food for thought Archives

Eve – Reebok Classics Mini-Documentary (Video)

Here's a dope mini-documentary about Eve, the first lady of Ruff Ryders, from Reebok Classics. Check it out below. Related: Playlist dedicated to women in hip-hop (Audio) and full version of My Mic Sounds Nice, BET's documentary on women in hip-hop (Video)... Read more

June 13, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Big K.R.I.T. – Thank You Kindly (Audio) and Interview (Video)

It's a big day for Big K.R.I.T. His Live From the Underground album debuted at #4 on the charts. Here's a video of him discussing the album as well as a new song he released to thank his team and fans for the support. Check out Thank You Kindly and... Read more

June 13, 2012 Audio

Nas – The Life Files Interview Pt 2 (Video)

Here's part 2 of Nas' interview with The Life Files. He talks about the current state of hip-hop on the radio, the prodigious talent of Lauryn Hill and even discusses President Obama. Check it out below. Related: Nas - The Life Files Interview Pt 1 (Video)... Read more

June 11, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Pete Rock discusses Mecca and the Soul Brother 20 years after its release (Video)

Wow. It's been 20 years since Pete Rock & CL Smooth's landmark album Mecca and the Soul Brother dropped. Here's an interview of Pete Rock reminiscing over one of the best rap albums of all time. Related: Pete Rock talks about his vinyl collection (Video)... Read more

June 7, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

2DBZ: Bring the muthaf*cking Rawkus!

Here's a great article from 2DBZ on the rise and fall of Rawkus Records. Check out the intro to the article below, as well as a re-post of our Rawkus Records playlist below. Click here for the full article. Also, click here to see where Rawkus landed on our list... Read more

June 1, 2012 Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback, Video

Pete Rock and DJ Jazzy Jeff showcase and discuss their vinyl collections on Crate Diggers (Video)

Pete Rock has been in the news lately for his reaction to Lupe Fiasco rhyming over the TROY beat. Here's a video that showcases just how deep the Chocolate Boy Wonder's dedication to digging in the crates goes. It is his relentless search for the perfect beat that yielded beats... Read more

May 29, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

After more than a decade away, D’Angelo is poised to make a major comeback. GQ got the first in-depth interview with one of this generation’s greatest soul singers. Check out the article below.

click here to read the whole thing. Related: D'Angelo - Live (Mixtape) Here's the intro: "He was once hailed as the next Marvin Gaye. Then, after his ripped body threatened to overshadow his music, he vanished into addiction. So what the hell was he doing recently singing his heart out... Read more

May 29, 2012 Food for Thought

Pharrell Williams interview (Video)

Here's a heady interview of Pharrell by Hypetrak TV. He talks about composing music for The Oscar's, the different ways people perceive music, the essence of music, what he looks for in talent and more. Check it out below. Related: Buddy & Kendrick Lamar - Staircases (Prod. Pharrell) http://vimeo.com/42616676... Read more

May 26, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Nas interview with Complex (Video)

Here's a cool interview of Nas by Complex (they are winning today). He discusses life in NYC, how he got the name Nasty Nas, the meaning behind the title of his new album Life Is Good and more. Check it out below. Related: Cocaine 80s - Chain Glow featuring Nas... Read more

May 23, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Large Professor Breaks Down His Classic Records

Complex has a dope series where they interview legendary producers about the stories behind their classic tracks. The latest installment is with Large Professor. Check out what Extra P had to say about producing for Main Source, Nas and more here. Also, check out our playlist of tracks produced by... Read more

May 23, 2012 Food for Thought

9th Wonder Interview (Video)

Here's some food for your dome. The mighty 9th Wonder speaks on several topics including the importance of knowing hip-hop history, working with Murs on several projects, mainstream vs underground, working with Wale and Lil B and more. Check out the video below. Related: Phonte and 9th Wonder Interview (Audio)... Read more

May 22, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Here’s a cool look at a day in the life of Questlove that was produced by Hulu. Check it out below (Video)

Props: 2DBZ Related: Best of The Legendary Roots Crew (Playlist)... Read more

May 20, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Kendrick Lamar interview with the Bay Area’s Wild 94.9 (Video)

Here's an excellent interview of Kendrick Lamar by the Bay Area' Wild 94.9's. He talks about his name change, his thoughts on the 2Pac hologram, his pet peeves, his top 5 MCs (dead or alive), whether or not he smokes, whether or not he would do Oprah and more. Check... Read more

May 16, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Pusha T interview (Video)

Here's another lengthy interview. This one is of Pusha T. He speaks about a new Clipse album, taking up acting and his dream role, the role of religion in Malice's life, making the G.O.O.D. Music album and more. Check out the video below. Related: Kanye West - Mercy featuring Big... Read more

May 13, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Ab-Soul’s Control System album is in stores now. Here’s an exclusive interview where he speaks on his earliest musical influences and his journey to the world of hip-hop (Video)

Ab-Soul's new album Control System dropped today (click here to buy it and show your love for good hip-hop). As you get to know the knew music, here's a look at the man behind it. Like his name suggests, Ab-Soul is not easily defined. His diversity shows in his music... Read more

May 11, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

A candid conversation with Schoolboy Q (Video)

Here's a really good interview of Schoolboy Q. He talks about the Lakers, signing with Interscope, the circumstances under which a Black Hippy album would happen and the reasons why he quit sipping Lean. Real talk. Check out the video below. Props to Good Fella Media. Related: Schoolboy Q -... Read more

May 11, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Mobb Deep’s The Infamous

Today is the 17th anniversary of the release of Mobb Deep's The Infamous album. Similar to what they did for the anniversary of Illmatic, to commemorate the date Complex has done an article called 10 Things You Didn't Know About Mobb Deep's The Infamous (like did you know Nas actually... Read more

April 25, 2012 Food for Thought

Phonte and 9th Wonder interview on The Come Up Show (Audio)

Here's an interview of 9th Wonder and Phonte by The Come Up Show. 9th talks about being a professor, his legacy and more. Phonte talks about not selling out, his moral compass and more. Real talk from some real legends. Listen to the whole interview below. Related: Playlist of music... Read more

April 23, 2012 Audio, Food for Thought

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Nas’ Illmatic

Today is the 18th anniversary of the release of Illmatic. To commemorate the day, Complex did an incredible article that lists 10 inside dope stories about the making of Illmatic. One example is that Russell Simmons passed on signing Nas to Def Jam...Click here to read all 10 Things You... Read more

April 19, 2012 Food for Thought

RZA speaks on his career and the history of hip-hop (Video)

Here's a super dope interview of RZA. It's incredibly well shot, includes a ton of classic photos of hip-hop legends and features the RZA speaking philosophically about his life, his music history, Wu-Tang Clan, the impact of hip-hop culture and much more. This a must for Wu fans and any... Read more

April 12, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Peter Rosenberg speaks on Rick Ross and says he is positioned to become “hands down the #1 MC in the game today.”

Take a listen and let us know what you think. Previously: Peter Rosenberg interviews Nas at SXSW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckvqejMlkik... Read more

April 4, 2012 Audio, Food for Thought

We chopped it up with Schoolboy Q about the meaning behind the name Black Hippy, how he Kendrcik Lamar, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul compete to make each other better, the tragedy that inspired Blessed, making records about real life ish, weak rappers, his respect for Nas, 2Pac and Eminem and much much more.

Check out the interview and the blazing hot verses he spit on the Brainstorm beat Cardo did for Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Allerdice mixtape below. Previously: A Day in the Life of Schoolboy Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-px5HCRJQEw... Read more

March 29, 2012 Audio, Video

We sat down with Big K.R.I.T. and talked about what it takes to succeed not only in music but in life. Ultimately, it’s about GRIT. See what K.R.I.T. had to say, in his words (Video).

Think Big K.R.I.T. has been rapping for just a few years? Think again. He's been putting in work since 1999...and it ain't been easy. Previously: Big K.R.I.T. talks about his earliest musical influences (Video) Props: Cinematic Music Group... Read more

March 26, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Erick Sermon tells the stories behind many of his classic tracks to Complex

Here's another dope profile by Complex where they have a legendary producer break down the story behind his tracks. They've done DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Organized Noize and others. This time, it's Erick Sermon's term. Check out what the Green Eyed Bandit has to say about his classic records. Below... Read more

March 16, 2012 Food for Thought, Playlists

The one and only Ice Cube stopped by the Sway in the Morning show and chopped it up with Sway about a new Friday movie with Chris Tucker, a film about NWA, why Dr. Dre’s Detox album hasn’t dropped yet, his classic Amerikkka’s Most Wanted album and much more. Check out the interview below. Yeah Yay!!

March 7, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Big KRIT speaks on the release of his 4eva N A Day Mixtape and the concept behind it (Video)

We caught up with Big KRIT on the release day of his incredible new mixtape 4eva N a Day. He broke down the concept behind the album and its cover, how the project came about and what it felt like to release it. He also talked about the first single,... Read more

March 6, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

The Making of Nas’ It Ain’t Hard to Tell Video as told by Video Music Box’s Ralph McDaniels

Here's an incredible article on the making of Nas' It Ain't Hard to Tell video. It features in-depth input from Ralph McDaniels, founder and host of NYC's Video Music Box, who produced and directed the video. Below is an excerpt from the article and you can read the whole article... Read more

March 4, 2012 Food for Thought

Here’s an in-depth interview of Skillz where he talks about his earliest musical influences and experiences with hip-hop. Check it out below.

Skillz's first music he ever bought was DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince's Girls of the World Ain't Nothing But Trouble. Fast forward several years later and he is now touring the world with the legendary. Skillz is living proof that talent, drive and hard work makes dreams come... Read more

March 1, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Here is our list of the underground MCs who had the biggest come up in the last year: The AFH Torch Bearers list. These MCs include Ab-Soul, Action Bronson, A$AP Rocky, Childish Gambino, Chuuwee, Dom Kennedy, The Jets (Tradeamark Da Skydiver, Young Roddy, Sir Michael Rocks), The Kid Daytona, Rittz, Schoolboy Q, Smoke DZA, Stalley and XV. Click here to see why we chose these MCs and to hear some of their music.

There have been a lot of lists declaring top MCs lately; some for the mainstream and some for the underground. In our opinion (and each list is just that--opinions) each list left some things to be desired. So...we decided to take matters in our own hands. Partly in response to... Read more

February 28, 2012 Audio, Food for Thought, Video

2012 XXL Freshman Class

So...XXL revealed its Freshman Class of 2012 today. It consists of Future, Kid Ink, Danny Brown, French Montana, Macklemore, Don Trip, Machine Gun Kelly, Hopsin, Iggy Azalea and Roscoe Dash. There are some VERY notable omissions (but more on that later). Which list makes you more irate between this one... Read more

February 28, 2012 Food for Thought

Young Guru Speaks on Nggas in Paris vs. Nggas in Poorest (Video)

Young Guru (engineer extraordinaire for Kanye West & Jay-Z and ill DJ) steadily has been establishing himself as a hip-hop scholar. Check out what he has to say about N*ggas in Paris vs. N*ggas in Poorest. Rather than pit the two songs against each other he reconciles them and argues... Read more

February 27, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Andre 3000 speaks to GQ

Andre 3000 recently sat down with GQ to discuss topics ranging from the possibility of a new OutKast album to the re-launch of his clothing line to the REAL scoop on the phrase "Who else wants to f*ck with Hollywood Cole." See below for an excerpt from the article and... Read more

February 24, 2012 Food for Thought

Stic Man from Dead Prez is well-established as one of hip-hop’s greatest revolutionaries. But, did you know that his first rap ever on Black History got him kicked out of school and nearly caused a riot? Get to know Stic Man like you never have before, in his own words. This is the story of Where It All Began in hip-hop for Stic Man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkKn6fxLNL4... Read more

February 24, 2012 Video

Schoolboy Q speaks to The Fader TV (Video)

Schoolboy Q talks to The Fader about his album Habits & Contradictions, working with his Black Hippy crew, how he mostly listens to hip-hop classics (outside of his crew's music) and the influence of DJ Quik on his career. Check it out below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4lZRJTqnf4 And, here's a taste of his... Read more

February 23, 2012 Food for Thought

MTV’s 2012 Hottest MCs in the Game (Video)

MTV dropped its 7th annual installment of its hottest MCs in the game last night. They were: 1. Rick Ross, 2. Drake, 3. Kanye West, 4. Nicki Minaj, 5. Lil Wayne, 6. Jay-Z, 7. Meek Mill, 8. Big Sean, 9. Wiz Khalifa, 10. Wale. And by now, you probably already... Read more

February 20, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Decoded: Freddie Gibbs Thuggin’ (Video)

Gangsta Gibbs breaks down the lyrics of Thuggin', his collabo with Madlib. Check out Decoded: Freddie Gibbs Thuggin'. Props to Life & Times. Also, check out Decoded: Big K.R.I.T Time Machine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL8_XynzNsE&feature=player_embedded... Read more

February 15, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Here’s an in-depth interview of XV where he breaks down his earliest musical interests and some of the events that inspired him to become an artist. This is Where It All Began in hip-hop for XV.

XV is going to win. He has just started to get his props over the last couple of years but you can tell he is a longtime student of music. We talked to him about his earliest influences and he spoke of everyone from The Delphonics to Marvin Gaye to... Read more

February 15, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

The 10 Most Anticipated Hip Hop Albums Of 2012

Here's a really dope article from The Well Versed listing their 10 most anticipated hip-hop albums of 2012, including Big K.R.I.T., Nas, Lupe Fiasco, Jay Electronica, Kendrick Lamar and more. Check out what they said about Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid in a Mad City below. Which album are you looking... Read more

February 9, 2012 Food for Thought

Cee Lo says he wants to do a tribute show to Liberace in Vegas…Here are 5 reasons why no matter what he will ALWAYS be hip-hop.

Top 5 Cee Lo Rap Verses By J. Locke From the 2011 BET Awards to the 2011 New Year’s Eve Countdown, and, most recently, at the Super Bowl halftime show, Cee Lo increasingly has been getting his Liberace on (and he's about to make it official). His sequin moo moo... Read more

February 8, 2012 Audio, Food for Thought, Video

Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q interview with Peter Rosenberg (Video)

Here's a really dope interview of Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q by Peter Rosenberg. His first question to K. Dot is "You are in a blessed position these days of being one of the few dudes who does real hip-hop music that is actually getting buzz. What the hell did... Read more

February 7, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Organized Noize Tells All: The Stories Behind Their Classic Records

Complex has been doing an incredible series where they interview legendary producers and have them break down their classic songs track for track. In the past, they've done DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Diamond D and others. The latest is Organized Noize, the production team behind some of best joints by... Read more

February 2, 2012 Audio, Food for Thought, Playlists, Throwback

?uestlove writes a heartfelt tribute to the legacy of Don Cornelius

Here's a moving piece from ?uestlove about the cultural impact of Don Cornelius and Soul Train. An excerpt is below and you can read the full article here. "you guys see this bag? this bag has NEVER left my side for the past 14 years. I deemed it imperative that... Read more

February 2, 2012 Food for Thought

Murs is cerebral and complex. The term “real” gets thrown around a lot but Murs is as real as it gets. We sat down with him and he talked about what shaped him in becoming an MC. He covers everything from the impact of Eazy-E and LL Cool J to growing up in a Crip neighborhood to Oreo cookies. He even shares that he was laughed at the first time he wrote a rhyme. This is the story of Where It All Began in hip-hop for Murs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWz_NcYGSS4 Click here for more videos of Where It All Began for Kendrick Lamar, DJ Jazzy Jeff, 9th Wonder, XV, Big Daddy Kane, Freddie Gibbs, Stic Man and many more.... Read more

January 26, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Is Big K.R.I.T. the new OutKast?

Big K.R.I.T. asks us to call him a King Remembered in Time – a king who pays homage to royalty who’ve come before him. Among those giants who came before K.R.I.T. is Outkast. The beauty of Outkast is the group’s appeal to the playa and prophet that lives in us... Read more

January 24, 2012 Audio, Food for Thought

Q-Tip Gets DNA Tested And Discovers His African Roots (Video)

Know your roots? Q-Tip does. He recently did a DNA swab to learn about his ancestry. Here's a video chronicling what he discovered about his family tree. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df9x2OUl6X4&feature=player_embedded Also, we had a big Run-D.M.C. weekend with the anniversary of Jam Master Jay's birth on Saturday. Here's D.M.C.'s... Read more

January 24, 2012 Food for Thought, The Bridge, Video

DJ Jazzy Jeff is a hip-hop icon. You know the stats: one of the illest DJs EVER, winner of the first ever rap Grammy, superstar producer and one half of the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. But, do you know the path that led him to become one of hip-hop’s pioneers? Here’s an interview where he breaks down his journey to hip-hop through music. This is Where It All Began for DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Click here for Where It All Began: Kendrick Lamar.... Read more

January 19, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Here’s an MLK day playlist featuring music from Common, Talib Kweli, Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T., Nas and more (Playlist)

Happy MLK day. MUCH has changed since the 60's when Dr. King led a peaceful revolution for justice and equality, but the beautiful struggle continues. We are in complex times. The nation has a black president, a reality that likely would not have materialized had it not been for the... Read more

January 16, 2012 Audio, Food for Thought, Playlists

KRS-ONE Speaks on the evolution of his career, The Return of the Boom Bap and the death of conscious rap (Video)

Wow. Here's an unbelievable interview of KRS-One from DJ Premier's blog. He identifies the moment conscious rap died...Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erwJzZxaWXs&feature=player_embedded... Read more

January 15, 2012 Food for Thought, Throwback, Video

We had the good fortune to sit down with Kendrick Lamar and he gave us an in-depth interview about the music that shaped him and led him to hip-hop. He discusses everything from the earliest influences on his musical tastes to the deep connection between him, DMX and Tupac. He is candid, introspective and insightful. Witness the story of Where It All Began in hip-hop for Kendrick Lamar.

You may have seen bits of the interview in our sneak peeks (posted below) but they were just a taste of the knowledge he dropped in the full conversation. If you missed them, check out more Where It All Began sneak peeks below.... Read more

January 12, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Murs speaks on the power of independent hip-hop (Video)

Here's a really dope interview from Murs speaking about the current state of the industry for independent artists and talking about the new generation of West Coast MCs. Get this knowledge. Also, click here to hear Murs (and many others) talk about his first favorite rapper. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZOw5GQlaSg&feature=player_embedded Props to LA... Read more

January 11, 2012 Food for Thought, Video