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Amp Fiddler, Detroit Legend & J Dilla Mentor, Has Passed Away

Amp Fiddler, Detroit Legend & J Dilla Mentor, Has Passed Away

This morning (December 18), the music world has learned that Detroit, Michigan music pioneer Amp Fiddler has died at the age of 65. The artist, musician, and producer born Joseph Anthony Fiddler is known for his years as a member of both Parliament and Funkadelic, a collaborator of Prince, as... Read more
December 18, 2023 News, Trending Stories
Boldy James Is In Recovery After A Serious Car Accident

Boldy James Is In Recovery After A Serious Car Accident

In recent years, veteran Detroit, Michigan MC Boldy James has been leveling up. After more than a decade in the Rap game, Boldy has made some of his best material at a prolific rate. 2020's The Price Of Tea In China alongside Alchemist was named among Ambrosia For Heads' best... Read more
January 14, 2023 News
J. Dilla’s Life Story Has Been Told Like Never Before

J. Dilla’s Life Story Has Been Told Like Never Before

February is widely celebrated among Hip-Hop Heads as a month dedicated to J Dilla. James Yancey was born February 7, 1974, and passed just after his 32nd birthday on February 10. Traditionally, there are concerts and events around the globe honoring the producer/MC who co-founded Slum Village, JayLib, J-88, The... Read more
February 2, 2022 Video
With Help From Eminem & Royce, Big Sean’s New Album Is Still Detroit Vs. Everybody

With Help From Eminem & Royce, Big Sean’s New Album Is Still Detroit Vs. Everybody

Last Friday (September 4), Big Sean released his fifth album, Detroit 2. One day before the eighth birthday of his 2012 mixtape that launched the series, the G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Records LP is another ensemble affair. Like the freebie, Royce 5'9" offers some big-brother-support from Detroit. Meanwhile, Eminem, Lil Wayne,... Read more
September 7, 2020 Audio, Fresh
Nick Cannon Responds To Eminem On A Diss Track Featuring Suge Knight (Audio)

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
December 10, 2019 Audio
Black Thought Details Making The Roots’ “New Years @ Jay Dee’s” Collaboration With Dilla

Black Thought Details Making The Roots’ “New Years @ Jay Dee’s” Collaboration With Dilla

The Roots have released an expanded edition of Things Fall Apart in honor of the album's 20th-anniversary. The 1999 LP that connected the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania band with their first taste of Grammy gold was recently performed at this year's Roots Picnic. Album collaborators such as Mos Def (aka Yasiin Bey),... Read more
September 27, 2019 Throwback, Video
Eminem’s 1st Griselda Collaboration Starts With A Bang Alongside Conway (Audio)

Eminem’s 1st Griselda Collaboration Starts With A Bang Alongside Conway (Audio)

It has been more than two years since Eminem inked a partnership with Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine, and their Griselda Records family. The March 2017 announcement followed with a Hall N' Nash (Wes' and Con's duo name) song produced by Just Blaze, "MachineGun Back." The Detroit/Buffalo connection continued... Read more
July 19, 2019 Audio
Black Milk Is Evolving. His Latest Song Shows Where He’s Heading (Audio)

Black Milk Is Evolving. His Latest Song Shows Where He’s Heading (Audio)

Last year, Detroit producer/MC Black Milk released his seventh studio album, FEVER, marking his first full length project since 2014's, If There's A Hell Below. In an already acclaimed career, the Computer Ugly/Mass Appeal Records LP was received as some Black Milk's best work to date, including a spot on... Read more
July 13, 2019 Audio
Nolan The Ninja Cuts To The Front Of His Class With His Mello Music Debut (Audio)

Nolan The Ninja Cuts To The Front Of His Class With His Mello Music Debut (Audio)

Detroit, Michigan MC/producer Nolan The Ninja is at the forefront of Motown's Underground Hip-Hop scene. Along with his partner-in-crime A-Minus, and contemporaries like battle cat Ty Farris, the reinvented Bang Belushi, RSXGLD’s Ro Spit, and more, he is leading the charge of a hardcore brand of Rap coming out of... Read more
April 23, 2019 Audio
A New Book Will Explain How J Dilla Re-Invented Rhythm & Changed Music

A New Book Will Explain How J Dilla Re-Invented Rhythm & Changed Music

Today (February 7) marks J Dilla's birthday. The iconic producer, MC, and DJ would have turned 45 years old. Tragically, the incredible artist born James Yancey passed away on February 10, 2006, days after his birthday and the release of acclaimed instrumental Hip-Hop album, Donuts. However, his music, impact, and... Read more
February 7, 2019 Exclusive
Eminem Will Show The Real 8 Mile In His Virtual Reality Documentary

Eminem Will Show The Real 8 Mile In His Virtual Reality Documentary

Even as a musical superstar, Eminem has remained rooted in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. His home is there, and his recording studio is there, where many of the artists on his label record. Although historically out of the traditional celebrity lifestyle, Eminem is regularly in attendance at the city's... Read more
January 23, 2019 TV/Film, Video
Jay Rock & Tee Grizzley Rep’ Different Regions But Come From Similar Circumstances

Jay Rock & Tee Grizzley Rep’ Different Regions But Come From Similar Circumstances

Jay Rock's Redemption offered 13 tracks of street-certified wisdom. The Watts, California native and longstanding TDE linchpin has released videos for nine of those songs. In the midst of that championship run, Eastside Johnny is back again with new music, and a video to match. This time, Rock calls upon... Read more
November 28, 2018 Video
Page Kennedy’s Video Shows A Toxic Relationship & It’s All Too Real

Page Kennedy’s Video Shows A Toxic Relationship & It’s All Too Real

Page Kennedy dropped his Same Page, Different Story album back on August 10 and ever since, he's been steadily supporting the release with visuals. Last month, the Detroit, Michigan MC released a video for his song "No Cosign" during which he described the stigma of being an actor who raps... Read more
November 14, 2018 Video
Elzhi & Ace Clark Rap A Story Of Betrayal. This Is Master Storytelling From Two Gifted MCs

Elzhi & Ace Clark Rap A Story Of Betrayal. This Is Master Storytelling From Two Gifted MCs

Ace Clark is a triple threat from Brooklyn, New York who has got some impressive co-signs within his short time in the game. This MC/singer/producer dropped his debut The Good Fight back in 2015. He has taken his time crafting his follow-up, Black Privilege, but it will finally drop next... Read more
September 5, 2018 Audio
A Previously Unreleased Gem From J. Dilla & Phat Kat Makes Its World Premiere (Audio)

A Previously Unreleased Gem From J. Dilla & Phat Kat Makes Its World Premiere (Audio)

Whenever a hidden gem from the late J. Dilla's vault surfaces, Hip-Hop Heads always take notice to explore the buried treasure. The iconic producer's former collaborator and fellow Detroit, Michigan native Phat Kat has unveiled a surefire diamond-in-the-rough banger from 1996 that hasn't seen the light of day until now.... Read more
July 25, 2018 Audio
Page Kennedy Is Trying To Save Hip-Hop When So Many Others Are Trying To Kill It (Video)

Page Kennedy Is Trying To Save Hip-Hop When So Many Others Are Trying To Kill It (Video)

The recent deaths of South Florida's XXXTentacion and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Jimmy Wapo have rappers and fans alike still in mourning. Page Kennedy is one of the MCs though that is doing more than posting a Twitter or Instagram tribute. The Detroit native is using music to cope with the losses, particularly... Read more
June 28, 2018 Video
Black Milk Put Out One Of The Best Albums Of The Year. Here’s A Reminder (Video)

Black Milk Put Out One Of The Best Albums Of The Year. Here’s A Reminder (Video)

Black Milk is embarking on his Fever Tour and to keep the momentum going while he's out hyping up crowds, he released the video for "Could It Be" from his latest (and celebrated) album Fever. Directed by the Detroit native himself, with assistance from Gerard Victor, the visual portrays three... Read more
June 5, 2018 Video
DJ Premier Postpones “PRhyme 2” Tour Dates To Care For His Father

DJ Premier Postpones “PRhyme 2” Tour Dates To Care For His Father

DJ Premier has revealed that he and Royce Da 5'9, his partner in PRhyme, must prematurely postpone the remainder of their PRhyme 2 Tour due to his father's declining health. The Gang Starr member released the following statement to fans, as told to Ambrosia For Heads: "Throughout the duration of my... Read more
June 4, 2018 News
Royce 5’9’s Book Of Ryan Is A New Chapter & Proof That He Is 1 Of Hip-Hop’s Greatest MCs

Royce 5’9’s Book Of Ryan Is A New Chapter & Proof That He Is 1 Of Hip-Hop’s Greatest MCs

At the top of this decade, Royce 5’9 began tying up loose ends in the interest of personal growth and legacy. Slaughterhouse had recently taken shape, exciting the possibilities for Royce and three MCs with like-minded verbal values. Next, Nickel Nine and Eminem revived Bad Meets Evil, their short-lived duo... Read more
May 10, 2018 Food for Thought
Slum Village Release A Lost Song With Q-Tip From The Fantastic Era (Audio)

Slum Village Release A Lost Song With Q-Tip From The Fantastic Era (Audio)

Twenty years ago, Slum Village finished recording an album that would forever change the trio's path. Fantastic, Vol. 2 took two additional years to release after its completion. Even after unexpected delays, shifting to indie label resources, and a newly-crowded Detroit Rap scene in the marketplace, the LP thrived as... Read more
April 6, 2018 Audio
Common Looks Back At His Time With Dilla On A Song Fit For February (Audio)

Common Looks Back At His Time With Dilla On A Song Fit For February (Audio)

Common has transcended Hip-Hop. He is now a political activist. He's won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe award for his song "Glory" featuring John Legend in the film Selma. Also, he's the only Hip-Hop artist to achieve an "E.G.O." hat trick by receiving an Emmy Award for his... Read more
February 16, 2018 Audio
Jay Electronica, Obie Trice & Bumpy Knuckles To Perform At Dillatroit Tribute Concert

Jay Electronica, Obie Trice & Bumpy Knuckles To Perform At Dillatroit Tribute Concert

February 10 marks 12 years since the untimely death of J Dilla. In James Yancey's hometown of Detroit, Michigan the third annual Dillatroit concert will take place in his memory. On Sunday, several collaborators, peers, and admirers of the Slum Village co-founder are confirmed to perform at the event held... Read more
February 8, 2018 Fresh
The Secrets To J Dilla’s Production Style Are Revealed In A Fantastic New Video

The Secrets To J Dilla’s Production Style Are Revealed In A Fantastic New Video

For anyone wanting to understand why Detroit producer J Dilla is so revered more than one decade after his untimely death, a new video by journalist Estelle Caswell in the Vox "Earworm" series offers the perfect starting-point. This mini-documentary takes a close look at Dilla’s radical re-invention of drums, his... Read more
December 6, 2017 Video
The Roots’ Tiny Desk Concert Is BIG, Brassy And Beautiful (Video)

The Roots’ Tiny Desk Concert Is BIG, Brassy And Beautiful (Video)

The Roots are the latest musicians to perform at NPR's Tiny Desk concert series. Questlove, Black Thought, and the rest of the legendary band brought Bilal along for a moving rendition of 2017 single, "It Ain't Fair." The performance of the song from the film Detroit is bold and brilliant.... Read more
October 30, 2017 Video
Eminem Was A Political Rapper Years Before The BET Cypher. Here’s The Proof (Video)

Eminem Was A Political Rapper Years Before The BET Cypher. Here’s The Proof (Video)

Tuesday night (October 10), Eminem spit what already appears to be the most talked about freestyle verse of all-time. At Detroit's First Street Parking with Shady Records artists and friends looking on (some would later get their turn to rap), Marshall Mathers went off the rails on an a capella... Read more
October 14, 2017 Exclusive, TBD, Video
Doughboyz Cashout Member Roc Shot & Killed In Detroit

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
Apollo Brown & Planet Asia Made One Of The Year’s Best LPs. “Get Back” Shows Why (Video)

Apollo Brown & Planet Asia Made One Of The Year’s Best LPs. “Get Back” Shows Why (Video)

Apollo Brown & Planet Asia's collaborative album Anchovies holds rank as one of this summer's more cohesive and standout projects. Similar to the video for the LP's second single "The Aura," the bare-bones visual of third single "Get Back" showcases the two through a grainy lens standing under a bridge,... Read more
September 18, 2017 Video
The Roots & Bilal Give A Stunningly Powerful Performance With A Full Orchestra (Video)

The Roots & Bilal Give A Stunningly Powerful Performance With A Full Orchestra (Video)

Late last month, The Roots and Bilal released "It Ain't Fair." The Detroit soundtrack single is jarring, as it applies to racial and social injustice in 1967, as well as in 2017. The song and its message are not going away. This partial Soulquarians reunion is bigger than just one... Read more
August 8, 2017 TV, TV/Film, Video
The Last Original Member Of Slum Village Is Stepping Away With A Solo Album (Audio)

The Last Original Member Of Slum Village Is Stepping Away With A Solo Album (Audio)

T3 has been carrying the legacy of Detroit Rap group Slum Village on his shoulders for many years. Since the deaths of fellow founding members J Dilla and Baatin (in 2006 and 2009, respectively), Slum Village's roster of members has included Elzhi, Illa J, and Young RJ but T3's presence... Read more
August 6, 2017 Audio
Eminem’s Manager Paul Rosenberg To Be Def Jam’s New Leader

Eminem’s Manager Paul Rosenberg To Be Def Jam’s New Leader

From the very beginning of Eminem's late 1990s meteoric rise, Paul Rosenberg became more than a manager. Even for those disinterested in industry figures, "Paul" is widely known through his skits on every Em' album dating back to 1999's The Slim Shady LP of that name. Variety reports that Rosenberg... Read more
August 3, 2017 News
The Roots Release A Song To Humanize The Pain, Confusion & Sadness Many Feel (Audio)

The Roots Release A Song To Humanize The Pain, Confusion & Sadness Many Feel (Audio)

Six years ago, Bilal appeared on The Roots' 10th album, undun. That Philadelphia chemistry was also not done. In the time since 2011, Bilal has heavily contributed to important Hip-Hop albums from Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, and Common. Now, he re-crosses paths with The Roots for a precise take on... Read more
July 27, 2017 Audio
Illa J’s Music Enjoys A Rebirth Right Alongside His City (Video)

Illa J’s Music Enjoys A Rebirth Right Alongside His City (Video)

Illa J has made plenty of meaningful music over the last 13 years. The Yancey Boys co-founder has rapped and produced, and maintained a strong legacy in his older brother's (J Dilla) absence. However, like so many blood relations in the music industry, Illa battled comparisons to his legendary late... Read more
July 25, 2017 Video
Elzhi Reunites With Elmatic’s Band To Bring Some Serious Knowledge (Audio)

Elzhi Reunites With Elmatic’s Band To Bring Some Serious Knowledge (Audio)

Between 2008's Black Milk-produced The Preface and last year's celebrated Lead Poison album, Elzhi made a conceptual mixtape that stood as tall as any during those eight years. Elmatic paid tribute to Nas, and his Illmatic, with El' making himself comfortable in homages to the lyrics, while reworking them for... Read more
March 9, 2017 Audio
Finding The GOAT Producer: No ID vs. A Tribe Called Quest. Who Is Better?

Finding The GOAT Producer: No ID vs. A Tribe Called Quest. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer” begins. The third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no deserving... Read more
January 23, 2017 Finding the GOAT
Finding The GOAT Producer: J Dilla vs. MF DOOM. Who Is Better?

Finding The GOAT Producer: J Dilla vs. MF DOOM. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer” begins. The third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no deserving... Read more
January 19, 2017 Finding the GOAT
Eminem Gives Infinite Respect To His Earliest Music With A Documentary & A Remix (Video)

Eminem Gives Infinite Respect To His Earliest Music With A Documentary & A Remix (Video)

While Eminem's 1999 and 2000 mainstream takeover is often associated with the production of Dr. Dre, much more of The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP is credited to another act behind the boards. The Bass Brothers, Mark and Jeff—had been with Em' since his career took shape.... Read more
November 18, 2016 Audio, Video
Hear J Dilla’s Unreleased Demos & His Story Told By The Man Who Helped Launch His Career (Audio)

Hear J Dilla’s Unreleased Demos & His Story Told By The Man Who Helped Launch His Career (Audio)

J Dilla's sprawling discography can be a challenge to process. The Detroit, Michigan visionary was a producer, an MC, a member of many groups, a musician, and somebody who loved a laissez-faire approach to his music. In his 32 years of life, he made lots of it. In his career,... Read more
October 14, 2016 Audio
Skyzoo & Joell Ortiz Look At Some Of The Costs Of A Couple Of Dollars (Video)

Skyzoo & Joell Ortiz Look At Some Of The Costs Of A Couple Of Dollars (Video)

Tomorrow (September 30), Apollo Brown and Skyzoo will release their first collaborative album, The Easy Truth. As the Detroit, Michigan producer explained to Ambrosia For Heads this week, the easy truth is what we are all fed, left for us to decipher whether it is truly real or false. One... Read more
September 29, 2016 Food for Thought, Video
Royce 5’9″ Blacks Out On A Song About Living Carefree (Audio)

Royce 5’9″ Blacks Out On A Song About Living Carefree (Audio)

Earlier this year, Royce 5'9" put some of the best work of his career down on the album Layers. As that self-released project continues to make its due rounds, Nickel Nine shows the world that he's in stride beyond just his album in 2016. "Carefree Black Man" is a song... Read more
July 28, 2016 Audio
Erykah Badu Is Aiding the Effort to Solve Abandoned Rape Cases in Detroit

Erykah Badu Is Aiding the Effort to Solve Abandoned Rape Cases in Detroit

Fans of the ubiquitous crime-procedural television dramas like "C.S.I." or "Law & Order" see criminal cases processed and solved rapidly, but in reality the time it takes law enforcement to properly address any given crime is far greater. For crimes like rape, in which D.N.A. testing and lab-based examinations are... Read more
July 12, 2016 Lifestyle
10 Years Later, D12 Show Proof’s Memory Is Very Much Alive In A New Documentary (Video)

10 Years Later, D12 Show Proof’s Memory Is Very Much Alive In A New Documentary (Video)

It's been a decade since Detroit, Michigan's Proof passed away. An integral part of the city's Rap scene, his 2006 death was only 2 months after fellow Motor City native J Dilla left a gaping whole in the Hip-Hop community. Having performed as a member of the oft-overlooked 5 Elementz,... Read more
April 11, 2016 Video
Big Sean Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is. One Man Really Can Change the World. (Video)

Big Sean Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is. One Man Really Can Change the World. (Video)

Always repping his hometown of Detroit in his music, Big Sean (born Sean Anderson) is making major moves behind-the-scenes as it pertains to giving back to his community. The Sean Anderson Foundation is a non-profit founded with a Motor City focus in mind, with programs and initiatives aimed at the... Read more
March 16, 2016 Lifestyle
Eminem & Proof’s Legendary 1999 Freestyle Is Re-Released In Its Entirety (Video)

Eminem & Proof’s Legendary 1999 Freestyle Is Re-Released In Its Entirety (Video)

1999 was thee year for Eminem's career. Three years removed from Infinite, the Detroit, Michigan MC would team with Dr. Dre and Aftermath Entertainment to unleash The Slim Shady LP in February and things have only exploded since. That year, Em' would travel overseas, including making a stop to Tim... Read more
January 28, 2016 Throwback
Flint, Michigan Was Poisoned & An Investigation Points to the Government (Video)

Flint, Michigan Was Poisoned & An Investigation Points to the Government (Video)

The ongoing crisis in Flint, Michigan is one at the nexus of economics, health, politics, and potentially criminal activity. Over the course of the last several weeks, mainstream media has been focusing more and more on a story that, despite sounding hyperlocalized to one specific community, potentially has similarities to conditions... Read more
January 25, 2016 Lifestyle
SPOTLIGHT: Nolan The Ninja Aims To Restore Detroit’s Hardcore Rap Legacy (EP Stream)

SPOTLIGHT: Nolan The Ninja Aims To Restore Detroit’s Hardcore Rap Legacy (EP Stream)

Today (November 10), Detroit, Michigan MC/producer Nolan The Ninja released his debut vocal EP, F.T.H. The 11-track follow-up to this year's Lo-Fi L∞ps instrumental effort, features veteran MCs such as Phat Kat, Finale, and Hassan Mackey. Also available by iTunes, the F**k The Hype, a Left Of Center release, is... Read more
November 10, 2015 Audio
9 Years Since J Dilla Left Us, Frank Nitt & Slum Village Have A Timely Message (Video)

9 Years Since J Dilla Left Us, Frank Nitt & Slum Village Have A Timely Message (Video)

Nine years to the day since James Yancey left us, Frank-N-Dank's Frank Nitt (f/k/a Frank Nitti) drops the visual for a tie-in song. "Money On Mind," joined by his Yancey Boys cohort Illa J (Dilla's brother) as well as Jay Dee's Slum Village cofounder, T3, the record looks at how... Read more
February 10, 2015 Video
Raise It Up: Grasping The Entire Greatness Of J Dilla In Retrospect (Food For Thought)

Raise It Up: Grasping The Entire Greatness Of J Dilla In Retrospect (Food For Thought)

On the heels of the first expanded Dilla Weekend, it is difficult to ignore the growth in posthumous fame that James Yancey (a/k/a Jay Dee or J Dilla) has accrued since passing away on this date, nine years ago. Like Amadeus Mozart's and Vincent Van Gogh's before him, Dilla's legacy... Read more
February 10, 2015 Food for Thought
Detroit Vs. Everybody: How One City Staged a Hip-Hop Takeover (Editorial)

Detroit Vs. Everybody: How One City Staged a Hip-Hop Takeover (Editorial)

Detroit, Michigan is historically, a fighter’s city. The sharp elbows of the Bad Boy-era Pistons, the unbreakable spirit of the autoworkers through the decline of the industry’s bountifulness, and the cold, harsh conditions of everyday life make for the Great Lakes State to be rugged, never smooth. In the context... Read more
January 24, 2015 Food for Thought
Phat Kat & Elzhi Keep The Chemistry Strong, Over A Flip Beat (Lyric Video)

Phat Kat & Elzhi Keep The Chemistry Strong, Over A Flip Beat (Lyric Video)

Less than two months removed from their own "Detroit vs. Everybody" rendition, "All Madden" Phat Kat and Elzhi are back in action. Australian producer Flip brought the D-boys together for "Without Warning." A lyric video does the moment and the energy proud, with color, images, and style. Flip's LP, Reflections... Read more
January 21, 2015 Video
Ras Kass Joins Some Detroit Bad Boys Around A Barrel Fire For A Cypher (Video)

Ras Kass Joins Some Detroit Bad Boys Around A Barrel Fire For A Cypher (Video)

This year, West Coast MC vet Ras Kass linked with Detroit, Michigan's Apollo Brown to make a celebrated, highly-cohesive LP in Blasphemy. Keeping things focused on Motor City, Ras circles up around a barrel-fire, Doo Wop-style, to unleash a monstrous cypher. Apollo's beat seems to pay careful homage to Diamond... Read more
December 8, 2014 Fresh, Video
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