demo ArchivesAmbrosia For Heads

Travel Back To The Early ’90s & Hear Casual Paint Hieroglyphics With Words On His Demo

A few years before there Mistah F.A.B. burst onto the scene, it was Casual who turned a Bay Area reputation for battling into a successful music career that has lasted ever since. "Smash Rockwell" continues to put in work with his Hieroglyphics crew, as Fear Itself approaches its 25th anniversary.... Read more

December 4, 2018 Throwback, Throwback

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

December 3, 2018 Throwback, Throwback

Nas’ Original Demo For “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” Left No Doubt He Would Prevail (Audio)

It's not uncommon for rappers to commence in their teens or even become famous in those years. Rakim was 19 when Paid In Full was released. LL Cool J was 17 when his debut arrived. Big Boi and André 3000 from OutKast were teens when they started, as was Joey... Read more

November 30, 2017 Do Remember, Throwback

The Pharcyde Release A Deluxe Edition Of Their Debut Album With 16 Bonus Songs (Audio)

Next week (November 24) marks 25 years since The Pharcyde released debut album Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde. With that milestone, a new "deluxe edition" box-set emerges to celebrate the gold-certified Delicious Vinyl LP with 16 bonus songs. Crate Recordings assembles the material, which is available for stream (below). The... Read more

November 13, 2017 Audio, News, Playlists

Dr. Dre & Nas Blow The Roof Off On Their Lost Collabo (Audio)

February of 2009 was an interesting time for Aftermath Entertainment. After taking 2008 off entirely (as far as albums), Eminem launched "Crack A Bottle." Released on Groundhog Day (February 2), the song put Dr. Dre, Eminem, and 50 Cent front and center. The self-proclaimed "3 Headed Monster" was back to... Read more

July 19, 2017 Audio

Holler If Ya Hear Me: A Look At Tupac’s Most Revolutionary Calls For Change

“Everything I do I do to represent my people. ” - Tupac Shakur, 1994 In his music, Tupac Shakur brilliantly blended the revolutionary messages of Public Enemy with the shock and awe approach of N.W.A. Shakur's catalog was built on a foundation of hard truths and upsetting the status quo.... Read more

June 16, 2017 Food for Thought

Camp Lo’s Debut Album Turns 20 Today. Hear The Demo That Got Them Uptown (Audio)

Today (January 28) marks the twentieth anniversary of Camp Lo's Uptown Saturday Night debut. The Profile Records LP was a carryover from the 1996 success of retro-flare single "Luchini (This Is It)." That track, produced by Ski Beatz (coming off his Jay Z Reasonable Doubt and Original Flavor waves) made... Read more

January 28, 2017 Throwback

Hear Unreleased Snippets From RZA & GZA Demos That Birthed The Wu-Tang Clan (Audio)

Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and GZA each had careers prior to 1993's game-changing Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). While GZA's February, 1991 Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros. Records release Words From The Genius garnered some hardcore interest, RZA (t/k/a Prince Rakeem) did not fare as well with his Tommy Boy Records maxi-single, Ooh,... Read more

October 14, 2016 Audio, Throwback

Chuck D Explains How Public Enemy #1 Was Made & Got Them Signed To Def Jam

Public Enemy has a litany of power-packed jams. 1987's "Public Enemy #1" is one of the singles that showcased the Long Island, New York collective as something different—in vocals, production, and command. Appearing in "Once Upon A Rhyme" for B-Real TV, Chuck D gives his Prophets Of Rage band-mate's platform... Read more

September 24, 2016 Video

Vinyl Archeologists Will Dig This 1995 Demo Of Cut Chemist Turntablism (Audio)

In late 1998, Los Angeles, California's Jurassic 5 burst on the scene with a self-titled EP. First released on the Pan imprint, the 37-minute project would eventually be re-released through Interscope Records, as part of the major label's commitment to Underground Hip-Hop, which also included Eminem and Planet Asia. That... Read more

July 2, 2016 Audio, Throwback, Throwback

Kanye West Not Only Produced This Consequence Hit, He Once Rapped On It (Audio)

In 2016, Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music is vastly different than it was in the last decade. Around the time 'Ye was gearing up for Graduation, completing his initial collegiate album trilogy, Getting Out Our Dreams boasted the likes of Common, John Legend, and GLC. Queens, New York MC Consequence was... Read more

June 27, 2016 Throwback

If Kool G Rap & DJ Polo Released This ’87 Demo Cut, Things May Be Way Different (Audio)

In 1986, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo (then, as "DJ Polo & Kool G Rap") made noise with "It's A Demo." The Cold Chillin'/Prism Records release was part of the mid-'80s unilateral attack that was The Juice Crew. G Rap joined MC Shan, Roxanne Shante, Biz Markie, Big Daddy... Read more

October 4, 2015 Throwback

Jay-Z’s Pre-Reasonable Doubt Demo Tape Surfaces, Ch-Check It Out (Audio)

Before he was regarded in Rap's most elite lyrical circles, and long before he was a sports agent, franchise owner, or mega-million executive, Jay-Z was just another rapper hungry for an opportunity. Before the Brooklyn, New Yorker would form his own Roc-A-Fella Records imprint with Dame Dash and Kareem Biggs,... Read more

January 15, 2015 Audio, Mixes, Throwback

Get A Closer Listen To The Sidewalk Rapper Kanye West Complimented (Audio)

Even Heads immune to daily paparazzi rundowns and celebrity gossip sites seemed to direct some interest to yesterday's (May 5) video footage of Kanye West listening to a street rapper deliver seemingly-endless bars while 'Ye walked the New York streets with spouse, Kim Kardashian. Headed home after a long night... Read more

May 6, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Questlove releases his demo reference track for the Beastie Boys Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tribute (Audio)

Back in April we got to see the Beastie Boys Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tribute that featured The Roots, Kid Rock and Travie McCoy. It turns out the whole performance was the brainchild of Questlove. In honor of MCA's recent birthday (Aug. 5), Quest decided to liberate the... Read more

August 13, 2012 Audio

The RZA (Bobby Digital) – Shock Me

Here's some previously unreleased music from The RZA. It's an old Bobby Digital demo. Check out Shock Me.... Read more

January 12, 2012 Audio

You’re All I Need–the prequel. Before Mary J. Blige blessed the track, Method Man held it down solo. Check out this demo version of his classic.

The essence is there, but it feels very different from the final version. His tempo is slower and more deliberate, the track is stripped down and there's a spoken exchange between some women at the end. Click here to download.... Read more

November 20, 2011 Audio