AFH Ambrosia for Heads

Boogie Down Productions’ Criminal Minded vs. Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die vs. Slick Rick’s The Great Adventures Of…Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

Kool Moe Dee & Melle Mel Brought the Block Party to the World in 1990 (Video)

With just a few days until the 58th annual Grammy Awards, there may not be a more fitting time for a retrospective on a particularly noteworthy Grammy moment in Hip-Hop history. The year was 1989, and as the world was still getting acquainted with the blossoming New York City youth... Read more

Here Are Your Top 10 Rap Albums of the 80s, 90s & 2000s. Get Ready To Pick 2 Wild Cards

Yesterday (February 7) closes Round 2 of the 2000s bracket of "Finding The GOAT Albums." You—the voter—definitively decided which 10 albums go forth to the final 32 albums across all eras. Tomorrow (February 9) begins the first of two wild card rounds to add the 2 additional albums to the... Read more

Finding The GOAT Album: Jay Z’s The Black Album vs. Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

DJ Premier Tells The Story Of This Photo With D’Angelo, Alchemist & J. Dilla, In His Words

DJ Premier tells Ambrosia For Heads the story about the night he, D'Angelo, Alchemist and J. Dilla gathered in the studio and took what would become an iconic photo. These are his words about the photo, that night, and the other supremely talented men with whom he posed: "Gang Starr... Read more

Rest In Peace David Bowie. Through Rock, Funk & Glam, He Discovered New Musical Planets.

Rock & Roll legend David Bowie has died. The 69 year-old British vocalist, guitarist, and producer had been battling an undisclosed form of cancer for 18 months. He passed away two days after his birthday, and less than one week after releasing his 25th studio album, Blackstar (January 8). In... Read more

Stream “The Breaks” and Hear DJ Premier’s First Film Score (Video)

On Monday night (January 4), Vh1 premiered The Breaks. The film, inspired by Dan Charnas' book, The Big Payback, dramatically captures three Hip-Hop hopefuls living in 1990 New York City. One dreams to work at a hit Rap management firm. Another character wants to be a successful producer, and discover... Read more

Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter II vs. Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

DJ Chuck Chillout Has “The Breaks” To Revisit 1990 In Style (Mix)

DJ Chuck Chillout has nearly 35 years of making soundwaves special and parties pop. The Bronx, New York DJ/producer brought his sonic style to New York City signals such as KISS and WBLS in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the biggest clubs. Also a mentor to Buckshot and... Read more

Rest In Peace To Harlem Globetrotter Legend Meadowlark Lemon (Video)

Rest in peace to George "Meadowlark" Lemon who died in Scottsdale, AZ on Sunday, December 27. For fans of the Harlem Globetrotters from the 1960s and beyond, Lemon was synonymous with the team for more than two decades. Nicknamed "The Clown Prince of Basketball," Meadowlark was a huge personality on... Read more

Why Many Black Radio Stations Refused to Play Hip-Hop in the ’90s

Dan Charnas is a celebrated author whose book The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop is a masterful road map to the people, places, and events that helped contribute to the culture's emergence into mainstream and financial dominance, both behind-the-scenes and in headlines. Part of his tome... Read more

“The Breaks” Film Captures The Essence of 90s Hip-Hop Down to the DJ Premier Soundtrack (Video)

Last night (12/14), Vh1 had a screening of its upcoming film, The Breaks. The event took place at Harlem's acclaimed Red Rooster restaurant, hosted by owner Chef Marcus Samuelsson. Several key members of the production were present, including director and writer Seith Mann (Homeland, Ballers, The Walking Dead, Californication), writer... Read more

How The Grammy Nomination of a Diss Song May Be Their Greatest Hip-Hop Misstep, Yet

This week began with the 2016 Grammy Award nominations. For Hip-Hop fans, this year's noms included 11 in the direction of Kendrick Lamar, thanks to his March, 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly. Two years removed from controversial wins by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis in the 2014 "Best Rap Song,"... Read more

Here’s A DJ Neil Armstrong Mix Of Originals Sampled in Many Of Hip-Hop’s Biggest Classics (Audio)

Sample mixes are a funny thing in Hip-Hop. In the 1970s park jams, DJs favored records that evoked a feeling in the crowd. Whether dancing, breakin', or simply signaling good times, these records became mainstays in the emerging culture. By the late 1980s, many of these same records were revisited,... Read more

King Los Is A Fugitive With The Flow On This P.E. #1 Freestyle (Audio)

King Los is one of this generation's most revered freestyle MCs. Joining the man who first gave him a major contract, Puff Daddy, the Baltimore, Maryland MC takes on the "P.E. 2000" instrumental. With Diddy talkin' slick on the intro, Los gets to work on the pepped-up Public Enemy basis... Read more

Chuck D, Large Professor, & Nas Celebrate How Youth Have Shaped Music Throughout History (Video)

Revolt TV has launched a new series called "Breaking Genres," which aims to examine the divisions within music, particularly as it relates to the varying labels used to define genres and subgenres. The multi-installment program is delivered in documentary form, with each episode examining a different aspect of the music... Read more

Tech N9ne Evaluates Role Of Cyphers & Talks Next Solo Album (Interview)

Tech N9ne crams as many words and ideas into his energetic bars as he possibly can. It is this feat that has made him one of the most revered MCs of the last 15 years. He has become an independent deity, simultaneously skyrocketing in status, wealth, and respect, while much... Read more

Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted vs. Mos Def’s Black On Both Sides. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s Vintage Freestyle Is An MC & DJ Hallmark (Audio)

Sometime in the late 1980s, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince hit the London, England studio of Tim Westwood. In the same city where they recorded extensively as a duo at the time. Unlike MCs or DJs appearing on Westwood's show, this tandem could improvise vocally, and musically—and please... Read more

Mike D Weighs In On Best Beastie Boys MC & Overcoming “Brass Monkey” Hate (Audio)

The Beastie Boys' Mike D was a guest on actor Michael Rapaport's podcast show this week, which taped before a live New York City audience. The man born Michael Diamond discussed Hip-Hop at length, ranging from Drake's groundbreaking response to Meek Mill this summer, to why he feels Busta Rhymes... Read more

KRS-One & Ice-T Have 30 Years of Shared History. It Shows in This Talk Between OGs (Audio)

KRS-One and Crazy Legs are the latest guests on Ice-T's Final Level Podcast. The special Veterans Day edition of Ice and Mick Benzo's show takes a deep look at how Hip-Hop and the United States Military are in step in 2015, with many veterans (including Ice) and enlisted Heads. Additionally,... Read more

The Poor Righteous Teachers’ Final Word Celebrated Earthly Life, Both Good & Bad (Video)

Hailing from Trenton, New Jersey, Poor Righteous Teachers belonged to a school of thought within Hip-Hop that drew heavy inspiration from spiritual and religious tenets. As self-proclaimed members of the Five-Percent Nation (also known as the Nation of Gods and Earths), PRT used much of their music to emphasize the... Read more

A New Book Catalogs The History of Hip-Hop Through Hard To Find T-Shirts

Forever an influence on fashion, nostalgia for a certain era is prevalent in all elements of couture, from the high-brow clothing found on catwalks to the mass-produced tour tees sold at concert venues. It used to be that in order to purchase your favorite artist's merchandise, you had to attend... Read more

This DJ’s Dedication To Jam Master Jay & MCA Rocks To The Heavens (Mix)

Today (October 30) marks the 13th anniversary of the day Jam Master Jay (a/k/a Jason Mizell) was murdered. The iconic Run-D.M.C. co-founder profoundly influenced Hip-Hop's sound, turntable techniques, and fashion—in addition to helping along the careers of ONYX, 50 Cent, and even Jayo Felony. In the 13 years without Jay,... Read more

Here Are Your Top 10 Rap Albums of the 80s. Get Ready For The 90s…

Today (October 25) closes Round 2 of the 1980s bracket of Finding The GOAT Albums. In the closing hour, there were no ties, and not even a race within even 5% of two candidates. You—the voter—definitively decided which 10 albums go forth to the final 32 albums across all eras.... Read more

Boogie Down Productions’ Criminal Minded vs. Big Daddy Kane’s It’s A Big Daddy Thing. What’s Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

Slick Rick’s The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick vs. Biz Markie’s Goin’ Off. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

Even Amidst Unthinkable Turmoil, Hip-Hop Offers a Refuge in the Congo (Video)

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the reverberations of war remain omnipresent despite the fact that 2003 marked the official end of the Second Congo War, considered by most historians to be the deadliest war in modern African history. The war itself and its aftermath have claimed more than 5-million... Read more

These 1980s Hip-Hop Albums Reach Round 2, With One Battle Left To Be Decided

Last month, Ambrosia For Heads returned to "Finding The GOAT," our annual voting series that polls readers and fans to determine the Greatest Of All-Time. Following 2014-2015's quest to use votes to determine the GOAT MC, we are asking readers to determine the greatest of all-time Hip-Hop album. “Finding The... Read more

Eric B. & Rakim’s Paid In Full vs. Boogie Down Productions’ By All Means Necessary. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominates N.W.A. Again. Will They Get It Right Now?

The nominations for inductees into the 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been announced, and among the names offered up as possible choices is N.W.A. The group who is globally famous for bringing "Reality Rap" to mainstream consciousness may not seem like an obvious choice, but as many... Read more

A Documentary Uncovers the Man Behind the Inspiration of the Game’s ‘El Chapo’ (Video)

With just two days until the Game's The Documentary 2 arrives in the form of Disc One, the excitement is at a fever pitch. A slew of leaked songs, promotional singles, and news of the double album's track list have made this one of the most highly anticipated projects of... Read more

Slick Rick’s Great Adventures Of Slick Rick vs. Too Short’s Life Is…Too Short. Which is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

Narcos Supplies the Raw Power & Grit of the Purest Form of Hip-Hop (Video)

Since Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's seminal 1982 song, "The Message," Hip-Hop, in its purest form has been a window into worlds otherwise unseen. It was that raw and uncut reporting that catapulted acts like N.W.A. and Public Enemy, with their commentary on their respective worlds, as well as... Read more

De La Soul’s Maseo Controls The Soul With An Amazing Free-Form Live DJ Set (Mix)

Listening to De La Soul is so much sweeter when you catch all the references—whether it's a sample, a vocal reworking, or a reference. Even when you don't know the specifics, it's usually worth seeking out the sources behind the music that's made by the legendary Long Island, New York... Read more

D.M.C. Says Hip-Hop on the Radio is Waging Genocide on Young People (Audio)

Run-D.M.C. made Rap's first platinum album. Thanks to "My Adidas," the Queens, New York trio became some of the culture's first brand ambassadors. Teaming with Aerosmith for "Walk This Way," the Profile Records act helped mash Hip-Hop with Rock & Roll on a mainstream level. However, when Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels... Read more

What Makes A Hip-Hop Album A Classic? (Editorial)

In all genres of music, the term "classic" prompts debate. Cultural conservatives argue it is used too freely, and often stamped on works of art prematurely. On the other hand, liberally-minded art patrons maintain that placing restrictions on calling an item classic misses the point entirely. Especially with so much... Read more

Finding The GOAT Album: Here Are The 120 Albums Being Initially Considered

2 Live Crew - 2 Live Is What We Are 2Pac - All Eyez On Me 50 Cent - Get Rich Or Die Tryin' A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill Beastie Boys - Paul's... Read more

Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake are Back at It: Check Out Part 6 of Their History of Rap (Video)

It was a big day for Hip-Hop in late-night television yesterday. With Kendrick Lamar's awe-inspiring performance on Stephen Colbert's "Late Show" last night and the return of the Fallon-Timberlake duo to the "Tonight Show," there is plenty to go around. Since 2010, the two have partnered in medley-style performances of... Read more

The Politics of Rap: Political Hip-Hop’s Long & Outspoken History Didn’t Begin or End with N.W.A. (Audio)

The marriage of political engagement and Hip-Hop culture has been a permanent fixture ever since artists began using the mic as a means of delivering dispatches from inner-city life, where systemic problems of economic disparity, educational inequality, poverty, and racism remain far too common for far too many. For many,... Read more

Ice Cube & MC Ren Explain Why Rap Groups Are Hard To Sustain

This week, Straight Outta Compton opens to theaters. Presumably, millions of movie-goers will see Hollywood's take on the formation, rise, and eventual break-up of one of Hip-Hop's most influential and iconic groups: N.W.A. While the surviving members of N.W.A. (Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, DJ Yella, and MC Ren) all participated... Read more

Remember The 50th Anniversary Of The Watts Riots By Revisiting Wattstax (Video)

Fifty years ago today (August 11, 1965) the Watts Riots began. In South Central Los Angeles, California, the Watts Rebellion (as it also known) would last one week. The historic event followed a Black motorist, Marquette Frye's traffic arrest by a white Los Angeles Police Department officer Lee Minikus. Frye was... Read more

Get The Backstory To The Presumed First Ever Photo Of N.W.A. (Video)

In the history of N.W.A., the pre-1988 material often lives in the shadows. The "Panic Zone" 12" featured artwork also purposed for 1987's N.W.A. & The Posse compilation album on Macola. Author, DJ, historian, and Soul Sides founder Oliver Wang examined this photograph from '87, leading up to this month's... Read more

Large Professor Chats with Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Teaches Hip-Hop History Lesson (Audio)

In 2014, Large Professor - the legendary Queens, New York producer who has worked with Eric B. & Rakim (while he was still in high school, no less), Nas, Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz, Public Enemy, and dozens more - visited hosts Frannie Kelly and A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed... Read more

Here’s a 50-Song Playlist to Get the Weekend Started (Audio)

2015 has been an exciting year in music. Emerging voices have transmitted powerful messages against times of change. Veterans have stepped in to further solidify legendary legacies with Hip-Hop culture. Whether for thought-provoking purposes, or much-needed escape, the music has been loud, proud, and colorful. Ambrosia For Heads is proud... Read more

Pete Rock Reminisces Over “T.R.O.Y.” & Getting Emotional Hearing Tom Scott’s Sample (Audio)

One year ago, Pete Rock appeared on NPR's "Microphone Check" to discuss his catalog, remixes, and James Brown influence. At the midpoint of 2015, the Chocolate Boy Wonder (as he's been deemed) has a fresh batch of Petestrumentals available, care of Tucson, Arizona-based Mello Music Group. An MC/producer who got... Read more

Black Eyed Peas’ Retro Single Gets A Video Treatment That’s Slick Like That (Video)

With the release of the Black Eyed Peas' cyclically-minded "Yesterday," the video follows quickly. Half of the group's formal lineup: will.i.am and apl.de.ap make the song, while Taboo appears in the video (and drops a few Public Enemy-minded bars). Like the single's heavy-handed production theme of interpolating, sampling, and alluding... Read more

Read Eminem’s Heartfelt Letter & Illustration Sent To Tupac’s Mother

In 1997, Tupac Shakur's mother Afeni Shakur established the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts, a performing-arts based community program in Stone Mountain, Georgia that focuses on bringing children opportunities to explore dance, drama, creative writing, and more. As part of the organization's role in preserving Tupac's legacy, the... Read more

25 Years Ago Today, 2 Live Crew Made History, Bringing Out The Parental Advisory Sticker

On July 13, 1990, the first album to be adorned with a parental advisory sticker hit the shelves, ushering in a new era in the recording industry and re-igniting a heated discussion about censorship, freedom of speech, and morality. Banned in the U.S.A. was 2 Live Crew's fourth album, and... Read more