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These 1990s Hip-Hop Albums Reach Round 2, With Two Battles Left To Be Decided

Beginning in September, 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... Read more

Legacy: Why Going Back Is Best For Puff Daddy & Bad Boy’s Future

Following last month's Bad Boy Records 20th anniversary set at the 2015 BET Awards, Puff Daddy announced that he is planning a tour with some of the artists he shared the stage with. Only mentioning Lil' Kim by name (who, many know, was never an official Bad Boy Records artist), the... Read more

19 Years Ago Today Jay-Z & Biggie Smalls Showed Why They Were Brooklyn’s Finest (Audio)

Although it was never a Reasonable Doubt single, "Brooklyn's Finest" helped make Jay Z's debut album a milestone album. Released 19 years ago today (June 25, 1996) the moment would serve as the first collaboration between Jay and his fellow George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School attendee, The... Read more

There’s A Lot Of Unreleased Biggie Music Left, Says Easy Mo Bee (Video)

Following the 1999 release of Born Again, many fans of The Notorious B.I.G. have been led to believe that the reserves of music were largely tapped. Unlike Tupac Shakur or James Yancey (J Dilla), Christopher Wallace did not record tirelessly, especially towards the end of his life. Additionally, it can... Read more

Finding The GOAT: Who Is the Greatest MC Of All-Time & Why Do We Care? (Video)

Chances are, if you are a Hip-Hop fan, at some point in your life, you've been embroiled in a conversation about who is Hip-Hop's Greatest Of All-Time (GOAT) MC. Whether it was in a lunch room, on a school bus, in a barber shop or in a board room, there... Read more

Time is Almost Up for Biggie or Tupac. Who Will Go Forward In Finding The GOAT?

Tuesday (May 5) kicked off Round 6 for "Finding The GOAT" with a monstrous showdown. Tupac vs. The Notorious B.I.G. is a battle of epic proportions, as these Rap martyrs were constantly compared in life as they are in death. In less than 48 hours, this Round 6 match-up garnered... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 6): Tupac vs. The Notorious B.I.G.…Who You Got?

With now only 6 MCs remaining, we have entered Round 6 in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). Now, only two match-up’s—both running this week—remain until the final 4 are revealed. Since the elimination, bracket-style tournament was launched in September of 2014, including more... Read more

Finding the GOAT: The Final 6 MCs Have Been Decided By YOU. Who Will Be The 1?

Round 5's polls have closed today (May 4). Although there was a late push, the definitive margins (and projected winners) held, by and large. With that, Ambrosia For Heads' "Finding The GOAT" series has its final 6 MCs. The Round 5 bye (Big Daddy Kane) returns to competitive combat for... Read more

These MCs Are Nearing Elimination in the Finding The GOAT Competition. Round 5 Ends Tomorrow.

Ambrosia For Heads’ Finding The GOAT series, the search for the Greatest Of All Time MC (as determined by you), began in September, 2014 and is soon down to its final 6 contestants. At 4:59pm EST on Monday May 4, Round 5 polls will close, and Round 6 will kick... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 5): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. Redman…Who You Got?

With just 11 MCs remaining we have reached the critical Round 5 in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). Now, only five match-up’s—all running this week—separate Round 5 from the final six MCs, including Round 4 bye winner Big Daddy Kane. Since the elimination,... Read more

Mister Cee Reveals Slick Rick Once Fully Stepped to Big Daddy Kane…Strapped (Audio)

DJ Mister Cee is the latest guest on Cipha Sounds & Peter Rosenberg's Juan Epstein podcast/show. In Part 2 (Part 1 ran earlier this month), The Finisher speaks to his friends and former HOT 97 colleagues in depth about the two figures most closely associated with the Brooklyn, New York... Read more

Finding the GOAT: Here Are Your Top 10 MCs + 1

The polls have closed and, after a fiercely competitive and unpredictable Round 4, 10 MCs advance to Round 5 (along with Rakim who had a bye), making a grand total of 11 rappers remaining in the quest to name Hip-Hop’s greatest MC, as determined by you. Since Round 1 began... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 4): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. Andre 3000…Who You Got?

We have reached the final match up in Round 4 of the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 21 MCs remaining (with the largest winning margin, Rakim received a bye for the round), things came down to 10 match-ups, leading AFH’s bracket-style series towards... Read more

Tink Reworks A Biggie Favorite With A Timbaland Beat & Big Budget Visual (Video)

Tink has been an eye and ear-grabbing sensation in R&B/Pop for nearly a year. Timbaland's singing pupils rival, if not eclipse some of his Rap proteges over the last 20 years. Tink is a bit of both, delivering an amalgam of genres, attitudes, and styles in one dynamic musical package.... Read more

Ever See Eminem’s Lyrical Explosion on This Classic Biggie Beat? (Video)

Here's a look back at a young Eminem going absolutely berserk on the classic "Kick in the Door" beat that DJ Premier produced for The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album, Ready to Die. Although it's unclear when the footage was recorded it looks to be from the early 2000s. Marshall appears... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 3): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. Big Pun…Who You Got

We have reached the third round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 42 MCs remaining, we are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into... Read more

Young Biggie Smalls Bagged Groceries, Now The Same Store Is Painting A Mural In His Honor

The lyrics to "Juicy" color the story of The Notorious B.I.G.'s youth. Before he was Biggie Smalls, Christopher Wallace was earning his money to buy mixtapes and Rap magazines by bagging groceries in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. The same supermarket where Biggie worked as a teenager in the late 1980s remains,... Read more

Kendrick Lamar’s Full Biggie Freestyle Tribute is 7 Minutes of Madness Over 4 Biggie Classics (Video)

Yesterday (March 9th), iconic LA DJ Big Boy hosted Kendrick Lamar as his first guest on his new show on Real 92.3 FM. Given the anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.'s passing, Big Boy had Kendrick freestyle over some of Biggie's classic tracks and released a snippet. Now, the full interview... Read more

Puff Daddy & Snoop Dogg Symbolically Use 1995 Source Awards Footage To Put BEEF To Bed (Video)

In an evening that saw a surprise Drake mixtape, and two star-studded Kanye West events in Manhattan, Puff Daddy and Snoop Dogg may have scored the most historical moment, as far as Hip-Hop is concerned. At Madison Square Garden, the two veteran MCs, producers, and record executives co-headlined a New... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. GZA…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

Chris Rivers Tears Down Another Track With A Cold Lyrical Display (Video)

Not just in his bloodline, Chris Rivers is out to walk the path and stand in the circle with the lyrical giants. He draws strong connections to other great MCs, including The Notorious B.I.G in Wonderland Of Misery 2's "Askin." Surrounded by his homies, in front of mural images of... Read more

DJ Clark Kent Says There Are No Lies On Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt (Video)

After a titillating first chapter, Hip-Hop Wired returns with a second segment of "Off The Record" with DJ Clark Kent. HHW's Aqua Boogie asks Clark about a more obscure cut, in Mad Skillz' (n/k/a Skillz) 1995 single, "Move Ya Body." Interestingly enough, while LL Cool J had hoped to swack... Read more

Remember The Knicks’ John Starks? He’s Got A Story To Tell About Biggie Smalls (Video)

From 1990 to 1998, John Starks was a rugged Shooting Guard for the New York Knicks. The same year Starks earned an All-Star nod amidst a New York Knicks push to the top of the Eastern Conference, The Notorious B.I.G released his debut, Ready To Die. By the time Biggie... Read more

DJ Clark Kent Remembers Junior M.A.F.I.A’s Player’s Anthem With A Funny LL Cool J Story (Video)

DJ Clark Kent is one of Hip-Hop's most consistent veterans. A DJ, a record executive, a producer, and a sneaker-head, Clark's hands (and more importantly, his ears) have shaped the careers of many, ranging from Jay Z and Rakim, to Saafir and Canibus. Sitting down with Hip-Hop Wire's Alvin Blanco,... Read more

DJ 7L & Frank The Butcher Salute The Artists Sampled On Bad Boy Records Hits (Mixtape)

From Craig Mack to Total, The Notorious B.I.G. to Black Rob, Ma$e to 112, part of what's made Bad Boy Records so catchy in the mainstream has been the label's fearlessness when it's come to sampling. While skeptics may've criticized some of the more obvious recreations at the pinnacle of... Read more

Fabolous Wants You To Keep The S.O.U.L. Tape 3 In Your Playa (Video)

For 15 years, Fabolous has prided himself on a cinematic style. The Brooklyn mainstay and one of Def Jam's flagship artists is still hard at work promoting late 2013's The S.O.U.L. Tape 3. One of the mixtape's standouts was The Notorious B.I.G.-inspired "Playa." For the just-released visual, 'Loso rocks in... Read more

The LOX Reminisce on Working with The Notorious B.I.G. (Video)

Today, The LOX are giants in Hip-Hop. However, back in 1996, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P were still on the come-up. Two years removed from an uncredited (pre-Styles) feature on Main Source's sophomore LP, F**k What You Think, the Yonkers, New Yorkers were the new acts on Puff Daddy's... Read more

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Earliest Mentor, DJ Mister Cee Laid Down A Biggie Birthday Mix (Audio)

Before Puff Daddy, before Heavy D, before even Easy Mo Bee, it was DJ Mister Cee who took musical interest in a young Christopher Wallace. Mister Cee was a Brooklyn big-shot back in 1992, known as a fixture for DJ'ing and producing for Big Daddy Kane and others, as part... Read more

Jon Connor Sets His Sights On The Notorious B.I.G.’s Beats For #BestInTheWorld, Vol. 1 (Mixtape)

Last month, Jon Connor launched his #BestInTheWorld campaign paying tribute to another Midwestern MC in a Kanye West-inspired tape. Flint, Michigan's newest Rap hopeful continues the theme, turning his aim on The Notorious B.I.G.'s catalog. Overtop beats made by DJ Premier, Easy Mo Bee, and of course Puffy's Hitmen, #ConnorSeason... Read more

J. Period Honors The Iconic Biggie Smalls With March 9th Revisited (Mixtape)

DJ J. Period is among the absolute best deejays doing it right now. When he's not providing the sounds for the Brooklyn Nets, the longtime affiliate to Zion I, Black Thought, and Common makes conceptual, fully-produced mixtapes (often released in clever formats like t-shirts, zip drives, etc.) that honor the... Read more

Suge Knight Weighs In On Dr. Dre’s Chronic Influencing Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die

Yesterday, we linked you to Rolling Stone's conversation with Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight. While the published interview focused on Tha Row's second release, Snoop Doggy Dogg's 1993 debut Doggystyle, which just turned 20 years old. The writer of the rare Knight interview, Paul "Gooch" Cantor, self-published the... Read more

Rare European 1995 Notorious B.I.G. Interview Released (Video)

1995 was such an interesting year in the life of The Notorious B.I.G. In the year following Ready To Die, Biggie Smalls transitioned from the Bed-Stuy rapper on the stoop kickin' it with DJ Premier, R.A. The Rugged Man, and Organized Konfusion to a mafiaso-dressing MC who wore shades, carried... Read more

Sign A Petition To Rename A Brooklyn Street After Biggie Smalls

Fresh off of renaming a Brooklyn park after the Beastie Boys' MCA, Hip-Hop fans are fighting that good fight to honor another late B.K. icon. Christopher Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls) grew up on Fulton Street, between St. James and Cambridge Place in Clinton Hill—you've probably heard... Read more

Notorious B.I.G. Tribute Mix (Audio)

Salute to Biggie Smalls. He would have been 41 today. To celebrate his life, Mister Cee did a Notorious B.I.G. tribute mix. You can listen to it below. Related: DJ Finesse – B.I.G. over Premier (Biggie Tribute Blend Mix)... Read more

Previously unreleased interview of The Notorious BIG on the set of the video for The Warning (Video)

It's been a big week for hip-hop and it just got bigger. The week kicked off with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg including a mind-blowing hologram of 2Pac in their set and now here's a previously unreleased interview of The Notorious BIG (and he discusses the change from Biggie Smalls)... Read more

Vintage interview of Jay-Z discussing his relationship with The Notorious BIG (Video)

Here's a really dope interview of Jay-Z from the late 90's where he talks about his relationship with Biggie and what it was like working together. Lil Kim also talks about what BIG saw in Jay-Z. Check out the video below.... Read more

Biggie Smalls is the illest…Here are some vintage interviews of The Notorious BIG and a playlist of some of his classic music. Check out both below.

March 9th. It's been 15 years since we lost Big. Biggie Smalls. The Notorious BIG. I've been thinking about what to do to CELEBRATE HIS LIFE on this date for quite some time. Of course I was thinking a playlist (and you can find that below), but it didn't seem... Read more

Bad Boy Records made the East Coast relevant again in rap music, making it the 3rd most important hip-hop record label in history.

#3 Bad Boy Records While East Coast Rap music was never dead, there is no question that from mid-1992 to mid-1994 commercial hip-hop was dominated by the West Coast, primarily by Death Row Records. It was not until Sean "Diddy" Combs was fired from Uptown Records and decided to launch... Read more

The 14th most important hip-hop record label of all time might be the most controversial on the list…

...but not because they didn't put out dope music. #14 Uptown Records Uptown Records did not make its mark with rap music, though it was founded by former rapper Andre Harrell (one half of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) and was home to some significant rappers. Uptown Records was extremely... Read more

Ever see Rhyme & Reason? After nearly 15 years it still stands as one of the best films ever on hip-hop. Watch the whole movie here.

It takes a comprehensive look at hip-hop THE CULTURE through the words of some of the best rappers to advance it: Nas, Biggie, Pac, KRS-One, Q-Tip, RZA, Ice-T, MC Eiht, Pharcyde, Lauryn Hill, Dr. Dre...It doesn't stop.... Read more

Here’s a Presidents Day playlist dedicated to the presidents most celebrated in hip-hop: Dead Presidents.

This one is all about the mighty dollar. You'll find some Jay-Z, J. Cole, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Biggie, Dogg Pound, DJ Quik, Scarface, 2Pac, 50 Cent and some outliers like Zion I and Mountain Brothers. Press play, sit back and count stacks.... Read more

Whatever happened to the art of freestyling?

For most MCs, freestyling means kicking a verse that they've written and nobody's heard...but true freestyling is the art of rhyming straight off the top of the dome.  Newcomer Donnis recently reminded us of the true art of freestyling with this rhyme that he spit on Sirius: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBOeY6C6W4M That inspired... Read more

Bad Boy Records made the East Coast relevant again in rap music, making it the 3rd most important hip-hop record label in history.

#3 Bad Boy Records While East Coast Rap music was never quite completely dead, there is no question that from mid-1992 to mid-1994 commercial hip-hop was dominated by the West Coast, primarily by Death Row Records (more on that later...).  It was not until Sean "Diddy" Combs was fired from... Read more

Let's Go!!! – Playlist

Old school hip-hop playlist guaranteed to get you hyped. Tracklist below. Click here to play. Notorious B.I.G. – Who Shot Ya? Jay-Z – Rock Star Lil Cease ft. Lil Kim and Puff Daddy – Play Around Big Pun – Glamour Life Mase ft. Puff Daddy – Can’t Nobody Hold Me... Read more