohosting its first official showcase at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin, Texas. The Ambrosia For Heads x My Executive Room Showcase will feature headlining appearances from Kxng Crooked, Elzhi, Rapsody, 9th Wonder and Nick Grant. The event will... Read more

A New Video Argues Methodically For Why Rakim Is The Greatest MC Of All-Time

For many, the greatest MCs of all-time hailed from the 90s. Names like Tupac, Biggie, Nas, Andre 3000, Jay Z and Eminem are often cited, and rightly so. Each is among the most gifted poets to pick up a mic, doing so in his own unique way. When Ambrosia For... Read more

The Final 4 Of Hip-Hop’s Greatest Producers Has Been Determined By YOU.

Today (February 28), Round 3 voting closed for “Finding The GOAT Producer.” This competition, launched in early January, beginning with 32 producers (including two Wild Card inductees into the bracket). The 32 eventually became a pack of 16, then an Elite 8, and now reaches its Final 4 in this... Read more

Swizz Beatz Premieres A New Song Featuring Nas, Jay Z, DMX & Jadakiss And It’s Unreal (Video)

Note: To hear the track, skip to 2:27:15 in the long video, or play the short clip just below. Although they have both reached G.O.A.T. status among Hip-Hop producers, with catalogs of hits rivaled by few, at their cores, Just Blaze and Swizz Beatz are still DJs too. With nothing... Read more

Just Blaze & Swizz Beatz Have A Beat Battle For The Ages. Watch The Masters Work (Video)

Note: To hear the track, skip to 2:27:15 of the video. Although they have both reached G.O.A.T. status among Hip-Hop producers, with catalogs of hits rivaled by few, at their cores, Just Blaze and Swizz Beatz are still DJs too. With nothing left to prove behind the boards, each now... Read more

Kool G Rap Announces First Solo Album In 6 Years & It Has Some Exciting Guests

Less than a week ago (February 17), Queens, New York veteran Kool G Rap and Juice Crew band-mate Big Daddy Kane performed a co-headlining event in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Billed as an "The Most Epic Hip-Hop Showdown," the Sherman Theater concert featured each legendary MC going song-for-song in a battle... Read more

A New Documentary Shows Rap Has Been Around For More Than 70 Years (Video)

Ron "Amen Ra" Lawrence may not be a household name producer, but he's made hits that many know. The Dominica-born, Queens, New York-raised producer is an integral part of Puff Daddy's Hitmen collective at Bad Boy, with credits on Biggie Smalls' "Hypnotize," Puffy's "Been Around The World," and The LOX's... Read more

Ice Cube Names Chuck D His Favorite Rapper & Bomb Squad His Favorite Producers (Audio)

February 21 UPDATE: The video interview of Ice Cube from The Combat Jack Show has been added below, along with the existing audio stream. Original Post: Starting in 1990's "Endangered Species (Tales From The Darkside)," Ice Cube made some of his most notable collaborations with Chuck D and the producers... Read more

Roxanne’s Revenge: Roxanne Shanté’s Biopic Causes A Bidding War

More than one week ago (January 22), the biopic of MC Roxanne Shanté, Roxanne Roxanne, screened at the Sundance Film Festival. Produced by Shanté, Pharrell Williams, and Forest Whitaker, the film starring Mahershala Ali and Nia Long traces the story of the prodigious Juice Crew member born Lolita Gooden, and her... Read more

A New List Declares Who’s Been The Best MC Every Year From 1979 to 2016

2017 is still too young to have its best MC crowned, but a new list has named the best MC in each year, since 1979. From Grandmaster Caz to Chance the Rapper, MCs of all generations have found themselves mentioned in the comprehensive list generated by a team of writers... Read more

An Argument For Why Andre 3000 Is The Greatest MC Of All-Time (Video)

Who is the greatest MC of all-time? That is an age old question that has caused debates since Hip-Hop's inception, and which likely will continue for as long as rappers pick up mics. Rap is a competitive sport, steeped in battles for superiority, stemming back to the days of The... Read more

Marley Marl & Large Professor Supply M-Dot With Golden Sounds From 2 Legends (Audio)

This Friday, Boston, Massachusetts MC M-Dot is releasing his EgO anD The eneMy album. The follow-up to 2010's Run MPC features the E.M.S. crew member working with a who's who of Hip-Hop production giants. D.I.T.C.'s Buckwild, Reflection Eternal's Hi-Tek, 7L, and Marco Polo make up some of the sound providers... Read more

BBD Choose The Night Of Their New Edition Biopic To Show They’re Still Betta (Video)

Tonight, the long-awaited New Edition biopic, The New Edition Story, premieres on BET. The 3-part, 6-hour film promises to tell the story of the family, feuds and betrayal that defined New Edition as they grew from boys to men. Members of the group have been involved with the project every... Read more

LL Cool J & Dr. Dre Have Over 10 Songs Completed According To LL’s DJ

In early 2016, Hip-Hop Heads were teased with a vicious LL Cool J freestyle over top of some fresh Dr. Dre production. Two of Hip-Hop's 32-plus-year professional veterans, James Todd Smith and Andre Young have been rumored to be up to something together. L's DJ and collaborator, Z-Trip, just spilled... Read more

Roxanne Shanté’s Biopic Shows Hip-Hop History Is Incomplete Without Her Story

In 2015, the film Straight Outta Compton took N.W.A.'s story and projected it on not only film screens, but the mainstream consciousness. For a group of Gangsta Rap pioneers on an independent label, the record-setting film eclipsed the commercial success ever available to Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren,... Read more

This Rare 1986 Documentary Is An Amazing Hip-Hop History Lesson (Video)

In 1986, one of the earliest documentaries on Hip-Hop was made by a Dutch TV company. Big Fun In The Big Town, directed by Bram van Splunteren, featured on air Belgian host, Marcel Vanthilt, traveling the streets of New York City to gain a better understanding of the burgeoning culture.... Read more

Outkast Affiliate Mr. DJ Makes A Funky Beat In Stankonia Using Dilla’s Donuts (Video)

Outkast Heads know Mr. DJ. Not only is the Georgia veteran the mixmaster on stage when Andre 3000 and Big Boi do their rare shows, he's been with the group for more than 20 years. Mr. DJ is also the third member of Earthtone III (fka Earthtone Ideas), the production... Read more

Naughty By Nature Explain How Signing With Sugar Hill Almost Made Them Go New Jack City

Naughty By Nature celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2016. The New Jersey trio released new music, including a reunion with Queen Latifah, and toured multiple times. In truth, the group has been together, and recording professionally much longer than 25 years. In 1989, as The New Style, Treach, Vin Rock,... Read more

Who’s the Greatest Hip-Hop Producer Of All Time? Starting Monday, You Decide.

On Monday (January 9), Ambrosia for Heads will launch the third installment of our "Finding the GOAT" competition. It began in 2014, when we asked you, the readers, to vote for the greatest MC of all time. Last year, the tournament-style contest shifted focus to greatest Hip-Hop album of all... Read more

Snoop Shows He’s Still A Top Dogg In A Freestyle Cypher With A$AP Rocky (Video)

Although Snoop Dogg has enjoyed one of the longest careers in Rap music, having logged 25 years in the game, he has often been under-appreciated. His name is seldom mentioned in GOAT or Top 5 discussions, and he has never won a Grammy, despite 17 nominations. Perhaps the area in... Read more

The 20 Best Freestyles Of 2016. Thought You KNEW (Video)

In Hip-Hop, there are few things more exciting than when an MC delivers a vicious verse that's never been heard before, on the spot. It is the equivalent 0f a monster dunk in an NBA game, a one-punch knockout in a fight or an end zone to end zone run in... Read more

Cole World: In A Historic Week, His Eyez Have Views Even Drake Can’t See

It has been 12 days since J. Cole released his fourth album, 4 Your Eyez Only. In that time since the Dreamville/Roc Nation released, it has topped the charts for the fourth consecutive time for the Fayetteville, North Carolina MC/producer. This feat also joined an exclusive, three-artist club in Hip-Hop.... Read more

10 Years Later, Nas Says He “Missed The Mark” When He Declared Hip-Hop Is Dead (Video)

A decade ago this week (December 19, 2006), Nas released his eighth solo album, Hip Hop Is Dead. The MC's first outing with Def Jam Records (with foe-turned-friend Jay Z at the helm) debuted at #1. Nasir released a title track, denouncing the culture he loved as a 15-year professional... Read more

Stillmatic Turns 15. Here’s A Look At Nas’ Return To His NY State Of Mind (Video)

Fifteen years ago today (December 18), Nas released his fifth album, Stillmatic. At a time before popular Rap stars were making albums into series and franchises, Nasir Jones flashed back to his 1994 debut. In the seven years since, the MC had two #1 albums, and gone platinum many times... Read more

Black Thought Explains How He Constructs His Brilliant Rhymes

For more than 20 years, Black Thought has been one of the most consistent, prolific and greatest MCs in Hip-Hop. If he has been underrated, and that qualification becomes less applicable after each verse he smashes, it is solely because he has been a team player within the framework of... Read more

The Grammys Finally Realize Straight Outta Compton Was a Great Album

Over the last two years—largely thanks to a 2015 blockbuster biopic, the mainstream media has apparently reconsidered the merits of N.W.A. The Ruthless Records collective of Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella released two albums, a compilation, and an EP between 1987 and 1991. In that... Read more

A New Film Urges Americans to Start SERIOUSLY Worrying About Unemployment (Video)

Robots, immigrants, and low-wage workers in other countries have all been scapegoated as potential threats to America's employment. And sometimes for good reason. Automation and artificial intelligence have already taken away thousands of jobs from U.S. employees of the human kind - in factories, on computers, and even at Uber.... Read more

Vic Mensa Pens a Powerful Essay on Trump & Why Race Is a Distraction From the Real Problem

Vic Mensa has been one of the most outspoken artists of his generation, with 2016 being his biggest year yet. The Chicago MC's "16 Shots" is a prime example of his using music to bring attention to social and political issues of the day, but it's not just as a... Read more

Pusha T & Gucci Mane Join Common To Voice What Makes Black America Great…Again (Audio)

Throughout his career, Common has at times been—at least on paper—a left field featured guest. He appeared on albums like T.I.'s King when the Grand Hustle founder was the monarch of Trap. He made one of several Gil Scott Heron homages on The Game's "Angel" two years after, showing an... Read more

Run The Jewels Will Not Concede. Their New Song Says It All (Audio)

Less than 24 hours after the 2016 US Presidential Election was called, Run The Jewels appears to punctuate the air of a partly astonished nation. "2100" featuring close affiliate Boots has a message of frustration with the same System that Killer Mike and El-P have rebelled against (as a unit)... Read more

President Obama Gives His Current Top 5 MCs As He Prepares To Leave Office (Audio)

When President Barack Obama took office in 2008, Hip-Hop was in a widely different place. That was the year that Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III sold more than a million copies in its first week available. That year, T.I. made one of his loudest statements in Paper Trail, before going... Read more

DJ Premier & Prince Paul Discuss Hip-Hop’s Generation Gap & Why We All Need Perspective (Video)

DJ Premier and Prince Paul are two legendary producers in Hip-Hop (and beyond) with discographies that span back to the 1980s. Back then, Preemo joined Guru to launch the album-making years of Gang Starr. In the very same 1989 that No More Mr. Nice Guy released, Paul celebrated strong accolades... Read more

An Argument For Why Kendrick Lamar May Already Be The Greatest MC Of All-Time (Video)

Conversations in Hip-Hop about the Greatest Of All-Time (GOAT) MC are common. In fact, in 2014 and 2015 Ambrosia For Heads hosted a conversation among millions of fans to determine once and for all, who is the GOAT. In that debate, where over 200 MCs were considered, Eminem came out... Read more

Common Speaks On Why He’s Not A Conscious Rapper. He’s a Human MC (Video)

In the skit following "The 6th Sense," Common made light of his public image. The Chicago, Illinois MC made a song that fought for Hip-Hop's preservation. Moments after, he made light of the way he appeared to some—as a deeply conscious, lighthearted poet. The same artist who had been involved... Read more

From Geto Boy To Golfing Man: Scarface Takes The Course (Video)

"I can cheat you. I can't cheat that golf course." In a fascinating new look at Scarface, Callaway Golf follows the Houston, Texas rapper as he plays a round of golf. It's a different side of the MC, best known for his incomparable role in not only defining what a... Read more

Rahzel Provides Jewels On The History & Evolution Of Beatboxing (Video)

Rahzel The Godfather of Noyze has become one of the household names for beatboxing. The New Yorker and onetime member of The Roots has worked with a range of artists including Erykah Badu, Ben Harper, Common, Rakim, Everlast, and Sean Paul, among many others. With more than 20 years of... Read more

D4L’s Shawty Lo Killed In Atlanta Car Crash

UPDATE: Police in Fulton County have determined that Shawty Lo's fatal car accident was not a hit-and-run collision as first reported. Instead, authorities have stated their investigation led them to believe the man born Carlos Walker lost control of his vehicle at an exit ramp, leaving the road. The report... Read more

Redman Lists The Many Reasons Why Eminem Is One Of His Top MCs (Video)

For years, Eminem has said that Redman is one of his all-time favorite MCs. In fact, on his song "Till I Collapse," Em even went so far as to call Red his GOAT. During a sit down with DJ Vlad, Reggie Noble said that the admiration went both ways and... Read more

What’s The Greatest Opening Line In Hip-Hop History? Here Are 50 (Video)

Hip-Hop is built on debates. Who is the greatest MC of all-time? What's the best album? What's the best song? The arguments are endless and often simultaneously the source of great entertainment and great agita. There have been several lists that aim to settle these matters, and The Peak has released... Read more

Redman Believes Canibus Was Not Dissing LL Cool J On 4, 3, 2, 1 (Video)

In 2016, LL Cool J and Canibus have come full circle. In late 1997, Uncle L put the young lyricist on the second single to his Phenomenon album. "4, 3, 2, 1" followed 1995's "I Shot Ya" as another possé cut of the reigning Rap star showcasing MCs he believed... Read more

Drake Brings Eminem Out At His Detroit Show Calling Him The Greatest Rapper Ever (Video)

Nearly 2 weeks ago (8/3), the Internet went wild after a statement by Hot 97 personality Ebro Darden that he had been speaking with Drake about his ongoing feud with Joe Budden, and suggested that Eminem might enter the war of words, on Budden's behalf. “I told Drake that I... Read more

DMX Says He Won Every Battle With Jay Z. Who Won The War? (Video)

In 1999, Jay Z and DMX embarked (and majorly cashed in) on the Hard Knock Life Tour. Although Jay Z's album gave the tour its name, the lineup was a joint headliner of the Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder and DMX. Both artists had become the flagship acts at Def Jam Records... Read more

An Argument For Why Redman Is The Greatest Rapper Of All-Time (Video)

It's been less than a year since Redman released his last solo album, Mudface, but the short time span has not quelled the fervent interest in what he's reportedly got on the horizon: Muddy Waters 2. This year marks the 20th anniversary of arguably one of his most celebrated albums... Read more

Killer Mike Argues Not Much Has Changed For Blacks Since The Death Of Emmett Till (Audio)

Killer Mike is working to bring real change to a system that may be against him. The co-founder of Run The Jewels is leading a successful, nationwide charge to urge dissatisfied humans of all races to pull their money out of financial institutions that don't value them back. In his... Read more

Nelly’s Country Grammar Is The 9th Rap Album To Be Certified Diamond

Sixteen years and one month ago, St. Louis, Missouri MC Nelly released his debut album, Country Grammar. Backed by a string of hits beginning with a title single, the melodic Fo' Reel Records flagship artist (and St. Lunatics founder) created a style that arguably paved the way for Kanye West,... Read more

CeeLo Green Celebrates The Mind-Blowing Greatness Of His Favorite MCs (Audio)

Veteran MC CeeLo Green has proclaimed that he is back in the Rap game. In the 21 years since Goodie Mob released the acclaimed Soul Food debut album on LaFace Records, CeeLo has ascended into a pop music sensation, care of Gnarls Barkley, The Voice, and a certain profane viral... Read more