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Here Are Some Reasons Why 2000 May Be Hip-Hop’s Greatest Year

Here Are Some Reasons Why 2000 May Be Hip-Hop’s Greatest Year

At Ambrosia For Heads, we celebrate Hip-Hop throughout the ages. Earlier this year, our What's The Headline podcast launched a series examining the calendar years that made the music and culture reach its full potential. After taking a loving look back at 1984, the next episode drops in on Y2K.... Read more
April 6, 2021 Video
Kanye West’s Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Turns 10. Is It His Best Album?

Kanye West’s Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Turns 10. Is It His Best Album?

One decade ago (November 22, 2010), Kanye West released a blockbuster album in My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Whereas 2008's 808's & Heartbreak confronting loss and lust with sounds that veered beyond 'Ye's first three albums, 2010's M.B.D.T.F. marked a return to form, even if it was nothing like the Roc-A-Fella Records mid-2000s run. Just... Read more
November 23, 2020 Fresh
Dave Chappelle Accepts Comedy’s Highest Honor With Heartfelt Words For His Peers

Dave Chappelle Accepts Comedy’s Highest Honor With Heartfelt Words For His Peers

On Sunday night (October 27), Dave Chappelle received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at Washington, D.C.'s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The prestigious award was given just miles from where the 46-year-old spent a big part of his youth. "That's why I love my art-form.... Read more
October 29, 2019 Lifestyle, News, Video
Anderson .Paak Mashes Up Erykah Badu & Lil Nas X To Make Old Town Road Brand New

Anderson .Paak Mashes Up Erykah Badu & Lil Nas X To Make Old Town Road Brand New

Anderson .Paak is one of the more versatile artists in popular music. In the last 12 months alone, his two albums, 2018's Oxnard and 2019's Ventura present a singer, an MC, and a musician who can occupy different corners of genre and style. Moreover, the Southern California native creates a... Read more
September 16, 2019 Video
Bahamadia Makes A Statement For Gender Equality & She Will Not Be Ignored (Video)

Bahamadia Makes A Statement For Gender Equality & She Will Not Be Ignored (Video)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Rap veteran Bahamadia has been busy making music since her Gang Starr co-signed 1996 debut album, Kollage. Since then, she has been featured alongside the likes of The Roots, Jedi Mind Tricks, and Erykah Badu. Two years ago, Bahamdaia produced an entire EP, Dialed Up 2, strictly through... Read more
July 13, 2019 Video
A Newly Surfaced Jay Electronica Song Revisits His Time With Erykah Badu

A Newly Surfaced Jay Electronica Song Revisits His Time With Erykah Badu

Jay Electronica's first foray into Hip-Hop's collective eye came twelve years ago in 2007 with his first project, Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), in which Jay spits for fifteen minutes over music woven from the score to the 2004 film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Three years later,... Read more
July 7, 2019 Audio
Common Uses A J Dilla Beat To Show His Love For HER Is Strong As Ever (Video)

Common Uses A J Dilla Beat To Show His Love For HER Is Strong As Ever (Video)

At the beginning of this month, Common was a surprise guest at the 12th-annual Roots Picnic in Philadelphia. Back in the late 1990s, the MC who was making Like Water For Chocolate at the same time his friends were making Things Fall Apart. The SoulQuarians worked on both albums, so... Read more
June 14, 2019 Video
Erykah Badu Tempts Fans With A 1980s Pop Cover (Audio)

Erykah Badu Tempts Fans With A 1980s Pop Cover (Audio)

Erykah Badu is no stronger to cover songs. She and D'Angelo powerfully remade Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's "Your Precious Love" early on in both of their careers. Erykah's 1997 Live! collection includes a harmonic rendition of Rufus & Chaka Khan's "Stay." More recently, the singer covered the likes of... Read more
June 3, 2019 Audio, The Bridge
80s vs. 90s Hip-Hop: Which Is Better? A New Video Shows It’s All Love

80s vs. 90s Hip-Hop: Which Is Better? A New Video Shows It’s All Love

Today is Valentine’s Day. For many Heads, love is in the air. So, what better way to celebrate than to premiere a brand new medley of iconic Hip-Hop love songs from top acapella group Naturally 7. For those unfamiliar with this New York City outfit, Ambrosia For Heads previously premiered... Read more
February 14, 2019 Exclusive, Video
Erykah Badu Shows Why She’s One Of The Best Performers Alive & A True Legend

Erykah Badu Shows Why She’s One Of The Best Performers Alive & A True Legend

Twenty-one years after her debut album, Erykah Badu is actively adding to one of music's most revered catalogs. The Dallas, Texas native Badu sings, she DJs, and she carries her passion for performing with her everywhere. Last month, Erykah received the Soul Train Music Awards "Legend" recognition. Badu was presented... Read more
December 10, 2018 TV, TV/Film, Video
Erykah Badu Dedicates A Mix To Roy Hargrove & Shares A New Song That’s Money (Audio)

Erykah Badu Dedicates A Mix To Roy Hargrove & Shares A New Song That’s Money (Audio)

In the last week, a principal musician within the Soulquarians family passed away at 49 years old. Trumpeter Roy Hargrove, Jr. played on Common’s Like Water For Chocolate, D’Angelo’s Voodoo, and Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun. On the last of the three, the Waco, Texas native played on "Green Eyes" as... Read more
November 7, 2018 Audio, Mixes
Brother Ali Uses Some Baduizm To Show Just How Serious He Is About His Art (Video)

Brother Ali Uses Some Baduizm To Show Just How Serious He Is About His Art (Video)

In 2017, Brother Ali gave fans one of the year's most illuminating albums in All The Beauty In This Whole Life. The Rhymesayers Entertainment release was named one of Ambrosia For Heads' best of the year and showed Ali at a new place with his outlook, his family, and his... Read more
October 26, 2018 Video
The D.O.C. Sings Beautifully In A Video That Shows Anything Is Possible.

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
August 28, 2018 Fresh, Video
Erykah Badu Reminds That Live Music Is Supposed To Sound BETTER Than The Record (Video)

Erykah Badu Reminds That Live Music Is Supposed To Sound BETTER Than The Record (Video)

Erykah Badu is the latest guest at the Tiny Desk. With some gold-accented fronts in, the veteran singer brought her grace, style, and showmanship right along with her singing gifts to the Washington, D.C. bureau. The Dallas, Texas native also brought her incredible band. The ensemble includes a flutist (Dwayne... Read more
August 15, 2018 Video
Jay Electronica Serenades Erykah Badu With Drake…Erykah Is Not Amused (Video)

Jay Electronica Serenades Erykah Badu With Drake…Erykah Is Not Amused (Video)

While a plethora of rappers and MCs are in the midst of the #InMyFeelingsChallenge, recording themselves dancing to Drake's Scorpion hit as his album remains at the top of the Billboard charts, Jay Electronica seems to be more interested in sharing his love for one of the Toronto superstar's earlier... Read more
July 24, 2018 Fresh, Video
Finding The GOAT Group: The Roots vs. Freestyle Fellowship. Who Is Better?

Finding The GOAT Group: The Roots vs. Freestyle Fellowship. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle 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, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to... Read more
June 11, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT
Wu-Tang Clan To Perform 36 Chambers At 2018 Soundset Festival

Wu-Tang Clan To Perform 36 Chambers At 2018 Soundset Festival

Rhymesayers Entertainment's 11th annual Soundset lineup is announced. For 2018, the Minneapolis, Minnesota Hip-Hop festival will feature some of RSE's founders and quite active artists. Event co-organizers Atmosphere will perform on the heels of reissuing their 1997 debut Overcast!. Slug, Ant, and company will be joined by Evidence, following last... Read more
February 28, 2018 Fresh
An New Video Shows The Rise Of The Soulquarians & Why Things Fell Apart

An New Video Shows The Rise Of The Soulquarians & Why Things Fell Apart

During the week of special engagements leading up to last Sunday's Grammy Awards, The Roots held a four-day residency at The Gramercy Theatre in Manhattan. During the day, the three-time Grammy-winners programmed events that included the first live taping of Questlove Supreme with guest Common, as well as a Black... Read more
January 30, 2018 Throwback, Video
Rapsody Explains How Erykah Badu’s “Mama’s Gun” Inspired “Laila’s Wisdom” (Video)

Rapsody Explains How Erykah Badu’s “Mama’s Gun” Inspired “Laila’s Wisdom” (Video)

On Sunday, January 28, Rapsody will attend the 60th Annual Grammy Awards as a nominee. Having won trophies for past feature contributions (Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly), the Roc Nation/Jamla MC is up for Best Rap Album for Laila's Wisdom, the only woman in a category which also nominates... Read more
January 26, 2018 Exclusive
Talib Kweli Recalls A Great Story Involving Freestyle Fellowship, Neo-Soul & Rent Money (Video)

Talib Kweli Recalls A Great Story Involving Freestyle Fellowship, Neo-Soul & Rent Money (Video)

There have been several memorable Hip-Hop roommates. During the early 1990s, Gang Starr members Guru and DJ Premier lived together at several New York City residences (one was a Brooklyn home owned by Branford Marsalis). RZA and Ghostface Killah were under the same roof in the days before Enter The... Read more
December 6, 2017 Video
Dave Chappelle’s 2017 “Block Party” Is Indoors & It’s Going To Be Mos Def

Dave Chappelle’s 2017 “Block Party” Is Indoors & It’s Going To Be Mos Def

With 2005's Block Party, Dave Chappelle released one of music's most beloved concert films, a mishmash of comedy, Hip-Hop, and live performance. With Erykah Badu, Mos Def, The Roots, and many more in tow, Chappelle's documentary showcased the talents of some of Rap and Neo-Soul's luminaries at a Brooklyn, New York... Read more
June 27, 2017 News
The Roots, D’Angelo & Erykah Badu Are Hypnotizing On This Throwback Remix (Audio)

The Roots, D’Angelo & Erykah Badu Are Hypnotizing On This Throwback Remix (Audio)

In 1996, The Roots dropped Illadelph Halflife, and with it came the D'Angelo collaboration, "The Hypnotic." As its title suggests, it was indeed a hypnotizing record, not only musically but also lyrically. In the song, Black Thought spun a tale of love and loss starring a woman named Alana, who would... Read more
May 11, 2017 Do Remember
Talib Kweli’s 10 Favorite Albums Are An Eternal Reflection Of Great Music

Talib Kweli’s 10 Favorite Albums Are An Eternal Reflection Of Great Music

Last month, Raekwon raised some eyebrows and even more discussion when he listed his Top 10 albums. While his own acclaimed purple tape and Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele were on the list, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) missed the cut. That prompted some discourse from fans, surrounding the classic LP upon... Read more
April 12, 2017 Fresh
Finding The GOAT Producer: J Dilla vs. A Tribe Called Quest. Who Is Better?

Finding The GOAT Producer: J Dilla vs. A Tribe Called Quest. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer,” 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... Read more
February 22, 2017 Finding the GOAT
Erykah Badu Shares An Early Version Of On & On, Complete With A Rap (Video)

Erykah Badu Shares An Early Version Of On & On, Complete With A Rap (Video)

Twenty years ago this month (February 11, 1997), Erykah Badu opened the doors to her musical house of worship. Baduizm was a way of life, an inviting presentation of Soul music that stood apart from most of what was out there. Despite its refusal to conform to a very formulaic... Read more
February 21, 2017 Throwback
Erykah Badu Discusses The Making Of Baduizm On Its 20th Anniversary

Erykah Badu Discusses The Making Of Baduizm On Its 20th Anniversary

Twenty years ago today (February 11, 1997) Erykah Badu opened the doors to her musical house of worship. Baduizm was a way of life, an inviting presentation of Soul music that stood apart from most of what was out there. Despite its refusal to conform to a very formulaic time... Read more
February 11, 2017 Throwback
Here Are The Best Hip-Hop Performances & Videos Of 2016

Here Are The Best Hip-Hop Performances & Videos Of 2016

2016 has been a unique year. With it, Hip-Hop had a lot to say, visually. Poets new and old, independent and well-heeled, used their art to promote awareness, suggest change, and when appropriate, provide distraction. At a time when the music video largely lives online, artists made statements—about themselves, their... Read more
December 13, 2016 Food for Thought
The Symphony 2016 Was Just 1 Of The Truly Amazing Performances & Videos Of The Year

The Symphony 2016 Was Just 1 Of The Truly Amazing Performances & Videos Of The Year

2016 has been a unique year. With it, Hip-Hop had a lot to say, visually. Poets new and old, independent and well-heeled, used their art to promote awareness, suggest change, and when appropriate, provide distraction. At a time when the music video largely lives online, artists made statements—about themselves, their... Read more
December 12, 2016 Video
Erykah Badu Gives A Message Of Love & Inclusion. She Says There’s No Need For Alarm. (Video)

Erykah Badu Gives A Message Of Love & Inclusion. She Says There’s No Need For Alarm. (Video)

This week, Erykah Badu appeared on Ebro In The Morning. The veteran singer, producer, and DJ spoke about the world. She considers herself "an observer," and the mother of three had some hopeful sentiments to those who may be emotionally downtrodden, given current political, social, and environmental developments. Approaching the... Read more
November 23, 2016 Lifestyle, Video
Erykah Badu Gets Real About Producing the Soul Train Awards & More (Video)

Erykah Badu Gets Real About Producing the Soul Train Awards & More (Video)

Known lovingly by her fans as Queen Badu, Erykah is indeed a reigning force in music and beyond. The devoted mother is deeply involved in promoting the importance of education, and has contributed her energies to solving cold rape cases. A native of Dallas, Texas, Erykah Badu is often promoting... Read more
November 18, 2016 Video
Nas & Erykah Badu Perform Their New Song With The Intensity It Deserves (Video)

Nas & Erykah Badu Perform Their New Song With The Intensity It Deserves (Video)

In July, Nas and Erykah Badu released "This Bitter Land." The collaboration was a standout single from The Land soundtrack, which belongs to a film that Nasir Jones co-produced. The song blends poetry with singing, as Nas returns to form spitting over sparse instrumentation that bares little resemblance to the... Read more
October 13, 2016 Video
Mic Capes’s Hunger Pains Lead To A Balanced Musical Meal, Channeling Badu & Ahmad (Audio)

Mic Capes’s Hunger Pains Lead To A Balanced Musical Meal, Channeling Badu & Ahmad (Audio)

Portland, Oregon MC Mic Capes is one of the brightest emerging voices in the Northwest. The artist has cultivated a reputation for pairing his life story with a Hip-Hop purist's knack for concept. In past songs, he's referenced Ice Cube ("One 4 O'shea") set against his own introspective vision. Last... Read more
October 9, 2016 Audio
The Roots Use Ghostface Killah’s Music To Signal Hillary Clinton Is “Mighty Healthy” (Video)

The Roots Use Ghostface Killah’s Music To Signal Hillary Clinton Is “Mighty Healthy” (Video)

Throughout their tenure on "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon" (and previously, "Late Night..."), The Roots have had fun with their musical post. Band leader Questlove, Black Thought, Tuba Gooding, Jr., Captain Kirk Douglas and the rest of the crew have jammed with some incredible musicians, partook in more than... Read more
September 20, 2016 TV, TV/Film, Video
While Fallon Played With Trump’s Hair, The Roots Went For The Jugular (Video)

While Fallon Played With Trump’s Hair, The Roots Went For The Jugular (Video)

For the last 36 hours, the Internet and social media have been aflame with outrage at the way Jimmy Fallon handled a recent appearance by Donald Trump on The Tonight Show (9/15). Fallon, unlike David Letterman, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, is typically friendly and jovial with all of his... Read more
September 17, 2016 Throwback
Common Releases Another All-Star Love Song (Audio)

Common Releases Another All-Star Love Song (Audio)

Back in May, Common made an appearance on Sway In The Morning, where he announced a new album was on the way and previewed two powerful verses from the forthcoming LP. While those bars were politically-charged and addressed race relations in America, his latest release taps into another area in... Read more
September 8, 2016 Audio
With A New Album Coming, Revisit A Tribe Called Quest’s Rare Erykah Badu Collabo (Audio)

With A New Album Coming, Revisit A Tribe Called Quest’s Rare Erykah Badu Collabo (Audio)

Last week, Epic Records CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid made a bold revelation. The seasoned executive and TV personality confirmed that a sixth album from A Tribe Called Quest is coming soon, and is both "great" and "something special." The news broke care of a Rap Radar Podcast episode, with limited... Read more
August 23, 2016 Throwback
Hip-Hop Stood Tall In July. Here’s Some Of The Best Of The Month (Audio Playlist)

Hip-Hop Stood Tall In July. Here’s Some Of The Best Of The Month (Audio Playlist)

July was a tense and complicated month. The killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police, both captured on film, led to national protests, heated discourse and some misguided shootings of police officers, presumably in retaliation. Political conventions held by the Democratic and Republican parties further divided the nation... Read more
August 2, 2016 Audio
Nas & His Poetic Roots Shine Alongside Erykah Badu In A Song Of Survival (Audio)

Nas & His Poetic Roots Shine Alongside Erykah Badu In A Song Of Survival (Audio)

In the course of his extensive career, Nas has sometimes decided to strip away all of the traditional Hip-Hop production to present himself (as he said on "Nas Is Like") as a "thug poet." In turn, records like smash hit "One Mic," or pivotal moments including "Queens Get The Money"... Read more
July 27, 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
Erykah Badu Directs & Stars In Robert Glasper’s Latest with Help From Miles Davis (Video)

Erykah Badu Directs & Stars In Robert Glasper’s Latest with Help From Miles Davis (Video)

On May 27, Robert Glasper released Everything's Beautiful, a collection of Miles Davis-inspired tunes featuring reworks of the originals with contributions from Stevie Wonder, Phonte, Bilal, Illa J, and more. Erykah Badu is also featured prominently, not only as a vocalist but now also as the creative mind and director... Read more
June 24, 2016 Video
Robert Glasper Makes An Erykah Badu & Miles Davis Duet A Reality (Audio)

Robert Glasper Makes An Erykah Badu & Miles Davis Duet A Reality (Audio)

September will mark the 25th anniversary of the passing of Miles Davis, a musical icon whose penchant for reinvention made him as important an inventor as Henry Ford or George Washington Carver, or any other lionized American ingenue. Much of his discography - which spans into decades past his 1991... Read more
May 17, 2016 Audio
Nick Grant Takes Erykah Badu’s Window Seat & Destroys It (Video)

Nick Grant Takes Erykah Badu’s Window Seat & Destroys It (Video)

Last year, Nick Grant made a name for himself with not one, but two of the finest freestyles of the year. He appeared on the Sway In The Morning show with CyHi The Prynce and others, and literally rhymed like his life depended on it. Months later, he did it... Read more
May 12, 2016 Video
Nas, Erykah Badu & Kanye West Are Involved In A Film About the Search for a Way Out (Video)

Nas, Erykah Badu & Kanye West Are Involved In A Film About the Search for a Way Out (Video)

Erykah Badu, Kanye West, and Nas are all involved in an upcoming film, one for which a trailer has been released. The Land sports Esco as Executive Producer, Ms. Badu as star, and 'Ye as a soundtrack contributor. West will be in good company, as the score will also feature... Read more
May 6, 2016 TV/Film
Erykah Badu Embraces Her Inner MC On An Aggressive New Remix (Audio)

Erykah Badu Embraces Her Inner MC On An Aggressive New Remix (Audio)

Most of the time, Erykah Badu is an artist whose creativity focuses on love, light, vulnerability, and positivity. However, her fans know that she has her more aggressive moments. In what may be the most often shared Tweet by a Soulquarian, Ms. Badu reminded folks in June of 2014 that... Read more
April 21, 2016 Audio
As A Former Teacher, Erykah Badu Describes Her Dream School (Video)

As A Former Teacher, Erykah Badu Describes Her Dream School (Video)

Erykah Badu recently spent considerable time with high-school students in New Jersey as part of the Future Project, a multi-tiered and all-encompassing education-focused program deeply rooted in the notion that young minds need to be cultivated and encouraged both inside and outside of the classroom. Through the use of Dream... Read more
April 14, 2016 Lifestyle
Erykah Badu Sings “On & On” During A High School Lunch Period (Video)

Erykah Badu Sings “On & On” During A High School Lunch Period (Video)

Erykah Badu loves avant-garde art. Whether she's video-bombing a news reporter, making beautifully controversial music videos, or blend-covering newly-released Kanye West with Whodini, it is always an experience. Ms. Badu recently popped into Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark, New Jersey as part of the Dream Directors from the... Read more
April 11, 2016 Video
9th Wonder Explains How J Dilla Changed The Sound of Hip-Hop and Fathered “Neo Soul” In The Process (Interview)

9th Wonder Explains How J Dilla Changed The Sound of Hip-Hop and Fathered “Neo Soul” In The Process (Interview)

After the ascendance of greats like DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Q-Tip in the 90s. There was a new wave of producers that would come to prominence in the 2000s who would carry the torch for Hip-Hop and take it in new directions. This new generation of beatmakers included the... Read more
February 4, 2016 Exclusive, Food for Thought
The D.O.C. Calls Erykah Badu His Closest Friend & Talks Co-Parenting (Video)

The D.O.C. Calls Erykah Badu His Closest Friend & Talks Co-Parenting (Video)

Dallas, Texas rapper the D.O.C. is best known for his extensive working relationship with N.W.A., with whom he co-wrote much material before ushering in a celebrated solo career. The platinum-selling MC who almost lost his ability to speak in a near-fatal car accident has re-emerged triumphantly, after an announcement in the... Read more
January 25, 2016 Video
Erykah Badu Mixes Kanye With Whodini And Gets All The Way Trill (Audio)

Erykah Badu Mixes Kanye With Whodini And Gets All The Way Trill (Audio)

Erykah Badu's "covers" have become something to look forward to. After her grabbing rendition of Drake's "Hotline Bling" in late 2015, Ms. Badu wastes no time reworking Kanye West's "Real Friends," which was released less than one week ago (January 8). "Trill Friends: Badu Whodini Rough Mix" is an experiment... Read more
January 12, 2016 Audio
Andre 3000 Discusses His First Starring TV Role & Wanting To Put Out New Music

Andre 3000 Discusses His First Starring TV Role & Wanting To Put Out New Music

Over the last decade, Andre 3000 has been incredibly sparing in his output of new music. The Atlien has not put out an album since Outkast's 2003 Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, choosing instead to release jaw-dropping feature verses here and there and also work on his acting career. On the eve... Read more
January 6, 2016 Fresh
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