chris rivers ArchivesAmbrosia For Heads

Ghostface Killah’s “The Lost Tapes” Album Is Here. Listen Now (Audio)

Wu-Tang Clan has been bringing the ruckus lately. The surviving members of the legendary group appeared on Logic's song "Wu-Tang Forever" last week. Today (October 5), Ghostface Killah dropped his first project of 2018. On The Lost Tapes, Tony Starks enlists Big Daddy Kane, Snoop Dogg, E-40, Raekwon, Masta Killa,... Read more

October 5, 2018 Audio

Snoop, Chris Rivers & More Join A Compilation Celebrating Canadian Hip-Hop (Audio)

Canadian music site Different Kitchen has been shining a spotlight on up and coming talent for 15 years as of 2018. So, to celebrate this milestone, they put together Quinceañera: MARVELOUS 15H, a compilation featuring exclusive tracks from some of the site's favorite acts. Now, if this sounds familiar, that’s... Read more

September 10, 2018 Audio

Chris Rivers Snatches Royce & Eminem’s Beat And Rips It Just As Hard (Audio)

Chris Rivers may be the son of one of Hip-Hop’s all-time great lyricists, but with a string of solid releases over the last five years he has stepped out of Pops’ shadow to have his work judged on its own merits. At the same time, the younger Rios does not... Read more

May 17, 2018 Audio

Chris Rivers Is Man Enough To Take A Kanye Classic & Make It His Own (Audio)

Still in his early twenties, Chris Rivers often makes vivid and powerful records about growing into manhood and taking on responsibility. The Bronx, New Yorker who was just entering grade school when his famous father Big Pun passed away, had a lot of navigating to do on his own. He... Read more

April 13, 2018 Audio

Chris Rivers & Star Rios Honor Their Father Big Pun With Verses (Audio)

February 7 is a milestone day in Hip-Hop. It marks the birthday of J Dilla (in 1974), and also the day that Big Pun passed away, back in 2000. Typically, Pun's son Chris Rivers uses the date to pay tribute to his father, a personal and controversial figure within the... Read more

February 7, 2018 Audio

Chris Rivers Clarifies His Recent Controversial Music Video About Domestic Abuse (Video)

Today (November 10) would have been Big Pun's 46th birthday. The legendary Bronx, New York MC died at the age of 28, on February 7, 2000, from heart failure. Christopher Rios' only son, who shares his name and raps under the moniker Chris Rivers has celebrated his father, as well... Read more

November 10, 2017 Video

Chris Rivers’ New Video Shows The Type Of Abuse His Family Suffered

Chris Rivers is his own man and has proved it time and again. The Bronx, New York MC is the son of legendary lyricist Big Pun. However, like the documentaries on the late Terror Squad founder have suggested, that's not always a good thing. Videos and family testimony have chronicled... Read more

November 4, 2017 Video

Chris Rivers Wants To Bring Hip-Hop Back To The Days Of Nas, Pac & Biggie (Video)

When Chris Rivers named his latest project Delorean, he had time traveling on his mind. New video single "Old Thing Back" is an extension of that idea. The Bronx, New Yorker spits about bringing back a brand of Hip-Hop as he remembers it from his love affair. He pays homage... Read more

September 15, 2017 Ready Or Not, Video

Chris Rivers, Styles P, Sheek Louch & Lil Fame Unite On A Track & It’s Far From Fair (Audio)

M.O.P. and The LOX. Those are two New York City institutions for making "wild out" street music. The angst, the imagery, and the aggressive deliveries for each group have been storied for well over 20 years. Three members from those groups come out to support somebody who carries on tradition.... Read more

July 14, 2017 Audio

Chris Rivers Updates Brenda’s Got A Baby For A Soulful Ode To Single Mothers (Video)

On the crowded subway platforms of New York City, the sight of a mother carrying her child's stroller up flights of stairs is commonplace. It's but one example of the many hardships women face while raising a child with little or no help. In his latest video, Chris Rivers -... Read more

June 17, 2017 Video

Chris Rivers Raps About Survival Tactics In A Hood That Keeps On Jumping (Video)

Chris Rivers is one of the busiest MCs in Hip-Hop. While the Bronx, New Yorker continues to win over a litany of listeners while flexing a lot of his late father's (Big Pun) attributes, his output is staggering. In late 2016, he joined a respected a cast of MCs (Method... Read more

March 12, 2017 Video

Fat Joe Airs Out Terror Squad’s Dirty Laundry & Defends His Name (Video)

Fat Joe is one of Hip-Hop's most controversial figures. The Bronx, New Yorker has roots in some of the hardest Rap music of the '90s, starting with his '93 debut, Represent. However, in the days after Big Pun's sudden 2000 death, Joe stepped forward to become a mainstream giant, making... Read more

March 3, 2017 Video

Chris Rivers Pays Tribute To His Father Big Pun With A Crushing Freestyle (Video)

Tuesday (February 7), marked the 17th anniversary of Big Pun's passing. Though Pun only released two studio albums, his dextrous rhymes and impeccable flow left a mark that allows him to still be widely considered one of Rap's all-time greats, nearly 20 years after his debut album, Capital Punishment. Fat... Read more

February 9, 2017 Video

The 20 Best Freestyles Of 2016. Thought You KNEW (Video)

In Hip-Hop, there are few things more exciting than when an MC delivers a vicious verse that's never been heard before, on the spot. It is the equivalent 0f a monster dunk in an NBA game, a one-punch knockout in a fight or an end zone to end zone run in... Read more

December 28, 2016 Food for Thought

Kool G Rap, Canibus & Chris Rivers Send An Omen That Real Lyricism Is Back (Audio)

One of 2016's most steadfast MCs, Chris Rivers is a clear disciple of that hard-nosed late '80s and 1990s lyricism. While the Bronx, New Yorker's greatest influence would appear to be his father (Big Pun), there are other clear connections. Pun, after all, was a student of Kool G Rap,... Read more

December 17, 2016 Audio

Joell Ortiz & Chris Rivers Say What They Feel And Some Might Get Hurt (Audio)

Joell Ortiz, Chris Rivers, and Whispers have a close working relationship. These three New York City MCs share an affinity for hard-nosed, in-your-face raps that combine wit, arrogance, and a ton of swagger on the microphone. Teaming with a producer each work with often (Domingo), they go as hard as... Read more

November 30, 2016 Audio

Domingo Enlists Legends Like Big Daddy Kane To Showcase Tomorrow’s Brightest MCs (Audio)

If you’re a fan of hard-hitting street anthems, you may be familiar with veteran Brooklyn, New York producer Domingo's work. His impressive list of collaborators includes Hip-Hop royalty like Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane and Sean Price. He has also worked with a plethora of other accomplished lyricists like... Read more

November 22, 2016 Audio

Chris Rivers, Necro & Tragedy Rally 10 Bad Apple MCs From NYC (Video)

New York City Hip-Hop has many sides. Veteran MC/producer Necro gathered nine other MCs—spanning nearly 30 years of Rap to join him for "New York Gangsters." This self-produced possé cut includes Big Pun's illustrious lyrical son Chris Rivers, Tragedy Khadafi (f/k/a The Intelligent Hoodlum), Capone (Capone-N-Noreaga), vet Kurious Jorge, Dom... Read more

November 4, 2016 Video

Chris Rivers Refuses To Be Passed Over As He Spits His Life From An Overpass (Video)

Chris Rivers never ceases to serve hot bars to the masses. The Bronx, New Yorker lives to spit lyrics, and his output of music grows—as does his profile of late. "Born For This" is a single that traces back Big Pun's son and his earliest dreams of a Rap career... Read more

October 20, 2016 Video

Did Chris Rivers Have The Best Verse Of The 2016 BET Cyphers? (Video)

For many Heads, the handful of cyphers that take place during the BET Hip-Hop Awards telecast are some of the most exciting aspects of the event. This year, fans had plenty to look forward to, with State Property, Dead Prez, Biv & Devoe, and others using 2016 to showcase scorching... Read more

October 5, 2016 Video

Big Daddy Kane Releases His Best Verse In A Decade. He Still Kills At Will (Video)

In February of this year, Joell Ortiz and producer Domingo released the song, "Kill At Will." The standout track, with its Big Daddy Kane "Set It Off" cut-in at the chorus, is included on the That's Hip Hop album. The single showcased a hungry, fresh-faced MC Token, who had previously... Read more

September 26, 2016 Video

Two MCs Try To Eat Chris Rivers’ Lunch In A Cypher Turned Raw Battle (Video)

Celebrants of lyricism in Hip-Hop, particularly in the current generation of artists, have much to tout in Chris Rivers. The son of one of the Greats (Big Pun) has by-and-large forgone the glossy, radio-friendly career path for one built on freestyles and collaborations with like-minded MCs like Joell Ortiz and... Read more

August 29, 2016 Video

Sean Price & Chris Rivers Spit Venom On A Track With Bruse Wane (Video)

Sometimes the best way to make a name for oneself is to make songs with established, respected MCs in a lane you aspire to merge into. Sean Price made his debut on Smif-n-Wessun's 1995 debut, Dah Shinin', and began a shuffle into the game through key spots alongside fellow Boot... Read more

August 17, 2016 Video

Chris Rivers Claims “Best In The Streets. No Debating” (Audio)

Last year, Chris Rivers kept the Summer hot with his Freestyle Fridays series. His releases were a combination of new songs and Rivers taking his turn on previously used beats, whether current hits or old classics. It looks like Rivers is rekindling the series, and he leads it off with... Read more

August 12, 2016 Audio

Chris Rivers & Styles P Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts, In A “Warriors” Themed Video

Over the last few years, Chris Rivers and Styles P have teamed up for a number of strong collaborations. Both Styles and Rivers are students of the School of Hard Rhymes and deft lyricism. "Black Hearts," from Rivers' 2015 Medicated Consumption mixtape, is no exception, as the two MCs trade... Read more

June 20, 2016 Video

Chris Rivers Rocks An Unreleased Pete Rock Beat & Knocks It Out (Video)

For followers of Chris Rivers' career, news that he's released another incredible freestyle may be unsurprising, but it's never less-than-impressive. The young MC from the Bronx, New York City, spent much of 2015 unloading weekly flows deftly displayed atop productions from giants like Pharrell Williams, the Alchemist, Da Beatminerz, and... Read more

June 9, 2016 Video

Chris Rivers Recaps The Week’s News In A Blistering Freestyle (Video)

Bronx, New York MC Chris Rivers has supplied Hip-Hop Heads for years with a steady stream of freestyles, collaborations, and an acclaimed onslaught of mixtapes. The son of Big Pun now is the latest lyricist to accept Ambrosia For Heads' challenge to weave headlines in music, news, and lifestyle from the... Read more

June 2, 2016 Video

ONYX & Chris Rivers Unite Against Dirty Cops (Audio)

In 2014, ONYX released their first album in 11 years. While the LP, which was produced by the Snowgoons, maintained the hardscrabble Rap style that is core to ONYX, the substance of their raucous rhymes was different. Rather than slamming and taking out their competitors, Fredro Starr and Sticky Fingaz... Read more

April 15, 2016 Audio

Joell Ortiz & Chris Rivers Studied The ’90s To Blaze Mics In 2016 (Audio)

Last week, Joell Ortiz and producer Domingo released That's Hip-Hop. As the Slaughterhous vet told Ambrosia For Heads, the project is about keeping purebred Rap in the front of the consumer consciousness. In the post-release single "Say What I Want," Ortiz is joined by Bronx, New York MC Chris Rivers... Read more

March 21, 2016 Audio

Kxng Crooked Celebrates Those That Came Before Him As He Plots His Future (Video)

On Februay 12, Kxng Crooked and Statik Selektah released their collaboration album, Statik Kxng. The album was filled with Statik's hard beats and Crooked's complex rhymes, as they took Hip-Hop back to the basics. "Let's Go," featuring Termanology, was one of the album's standout tracks, and now Statik Crook' have... Read more

February 29, 2016 Video

Chris Rivers, Emilio Rojas & G. Fisher Are Lyrical Hitmen For Hire (Audio)

Three of Hip-Hop's hungriest, lyrically-leaning New York MCs come together on the appropriately-titled "Mercenaries." Emilio Rojas and Chris Rivers have been making noise for years, garnering excitement through freestyles, cyphers, guest appearances, and their own fully-produced songs. G. Fisher is the latest Diggin' In The Crates-cosigned MC to come forth,... Read more

December 10, 2015 Audio

Chris Rivers & Whispers Brutalize The Beat In An Outta Control Freestyle (Video)

Chris Rivers will leave 2015 at an entirely different level than where he began the year. The Bronx, New York native has risen the old fashioned way, through songs, freestyles, and making the most of every moment. For Heads paying attention, the MC formerly known as Baby Pun brought the... Read more

December 6, 2015 Video

Chris Rivers Takes It Back To The Essence Of Hip-Hop On Ain’t No Half Steppin’ (Video)

Over the Summer, Chris Rivers (pka Baby Pun) went on a tear, with weekly releases of both original material and freestyles over classic beats. One of the standout cuts was his rip of Big Daddy Kane's 1988 staple, "Ain't No Half Steppin'," with Termanology. Now, Rivers and Term link for... Read more

December 4, 2015 Video

Chris Rivers Writes A Moving Letter To His Father, Big Pun, On His Birthday

Happy Birthday to Big Pun. The lyrical Bronx Bomber would have been 44 years old, yesterday (11/10). In the past year, Chris Rivers, Pun's son, has broken out and established himself as one of Hip-Hop's most promising MCs. While he has established his identity as his own man, shedding the... Read more

November 11, 2015 Fresh

Chris Rivers’ & Sheek Louch’s I Got It Made Video Salutes Many More Legends Than Just Special Ed

Over the Summer, Chris Rivers released a slew of sizzling freestyles featuring both original and throwback tracks. Out of many quality offerings, one stood out in particular. The son of Big Pun teamed with one of his father's contemporaries in The LOX's Sheek Louch. Together, Chris and Donnie put on... Read more

November 6, 2015 Video

Chris Rivers Has That Medicine for Heads That Have Been Hurting From Wack Hip-Hop (Mixtape)

2015 has been the year that Chris Rivers has stepped out of the shadow of being Big Pun's son and shown the world he shines on his own. For the last few months, Rivers has owned Fridays with a series of blistering freestyles and videos. While many of his weekly... Read more

October 23, 2015 Mixes

Listen to the Best Hip-Hop of September 2015 in One Playlist (Audio)

As the Fall set in, the hot Hip-Hop continued to flow. September brought not one, but two songs from the elusive DOOM, one of LL Cool J's strongest verses in years, a power collabo between Nas and Scarface, an unreleased track from Jay Electronica, Redman's release from his forthcoming album... Read more

October 5, 2015 Mixes

Chris Rivers Drops 2 New Freestyles & Blacks Out with Jarren Benton (Audio)

It's Friday, which means Chris Rivers has once again dropped off some freestyles as part of what is now a months-long lead-up to his forthcoming M.C. (Medicated Consumption). The Bronx MC, fka Baby Pun, has thus far unleashed freestyles over tracks by Black Moon, Brand Nubian, the Clipse, Dilated Peoples,... Read more

October 2, 2015 Audio

Chris Rivers Says ALL Lives Matter in This Blistering New Freestyle (Audio)

Chris Rivers has released another freestyle, as he's done every week in recent memory as an extended, long-form way to celebrate the October release of his forthcoming project, M.C. (Medicated Consumption). This time around he opts for an Alchemist-produced classic from the Dilated Peoples, 2001's "Worst Comes to Worst." He's... Read more

September 18, 2015 Audio

Chris Rivers & Nitty Scott, MC Flip the Script on Hip-Hop Gender Stereotypes (Video)

There have been a number of Hip-Hop songs over the years with the "Bonnie and Clyde" theme. Tracks like Jay-Z's "'03 Bonnie & Clyde," Method Man's "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" and The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Me & My Bitch" all depict scenarios where the... Read more

September 11, 2015 Video

Listen to the Best Hip-Hop of August 2015 in 1 Playlist (Audio)

August 2015 was an incredibly complex month for Hip-Hop. On the one hand, it was filled with tragedy and will forever be remembered as the month when we lost the great Sean Price. On the other hand, the month also brought a new album from Method Man, the first album... Read more

September 8, 2015 Mixes

Chris Rivers Opts for a Lyrical Tribute to Sean Price in the Form of a Freestyle (Audio)

As fans know, Chris Rivers has been on a lyrical tirade in recent weeks, using Fridays to release freestyles over a vast array of beats, both classic and obscure. The weekly celebrations are all part of an extended promotional plan as he gets closer and closer to releasing M.C. (Medicated... Read more

August 28, 2015 Audio

Chris Rivers & Cory Gunz Flip a Brand Nubian Joint on Latest Freestyle (Audio)

In the latest addition to his ever-growing arsenal of Friday freestyles, Chris Rivers has enlisted the help of Cory Gunz for a flip of a Brand Nubian classic. After dropping verses on tracks originally by the Clipse, Dr. Dre, N.W.A., Jay Z, Black Moon, Big Pun, and more, the South... Read more

August 21, 2015 Audio

Chris Rivers Maintains East Coast Flow Over West Coast Flavor With A Dr. Dre Beat (Video)

As thousands flock to movie theaters across the country to catch the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, fans are expressing their appreciation for the group, even those who are artists themselves. In his latest Friday freestyle, Chris Rivers channels the visual aesthetics of West Coast Hip-Hop flavor from the '90s,... Read more

August 14, 2015 Video

Chris Rivers & Sheek Louch Have Got It Made With Their Throwback Freestyles (Audio)

For the last several weeks, Chris Rivers and Sheek Louch have released rugged verses over throwback beats. Rivers has covered everyone from Black Moon to his father, Big Pun, and even tackled a LOX standout. Sheek has gone a bit more contemporary, with verses over Jay Rock, The Clipse and... Read more

August 7, 2015 Audio

Here’s a Playlist of the Best Hip-Hop of July 2015 (Audio)

July has traditionally been slow for Hip-Hop releases, but 2015 proved to be the exception. The month brought new music from a wide variety of artists and set the stage for a blockbuster August, with the return of Dr. Dre and Warren G. Here are the best Hip-Hop songs of... Read more

August 5, 2015 Mixes

Chris Rivers & Termanology Freestyle Over Classic Black Moon Heat (Audio)

In the latest of Chris Rivers' recent Friday deliveries, he and Termanology spit over Black Moon's 1993 cut "How Many MCs?" Produced by DJ Evil Dee & Mr. Walt of Da Beatminerz, the track is emblematic of the dungeony Hip-Hop that was emanating from Brownsville, Brooklyn at the time. More... Read more

July 24, 2015 Audio

Chris Rivers Diagnoses Mind Playing Tricks On Me With A Vibrant Concept Flip (Audio)

The same week Scarface reveals that he's putting Geto Boys album-reunion plans on ice, Chris Rivers approaches his weekly throwback freestyle, veering to Rap-A-Lot Records' biggest hit. Taking "Mind Playing Tricks On Me," the early twenty-something New Yorker flips the concept of the chorus to make the song about mental... Read more

July 17, 2015 Audio

Joell Ortiz, Chris Rivers, Bodega Bamz & Emilio Rojas Rep Their Cultural Pride on Latino Pt. 2 (Video)

Joell Ortiz revisits "Latino," the cultural pride anthem from his 2007 debut album, The Brick: Bodega Chronicles. On the updated 2015 version, he brings in fellow MCs Chris Rivers, Bodega Bamz and Emilio Rojas on an !LLmind production. The video for "Latinos Pt. 2" uses the New York City Puerto... Read more

July 14, 2015 Video

Big Pun’s Widow & Chris Rivers Offer Up The Real & Uncut Story of Life With Pun (Audio)

Fifteen years removed from Big Pun's death, there has been a lot of attention paid to one of Hip-Hop's greatest lyricists. The Bronx, New Yorker Terror Squad founder born Chris Rios has been survived by his wife, Liza Rios, and three children. The youngest, Christopher Rios (same name as his... Read more

July 11, 2015 Audio