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Kurupt Details The Classic Death Row Songs That Began As Freestyles

For more than 20 years, core fans kept hope that the HRSMN might release an album. As one of Rap's earliest super-groups, the quartet composed of Kurupt, Ras Kass, Killah Priest, and Canibus hurdled label challenges, leaks, bootlegging, legal woes, and all that comes with four separate lives and careers.... Read more

DMX’s New Album Features Nas, JAY-Z, Griselda & More. Here’s The Tracklist

UPDATE: Swizz Beatz has released the full tracklist for DMX's Exodus album, which will be released on May 28, and it is even more star-studded than previously reported. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Swizz Beatz (@therealswizzz) Here is the full tracklist: 1. “That’s My Dog” feat.... Read more

DJ Quik Makes It Hot In Herre By Burning His Death Row Royalty Check

It has been 30 years since DJ Quik burst onto the music scene. The Compton, California triple-threat has supplied fans with a plethora of LPs, including three gold albums as well as his platinum 1991 debut, Quik Is The Name. However, after decades in the game and heralded work alongside... Read more

T Dot Eric Recalls Documenting The 1995 Source Awards Clash From The Front Row

Photographer T Dot Eric has taken some of the pictures that have defined how Hip-Hop thinks of its heroes. His work includes legendary flicks of Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, Big L, D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Gang Starr, De La Soul, and Black Star—only to name a few. T.... Read more

Dr. Dre Is Hospitalized After Suffering A Brain Aneurysm

Hip-Hop lost another legend in 2020. In the closing hours of the year, MF DOOM's wife and onetime record label, Rhymesayers Entertainment, confirmed that the man born Daniel Dumile passed away on October 31. No cause of death has been made public at this time. However, news of DOOM's death... Read more

Conway The Machine Collides With DJ Premier For Something That’s Nothin’ Less Than Dope

Last Friday (September 11), Conway The Machine released his third project of 2020. Following March's Alchemist-produced LULU and May's Ghost LTD-helmed No One Mourns The Wicked, the Buffalo, New Yorker steps forth with From A King To A God. In one of the busiest seasons in Hip-Hop history, Griselda continues the... Read more

Nick Cannon Responds To Eminem On A Diss Track Featuring Suge Knight (Audio)

UPDATE: Nick Cannon has released his second Eminem diss song in as many days. Following Monday's "The Invitation," Cannon and a team of MCs named The Black Squad double down with the "Renegade"-inspired "Pray For Him." "No you debate and hated and viewed in America as a motherf*cking dr*g addict... Read more

Dr. Dre Explains Why Eminem Was The Missing Link In Making 2001 (Video)

Twenty years ago today (November 16, 1999), Dr. Dre released his sophomore solo album, 2001. It became a benchmark album that book-ended a decade that the producer and rapper had fueled. Personally and musically, plenty had happened since The Chronic, which marked Dre's first album since leaving N.W.A. and Eazy-E.... Read more

The Game & Anderson .Paak’s Collaboration Is A New Westside Story (Video)

At the top of this month, The Game released a new single from what is billed to be his final album. Jayceon Taylor maintains the longstanding, bubbling chemistry with Anderson .Paak on "Stainless," which arrives ahead of November 29's Born 2 Rap. The lyrics to "Stainless" celebrate Game's career as... Read more

Snoop Dogg & Tupac Affiliate Bad Azz Has Passed Away At The Age Of 43

Long Beach, California representative Bad Azz has died, according to multiple sources including Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, and Kxng Crooked. The 43-year-old MC born Jamarr Antonio Stamps was heard on albums including Makaveli's Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Snoop Dogg Presents Tha Eastsidaz, and Christmas On Death Row. After... Read more

The Game Saves 1 Of His Best Songs For His Last Album

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads fight 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 its ever been. Not only are we able to... Read more

Death Row Records Is Now Owned By A Toy Company

In the early 1990s, Dr. Dre broke from N.W.A. and Ruthless Records. After five years of work with Eazy-E taking Gangsta Rap to the top of the charts, Dre wanted an imprint of his own. The producer for J.J. Fad, The D.O.C., Above The Law, and Michel'le moved across town.... Read more

Snoop Explains Why He Loves Suge Knight & How They Rebuilt Their Bond (Video)

Earlier this month, Snoop Dogg released his song, "Let Bygones Be Bygones" from his 17th solo album, I Wanna Thank Me. The 47-year-old Doggfather has been in a nostalgic spirit lately. More than 20 years after parting ways with the label, Snoop has been wearing his Death Row Records medallion,... Read more

Snoop Dogg Celebrates Suge Knight On A Song About Forgiveness & Respect

Snoop Dogg has just released what is perhaps the most anticipated song from his upcoming I Wanna Thank Me album. Last week, the Long Beach, California veteran released a "Countdown" video with Swizz Beatz modeled after his breakthrough smash hit, 1992's "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang." With Swizzy's rendition of G-Funk,... Read more

Snoop Dogg Teams Up With Swizz Beatz. It’s Nuthin’ But A G-Funk Thang (Video)

Snoop Dogg is gearing up for his 17th solo album amidst one of Rap's busiest and most extensive careers. Reportedly titled I Wanna Thank Me, the upcoming release is said to feature a song about one of Dogg's mentors, Suge Knight. While Snoop famously clapped back at verbal attacks and... Read more

A New Video Shows Tupac’s Death Through The Eyes Of His Killer

Nearly 23 years ago, on September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight watched as Mike Tyson defeated Bruce Seldon in the 1st Round by technical knockout. Moments after the fight ended, the superstar rapper who had become Death Row Records' flagship act and the record label's CEO were caught... Read more

DJ Quik Recalls Making Tupac’s All Eyez On Me & The Advice Dr. Dre Gave Him (Video)

DJ Quik and Hi-C recently appeared on Los Angeles, California's KDAY radio station. The Compton, California natives who have a long collaborative history spoke to host Romeo about the shows they have been doing together in the Midwest. Quik also praised the upcoming Suga Free album that he worked on.... Read more

Do Remember The Lady Of Rage Rocking The Mic Rough With Her Afro Puffs (Video)

It was a monumental year when Dr. Dre released The Chronic on his Death Row Records imprint in 1992. The multi-platinum album was a street sensation that marked a new era of Rap. It delivered G-Funk to the mainstream, with videos that displayed the laid back vibes, set against menacing... Read more

Kxng Crooked Is Brutally Honest About The Breakup Of Slaughterhouse (Video)

Today (March 15), Drink Champs released its episode with Xzibit. Notably, another Southern California-based lyricist also guested on the show. Kxng Crooked (aka Crooked I) joined N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN's round-table alongside Mr. X-To-The-Z. In a two-hour discussion, the show played host to some of Crook's most revealing thoughts surrounding... Read more

One Of G-Funk’s Most Important Producers Has Passed Away

Music producer and keyboardist Emanuel Dean died on Monday (February 4). The man Dean called his best friend, Tha Dogg Pound's Daz Dillinger, confirmed the passing on social media. A native of Oklahoma, Dean significantly contributed to at least two hits on Snoop Dogg's 1993 debut, Doggystyle. Specifically, Dean and... Read more

KXNG Crooked Puts His LBC Roots On Display & Tells The Story Of His Come-Up

KXNG Crooked is in the midst of reviving his "Hip-Hop Weekly" series. It is happening more than a decade after the online series was an inflection point in Crook's independent career. While many people associate the MC with Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, and Royce 5'9, the artist formerly known as... Read more

DJ Quik Says Suge Knight Had Diddy’s Child’s Mother In His Room After The Source Awards

On August 3, 1995, that year's Source Awards took place at Madison Square Gardens' Paramount Theater. The event is seismic in Rap music history, as it marks the shots heard 'round, disses from the podium at the magazine's event. In the aftermath of the situation, for those in attendance and... Read more

Vic Mensa Says Biggie Knew Who Shot Pac & Suge Knew Who Shot Big In A Fiery Freestyle

As has been the case throughout the last five years, Vic Mensa had a busy 2018. The Chicagoan showed no signs of slowing down or taking a pause this year, both in terms of making music and staying in some headlines. Mensa released Hooligans on Roc Nation. The eight-song release... Read more

Suge Knight Describes The Night Tupac Was Shot & Retraces Their Route Step By Step

The night of September 7, 1996 changed history forever. Mike Tyson defeated Bruce Seldon in a WBA championship fight that lasted less than two minutes. He entered the ring to a song by friend Tupac Shakur, who attended the MGM event seated beside manager and employer Suge Knight. After the... Read more

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

A New Documentary Shows How Suge Knight’s American Dream Became His Nightmare

This September, Marion "Suge" Knight was sentenced to 28 years behind bars for the killing of music executive Terry Carter. For the Compton, California native, it was the stiffest punishment in a career that has marred by incarcerations, legal roadblocks, and a very public fall from power. Twenty-five years ago,... Read more

Hear The Original Version Of California Love & It’s Nuthin’ But A Dre Thang

UPDATE: The same version through an alternate upload has been added. ORIGINAL STORY: When Tupac Shakur got out of prison in late 1995, he boarded a private jet and went straight to Death Row Records' Can-Am Studios in Tarzana, California. After pausing for dinner at Monty's Steakhouse with his new... Read more

Comedian AJ Johnson Explains How Spoofing Eazy-E Caused A Serious Problem (Video)

Actor Anthony "A.J." Johnson has had memorable roles in films such as Friday, House Party, and Master P's I Got The Hook Up, among others. From Compton, California, the comedian who had appeared in the first and third House Party film was used in the early 1990s beef between Dr.... Read more

Apple Rejects Dr. Dre’s Television Show Due To Excessive Violence

Two and a half years ago, Dr. Dre announced plans to tell his life story through a series in partnership with Apple. The show, titled Vital Signs, began pre-production less than three years after Apple's 2014 acquisition of Beats By Dre for a reported $1 billion. In addition to producing, Vital... Read more

Suge Knight To Serve 25 Years In Prison For The Killing Of Terry Carter (Video)

Suge Knight has spent more than a third of the last 20 years behind bars. He will now likely spend all of his next 20 in the same place. Today (September 20), the co-founder of Death Row Records and onetime manager of Dr. Dre, Tupac, DJ Quik, and others accepted... Read more

Jay Electronica Threatens Eminem For Saying Puffy Had Tupac Killed

Earlier today (September 14) Eminem sent shock waves through the Rap community with his latest MGK diss, "Killshot." The second Em offensive aimed at the Cleveland, Ohio rapper in the last three Fridays was in response to the Bad Boy Records artist's "Rap Devil," a scathing reply to Slim Shady's... Read more

Kurupt Explains How He & DMX Made Peace 20 Years After Their Beef Over Foxy Brown (Video)

Two years after the Tupac and Biggie Smalls beef came to a screeching and tragic halt, tensions lingered between East and West Coast Rap communities. At the center of a 1999 beef was Kurupt—whose role in 1995's "New York, New York" helped escalate a feud to begin with. While the... Read more

Anderson .Paak’s New Album Will Have A Beat By Madlib & Dr. Dre

On Anderson .Paak's Grammy-nominated 2016 Malibu album, the Oxnard, California singer, MC, producer, and drummer worked with a who's who of great Hip-Hop producers. 9th Wonder shared production billing on the debut double-single "The Season / Carry Me" with Callum Connor. "Room In Here" was handled by Pac Div's Like,... Read more

The D.O.C. Sings Beautifully In A Video That Shows Anything Is Possible.

For decades, Hip-Hop Heads have known that The D.O.C. has a golden pen. The Dallas, Texas native MC is credited with writing songs and lyrics for Dr. Dre and other artists on Death Row and Ruthless Records. However, in the 1980s, the artist born Tracy Curry was a rapper with... 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

The Lady Of Rage Details The Serious Health Issues She’s Been Facing

Veteran MC and actress, The Lady Of Rage, has been battling some serious health issues this year. Over the weekend (August 4), the onetime Dr. Dre protege told the public just what has led to some concert cancellations in addition to pain and uncertainty in the Farmville, Virginia native's life.... Read more

J. Prince Reveals How He & Mike Dean Got Dr. Dre’s Secret Production Formula (Video)

From the somber swing of Scarface’s The Diary to the flamboyant complement to JAY-Z & Kanye West's Watch The Throne, Grammy Award-winning producer, mixer, engineer, and musician Mike Dean has been a versatile sound provider for 25 years. Few creators can do as much as Mike in the genre, across... Read more

Warren G’s Documentary Trailer Shows How The G-Funk Era Is Forever (Video)

Nearly a year and a half ago, Warren G's G-Funk documentary made waves at the 2017 South By Southwest Film Festival. A partnership with filmmaker Karam Gill, the movie examines how a sub-genre of Hip-Hop largely credited to Warren, half-brother Dr. Dre, as well as an artists and producers such... Read more

Snoop Claims Biggie Tried To Have Him Shot & Explains How They Made Peace (Video)

While Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls had the most storied and ultimately tragic Rap beef in history, there were other moments that greatly defined a coastal conflict between the Death Row and Bad Boy labels. In 1995, there was a shooting in Red Hook, Brooklyn while Tha Dogg Pound and... Read more

Westside Connection’s Biggest Hit Was Almost Jacked By Dr. Dre

A dozen years before Slaughterhouse formed, Westside Connection was one of Hip-Hop's super-groups. Following a run of acclaimed solo albums and hit movie success, Ice Cube merged with longtime associate WC and protege, Mack 10. The Connect-Gang formed, with The M.A.A.D. Circle's DJ Crazy Toones (Dub's brother) coming along behind... Read more

A New Film Will Show The Conspiracy & Cover Up Of Who Shot Biggie (Video)

Yesterday (May 21), The Notorious B.I.G. would have turned 46 years old. Due to violence and tragedy, that never got to happen. On March 9, 1997, 24-year-old Christopher Wallace was fatally shot in a drive-by outside The Peterson Auto Museum in Los Angeles, California. While Biggie's murder remains unsolved, there... Read more

Dr. Dre’s Detox Was Very Real. This Newly Leaked Chronic 3 Song Is Proof (Audio)

Last week, Heads got the latest peek at some of Dr. Dre's storied Detox recordings. A medley of short snippets posted online by an anonymous user. They are believed to be some of the mogul's vaulted sessions to a third album in the Chronic trilogy. One of those songs was especially... Read more

Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.’s The Godfather Ted Has Passed Away

The Godfather (aka Ted Devoux) was a founding member and band-leader of Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. with his brothers. This weekend, the group confirmed that the artist also formerly known as Samoan Godfather has died. The details and cause of Godfather's death have not been made public at this time. He is... Read more

Daz Dillinger Says He Produced Some Of The Classics Credited To Dr. Dre & Names Them (Video)

In the mid-1990s, Daz Dillinger became an elite music producer. In addition to a heavy hand in his Dogg Pound group with Kurupt, the Long Beach, California representative laced high-profile tracks for Tupac Shakur's chart-topping All Eyez On Me, as well as tracks for Snoop Dogg, WC, C-Murder, and Nate... Read more

TDE’s President Makes A Compelling Argument For Why Cardi B Is Like Tupac

Cardi B released her major label debut album, Invasion Of Privacy, last Friday (April 6). Within hours, the Bronx, New York rapper achieved gold certification for the Atlantic Records LP featuring YG, Chance The Rapper, Migos, and SZA, among others. In the days ahead the music industry will see if... Read more

Tupac Hit Up Many More People Than Biggie In His Original Makaveli Liner Notes

Tupac was not alive for the release of his fifth solo album, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. However, he was promoting and working on the LP at the time of his September 13, 1996 death. Fresh off the success of double-album, All Eyez On Me, Tupac wrote and... Read more

Coolio Explains Why His Tupac Collaboration Was Deliberately Erased (Video)

In the mid-1990s, two of the biggest stars in music were rappers, Coolio and Tupac Shakur. At the 38th Grammy Awards in February of 1996, the two men competed for "Best Rap Solo Performance." Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" took the trophy home, while Tupac's "Dear Mama" joined singles by Biggie, Dr.... Read more

Kurupt Recalls Snatching The “New York, New York” Beat Back From Biggie

In September of 1995, Tha Dogg Pound released the first single from their debut album, Dogg Food. "New York, New York" proved to be a controversial record, even if it is rooted in a 1983 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five single. The '95 Death Row Records version arrived five... Read more

Snoop Dogg Tells Martin Lawrence How Much His Show Meant To Hip-Hop (Video)

Martin Lawrence is the latest guest on Snoop Dogg's GGN show. The two longtime friends enjoy a half-hour discussion about The Mack and the African American College Alliance clothing brand while revisiting some of Lawrence's films. A majority of the chat is devoted to Martin, Lawrence's 1990s FOX series. Notably, Snoop Dogg... Read more