Over the last couple of years, Nick Grant has established himself as one of Hip-Hop's most most promising new voices. In 2016, the South Carolina-born MC released his mixtape 88, which, as its title suggests, was a throwback to the era that played host to names like Rakim, Big Daddy... Read more

While Kendrick Lamar has dominated the Hip-Hop discourse for the last four weeks, there has been some amazing Hip-Hop to drop before, during and after that time. Joey Bada$$, Talib Kweli & Styles P, Brother Ali, Big Sean and Oddisee all have released stellar projects in 2017, just to name... Read more

In recent years, Hip-Hop has called into question the use of additional writers on songs. In 2015, Meek Mill created a beef when he publicized Drake's working with Atlanta, Georgia MC Quentin Miller on #1 album If You're Reading This It's Too Late. In turn, Meek and Drake's relationship disintegrated,... Read more

In the eyes of some, Kendrick Lamar's #1 status and fast-track to platinum with DAMN. suggests that lyricism, clever songwriting, and album-making is winning. Clearly, for one Compton, California creative master, it is. However, it took Kendrick some years and quite a few apparent setbacks to get that spot. At... Read more

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been. Not only are we able to go back... Read more

Former president Barack Obama leaves behind an enormous political legacy, but his memory is not relegated to domestic and international policy. President Obama and his wife, Michelle, will likely go down in history as one of America's most beloved first couples, not because of the agendas they pushed in Washington,... Read more

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Cash Money Records was a dominating force within Rap music. While the label dated back to the top of the decade, Juvenile's 1998 hit "Ha" made plenty of fans, DJs, and record industry followers say "huh." In short time, "Ha" was followed with... Read more

Battles between generations in Hip-Hop have existed nearly since the inception of the culture. Grandmaster Melle Mel had issues with KRS-One, challenging him to a battle at KRS' own Boogie Down Productions show. Kool Moe Dee beefed with LL Cool J, who he saw as unjustifiably arrogant. Ice-T took on... Read more

2017 makes 33 years since LL Cool J released debut single "I Need A Beat." James Todd Smith was not old enough to drive a car when he signed his contract with Def Jam Records, where he would remain a superstar into the 2000s. The Queens, New York MC elevated... Read more

ケンドリック・ラマーが極めて巧みな新アルバム「DAMN.」をリリースしたそのほんの数時間後、ネットではある噂が大炎上した。誰が言い出したかは不明だが、一説にはケンドリックは実は同週末にアルバムを二枚リリースする予定だった、というのだ。詳しい内容・根拠はワイルドに想像力に富んだものである一方、中には驚く程細かい描写もあった。普通だったら「こりゃガセネタだろう」と流したくなるような要素の勢揃い。 その主な要素とは次のとおり。「DAMN.」は聖金曜日 [Good Friday: 復活祭の前の金曜日。キリストの命日] にリリースされたもので、ケンドリックの死を象徴している。（ネット上の）空論家たちは、ケンドリックが次に「NATION.」というタイトルで「自分の復活」と意味で二枚目のアルバムを復活祭にリリースするのではないかと暗示し出した。タイトルを合わせると「DAMNATION」[天罰] となる。ケンドリックの音楽にはスピリチュアルな要素も含まれており、早くも「Section.80」というアルバムの時点ですでに「Kush & Corinthians」[クッシュとコリント人]のような曲があり、ジャケットには聖書が写っている。また、アルバムのリリースに向けて The New York Times とのインタビューの中でケンドリックはこう語る。 「俺たちは人生と呼ばれるあらゆるものごとから、ある一つの大きな要素を排除しがちな、そんな時代にいるんだ。つまり神だよ。今、世界で起きていることとの間に軋轢を生んでしまうから誰も言わないけど。政治や政府、体制について語ろうとするとさ」。 噂を裏付ける詳細も豊富だ。「DAMN.」のジャケット裏は、全曲が最後まで大文字で書かれ、それを強調するかのように「.」で終わり、白い背景へと溢れるようなレイアウトになっている。噂によるとこれらは一つのアナグラム（つづり換え遊び）のつもりである。つづり換えると「Earth led 2 Death [地球は死を招いた]」や「Death 2 the leader [リーダーに死を]」などと、噂のコンセプトを強化するようなフレーズがいくつか成り立つとみられる。更にいうと、「DAMN.」のM字がちょうど悪魔の角とも捉えてもいいようにケンドリックの頭の上に位置しており、今度「NATION.」ではO字を天使の輪に見立てるのではないかという説だった。また「DAMN.」のカバーは赤だから、「NATION.」は青になるだろうと。そしてケンドリック本人も火に油を注ぐように「DAMN.」のリリース直後に、Spotifyのプロフィール写真を変え、赤だった背景が青になっていた。その後、「NATION.」の偽アートワークが出回り始めた。 二日間、世の中は息をひそめて「NATION.」のリリースを待った。期待が外れたと気付くと、噂の火が弱まりかけたが、数日後にアルバムのサイン会でケンドリックが口にしてしまった一言でまたすぐ様に大炎上した。 「俺の音楽、まだあるよ」 この言葉が大騒ぎを起こし、それを正すべくケンドリックは公式声明を発表せざるを得なくなった。「 KenFolk [ケンドリックファンの皆] へ。皆から、自分の音楽への、止まない期待と欲望に、感謝。しかしリリースはないよ。自分の活動は今後の俺たち TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment) の日程発表でわかるよ、でも」 KenFolk. ThankU 4 the desire of always anticipating new music of my own. None is... Read more

One week ago, MC Eiht and DJ Quik released not one but two collaborations on Q-U-I-K & Problem's Rosecrans album. Those tracks, which closed the Diamond Lane Music Group release signified peace after a beef that dominated the 1990s in Rap music. Two Compton, California natives who literally threatened each... Read more

Killer Mike bought and launched the SWAG Shop when his music career was gaining momentum as a retail and real estate investment. Once an admitted hustler, Mike Bigga saw he and his wife's shop as a lasting, legal venture that would also keep him connected to his Atlanta, Georgia community.... Read more

Kid Capri's vocals can be heard multiple times on the current #1 album in the country. The Bronx, New York DJ, producer, and onetime MC put his voice on multiple tracks belonging to Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. In a career that spans 30 years of mixtapes, Def Comedy Jam, production for... Read more

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been. Not only are we able to go back and... Read more

Last week, Kendrick Lamar released the song "DUCKWORTH." The 9th Wonder-produced DAMN. track recounts a story of K-Dot's musical mentor, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith plotting to rob his own father many years ago at a fast food restaurant in Los Angeles. In a twist of fate, Lamar's father was spared... Read more

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with that good stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been before. Not only are we able to go... Read more

In 1991, the Hip-Hop world awaited Ice Cube's follow-up to his 1990 solo debut, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. The former N.W.A. member had taken a bold step in pursuing a career of his own, and even more so by enlisting the help of definitively East Coast-sounding production crew, Bomb Squad, to... Read more

Like Will Smith, Ice-T, and Queen Latifah, it may be easier to name an LL Cool J role in the last decade, than a song. However, James Todd Smith continues to make time for Hip-Hop (right now, with Dr. Dre), and when he's right, he's really sharp. Aside from that,... Read more

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with the good stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been before. Not only are we able to go... Read more

In the last year two and a half years, Logic has released two gold-certified, Top 5 albums on the charts. The Gaithersburg, Maryland MC is now ready to follow 2014's Under Pressure and 2015's The Incredible Story with his third album. Today (March 29), Visionary Music Group and Def Jam... Read more

UPDATE: The original March 26 story erroneously reported that Mopreme Shakur was recently deceased. We apologize for that mistake and any confusion it may have caused. In fact, Mopreme's Thug Life band-mate Big Syke is the artist whose obituary we linked to in that statement, and intended to report. In... Read more

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with the good stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been before. Not only are we able to go... Read more

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with the good stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been before. Not only are we able to go... Read more

On March 10, Dreamville's latest signee J.I.D will drop his debut album, The Never Story. The news comes on the heels of his signing to the J. Cole label that is also home to Bas, Cozz, Ari, and Omen. J.I.D hails from Atlanta, and as he proved on a recent... Read more

"I don't want to be the greatest, I want to be the realest," raps Oswin Benjamin on the just-released mixtape, HueMan. After making one of 2016's truly standout freestyles (a cypher turned into an all-out battle) alongside Chris Rivers and Denzil Porter, Benjamin eventually hit the BET Hip Hop Awards... Read more

Last month, J. Cole acknowledged Martin Luther King, Jr. and the ongoing fight for equality and freedom in the U.S. with "High For Hours," a poignant record that compares 2017 America to chapters in its dark past. As he says in the song, not much has changed, and slavery has... Read more

Early on in his career, R.A. The Rugged Man worked alongside The Notorious B.I.G., but the musical partnership was cut short when Biggie was killed in 1997. However, the Long Island, New York MC was around early enough to witness Christopher Wallace before, during, and after he became Big Poppa,... Read more

Few albums not named Detox have the lore of Jay Electronica's long-awaited debut album, Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn). When Dr. Dre released the Compton album and officially scrapped the infamous Detox, Jay Elec's LP became the last unicorn standing. Since his 2007 mixtape, Act I: Eternal Sunshine... Read more

In 2016, Drake does not often do interviews. The Canadian MC/singer was guarded upon his 2008-2009 entrance into the music industry. With the best-selling Hip-Hop album of 2016 in VIEWS, that wall has apparently only heightened. Drake typically addresses his life through lyrics, occasionally social media, and a few limited... Read more

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with the good stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been before. Not only are we able to go... Read more

Yesterday (February 16) Rock & Roll Hall of Fame musician/producer Walter "Junie" Morrison died. The Dayton, Ohio native was a critical part of the Ohio Players band as keyboardist, vocalist, and producer. Joining the veteran outfit in 1970, he was on hand for some of the band's most memorable work,... Read more

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

This weekend, the 59th Grammy Awards will take place. The Sunday affair promises an on-stage collaboration between Q-Tip and Anderson .Paak and a host of high-profile Hip-Hop stars in attendance at Los Angeles, California's Staples Center. Even though the arena is just a few miles away from where ScHoolboy Q... Read more

Singer/songwriter SiR has announced that his forthcoming EP, Her Too, will drop on Friday, February 10. It will be the first project the Inglewood, California artist releases since he was signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, the label that's home to Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q, Isaiah Rashad, and Lance Skiiiwalker.... Read more

“Finding the GOAT Producer” begins. The third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no deserving... Read more

Beyoncé and Jay Z's 14-plus-year journey together has been something that music fans have watched transpire and develop, in real-time. Dating back to their early 2002 courtship, both music giants were guarded about the details of their private life. Their 2008 wedding was a testament to that. Eventually bringing that... Read more

“Finding the GOAT Producer," the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series, features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots have been reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no deserving beat... Read more

On January 16, J. Cole acknowledged Martin Luther King, Jr. and the ongoing fight for equality and freedom in the U.S. with "High For Hours," a poignant record that compares 2017 America to chapters in its dark past. As he says in the song, not much has changed, and slavery... Read more

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

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

Five years ago, producer 9th Wonder was named a Harvard fellow, a position which has endowed him with the responsibility of preserving Hip-Hop music and culture within the Ivy League university's cherished library. At the onset of his tenure, 9th began working on an initiative for the Dubois Institute at... Read more

Over the last 5 years, Top Dawg Entertainment has grown into one of music's most powerful and respected record labels. TDE is the home to some of Hip-Hop's most celebrated MCs, including Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Isaiah Rashad. Those who follow closely, however, also know that... Read more

Chicago recently hosted President Barack Obama's official farewell event, a bittersweet moment in which the 44th commander-in-chief of the United States said a tearful (but uplifting) goodbye. Beyond his farewell address, the event included musical performances, including one from the Windy City's own BJ the Chicago Kid. Many Heads likely... Read more

“Finding the GOAT Producer” begins. The third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no deserving... Read more

Twenty years ago, Brooklyn, New York's Tony Touch was one of the most prominent mixtape DJs. One of the original promoters of the MC freestyle, Tony Touch played records he liked, featured great signed and underground talent, and kept the culture organic. In 2016, Tony is one of the only... Read more

From the very onset of his career, Ab-Soul has been gifted on making his real-life situations tangible to listeners. Whether coping with the death of loved ones, living with medical setbacks, or being overlooked in the industry, the Carson, California MC is honest with his Hip-Hop. On the newly-released Do... Read more

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

Since their inception, Run The Jewels have always put their fans first. They released both their first and second eponymous albums for free, in addition to selling them for digital download, and promised to do the same for their third installment. Earlier this month, the duo of Killer Mike and... Read more

In just five years of releasing albums, Tupac Shakur transformed Hip-Hop music and culture. The New York-born lyricist made songs about love, family, decadence, teenage pregnancy, police brutality, and humiliating his enemies, among a litany of other topics. The music of Shakur's is as complex as the man, and often... Read more

Although it endured several fits and starts throughout the year, Ab-Soul's latest album arrived on Friday (December 9), and with it came some of his finest work to date. Do What Thou Wilt, like other Soulo albums, is dense material, requiring several listens, but his varied flows and selection of... Read more