death ArchivesAmbrosia For Heads

Mac Miller’s Drug Dealer Sentenced To More Than 10 Years In Prison

It has been nearly three-and-a-half years since Mac Miller died of an overdose. On September 7, 2018, the MC/producer/singer was found unresponsive in his California home. One of the people who supplied Malcolm McCormick with the drugs that killed him was sentenced today (April 18). Ryan Michael Reavis appeared in... Read more

April 18, 2022 News

Andre 3000’s Most Personal Verse Has Been Liberated

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads sift 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, it’s better than it’s ever been. Not only can we go back and listen... Read more

November 15, 2021 Audio

Andre 3000’s Most Personal Verse Ever May Never Be Released

Andre 3000's rapping remains a big deal. Last month marked 15 years since OutKast's sixth and final album, Idlewild. Since then, Andre Benjamin has carefully picked his spots to share his talent. Even without albums in that time, for many Hip-Hop Heads, he has cemented place among Rap's greatest of... Read more

September 14, 2021 Video

Pop Smoke Has Been Shot And Killed During Home Invasion

Twenty-year-old rapper Pop Smoke was reportedly killed this morning (February 19). Per developing reports, the Brooklyn, New York native born Bashar Jackson was fatally shot at a Hollywood Hills, California home that he had been renting. TMZ reports that two men wearing masks and hoodies unlawfully entered the home, an... Read more

February 19, 2020 News

Bushwick Bill Has Passed Away At The Age Of 52. His Family Confirms.

The Hip-Hop community is mourning the loss of Geto Boys member Bushwick Bill (aka Richard Shaw). Earlier this year, the Jamaican-born, Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York-raised MC was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Although a premature announcement was widely circulated this morning (June 9), according to TMZ, the veteran dancer-turned-rapping... Read more

June 9, 2019 News

Some Of Hip-Hop’s Top MCs Mourn Philadelphia Battle Rapper Tech 9

The Hip-Hop community is mourning the death of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Battle Rap veteran Tech 9 (aka Akeen Mickens). He is survived by a daughter. Details are still forthcoming in this developing story. “Sadly it’s true. We lost a Philadelphia and Battle Rap legend and pioneer,” fellow competitive MC Buttah Madison... Read more

March 25, 2019 News

Heavily Sampled Hall Of Fame Songwriter Galt MacDermot Passes Away At 89

Galt MacDermot has died at the age of 89 today (December 17). It was one day before his 90th birthday. Although family members confirmed the news, according to Rolling Stone, a cause of death has not been made public. The Montreal, Quebec native may be best remembered as the composer of... Read more

December 17, 2018 News

A New Documentary Investigates Who Killed Jam Master Jay. See The Trailer

Sixteen years ago, Run-D.M.C. co-founder Jam Master Jay (aka Jason Mizell) was murdered in his Queens, New York studio. He was just 37 years old. The murder remains unsolved. A new documentary by Brian Oakes (Abstract: The Art Of Design, Jim: The James Foley Story) aims to take a closer... Read more

December 6, 2018 TV/Film, Video

Kim Porter, Mother Of 3 Children With Puff Daddy, Has Been Found Dead

For much of the 1990s and 2000s, Kim Porter was Puff Daddy's companion. They have three children together. Today (November 15), the 47-year-old Columbus, Georgia native was found dead in her Toluca Lake, California home. A representative for Kim Porter confirmed the news and asked for privacy for the family.... Read more

November 15, 2018 News

Mac Miller’s Cause Of Death Has Been Revealed

Just less than two months ago (September 7), MC/producer Mac Miller died at the age of 26 in his Studio City, California residence. The native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania had recently released his fifth album Swimming, a body of work that he made with J. Cole, Jon Brion, Tae Beast, and... Read more

November 5, 2018 News

Mac Miller Was A Shining Example To All That Authenticity Always Triumphs

“Like how could he go? He was part lion.” That lyric, pulled from Mac Miller’s 2013 track “REMember,” was a heartfelt inquiry addressed to the universe. How, at such a young age of 20-years-old and a future so bright, could it be possible for his dear friend Ruben Eli Mitrani to... Read more

September 12, 2018 Food for Thought

J. Cole’s Tearful Tribute To Mac Miller Becomes A Message To Everybody Suffering (Video)

News of Mac Miller's passing on Friday (September 7) has shaken the music world far beyond the Rap community. Meanwhile, just about everyone in Hip-Hop has paid tribute in some way to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native. Perhaps one of the most emotional and vivid of the tributes was made by... Read more

September 10, 2018 Video

Mac Miller Has Passed Away At The Age Of 26

The Hip-Hop community is mourning the death of Mac Miller. The 26-year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania MC and producer born Malcolm James McCormick was pronounced dead by first responders today (September 7) at Miller's San Fernando Valley, California home according to TMZ. Sources told the publication that the death appears to be... Read more

September 7, 2018 News

The 1st Peak At The Trayvon Martin Film Is A Powerful Look At The Movement He Launched

JAY-Z is in the midst of promoting his joint album EVERYTHING IS LOVE with his wife Beyoncé. The couple is currently on their On The Run 2 Tour this summer. However, at the same time, the legendary Brooklyn, New York MC is continuing his political initiatives to spread awareness of... Read more

July 3, 2018 TV, TV/Film, Video

DJ Muggs & DOOM Tease Their Upcoming EP With A Banger Featuring Freddie Gibbs (Audio)

When it comes to collaboration tracks and albums with artists, there is a high percentage rate that Heads will get a quality product when DJ Muggs, MF DOOM, or Freddie Gibbs are involved in the effort. The stakes have been raised even more for a hardcore rapper's delight as these three... Read more

June 22, 2018 Audio

Big T, Of “Wanna Be A Baller” Fame, Has Passed Away At Age 52

Big T, born Terence Glen Prejean, never became a household name as a Rap and singing artist. However, it is his part in 1998's "Wanna Be A Baller" that is seemingly the best known. On Monday (May 7), Prejean died in an area hospital at age 52. While his official... Read more

May 9, 2018 News

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

April 29, 2018 News

Chuck Freeze Of Early 1980s Rap Group Jazzy 5 Has Passed Away At Age 54

Bronx, New York native MC Chuck Freeze has died. Born Charles Foushee, the founding member of the Jazzy 5 was found unconscious and unresponsive Sunday (April 1) in his Hollis, Queens residence. According to The New York Daily News, he was pronounced dead by emergency responders shortly after arrival. Freeze... Read more

April 5, 2018 News

Anticon Co-Founder & MC/Producer Alias Has Passed Away At The Age Of 41

Alias, a producer, MC, and founding member of the independent Hip-Hop collective Anticon, has died. The producer born Brendon Whitney passed away March 30 from a heart attack, according to friend and collaborator, Sage Francis. Alias was 41 years old. Anticon's social media accounts later confirmed the news. A product... Read more

March 31, 2018 News

Murs Drops One Of The Realest & Most Personal Songs Of 2018 (Video)

Less than one week ago, Murs and producer Michael "Seven" Summer released A Strange Journey Into The Unimaginable. The Los Angeles, California native has unloaded several singles and visuals from one of his best albums in a sprawling, dynamic, and highly-impressive catalog. One of the most striking moments of the... Read more

March 21, 2018 Video

Murs Says Hip-Hop Can’t Be Dead If Wu-Tang Is Forever & He’s Still Rapping (Video)

In celebration of his 40th birthday (March 16), Murs drops his latest solo album, A Strange Journey Into The Unimaginable with Strange Music. The project is exclusively produced by longtime Tech N9ne producer Michael "Seven" Summers. Leading up to today, ("Murs 3/16"), the Los Angeles, California veteran MC has leaked... Read more

March 16, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Erick Sermon Reveals The Real Reason Craig Mack Did Not Join The Bad Boy Reunion Tour

On March 12, MC Craig Mack died at the age of 47 (earlier reports listed his age as 46). The Bronx-born, Long Island-raised artist who used his real name on records deceased from what coroner's declared as natural causes at his home in Walterboro, South Carolina. Other sources close to... Read more

March 14, 2018 Food for Thought

Delicious Vinyl Co-Founder & Hit Producer Matt Dike Has Passed Away At Age 55

UPDATE: While the news of Matt Dike's death was revealed to the public yesterday (March 13), the music executive, producer, and DJ is confirmed to have died in mid-January. A report in The Los Angeles Times, which claims Dike was 56 (other sources, including Delicious Vinyl's obituary, suggest he was... Read more

March 13, 2018 News

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

Murs Celebrates The MCs & Books That Taught Him He Is Powerful (Audio)

Murs is roughly six weeks away from his upcoming album, A Strange Journey Into The Unimaginable. Releasing on the veteran MC's March 16 birthday, the LP is a full collaboration with Missouri-based producer Michael "Seven" Summers, known for producing some of Tech N9ne's most celebrated work. The Strange Music album... Read more

January 29, 2018 Audio, Video

Chicago Rapper Fredo Santana Has Died At The Age Of 27

Fredo Santana has become one of Chicago, Illinois' emerging voices. He was active in his city's 2010s movement and also worked with Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Migos, Juelz Santana, and his cousin Chief Keef throughout his seven-plus-year career. This morning (January 20), sources including Drake have reacted to the reported death... Read more

January 20, 2018 News

Poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, Earl Sweatshirt’s Father, Has Died

UPDATE: Earl Sweatshirt mourned his father publicly with a photo and poem in a tweet. He also thanked fans for their support: thank yall for your thoughts and love pic.twitter.com/qhualj0fjL— thebe kgositsile (@earlxsweat) January 4, 2018 ORIGINAL JANUARY 3 STORY: Keorapetse Kgositsile, father of MC, producer, and DJ Earl Sweatshirt,... Read more

January 3, 2018 News

Murs’ New Video Is For Those Who Are Down & Cannot Get Into The Holiday Season

Murs is not new to putting his life into his art. On those early DIY albums, the Los Angeles, California MC pulled no punches when talking about violence in the streets, the perils of love, or his frustrations with less-deserving rappers always getting more looks. Down the line, 2015's Have... Read more

December 22, 2017 Video

Hip-Hop Podcast Pioneer, Author & Attorney Combat Jack Has Passed Away

Reggie "Combat Jack" Ossé has died. This morning (December 20), the Hip-Hop community learns that we have lost a true champion of culture. Several sources close to the Brooklyn, New Yorker confirmed the news. In October, the father of four publicly revealed that he was diagnosed with colon cancer during... Read more

December 20, 2017 News

DOOM Mourns The Death Of His 14-Year-Old Son

UPDATE (12/31/20): MF DOOM has passed away. In a developing story, the legendary MC's wife and record label have revealed that he died in late October. The man born Daniel Dumile leaves behind a rich legacy as a top lyricist, innovative producer, and one of Hip-Hop history's best comeback stories.... Read more

December 18, 2017 News

RZA Believes ODB’s Death Could Have Been Prevented & Regrets Not Doing More To Save Him (Video)

RZA stopped by the brand new Touré Show this week in what inevitably evolved into one of the more transparent and insightful discussions of the iconic Wu-Tang Abbott’s recent past. Touré's podcast, which just launched on November 15, focuses on diving into the mindsets and paths of accomplishment of various celebrated and successful individuals.... Read more

November 22, 2017 Exclusive, Last 7, Video

Dancer For Many Classic Hip-Hop Videos, Voodoo Ray, Has Passed Away At Age 50

Throughout the decades, Voodoo Ray (born Raymond Ultarte) brought the dance moves he displayed in New York City clubs in the 1980s to some of Hip-Hop culture's more memorable late 1990s videos. Formerly known as Boogie Ray, Ultarte's dancing eventually went on to appear in visuals such as Run-D.M.C. &... Read more

October 18, 2017 News

Doughboyz Cashout Member Roc Shot & Killed In Detroit

Yesterday (October 9) Doughboy Roc of CTE-affiliated group Doughboyz Cashout was fatally shot in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. The veteran rapper born Rodney Yeargin was 29 years old. Reports from the local CBS affiliate claim that Roc was fired upon while sitting in a car at Stoepel Street and... Read more

October 10, 2017 News

Sean Price & Masta Killa Are Rap Royalty On A 9th Wonder Production (Audio)

Sean Price and Wu-Tang Clan were frequent collaborators throughout the legendary Boot Camp Clik MC's career. "Donkey Sean" has shared verses with prominent and affiliate members of Wu on a total of 12 released tracks since 1998. On Masta Killa's "Down For Me," the latest single for the Wu member's... Read more

September 27, 2017 Audio

Keak Da Sneak Recovering From Shooting, Upgraded To Stable Condition

UPDATE: After being shot yesterday (August 21), rapper Keak Da Sneak has been upgraded to stable condition. Still hospitalized, the Oakland, California veteran MC underwent surgery following a Monday morning shooting in Richmond, California. The East Bay Times reports that the 39-year-old member of 3X Krazy was found on the... Read more

August 22, 2017 News

Linkin Park Singer Chester Bennington Found Dead At Age 41

Chester Bennington was a writer, vocalist and eventual guitarist for band Linkin Park during their five consecutive #1 albums. Today (July 20), Bennington has been confirmed dead. The 41-year-old Phoenix, Arizona native was found hanging in his California home after an apparent suicide. For the Hip-Hop community, Bennington is remembered... Read more

July 20, 2017 News

2 Live Crew’s Fresh Kid Ice Has Died At Age 53

After more than 34 years in Hip-Hop, 2 Live Crew founding member and author Fresh Kid Ice died yesterday morning (July 12) in Miami, Florida. The MC and artist born Christopher Wong Won was 53 years old at the time of his death. TMZ confirmed the news after speaking with... Read more

July 13, 2017 News

Wu-Tang Clan Pay Respects To Prodigy & Vow To Preserve His Legacy (Video)

In the early 1990s, Mobb Deep and Wu-Tang Clan were symbolic brothers in arms for rugged Hip-Hop music and attitudes. Eventually, Loud Records label-mates, the two New York City Rap collectives began collaborating at a time when both crews were mostly keeping things in-house. Raekwon and Ghostface Killah would appear... Read more

June 28, 2017 Video

Mobb Deep’s Havoc Speaks About His Devastation Over Losing Prodigy (Video)

This week will go down as one of the hardest of 2017 for the Hip-Hop community, as it brought the unexpected and tragic death of Prodigy from Mobb Deep. Together, with his musical partner Havoc, the Queens MC was one of the most influential artists in defining Rap's New York... Read more

June 24, 2017 Video

Prodigy From Mobb Deep Has Passed Away At Age 42

According to Nas and figures across Hip-Hop, rapper Prodigy (aka Albert Johnson) has died today (June 20). The co-founder of Mobb Deep was 42 years old in a career that includes music, books, and acting. Details are still emerging for the Queens, New York native's death. Per a TMZ report,... Read more

June 20, 2017 News

U.T.F.O. Member Jeffrey “The Educated Rapper” Campbell Has Passed Away

Founding U.T.F.O. MC The Educated Rapper died yesterday (June 3) after a long battle with cancer. He was believed to be 54 years old. The man born Jeffrey Campbell formed the Brooklyn, New York Hip-Hop group in the early 1980s, and worked extensively on the 1985 eponymous album. The Educated... Read more

June 4, 2017 News

Aesop Rock Mourns A Fallen MC & Spits Personal Bars Of Pain (Video)

Nine years ago today (May 25, 2008), MC/producer Camu Tao (aka Tero Smith) died after a battle with lung cancer. At a time when his solo career was gaining strong traction, the Columbus, Ohio native was a linchpin to The Weathermen, MHz, S.A. Smash, Nighthawks groups and El-P's Definitive Jux... Read more

May 25, 2017 Video

Rock & Roll Pioneer Chuck Berry Has Passed Away

Chuck Berry is the man many associate with the pioneering of and early popularity surrounding Rock & Roll music. Today (March 18), the key innovator of modern music has died. Chuck Berry passed in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. He was 90 years old. The cause of his death... Read more

March 18, 2017 News

“The Funky Drummer” Clyde Stubblefield Has Passed Away

If James Brown is the architect of Hip-Hop, then drummer Clyde Stubblefield may very be his builder. The man Questlove calls "The Funkiest Drummer of All Time" has died today (February 18). He was 73 years old, and passed away from kidney failure. Clyde was an integral part of James... Read more

February 18, 2017 News

What The Ohio Players’ & P-Funk’s Junie Morrison Meant To Hip-Hop (Audio)

Yesterday (February 16) Rock & Roll Hall of Fame musician/producer Walter "Junie" Morrison died. The Dayton, Ohio native was a critical part of the Ohio Players band as keyboardist, vocalist, and producer. Joining the veteran outfit in 1970, he was on hand for some of the band's most memorable work,... Read more

February 17, 2017 News

Producer David Axelrod Has Passed Away. He Leaves Massive Legacy In Hip-Hop.

This evening (February 5), it has been reported that David Axelrod has died. The Roots' Questlove took to social media moments ago to announce the death of iconic music producer, songwriter, and arranger. A native of South Central Los Angeles, California, Axelrod's own music, as well as his productions for... Read more

February 5, 2017 News

Remember Rap-A-Lot Mainstay Mr. 3-2 Through This Golden 1989 Single (Audio)

Last November 10, rapper Mr. 3-2 (aka Christopher Barriere) was killed at a Houston gas station. As a member of The Convicts, Blac Monks, and Screwed Up Click, 3-2 played a pivotal role in Texas Hip-Hop throughout the 1990s and 2000s, especially J. Prince's Rap-A-Lot Records. In that time, he... Read more

January 29, 2017 Throwback

WorldStarHipHop Founder Lee “Q” O’Denat Has Passed Away At Age 43

The Hip-Hop community has learned that one of its digital moguls has died. Lee O'Denat, better known as Q is reported dead by TMZ. The 43 year-old passed away in his sleep, and was discovered this morning (January 24). The Haitian-American O'Denat was raised in the same Hollis, Queens community... Read more

January 24, 2017 News

Taxstone Arrested After DNA Discovered On Weapon In Troy Ave Shooting

Last May 25, Ronald "Banga" McPhatter was killed backstage at New York City's Irving Plaza. The fatal incident took place during a concert headlined by T.I. Troy Ave, one of the guest performers (along with Anderson .Paak, Maino, and Uncle Murda) and a close friend and reported employer of McPhatter,... Read more

January 17, 2017 News

E-40 Says Tupac Had An Album Ready For When He Died (Video)

Fans of Tupac Shakur know that the enigmatic MC often contemplated his own death in his songs, videos and interviews. On records like "No More Pain," from All Eyez On Me, he scoffed at his demise, with lines like "my only fear of death is reincarnation." For other songs, like... Read more

January 3, 2017 Video