Here’s some new Mood Muzik from Joe Budden. Like most of the other Mood Muzik, it’s dark and brooding. Check out Dreamerz.
Mood Muzik 4.5 - The Worst Is Yet to Come drops soon. Click here to download.... Read more
Archives
It’s kinda cool to see the recent resurgence of rappers from the 90’s. Kool G. Rap is the latest to join the pack.
Check out American Nightmare ft Havoc. It's like G. Rap never left... Click here to download.... Read more
After 20 years, Bumpy Knuckles aka Freddie Foxx is still murdering MCs.
He and Noreaga go IN on this vintage Statik Selektah track. Check out Lyrical Workout. Click here to download. And, if you forgot (or never knew) how Freddie Foxx/Bumpie Knuckles used to kill 'em, check out this classic from him and KRS-One (stream only--click here to buy it).... Read more
No I.D. blessed Big Sean with a couple of tracks for his album. Here’s one called I Don’t Think They Want It.
Check it out. Click here to download. If you're feeling that, here's the other track, What Goes Around.... Read more
Here’s a brand new joint from Drake. Sounds like a new album may be coming relatively soon.
Check out Dreams Money Can Buy. Click here to download.... Read more
Erick Sermon just dropped a new song and it inspired us to take a look back at his career. The latest Producer Series installment is dedicated to the Green Eyed Bandit.
When he first unleashed his sonic imprint in 1988 as part of EPMD, Erick Sermon was one of the first producers to bring P-Funk to hip-hop. Over the better part of the next 2 decades, he went on to give classic tracks to some of the most legendary names in... Read more
Elzhi, Trick Trick and Ketchphrase put it DOWN for their hometown, with a big assist from a Black Milk track.
Check out My Detroit. Click here to download.... Read more
Skeme just dropped a solid new free album* called The Statement.
*This is another one that blurs the line between mixtape and album. Tracks 1, 2, 8, 9 (ft Dom Kennedy), 10, 12 and 13 are standout tracks, but judge for yourself. You can listen to the whole thing and download it below. Download Mixtape... Read more
Here’s a funky new joint from STS. Check out Pimpin’ and Preachin’.
Click here to download.... Read more
Termanology ft Joell Ortiz, Bun B, Saigon and Freeway…Nuff said.
Check out the remix to Say It. Click here to download.... Read more
Diz Gibran has been dropping some burners lately.
His last joint, The Return, was so tight, it was the lead off on our latest mix. This latest song is called Slick. Diz's flow on the track is reminiscent of the late, great Big L. Check it out. Click here to download. Peep the Big L comparison: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHnT1WSfVf0... Read more
Here’s the latest installment of New World (Au)der where we re-order the tracks of great albums for your listening pleasure.
This edition takes on Joell Ortiz's Free Agent album. I've had this (Au)der sitting around, waiting to get flipped for a minute. Don't ask me why, but "BIG PUN'S BACK" (NOT on FREE AGENT) feels like the perfect time to do it. Marinate on that, then blow the dust off... Read more
“I’d like to know. Are you really ready for some super dynamite soul?” This week’s Soul Cooking playlist (where we explore soul, funk and other music that has influenced hip-hop) is dedicated to the one and only James Brown.
No discussion about Soul and hip-hop is complete without mentioning James Brown. He has been sampled more than any other artist and his impact cannot be overstated. He really needs no introduction (other than the one above). This playlist starts out with a groove and just gets funkier and funkier... Read more
Here’s a hot new Summer joint from DJ Khaled ft Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne.
Check out I'm On One. Get ready to hear this one for a long time.... Read more
Chuuwee continues to impress. Star Fox is another lush track with quality lyrics.
Check it out. Click here to download. Click here for more Chuuwee.... Read more
Rapper Big Pooh and WarrenJae spit some flame on a track with a funked up riff on the Herb Alpert bass line featured on Biggie’s Hypnotize.
Check out Live. Click here to download Live. This is from WarrenJae's solid mixtape, titled The Dreamcatcher, which you can listen to and download here. Here's the Biggie joint: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypP8sMHo74Y And, here's Herb Alpert's original, Rise (the sample kicks in around 3:15): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ennMD1fPtXA... Read more
Here’s a hot previously unreleased joint from Prodigy called P Against the World.
Check it out. Click here to download. If you're feeling this, you might also enjoy these, courtesy of the mighty NahRight.... Read more
Just Blaze is known but he does not often get his props as being 1 of the all time great producers. He is the subject of the latest installment of our Producer Series playlists. You’ll hear Joe Budden, Beanie Sigel, Cam’ron, Freeway, Kanye, Jay Electronica, The Game, Nas, Scarface, Saigon and of course lots of Jay-Z.
Just Blaze's first producer credits were in 1999 but he really caught people's attention in 2000 when he laced Jay-Z with his classic Streets is Talking track. A year later, Just Blaze and another promising young producer named Kanye West combined to produce 9 out of the 15 tracks on... Read more
Kidz in the Hall have been giving out Brain Candy for the last several weeks. Here’s their new Semester Abroad mixtape which features all of the Brain Candy songs and some other treats.
You'll find songs featuring Curren$y, Tabi Bonney, Smoke DZA, The Kid Daytona and more. Listen to the whole mixtape and download it below. SEMESTER ABROAD "INSPIRED BY THE BRAIN CANDY SERIES" by double_0 Click here to download.... Read more
Focus’ free album is here. With songs featuring Phonte, Rapper Big Pooh, Nottz and more, what’s not to like?
Listen to the whole album, Music of the Misinterpreted, and download it below. Music of the Misinterpreted by Focus...... Read more
Talib Kweli blesses Clyde Carson with a verse on U & I. The track has a funky laid back West Coast feel to it.
Check it out. Click here to download. Talib sounds good on these West Coast tracks. Remember this one? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEkHSPgySuM... Read more
Need lyricism? Look no further than ScienZe’s new EP titled Simply Aesthetic.
Clever lyrics, cool flow, quality message. Nuff said. Listen to the whole EP and download it below. Simply Aesthetic EP by ScienZe... Read more
Curren$y and newcomer Celeb Forever jump on one of Lenny Kravitz’s most psychadelic soulful tracks.
Check out Alive. Click here to download. Here's the Lenny Kravitz track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StF5rMCrV3w... Read more
Pac Div comes with some of that new G-Funk on Rollin’. This one BUMPS.
Check out the video. http://vimeo.com/23463398 This joint is off Pac Div's Don't Mention It mixtape which DEFINITELY deserves mentioning. If you don't have it already, listen to the whole thing and download it below. Download Mixtape... Read more
Prodigy jumps on a grimy joint with Ox, a fellow Queens MC. The track is very fitting for a Mobb Deep vocal.
Check out Killer Squad. Click here to download.... Read more
There was a long video clip of Kanye West’s Coachella performance floating around a few weeks ago. Here’s the audio for the full performance.
Check it out. Click here to download. The full video is rumored to be dropping soon. Check out this 48 minute clip in the meantime, if you missed it.... Read more
Here’s the last installment of Kidz in the Hall’s Brain Candy series. The mixtape drops on Thursday.
Check out the video tease and full song for Playground. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpCw3nuJfyg Click here to download.... Read more
EDO.G’s album is sounding like it’s going to be really strong.
His first single, Fast Lane, was a vintage cut produced by DJ Premier. This follow up, produced by Statik Selektah, is another banger. Check out Speak Ur Mind ft M-1. Ed's album, A Face in the Crowd, drops on 5/17. Click here to download.... Read more
Big Sean makes the most of this No I.D. beat. Check out I Do It.
This one comes by way of Whoo Kid's mix show. Click here to download.... Read more
Phil Ade has been paying tribute to a lot of artists from the 90’s in his PhilAdeFridays series. This week he jumps on De La Soul’s classic Breakadawn track.
Check it out. Click here to download. And, here's De La's version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udSjNOZ26o8... Read more
Freddie Gibbs tells a stark story about the consequences of growing up too fast in Way 2 Fast.
It's a serious tone for a serious subject. Check it out. Click here to download. Below is what Gangsta Gibbs had to say about Way 2 Fast, and if you want to hear more storytelling raps, check out this playlist. From Freddie Gibbs: “The song is basically a true story.... Read more
Fresh off his incredible album Returnof4eva, Big K.R.I.T. is still dropping hot new music.
This is more uptempo than most of the cuts on Returnof4eva. Check out Pop A Bottle ft $upaMane. Click here to download. And, click here to download Returnof4eva, arguably the best rap album to drop so far this year.... Read more
Remember the magic DMX and Swizz Beatz used to make together? Here’s a new one to add to their discography.
I'm not saying it's where they used to be, but DMX is GOING HARD like he hasn't in a looong time. Check out Get Your Money Up. Click here to download. And, in case you forgot how hard they used to go, check these out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThlhSnRk21E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMRXGnGrHak... Read more
Mobb Deep is back with a solid new track. Check out Must Go Hard.
Click here to download. Also, click here for an incredible article on the making of Mobb Deep's The Infamous album.... Read more
Here’s a new joint from Chuuwee’s upcoming album. Check out It Was Great Here.
Chuuwee has established himself as one of the better up and coming artists. He has a distinct ability to sound fresh and current while still incorporating elements of classic 90's hip-hop in his sound. He's released several solid cuts in the last few months. Look out for the new album... Read more
New J. Cole…from the ALBUM. Nuff said. Check out Disgusting.
Listen to the song and see what Cole had to say about the album (via Twitter) below. It's about to be a Cole Summer. Click here to download. Here's what J. Cole had to say about the album.... Read more
Here’s Freddie Gibbs’ first effort on Young Jeezy’s label and naturally it’s a collabo with the man, himself.
Check out Stripes (Run-D.M.C.). What do you think of the recent spate of indie cats (Stalley, Wale, Gangsta Gibbs, to name a few...) linking up with major labels and artists? Click here to download.... Read more
Here’s a simple but stylish video from Versis called Slow Down.
Watch the video and and listen to Versis' whole album, illcandescent, below. http://vimeo.com/23167095 Here's the album: iLLCANDESCENT by Versis... Read more
What’s better than a new song from Phonte? A new song and a new video from Phonte…
Check out Focus' song Uh! ft Phonte and the latest video from The Foreign Exchange's Authenticity album, The Last Fall. Here's Uh! UH! feat. Phonte by Focus... And, here's the video for The Last Fall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PanDa2DZ3g&feature=player_embedded... Read more
It’s been a minute since Mickey Factz dropped something new. He’s back with a new series called May-Hem.
The first entry is called Fearless. You can read what Mickey had to say about the series and hear Fearless below. Fearless by Mickey Factz Click the arrow button on the player to download Fearless. Here's what Mickey had to say about the May-Hem series and Fearless (click here to... Read more
Curren$y and Stalley jump on a nice soulful track with Nesby Phips.
Check out Magic. Click here to download.... Read more
Chuuwee is back with a new song with a throwback sound. Check out Stuck in ’92.
Chuuwee has put out a lot of solid music over the last few months. He's quickly becoming one of my favorite up and coming artists. Click here to download. For more Chuuwee, click here.... Read more
EDO.G is back with on a vintage track from DJ Premier…it’s a perfect opportunity for a new installment of PREEM-EAR.
PREEM-EAR: EDO G "FAST LANE" It's been a minute, so if you don't recall or your new to AFH, PREEM-EAR is the column in which I break down DJ Premier tracks--many of which may not have gotten the shine they deserved. Fast Lane is an exception because it's new AND... Read more
All the recent heat around The Beastie Boys has gotten me thinking about Def Jam of old. You can’t talk about the original Def Jam sound without mentioning Rick Rubin. He is the subject of our latest Producer Series playlist.
Rick Rubin was a purist. He liked BIG thumping 808 drums, hard snares, hard rhymes and not much else on his songs. At the time, when rap was still being recorded mostly over disco and R&B covers, his sound was revolutionary. He was among the first to capture the rawness... Read more
Consequence just dropped a new joint on a Kanye West track. Check out Everybody Told Me.
Click here to download.... Read more
It’s been 25 years since the release of Licensed to Ill and The Beastie Boys continue to innovate.
Check out the incredibly creative way they've chosen to provide a full streaming preview of their upcoming album HotSauceAlbumCommitteePartTwo. The album is sounding right too...2 decades in and still FRESH. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2XDsMU8a0M&feature=player_embedded... Read more
Camp Lo resurfaced recently with Pete Rock for the 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s Mixtape.
They have a sequel to that mixtape forthcoming that features other producers. Check out their first leak from that project, Tall Glasses, produced by Smoking Apples. Click here to download and click here for 80 Blocks From Tiffany's, Part 1, featuring Camp Lo rhyming over classic Pete Rock tracks.... Read more
Outasight’s Figure 8 EP dropped today. It features Life or Something Like It which is one of his funkiest tracks to date.
Listen to that track and the rest of the EP below and download it if you like what you hear.... Read more
Curren$y has been on a tear lately. He’s released music with Alchemist, The Jets and on the solo tip in the last few months.
Here's another hot joint called #JetsGo. Check it out. Click here to download it from iTunes. Click here if you missed Curren$y Covert Coup mixtape with The Alchemist and you can download The Jets new mixtape here.... Read more