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The 10 Best Rap Albums Of 2023

As 2023 comes to its close, it is time to celebrate the best in Hip-Hop music. As is tradition, the Ambrosia For Heads team weighs in on our opinion of the year's best albums. For 2023, we present a tight list of 10—celebrating the best of the best in the Rap genre.... Read more

Alchemist Names His Top 5 Producers

Alchemist has had a busy 2023. The acclaimed producer (and MC/DJ) has released albums alongside Larry June, Earl Sweatshirt, and MIKE and Wiki—along with fresh solo material. Amid the prolific year, Al spoke to Genius' Andres Tardio to list his Top 5 Hip-Hop producers—including one of his mentors. Along the... Read more

Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist’s Album Was Worth The Wait

Since 2019, Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist claimed a collaborative album existed under a fake name. Two years later, the production half of the duo confirmed its existence. “We hid a whole album on YouTube under a fake name and YouTube page. Fake album cover, song titles, the whole nine. Nobody... Read more

Alchemist’s Freestyle Shows He’s Magic On The Mic Too

This Friday (March 31), Larry June and Alchemist are teaming up for The Great Escape. After four singles ahead of Friday's Escape and a documentary video (embedded below), fans are anticipating the LP, which is slated to feature Joey Bada$$, Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Curren$y, Action Bronson, Ty Dolla $ign, Slum Village, Boldy James, Evidence... Read more

Boldy James Is In Recovery After A Serious Car Accident

In recent years, veteran Detroit, Michigan MC Boldy James has been leveling up. After more than a decade in the Rap game, Boldy has made some of his best material at a prolific rate. 2020's The Price Of Tea In China alongside Alchemist was named among Ambrosia For Heads' best... Read more

The 15 Best Rap Albums Of 2022

As 2022 winds down, it comes time to celebrate the best in Hip-Hop music. As is tradition, the Ambrosia For Heads team weighs in on our opinion of the year's best albums. This list of 15 includes some comeback performances, significant sequel efforts, and collaborative tandems. The collection of LPs also shows... Read more

An Argument For Why Roc Marciano Is The Greatest MC Of All-Time

The conversation about who is Rap's best MC is Hip-Hop's great debate. As with sports, movies and other categories that lend themselves to rankings, the answer often evolves over time, as new entrants emerge. In the 1980s, names like Rakim, KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane and LL Cool J were often... Read more

Griselda Makes Its Case As Hip-Hop’s Best Crew With 7 MCs On 1 Song

For the last several years, one of Hip-Hop's greatest debates has been who is Rap's best crew, between TDE and Dreamville. Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) held the advantage in the early 2010s, with a roster which included Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad, SZA and more. The... Read more

Roc Marciano & Alchemist Serve Up Pure & Uncut Hip-Hop

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads sift 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, it’s better than it’s ever been. Not only can we go back... Read more

Tension Is Brewing Between Benny The Butcher & Freddie Gibbs

UPDATE: Hours after the story published, Freddie Gibbs took to Instagram stories to take some apparent more jabs at Benny The Butcher. "Ni**az' marketing plan for they whole album is to beef with Freddie Gibbs. That's cute," he wrote, with love and laughing emojis. Then Gibbs seems to suggest that Benny... Read more

Benny The Butcher & J. Cole Have Released An Instant Classic

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads sift 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, it’s better than it’s ever been. Not only can we go back... Read more

The 14 Best Rap Albums Of 2021…What Did We Miss

As 2021 comes to a close, it is appropriate to reflect on a remarkable year for Hip-Hop music and news. Although we did it slightly differently this year, Ambrosia For Heads shares our list of the best Hip-Hop Albums Of 2021. On episode #72 of the What's The Headline podcast—starting at 1:13:00—we list our... Read more

AZ Is Still Keeping It Real On Doe Or Die 2

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads sift 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 can we go back... Read more

The 10 Best Rap Albums Of 2021 So Far

As 2021 quickly approaches its midpoint, it is tradition to evaluate the year's best Hip-Hop albums—so far. So on the latest episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast, we did just that. As we did in deciding the best albums of 2020, the AFH team uses the platform to publicly discuss the best... Read more

Here Are Some Reasons Why 2000 May Be Hip-Hop’s Greatest Year

At Ambrosia For Heads, we celebrate Hip-Hop throughout the ages. Earlier this year, our What's The Headline podcast launched a series examining the calendar years that made the music and culture reach its full potential. After taking a loving look back at 1984, the next episode drops in on Y2K.... Read more

Nas Has Won His First Ever Grammy Award

Today (March 14), Nas wins his first Grammy Award. The Queens, New York veteran received the "Best Rap Album" trophy for 2020's King's Disease, which released through the MC's own Mass Appeal imprint and is produced in full by Hit-Boy. Including studio albums, collaborative projects, and two volumes of Lost Tapes, Nas... Read more

Here Are Our 20 Best Rap Albums Of 2020

We can all agree that 2020 has been something else. But we can also agree music has been a godsend—especially Hip-Hop music. It has been a pivotal year for Ambrosia For Heads, after a decade of dedication to the culture. However—as we like to do about this time, AFH offers our annual list of... Read more

Boldy James & Alchemist Bring The Best Out Of Each Other On Their New Album (Audio)

It has been over a decade since Boldy James first debuted his raps for the world to hear. In the blog era, Boldy James released Trapper’s Alley: Pros & Cons in 2011 with illRoots. The mixtape showed off the cold life of a drug dealer (see the obvious "I Sold... Read more

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2019 (Battle 14): Freddie Gibbs & Madlib vs. Benny

Over the last couple of years, Ambrosia For Heads has asked our readers to help us determine the Best Rap Album for 2017 and 2018, respectively. In looking at the top music of 2019, we believe that instead of letting the Grammy Awards—a committee who does not know anything about... Read more

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2019 (Battle 12): Griselda vs. Benny The Butcher

Over the last couple of years, Ambrosia For Heads has asked our readers to help us determine the Best Rap Album for 2017 and 2018, respectively. In looking at the top music of 2019, we believe that instead of letting the Grammy Awards—a committee who does not know anything about... Read more

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2019 (Battle 2): Benny The Butcher vs. Boogie

Over the last couple of years, Ambrosia For Heads has asked our readers to help us determine the Best Rap Album for 2017 and 2018, respectively. In looking at the top music of 2019, we believe that instead of letting the Grammy Awards—a committee who does not know anything about... Read more

Your Old Droog’s New Song Features Prodigy Over Alchemist Production (Audio)

2019 showcased that Brooklyn, New York rapper Your Old Droog seemingly never stops working. The veteran artist dropped three full-length albums in the year to keep fans eating: It Wasn't Even Close in April, Transportation two months later, and his latest album, Jewelry, which released in the closing days of... Read more

Daringer & Beat Butcha Detail Producing Griselda’s Album Without Samples (Video)

Last Friday (November 29), Griselda released their Shady Records debut, WWCD. The collaboration between the Buffalo, New York independent imprint and Eminem's veteran powerhouse is the first group album between Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher. It involves 50 Cent, Raekwon, singer Novel, and a new, expanded... Read more

Action Bronson & Alchemist’s Lamb Over Rice EP Has Flavor. Listen Here (Audio)

This morning (November 22), Alchemist and Action Bronson released their collaborative EP, Lamb Over Rice. The MC and producer battery regularly work together on television. However, the genesis of the bond has been on heralded mixtapes like 2012's Rare Chandeliers, which is getting a special limited-edition vinyl re-release. The whimsical... Read more

Action Bronson & Alchemist Announce A Collaborative EP Arriving This Month

Today, (November 10), Alchemist and Action Bronson announced that they are teaming up for a seven-song project entitled Lamb Over Rice. The EP is set to drop on November 22, and as Alchemist added, is "out the stashbox," which suggests they could be a collection of songs the duo has... Read more

Earl Sweatshirt’s Surprise EP Packs Alchemist Production For A Bold Artistic Trip

Yesterday (October 31), Earl Sweatshirt took to social media to announce a surprise seven-track EP dropping. In a statement to fans, he elaborated on the project with one sentence: "[Feet Of Clay] is a collection of observations and feelings recorded during the death throes of a crumbling empire." With less... Read more

Alchemist & Evidence Reunite The Step Brothers & Bring Big Bars To Calabasas

In 2009, Los Angeles area representatives Alchemist and Evidence of the Dilated Peoples joined forces to combine their deft skills in the booth and on the boards as the dynamic duo, Step Brothers. Underneath the umbrella of the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Rhymesayers label, the Step Brothers released their first joint record,... Read more

Joe Budden Says He Encouraged Slaughterhouse To Replace Him (Video)

Joe Budden sits down with Freddie Gibbs on the latest episode of Pull Up. On a New York City rooftop, the two men discuss a number of topics. The Gary, Indiana native stresses that he wants to be included on the Top MCs lists, which Budden is no stranger to,... Read more

Benny Releases The Video For His Most Autobiographical Song

In June, Benny The Butcher released one of 2019's best albums in The Plugs I Met. While late '18's Tana Talk 3 garnered acclaim, the Griselda Records artist and founder of Black Soprano Family upped the ante on his '19 affair. What's more, the hardcore MC is staked by both... Read more

ScHoolboy Q Talks Greasy To Impatient Fans On A Smooth Alchemist Beat (Audio)

Thanks to the way music is made and released, artists can easily drop multiple projects in a single year. In the underground, some artists release whole efforts in consecutive weeks. Others create daily, weekly, and monthly series of songs to engage fans. This culture can often leave fans focused on... Read more

Alchemist Is Having A Hot Beat Summer. Here’s A New EP With The Cool Kids (Audio)

After a couple of dope releases already in 2019, Alchemist is not letting off the pedal as temperatures flare. Judging by social media posts, it’s about to be an ALC summer. The Los Angeles, California-based veteran has one of his coveted "Craft Single 45s" on the way. This installment of the... Read more

Westside Gunn’s New Album Involves Madlib, Evidence, Alchemist & More (Audio)

While Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher have already dropped well-received releases this year, Westside Gunn has waited until halfway through 2019 to give heads his distinct brand of hardcore Hip-Hop. While he did give fans the Fourth Rope mixtape in mid-April, it was a collection of his previously... Read more

Nas’ Lost Tapes 2 Tracklist Has RZA, Pete Rock, Kanye, Alchemist & More Producing

After teasing fans with a short, cryptic social media video last month, Nas' Lost Tapes has a release date. The legendary and his Mass Appeal Records dropped a trailer for the compilation that is due July 19. The video, which includes a Statik Selektah-produced "Lost Freestyle" as its sound-bed, confirms... Read more

20 Years Ago, Mobb Deep, G Rap & Alchemist Made 1 Of The Realest Collabos (Audio)

Mobb Deep has released two highly-acclaimed albums in the mid-1990s. Prodigy and Havoc's sophomore set, The Infamous, is one of the most beloved LPs of all-time. A year and a half later, they delivered Hell On Earth, a menacing follow-up that stayed the course. By the close of the 1990s,... Read more

Conway The Machine & Alchemist Make Music So Dope It’s Lethal (Video)

Conway The Machine has been one of the flagship artists of Griselda Records for several years now. He is also one part of the new generation of acts at Eminem's Shady Records (with brother and frequent rhyme-partner Westside Gunn). Some Heads are still getting to know Conway. Today, he premieres... Read more

Benny’s Video Shows Him As The Butcher. He Verbally Slices & Dices To Alchemist’s Beat

Griselda Records rarely shows signs of touching the brakes. The label that rocked 2018 with a bevy of releases is off to a fast start in 2019. Benny The Butcher takes a Tana Talk 3 favorite and blesses Heads with the proper visual. The Buffalo, New York MC veteran dropped... Read more

Alchemist Tells B-Real About Just How Much His Time With Cypress Hill Shaped Him

B-Real can get some interviews on his Smokebox TV that go beyond typical taped conversations. Beyond the obvious reasons included in the title, "Dr. Greenthumb" asks great questions and seems engaged in wanting to understand his guests' story. The Cypress Hill MC's latest episode with Alchemist does not disappoint. In... Read more

Evidence’s Weather Or Not Is Your Best Rap Album Of 2018

Last night (December 30), the tournament to decide 2018's Best Rap Album came to a close. Evidence's Weather Or Not bested Royce 5'9's Book Of Ryan, 63% to 37%. Thus, the veteran Los Angeles, California MC/producer takes home the top honors in the second annual month-long voter-decided competition. Notably, Ev's third... Read more

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2018 (Battle 10): Pusha-T vs. Evidence

We have our opinions on the best releases of 2018, but rather than simply tell you our pick for #1, we thought it would be more interesting to hear what you, the readers, believe is the Best Rap Album of 2018. With that in mind, we decided to make our... Read more

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2018 (Battle 6): Black Milk vs. Evidence

We have our opinions on the best releases of 2018, but rather than simply tell you our pick for #1, we thought it would be more interesting to hear what you, the readers, believe is the Best Rap Album of 2018. With that in mind, we decided to make our... Read more

Alchemist Drops An EP Featuring Black Thought & The Griselda Team. Listen Here.

While Alchemist tends to be prolific year in and year out, 2018 has been especially fruitful for one of Hip-Hop's most respected sound creators. He dropped the instrumentals for his highly sought-after Paris x LA x Bruxelles project on vinyl at the top of the year, followed by the short... Read more

Benny The Butcher Sharpens His Flow On A Steely Alchemist Production

Benny The Butcher has strong momentum right now. He already had two fan-favorite releases (Stabbed & Shot with 38 Spesh, and A Friend of Ours) this year before dropping his proper debut Tana Talk 3 last Friday (November 24). The Griselda Records family has been heating up the underground for... Read more

Slug Unpacks Atmosphere’s New Album & Puts His Rumored Alchemist LP To Bed (Video)

Atmosphere dropped their seventh studio album Mi Vida Local earlier this month. It was the conclusion to a trilogy of thematic full-lengths that, according to Slug, "are based around the idea of mortality." The trio began with 2014's Southsiders and followed in the form of 2016's Fishing Blues, before this month's final... Read more

ScHoolboy Q, Westside Gunn & Conway Stick A Fork In The Competition Over An Alchemist Production (Video)

Today (October 25) is The Alchemist's birthday. The legendary producer, DJ, and artist has had the Midas touch in Hip-Hop for over 20 years, across the Rap landscape. From California to a New York City tenure, and an eventual return to the Cali' sunshine, ALC has made so many unforgettable... Read more

Alchemist, Westside Gunn & Conway Make A Song Inspired By Ghostface’s Early Days (Audio)

Over the last few years, Griselda Records has been quenching some of the thirst for Hip-Hop fans craving grimy and vintage sounds. Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine have been cooking up enough musical contraband sure to sooth every stick-up kids and petty thieves' soul... And really anyone who enjoys... Read more

The Mobb Deep vs. N.W.A. GOAT Match-Up Is Too Close To Call. Decide Who Advances.

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’ annual competition series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups have been pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot will be reserved for a wild-card entry (which has been determined), including the possibility for... Read more

Finding The GOAT Group: Mobb Deep vs. N.W.A. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’ annual competition series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups have been pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot will be reserved for a wild-card entry (which has been determined), including the possibility for... Read more

Wiz Khalifa Returns To His Underground Roots On A Sizzling Beat By Alchemist (Audio)

Alchemist has been collaborating with some really interesting MCs for his "45 Craft Singles" series, and for his latest, he's enlisted a pretty big star of the moment. Wiz Khalifa's made a move over into the commercial echelon over the past few years, but he hasn't forgotten his humble mixtape... Read more

Kool G Rap’s New LP Has Production From DJ Premier, Pete Rock & Alchemist. Listen Here (Audio)

Kool G Rap doesn't let his legend status stop him from continuing to do what he loves. Last year, the Corona, Queens veteran dropped his Return Of The Don album, and in 2018, he's following up the solid effort with a collaborative album full of heavy hitters behind the boards... Read more

Roc Marciano & Alchemist Remind What Great Hip-Hop Sounds Like (Audio)

Roc Marciano and Alchemist continue to drop their 45 Craft Singles and decided to reach into the vault and release another. It's hard to conceive of a more cinematic duo than the Hempstead, Long Island MC spitter and Southern California producer and their latest is just further reinforcement of that... Read more