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J.U.I.C.E. Speaks On Defeating Eminem & Then Getting Him Signed

Chicago MC J.U.I.C.E. is revered as one of Hip-Hop's all-time elite freestylers and punchline wordsmiths. During the late 1990s and early 2000s in particular, J.U.I.C.E. commanded the spotlight on Sway & King Tech's The Wake Up Show, Cincinnati's Scribble Jam battles, and appearances on Molemen albums. However, J.U.I.C.E. is also... Read more

AZ Says He’s Down To Make Music For The Firm’s 25th Anniversary

Last month, AZ released one of the most anticipated albums of 2021. The East New York, Brooklyn veteran delivered Doe Or Die 2, a sequel to his lauded 1995 debut–and an album that AZ had been hyping since the early 2010s. Proudly independent, AZ self-released the LP on his Quiet... Read more

The Upcoming Documentary On Michael Jordan & The Bulls’ Last Dance Looks Amazing

At the top of 2019, a trailer for the 10-part "30 For 30" documentary series titled The Last Dance was unveiled. At just over a minute in length, the original teaser forecast a spotlight shined specifically on the team's sixth and final championship title with the Chicago Bulls during the... Read more

Talib Kweli & El-P Recall Rawkus Records Taking A Chance On Underground Hip-Hop

Run The Jewels and Company Flow co-founder El-P is the latest guest on Talib Kweli's The People's Party Podcast, with co-host Jasmin Leigh. The two natives of Brooklyn, New York have plenty of history together, including Hip Hop For Respect. They were label-mates at Rawkus Records during an inflection point... Read more

Puff Daddy Details How “I’ll Be Missing You” Saved His Life & Put Hope In Rap Music

Earlier this month, the third season of Hip-Hop Evolution released on Netflix. Hosted by veteran London, Ontario MC Shad, the documentary series continues to tell the stories of our culture through intimate interviews, rare footage, and all the right music. In Season 3, Episode 2, "Life After Death," Biggie's later... Read more

Schoolboy Q Said He’s Puff Daddy. His New Video Makes It Official.

Early this morning, ScHoolboy Q released his first solo music in nearly three years. Following 2016's Grammy-nominated The Blank Face LP, "Numb Numb Juice" marks a loud and proud return. Groovy Q wasted no time with the visuals to the song, which clocks in at less than 2:00 in length.... Read more

LL Cool J, DMX, Redman & Method Man Explain The Real Definition Of A Freestyle

Twenty-one years ago this month, LL Cool J released his "4, 3, 2, 1" single. Not unlike "I Shot Ya" two years prior, one of the most respected figures in Rap recruited a team of ferocious MCs to share the mic. In addition to Canibus, whose early career appearance and... Read more

Snoop Claims Biggie Tried To Have Him Shot & Explains How They Made Peace (Video)

While Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls had the most storied and ultimately tragic Rap beef in history, there were other moments that greatly defined a coastal conflict between the Death Row and Bad Boy labels. In 1995, there was a shooting in Red Hook, Brooklyn while Tha Dogg Pound and... Read more

A New Film Will Show The Conspiracy & Cover Up Of Who Shot Biggie (Video)

Yesterday (May 21), The Notorious B.I.G. would have turned 46 years old. Due to violence and tragedy, that never got to happen. On March 9, 1997, 24-year-old Christopher Wallace was fatally shot in a drive-by outside The Peterson Auto Museum in Los Angeles, California. While Biggie's murder remains unsolved, there... Read more

Wu-Wear Returns After 10 Years (Video)

In June, it was reported that one of the biggest intersections of Hip-Hop music and apparel was coming back to the masses. Wu-Wear Renaissance marked a return for one of Wu-Tang Clan's most successful merchandising divisions. Spearheaded by Wu-Tang executive producer Oliver “Power” Grant, Wu-Wear burst on the scene in... Read more

9th Wonder Explains Why Soundbombing & Rawkus Kept His Hip-Hop Dreams Alive (Video)

Hip-Hop news and culture move fast, and it’s easy to miss significant developments. Every week, Ambrosia For Heads takes a look back at the LAST 7 days. This video series, hosted by Justin “The Company Man” Hunte examines the current issues with a colorful rundown of the what, where, and why. While the LAST... Read more

J.U.I.C.E. Once Beat Eminem In A Battle. Now He Bodies Hulk Hogan In A Freestyle (Video)

In February of this year, famed freestyle and battle MC J.U.I.C.E called out Eminem for a rematch. Before Em' would sign with Aftermath Entertainment and quickly go on to super-stardom, he lost to the Chicago, Illinois MC in a controversial 1997 Scribble Jam final round battle. Proud of his title,... Read more

LL Cool J Wanted To Do A 2nd Collabo With Canibus To Avoid Their Beef (Video)

LL Cool J and Canibus put their beef to bed back in the closing days of 2014. What started out as a rhyme battle (on the very same song) expanded into 17 years of feuding that involved tattoos, subliminal album titles, and a feature on QDIII's Beef DVD series. In... Read more

Wu-Wear Is Coming Back. Bring Da Ruckus.

Although it was far from the first, some of the most iconic Hip-Hop merchandise and apparel is Wu-Wear. Spearheaded by Wu-Tang executive producer Oliver "Power" Grant, the mid-1990s Killa Beez swarm to the mainstream included fashion that kept fans laced. Wu-Tang Is Forever. Check The Mathematics Behind The Clan’s 20... Read more

Wu-Tang Is Forever. Check The Mathematics Behind The Clan’s 20 Year Old Double LP

This weekend (June 3) marks 20 years since Wu-Tang Clan released its sophomore album, Wu-Tang Forever. While GZA may have kicked the science to "Make it brief, son: half short and twice strong" on album cut "As High As Wu-Tang Get," this 1997 album was indeed potent, but far from... Read more

Erykah Badu Discusses The Making Of Baduizm On Its 20th Anniversary

Twenty years ago today (February 11, 1997) Erykah Badu opened the doors to her musical house of worship. Baduizm was a way of life, an inviting presentation of Soul music that stood apart from most of what was out there. Despite its refusal to conform to a very formulaic time... Read more

20 Years Ago This Week, Wu-Tang Clan Bombed Atomically In A Rap Triumph (Video)

1997 was an interesting year for Hip-Hop music. Death Row Records, coming off of an empirical reign, had fallen, and fast. Tupac Shakur was dead. And while Makaveli and Snoop Dogg's Tha Doggfather dominated the charts, Tha Row's two founders were not anywhere close to the label's steering wheel. Dr.... Read more

J.U.I.C.E. Defeated Eminem In One Of Rap’s Greatest Battles. He Offers A Rematch (Audio)

In 1997, at Cincinnati, Ohio's annual Scribble Jam Festival, Eminem and MC J.U.I.C.E. faced off in what is often considered one of Hip-Hop's greatest battles. At the time, the two Midwestern lyricists were both independent artists looking for a title, and some shine to boot. J.U.I.C.E., the Chicago, Illinois native... Read more

Camp Lo’s Debut Album Turns 20 Today. Hear The Demo That Got Them Uptown (Audio)

Today (January 28) marks the twentieth anniversary of Camp Lo's Uptown Saturday Night debut. The Profile Records LP was a carryover from the 1996 success of retro-flare single "Luchini (This Is It)." That track, produced by Ski Beatz (coming off his Jay Z Reasonable Doubt and Original Flavor waves) made... Read more

The Magical Day When Prince & Muhammad Ali Met (Video)

Though 2016 is not yet halfway over, it already has been one in which several tremendous pop culture icons have been lost. David Bowie, Phife Dawg, Prince and Muhammad Ali are just some of those greats. However, while their physical forms are no longer among us, their bodies of work... Read more

Here’s What Biggie Would Have Sounded Like On Kanye West Tracks (Audio)

Last week, a Kanye West beat tape surfaced from 1997. While Kanye would land placements on records by Foxy Brown and Jermaine Dupri a year later, he had yet to break through in '97. Still, the beats contained on the tape showed the promise of what was to come from... Read more

This 1997 Underground Hip-Hop Radio Show Includes A Rare Madlib Freestyle (Audio)

In late 1997, Madlib was a fledgling MC/producer. The Oxnard, California artist had laced a handful of joints for Tha Alkaholiks and Boot Camp Clik's O.G.C, while trying to get his Lootpack group off. In those days, as expected, not a lot of people were yet checking for the would-be... Read more

Ma$e Rallies For Hardcore NYC Hip-Hop On Tupac & Dr. Dre’s Track (Audio)

With reports lingering that the 1990s Puff Daddy & The Family/Bad Boy Records team may be reuniting for a tour following the BET Awards performance, Ma$e cracks the mic once more. The former multi-platinum, #1 album-maker aims to return to his roots with "When NY Was NY." A freestyle over... Read more

Here’s a Clip of Common (Sense) in 1997 STRAIGHT RIPPING THE MIC at Fat Beats (Video)

DJ Eclipse continues his weekly treat of digging into the vault and pulling out extremely rare footage of some of today's most vaunted MCs freestyling early in their careers. After showcasing, a spirited Kanye West rapping in 1996, here's a clip of Common (then Common Sense) OBLITERATING the mic, off... Read more

On the Anniversary of Biggie’s Death, Here’s a Look at His Final Interview with Sway (Video)

March 9th is an ominous date for the Hip-Hop Nation. Today marks the 17th anniversary of Biggie's death. Rather than lament his passing, we will be celebrating his life and legacy, starting with a look back at his final interview with Sway in March of 1997. Big speaks on being... Read more