Breakbeats ArchivesAmbrosia For Heads

Ghostface Killah’s New Album Uses Shaolin Soul To Teach The Youth (Audio)

This month, Ghostface Killah released his latest solo endeavor. Titled Ghostface Killahs, the new, independent project involves Wu-Tang Clan partners Method Man, Inspectah Deck, and Masta Killa, as well as Cappadonna. Notably, G.F.K. also features some of the artists he's been grooming for years, including Theodore Unit affiliates Solomon Childs... Read more

September 13, 2019 Audio

Slick Rick Releases 2 Brand New Songs. He’s Still Got The Midas Touch (Audio)

Slick Rick maintains a very active 35-plus-year-Rap career. In the last year, he has worked with Black Eyed Peas, appeared in music videos by Nas, French Montana & Drake, and sat down with GQ to show off his truck jewelry collection. In late 2018, Rick Walters also worked with Def... Read more

June 28, 2019 Audio

Snoop Dogg Reveals The Original Beat For Nuthin But A G Thang & Raps To It

UPDATE: DJ Filthy Rich made a blend of the song, based on the Questlove Supreme conversation: ORIGINAL DECEMBER 19 STORY: The second song Snoop Dogg ever released to the public may be his most iconic. "One-two-three-and to the fo' / Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Dr. Dre is at the... Read more

December 19, 2018 Audio

Cut Chemist Mixes 45 Songs Sampling A Beat That’s Relevant 45 Years Later

In the midst of this week's hectic midterm elections, beloved Jurassic 5 DJ, mix-master, producer, and solo artist Cut Chemist released an ultimate mix of songs that sample The Honey Drippers' 1973 song, "Impeach the President." The mix, cleverly titled Impeach The Precedent, rolls through 45 different songs within Hip-Hop... Read more

November 9, 2018 Audio, Mixes

Killah Priest Attacks ’70s Breakbeats On A Mixtape Featuring Ghostface & Raekwon (Audio)

The whole Wu-Tang Clan family has a deep respect for Hip-Hop's earliest days. RZA's production, and the swarm's rhyme routines often call back to the park-jams and pioneering days of the culture. That's true of Killah Priest, the former breakout star of Sunz Of Man and a Brooklyn, New York... Read more

November 21, 2017 Audio

Mista Sinista Reminds Why Hip-Hop Was Built By DJs. He Puts On An Amazing Display (Video)

Mista Sinista was a crucial part of the X-Ecutioners in the '90s and early 2000s. Alongside the late Roc Raida, as well as Rob Swift and Total Eclipse, the X-Men were real-life superheroes behind the turntables and mixers. Moreover, their 2002 Built From Scratch album on Loud Records brought turntablism... Read more

September 19, 2017 Video

Just Blaze Makes Classic Breakbeats Sound Brand New In A Jamming Mini-Mix (Video)

Just Blaze is a producer's producer. The New Jersey native DJ-turned-beat creator has made hit records for Jay Z, Ghostface Killah, Fat Joe, and others using some of the same break-beats and samples that helped get Hip-Hop music started. Moreover, through work for Fabolous, Freeway, and Saigon, Just has brought... Read more

March 28, 2017 Mixes, Video

Grandmaster Flash Educates & Demonstrates Pioneer DJ Techniques (Video)

If not for the work of pioneers like Grandmaster Flash, Hip-Hop would not be on radio today. Long before strong signals were freely broadcasting cutting, scratching, and Rap music into the universe, DJs were transmitting live in the parks, house parties, and New York City clubs in the mid-1970s. That... Read more

August 19, 2016 Video

Method Man, O.D.B., & RZA Proved That In ’97, Wu-Tang Could Freestyle Forever (Audio)

In June of 1997, Wu-Tang Clan kicked the summer off at the top of the Hip-Hop class. Whereas 1993's Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) just missed the Top 40 (to eventually reach platinum), its follow-up Wu-Tang Forever would debut at #1. A double album, the Loud/RCA Records release of the... Read more

August 11, 2016 Throwback, Throwback

Ghostface Killah Rips Apart A Slick Rick Break Like It’s A Park Jam (Audio)

Most songs that are less than 100 seconds long just aren't worth the attention. However, when it's Ghostface Killah lyrically going for broke on a 1970s breakbeat it changes things. On "Disco Airlines," Tony Starks makes the style of music that Heads can imagine he was making in Stapleton Houses... Read more

February 13, 2016 Audio

DJ Spinna Recreates A 1980s Party Through Blending Breaks, Early Rap & Groove (Mix)

DJ Spinna is one of Hip-Hop's most versatile mixmasters. The Brooklyn, New York native has shined a light on House, Funk-Rock, and the all-encompassing genius of Stevie Wonder, while introducing The Jigmastas, Polyrhythm Addicts, as well as early works by MCs ranging from Eminem to J-Live, Thirstin Howl III to... Read more

September 7, 2015 Mixes

The Group Behind One of Hip-Hop’s Most Famous Samples Announces New Music 35 Years Later…

From The Fugees' multi-platinum album The Score to Spike Lee's joints Crooklyn and 25th Hour, Heads have heard Cymande. The British-based Funk band pulled from across oceans, cultures and continents to build a band that would help define the sound of Hip-Hop, thanks to creating some of the most seminal breaks... Read more

August 21, 2015 News

DJ QBert Massacres A Stack Of ’60s & ’70s Rare Groove Breaks (Mix)

DJ QBert is still on one. The longtime title-winning DJ follows up his April Hard Boiled Scrambled mix with a part two (joined by "DJ Rockit Rooster"). The Invizibl Skratch Piklz co-founder stays in the Rare Groove format, but seems to step a bit more into the '70s/formative Hip-Hop sound.... Read more

June 5, 2015 Audio

Breakbeat Lou Is A Digging Pioneer. He Spins Run-DMC, James Brown & Snoop Dogg (Mix)

Long before Heads could go digging in the crates with two tabs of YouTube, Louis "Breakbeat Lou" Flores was a trusted source of dusty-sonic knowledge. One of the creators of the Ultimate Breaks & Beats compilation series, the New York City native helped take deep cuts by Dennis Coffey, ESG,... Read more

May 10, 2015 Throwback

Do Remember: DJ QBert’s Demolition Pumpkin Squeeze Musik (Mixtape)

Although he does not get nearly enough credit in mainstream Hip-Hop circles, DJ QBert is one of the proven masters within the culture. The San Francisco, California DJ/turntablist/producer born Richard Quitevis has advanced the possibility of the turntable, mixer, and scratch language beyond comprehension. The leader of the Invisibl Skratch... Read more

April 9, 2015 Throwback

Funkmaster Flex, DJ Red Alert & Chuck Chillout Hit Airwaves With 5 Hours Of Master-Mixes (Audio)

For Funkmaster Flex's Christmas Eve show (December 24) Wednesday night on HOT 97, the Bronx, New York DJ invited some of his peers and inspirations to the Manhattan studios. Hip-Hop pioneers Kool DJ Red Alert and Chuck Chillout joined Flex for five hours of merry Hip-Hop from three icons of... Read more

December 26, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

Lord Finesse Cuts Up The Breaks & Rare Grooves For An Impromptu Hour-Long Mix (Audio)

Lord Finesse is one of Hip-Hop's great triple threats. The Bronx, New Yorker came into the game as an esteemed MC, battling Percee P in famous footage, and coaching a young Big L on how to be cocky and relatable at the same time. Then, as part of D.I.T.C., "The... Read more

May 3, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

D.I.T.C.’s Showbiz Digs In The Crates For An Hour-Long Mix Of Breakbeats (Audio)

It's been almost 20 years ago since Showbiz & A.G.'s Show decided to hang up the microphone. While Heads were distraught, the Boogie Down Bronx veteran, and Diggin' In The Crates crew (D.I.T.C.) co-founder maintained his post as a highly-revered producer. Show's worked for Fat Joe, Big L, KRS-One, and... Read more

March 10, 2014 Fresh, Throwback