dmx ArchivesAmbrosia For Heads

Redman Remakes A Slick Rick Classic For A New Adventure

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... Read more

August 5, 2023 Audio

Snoop Dogg Releases One Of His Hardest Verses In Years

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... Read more

May 26, 2023 Audio

Wu-Tang Clan vs. Ruff Ryders: The Greatest Rap Crew Competition

In recognition of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, BET Digital, in partnership with Ambrosia For Heads, is celebrating the culture by hosting a bracket-style competition that allows you to determine Hip-Hop’s greatest crew. Rather than having “experts” tell you who is the greatest of all-time, this is your opportunity to collectively make that... Read more

May 23, 2023 Greatest Rap Crew

Ruff Ryders vs. G-Unit: The Greatest Rap Crew Competition

In recognition of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, BET Digital, in partnership with Ambrosia For Heads, is celebrating the culture by hosting a bracket-style competition that allows you to determine Hip-Hop’s greatest crew. Rather than having “experts” tell you who is the greatest of all-time, this is your opportunity to collectively make that... Read more

May 9, 2023 Greatest Rap Crew

Bad Boy vs. Ruff Ryders: The Greatest Rap Crew Competition

In recognition of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, BET Digital, in partnership with Ambrosia For Heads, is celebrating the culture by hosting a bracket-style competition that allows you to determine Hip-Hop’s greatest crew. Rather than having “experts” tell you who is the greatest of all-time, this is your opportunity to collectively make that... Read more

May 1, 2023 Greatest Rap Crew

JAY-Z’s “U Don’t Know” Was Originally Offered To Busta Rhymes & Prodigy

Hip-Hop history is filled with what-ifs, especially concerning beats and production. Tupac's diamond-certified All Eyez On Me once featured verses from Inspectah Deck and The Lady Of Rage. Moreover, Disc 2's Dr. Dre-produced "Can't C Me" was rumored to be created for a shelved Ice Cube collaboration before another iteration had Tha Dogg Pound rapping. Jadakiss'... Read more

March 19, 2023 Video

Lil Wayne Shows Why He Is Still 1 Of The Best Rappers Alive

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... Read more

February 24, 2023 Audio

Keith Murray Details His Alleged Affair With Foxy Brown While She Dated Kurupt

In late 1999, Kurupt released one of the most inflammatory diss songs of that period. "Calling Out Names," an unlisted bonus song from Tha Streetz Iz A Mutha, was a scathing diss by Tha Dogg Pound MC aimed at DMX, Ja Rule, and Irv Gotti—while making disparaging remarks about The... Read more

December 29, 2022 Video

See Portraits Of Biggie, J. Dilla, Phife & More If They’d Lived To Grow Old

More than with any other genre, Rap artists seem to perish far too young. While that has disproportionately been driven by altercations that could have been resolved differently, there have also been a number of MCs who have succumbed to other fates. Phife Dawg, from A Tribe Called Quest, succumbed... Read more

November 17, 2022 Video

Benny The Butcher Uses A DMX Beat To Deliver A Punishing Freestyle

Over the last four years, Benny The Butcher has established himself as one of the hottest and most respected MCs in Hip-Hop. With projects like Tana Talk 3, Burden Of Proof, and two volumes of The Plugs I Met, Benny has adhered to the Griselda formula while transcending the underground... Read more

March 9, 2022 Video

Nas, DMX & J. Cole Are 2022 Hip-Hop Grammy Nominees

This afternoon (November 23), the 2022 Grammy Awards nominations in 86 categories were announced in real-time from the Recording Academy's Grammy Museum. For Hip-Hop Heads, there is plenty to unpack. In the "Best Rap Album" category, Nas and Hit-Boy look to go back-to-back. Following this year's win for King's Disease... Read more

November 23, 2021 News

Griselda, Busta Rhymes & Method Man Perform A Tribute For DMX (Video)

Nearly three months after the unexpected passing of DMX, the music community continues to mourn Earl Simmons. That was clear with the tribute at the 2021 BET Awards. Broadcasting Sunday night (June 27), a handful of X's Rap peers honored the legend with a performance medley curated by Swizz Beatz.... Read more

June 28, 2021 Video

The 10 Best Rap Albums Of 2021 So Far

As 2021 quickly approaches its midpoint, it is tradition to evaluate the year's best Hip-Hop albums—so far. So on the latest episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast, we did just that. As we did in deciding the best albums of 2020, the AFH team uses the platform to publicly discuss the best... Read more

June 15, 2021 Exclusive

Dame Grease Has 50 DMX Songs He Wants To Release

Late last month, Hip-Hop Heads received the album that DMX was working on during the final several years of his life. Overseen by Swizz Beatz, Exodus involves JAY-Z, Nas, Snoop Dogg, The LOX, Griselda, and others. The album also marked a reunion between X and Def Jam Records, where his career skyrocketed during... Read more

June 8, 2021 Video

Swizz Beatz Explains Why He Will Not Release His Vault Of DMX Music

Last Friday (May 28), DMX's final album, Exodus, was released. DMX's reunion with Def Jam Records album was made over years and overseen by Swizz Beatz. Beyond their mutual ties to the Ruff Ryders, X and Swizz shared a brotherhood. From the onset of DMX's late 1990s skyrocket to fame,... Read more

May 30, 2021 Video

DMX’s New Song With Griselda Is Here & It’s Incredible (Audio)

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 it’s ever been. Not only are we able to... Read more

May 25, 2021 Audio

J. Cole’s Off-Season Has Several Cryptic References To Illmatic

Last Friday (May 14), J. Cole released his sixth album, The Off-Season. Three years removed from his acclaimed KOD, Cole returned with more social commentary, versatile deliveries, and plenty of themes to unpack. Whereas his 2018 outing was an indictment on drug use amid the youth, especially within the Rap community, Cole's... Read more

May 17, 2021 Video

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

May 11, 2021 Video

New York Has Made December 18 Earl “DMX” Simmons Day

This April continues to deliver significant losses to music fans, especially in the Hip-Hop community. The month has included the passings of DMX, Black Rob, and now, Shock G. On this week's episode of What's The Headline (embedded below as video and audio), the Ambrosia For Heads team remembers the... Read more

April 28, 2021 News, Video

DMX’s New Album Is Coming This Summer & It’s Filled With Superstars

Last Friday (April 9), family, friends, and millions of Hip-Hop fans mourned the loss of DMX. The 50-year-old rapper born Earl Simmons passed away at age 50. For the previous week, X had been on life support in White Plains, New York hospital, following a cardiac arrest. Decades into a... Read more

April 13, 2021 Video

DMX Has Passed Away At Age 50

A week after suffering a heart attack that left him hospitalized and on life support, DMX has passed away. The family of the man born Earl Simmons released a statement on Friday April 9, saying "We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of... Read more

April 9, 2021 News

DMX Has Overdosed And Is In Critical Condition

On Friday (April 2), legendary rapper DMX reportedly overdosed at his home in White Plains, New York. TMZ reported that the man born Earl Simmons is currently hospitalized and in "grave condition." The publication reports that some sources have alleged that the Ruff Ryders artist suffered a heart attack. Some sources have told the... Read more

April 3, 2021 News

Will DMX’s Reunion With Def Jam Return Both To Glory?

This month DMX appeared on N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN's Drink Champs for a second time. Since the Hip-Hop show's inception, X has been a top draw for Drink Champs, sitting at the table and giving a real and raw interview to his past collaborator Noreaga back in episode 3. Great conversations with Puff... Read more

February 23, 2021 Audio, Video

DMX’s New Album Will Feature Griselda

For nearly 5 years, rumors have been swirling about the next DMX album. In May of 2016, Swizz Beatz set social media ablaze, when he posted that Dark Man X was clean, focused and working with himself, Kanye West and Dr. Dre. Nearly a year later to the day, in... Read more

February 11, 2021 News, Video

DMX Checks Himself Into Rehab

For much of 2019, DMX has been in a comeback stride. At the beginning of this year (January 25), DMX was released from a West Virginia prison after spending much of 2018 behind bars for a tax evasion conviction. Since then, the onetime superstar has been on a climb that... Read more

October 13, 2019 Fresh, News

DMX Toasts To His Comeback Campaign In A Video With Rick Ross & Swizz Beatz

At the end of August, Swizz Beatz released "Just In Case," featuring DMX and Rick Ross. The song was a companion to Godfather Of Harlem series, with the hit-making producer curating the soundtrack. It also marked a milestone in a comeback year for X. The Yonkers, New York representative began... Read more

September 27, 2019 Video

DMX Explains Why He Did Not Want To Do Ruff Ryders Anthem (Video)

Twenty-one years ago, DMX carried his debut and sophomore albums to the top of the charts. By the end of 1998, the Yonkers, New York MC was a Hip-Hop superstar, giving Rap fans a plethora of hardcore anthems. One song, in particular, would help brand X's crew, The Ruff Ryders,... Read more

September 23, 2019 Video

DMX Is Back On Def Jam. It’s About To Get Hot Again

At the beginning of this year (January 25), DMX was released from a West Virginia prison after spending much of 2018 behind bars for a tax evasion conviction. Since then, the onetime superstar has been on a climb that feels distinct in a career filled with peaks and valleys. The... Read more

September 12, 2019 Fresh, News, Video

DMX Growls At Lying Rappers On A Collabo With Rick Ross & Swizz Beatz (Audio)

At the beginning of this year, DMX left a West Virginia prison after approximately a year behind bars. From there, the onetime superstar continued his campaign tour to celebrate 20 years of debut LP, It's Dark And Hell Is Hot. He rocked the Twin Cities' Soundset Festival, and is slated... Read more

August 30, 2019 Audio

Drag-On Rates Some Bars That Dissed Him. The Score & Response Are Surprising (Video)

Onetime Ruff Ryders rapper Drag-On is the latest guest on Rate The Bars. Seventeen years ago, the Bronx, New Yorker scored a gold album in his debut, The Opposite Of H20. However, by the mid-2000s, the "Spit These Bars" and "Down Bottom" creator faded from the spotlight as compared to... Read more

July 1, 2019 Video

A$AP Rocky & A$AP Ferg Rework A DMX Classic That Still Barks Loud (Video)

A$AP Ferg and A$AP Rocky are two New York City rappers whose childhoods coincided with fellow New Yorker DMX's astronomical rise to fame. Both born in 1988, Ferg and Rocky had a front-row seat to the Yonkers MC's chart-topping journey, which began with 1998's quadruple-platinum It's Dark and Hell Is Hot,... Read more

May 16, 2019 The Bridge, Video

Black Star, DMX & Run The Jewels Are Among 2019 Soundset Headlining Performers

The Soundset Festival, the biggest annual Hip-Hop festival in the Midwest, has unveiled the all-star line-up for their 2019 event. Put on by Rhymesayers Entertainment and Rose Presents, this large draw happening takes place in Minneapolis on May 26, 2019. This year will see artists from almost every era of... Read more

February 27, 2019 Fresh

DMX Announces It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot 20th Anniversary Tour Dates

Last May, DMX's debut album, It's Dark And Hell Is Hot turned 20 years old. Earl Simmons was behind bars for the anniversary, stemming from a violation of bail surrounding a tax evasion conviction. After leaving Gilmer Federal Correctional Institution in Glenville, West Virginia last month, Dark Man X is... Read more

February 4, 2019 Fresh

It’s Official. DMX Has Been Released From Prison.

UPDATE: It's official. According to CNN, DMX is once again a free man. After spending a year in prison, Earl Simmons was released from Gilmer Federal Correctional Institution in Glenville, West Virginia, earlier today. Now that X is free, fans are hopeful that he and Swizz Beatz will finally release... Read more

January 25, 2019 Fresh, News

DMX Will Be Released From Prison Tomorrow

Last March, DMX was sentenced to one year in prison for tax fraud. The rapper born Earl Simmons was visibly emotional as he received the judge's order, which came after the former superstar played the courtroom his song, "Slippin'." He told the bench, “I never went to the level of... Read more

January 24, 2019 News

What’s The Real Definition Of A Freestyle? The Great Debate Continues (Video)

Last month, Ambrosia For Heads revisited a 1997 conversation between LL Cool J, Redman, DMX, Method Man and MTV News' Abbie Kearse. The interview unpacked the varying definitions of a freestyle, pulling opinions of the MCs from some different eras and backgrounds. As can be seen and heard by the definitions... Read more

January 13, 2019 TBD, Video

LL Cool J, DMX, Redman & Method Man Explain The Real Definition Of A Freestyle

Twenty-one years ago this month, LL Cool J released his "4, 3, 2, 1" single. Not unlike "I Shot Ya" two years prior, one of the most respected figures in Rap recruited a team of ferocious MCs to share the mic. In addition to Canibus, whose early career appearance and... Read more

December 16, 2018 Throwback, Throwback, Video

A$AP Rocky Makes 1 Of His Best “Testing” Songs Into An Experimental Video

Ever since A$AP Rocky records first hit the streets, he's usually had proper visuals to accompany the best of them. Even in the early days with "Peso" and "Purple Swag," the Harlem, New York MC/producer has been "a pretty M.Fer" with polished visuals to match. On that note, Lord Flacko... Read more

December 13, 2018 Video

Swizz Beatz Explains Why The JAY-Z, Nas & DMX Collabo Has Not Come Out (Video)

Yesterday, Swizz Beatz released his POISON album. For the Bronx, New York representative, it is his third retail release over the last 16 years. Rather than bring attention to his catalog, the Grammy Award-winning producer, rapper, DJ, and musician has spotlit so many moments for his peers in Rap, R&B,... Read more

November 3, 2018 Video

Swizz Beatz Names His Top 5 Producers Of All-Time (Video)

Swizz Beatz is slated to release his second ever solo studio album and first in 11 years this November. Poison, which is co-executive produced by J. Cole, features a star-studded feature list, including Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Young Thug, Pusha T, Jim Jones, Jadakiss, Styles P and Lil Wayne, among others.... Read more

September 28, 2018 Video

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

September 13, 2018 Video

A$AP Rocky & Skepta Nod To DMX In An Ocean-Crossing Collabo (Video)

A$AP Rocky's new record Testing deserves recognition amidst almost two weeks worth of narratives driven by peers and their respective new and upcoming releases. Make no mistake that Lord Flacko packaged a few bangers into his latest solo effort. Rocky's hazy, sluggish team-up with Diddy on "Tony Tone" is one... Read more

June 5, 2018 Video

DMX Plays “Slippin'” For Judge Ahead Of Receiving 1-Year Prison Sentence

DMX has a long history of courtroom appearances and legal battles. Today (March 28) likely set a precedent, even for the Yonkers, New York MC. Upon sentencing in a New York City courtroom, X's legal team wanted U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff to understand the life and times of defendant... Read more

March 28, 2018 News

DMX, KXNG Crooked & Royce 5’9 Show King Kong Ain’t Got Nothin’ On Them (Audio Premiere)

For those who favor rugged, confrontational Rap, drenched in wordplay Forever M.C. knows how to assemble exciting lineups. The March 30 compilation-style album arrives on March 30, and involves some of the most aggressive lyricists of the last 20 years. Having previously showcased "Terminally Ill," (featuring Tech N9ne, Chino XL,... Read more

February 22, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

Skillz Sets Off 2018 By Dissing Uncle Murda For Copying His Rap Up Concept (Audio)

For Hip-Hop Heads, the last days of the year have long belonged to an annual Skillz song. For nearly two decades, the Virginia MC, DJ, and the University Of Richmond's Artist In Residence has deftly created his "Year End Rap" at the close of the calendar. Many followers of the... Read more

January 3, 2018 Audio, News

DMX Jumps On Kanye West’s Beat And Makes It About Real Pain (Audio)

In March of 2016, Swizz Beatz teased a remix of Kanye West's "Real Friends," from his Life of Pablo album, that featured DMX. On his Instagram post, Swizz said "Oh yeah and since we're talking @dmx new music alert ⚡️ we're ready to start it up now!!!! X is my... Read more

December 21, 2017 Audio

DMX Performs For The First Time Ever With A Live Band (Video)

Many of DMX's hits had a distinct sound. Especially in his work with Swizz Beatz, X had a synthetic sound that pulled Rap music away from the sample-covers of the late 1990s. While the Yonkers, New York superstar certainly tried his hand at that style too, tracks like "Ruff Ryders... Read more

December 1, 2017 Video

See The Full Historic Conversation & Cypher Between Mos Def, Big Pun, Canibus & DMX (Video)

Twenty years ago, Hip-Hop was in crosswinds. Microphones were grabbed by emerging voices from across the landscape, geographically, stylistically, and regarding content. As the genre collected itself following the sudden and tragic killings of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, it wanted new sounds, messages, and conversations. Mos Def & Dave... Read more

August 28, 2017 Throwback, Video

Long Before DMX, JAY-Z & Ja Rule Were Murdering MCs, They Had Time To Build (Audio)

In the late 1990s, DMX, JAY-Z, and Ja Rule came together for two incredible collaborations. On Jay's Streets Is Watching soundtrack from early 1998, "Murdergram" showed that these grimy, overly irritated MCs hit their marks when they were together. In pivoting to Ja Rule's 1999 debut Venni Vetti Vecci, "It's... Read more

August 10, 2017 Do Remember

LL Cool J Wanted To Do A 2nd Collabo With Canibus To Avoid Their Beef (Video)

LL Cool J and Canibus put their beef to bed back in the closing days of 2014. What started out as a rhyme battle (on the very same song) expanded into 17 years of feuding that involved tattoos, subliminal album titles, and a feature on QDIII's Beef DVD series. In... Read more

July 28, 2017 Video