j. cole - Ambrosia For Heads

J. Cole’s Latest Guest Verse Is Much Bigger Than Hip-Hop

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 14, 2023 Audio

JAY-Z, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole & More Share Secrets For Greatness

J. Cole interviews are a rarity these days. Fresh off Dreamville's recent Creed III: The Soundtrack display, J. Cole sat down for a rare public conversation. However, it was not promoting the compilation that includes a new Cole solo song to a vintage, recycled Dr. Dre beat. Instead, Jermaine sat... Read more

March 25, 2023 Video

J. Cole Teases His New Album On A Knockout Verse

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

March 4, 2023 Audio

Ab-Soul Says There Would Be No Kendrick, Drake, Or Cole Without Him

Ab-Soul closed out 2022 with one of the year's best albums. HERBERT, named among Ambrosia For Heads Top 15 albums of the year, featured Joey Bada$$, Big Sean, Russ, and Punch, among others. The Top Dawg Entertainment LP ends with "GOTTA RAP," a DJ Premier-produced track that reclaims Soulo's love... Read more

February 24, 2023 Video

Cordae & Anderson .Paak Have A Heated Debate About A Woman On Their New Song

In 2019, Anderson .Paak was a crucial guest on Cordae's Grammy-nominated album, The Lost Boy (also named one of Ambrosia For Heads' best albums that year). That collaboration, "RNP (Rich Ni**a Problems)" was produced by J. Cole and evolved to become a music video. The chemistry between Cordae and Paak... Read more

January 26, 2023 Video

J. Cole Gifts An Unknown Producer With A Surprise Verse

J. Cole has a knack for being incredibly down to earth, despite his superstardom. Amid his status, the Dreamville founder has offered $1 concerts, recorded albums in the studio where his career began, and protested in the streets alongside his fans and supporters. Kicking off 2023, Cole did something true... Read more

January 18, 2023 Audio

The Best Rap Verses Of 2022

As 2022 winds down to its closing weeks, Ambrosia For Heads begins a celebration of the year with an in-depth conversation about its best Hip-Hop verses. In considering 2022, AFH's What's The Headline podcast spent nearly 90 minutes breaking down some of our favorites. While there is unanimous agreement surrounding six songs, the two hosts... Read more

November 30, 2022 Exclusive, Video

Lupe Fiasco Has The Year’s Best Verse & It’s Only 1 Line

Each year, there are a handful of raps that compete for verse of the year. Sometimes, these extraordinary lyrical displays come in the form of freestyles, like Black Thought's unforgettable 10-minute MC master class for Funkmaster Flex, in 2017. Occasionally, an MC who has been absent for a while drops... Read more

November 12, 2022 Audio

J. Cole Told Us Who Kanye West Was 6 Years Ago But Many Ignored Him

During the intro to Kendrick Lamar's song "Savior" on his Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers album, the Compton MC says "Kendrick made you think about it, but he is not your savior. Cole made you feel empowered, but he is not your savior. Future said, 'Get a money counter,'... Read more

October 19, 2022 Video

Many Of Hip-Hop’s Greatest Rappers Name Their Top 5 MCs

Note: Jadakiss recently appeared on ESPN’s Jalen & Jacoby podcast and was asked who his top 5 Hip-Hop groups of all-time were. This article has been updated below with his response, as well as The Game’s top 5 LA Rap albums. A few days ago, during a podcast appearance, Ice... Read more

July 12, 2022 Video

Black Thought Freestyles Over Benny’s Beat & Butchers It

Earlier this month, West Philadelphia played host to the 20th Roots Picnic. There, The Roots crew shared the stage with Mary J. Blige and welcomed artists including DJ Jazzy Jeff & Rakim, Freddie Gibbs, Masego, Babyface Ray, and others to their two-day event. On Saturday (June 4), Black Thought and... Read more

June 14, 2022 Video

Nas Won The Grammys Without Getting An Award

Last night (April 3), the 64th annual Grammy Awards broadcast from Las Vegas, Nevada. Hosted by Trevor Noah, the affair may have gone differently than many Hip-Hop Heads expected. After history of being snubbed by the Grammys, many anticipated that 2022 would celebrate J. Cole, whose The Off-Season content was seeded... Read more

April 4, 2022 Video

J. Cole Starts Dreamville’s Mixtape With Another Monster Verse

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

April 1, 2022 Audio

J. Cole Says He Is The Best Rapper Alive & He’s Proving It

Last Friday (January 28), Benny The Butcher released one of the most exciting songs by any artist in over a year. "Johnny P's Caddy" is inspired by the formative days when Benny would ride in his father's Cadillac alongside Westside Gunn and listen to Hip-Hop. Over an Alchemist beat, The... Read more

February 1, 2022 Video

Benny The Butcher & J. Cole Have Released An Instant Classic

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

January 28, 2022 Audio, Video

J. Cole Reveals His 1st Rap Name & Why He Changed It

After a long, busy year in Hip-Hop, this week's biggest story may be J. Cole's interview with Nardwuar. Published on Christmas Day (December 25), the hour-long conversation was years in the making. As usual, The Human Serviette astounded his subject with research, physical props, and plenty of space to unpack... Read more

December 29, 2021 Video

J. Cole Told Dr. Dre About Kendrick Lamar & Wanted To Sign Him

Despite releasing a Grammy-nominated album this year, J. Cole has not deviated from his reservations about interviews. The Dreamville Records founder is known for picking his spots with the press, and while he blessed The L.A. Leakers with one of 2021's best freestyles, Cole left a mark with a performance—not... Read more

December 26, 2021 Video

The 14 Best Rap Albums Of 2021…What Did We Miss

As 2021 comes to a close, it is appropriate to reflect on a remarkable year for Hip-Hop music and news. Although we did it slightly differently this year, Ambrosia For Heads shares our list of the best Hip-Hop Albums Of 2021. On episode #72 of the What's The Headline podcast—starting at 1:13:00—we list our... Read more

December 21, 2021 Best Rap Albums Of 2021, 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

Why J. Cole Is The Tim Duncan Of Hip-Hop

Last week, J. Cole released a video loosie at just the right moment. The "Heaven's EP" track was recorded to Drake's "Pipe Down" instrumental. It arrived after a month where Kendrick Lamar proclaimed himself, "Smokin’ on top fives / Mother-f*ck that album, f*ck that single / Burn that hard drive... Read more

September 28, 2021 Video

J. Cole Says He’s The Best Rapper Breathing & Tells Others To Pipe Down

J. Cole has already delivered one of the best albums of 2021, courtesy of The Off-Season. Named among the top LPs in Ambrosia For Heads' midyear report, the album found Jermaine Cole treating the craft of rapping like basketball—and training diligently between his heralded 2018 KOD album and the 2021 follow-up. After being snubbed by the Grammy's, Cole... Read more

September 22, 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

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

J. Cole Just Kicked The Best Freestyle Of 2021 (Video)

J. Cole's new album, The Off-Season, is aptly-titled, because he is not playing. After announcing last week that his project would be available on May 14, the Fayetteville, North Carolina MC/producer has wasted no time re-establishing he is one of the greatest rappers of his generation. J. Cole’s New Album... Read more

May 12, 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

J. Cole’s New Album Is Coming Next Week. Here’s The 1st Song

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 7, 2021 Audio

Master P & Baron Davis Want To Buy Reebok To Make It For Us By Us

Master P had a big 2020. The founder of No Limit Records partnered with BET to produce a docuseries on his famed label. The New Orleans, Louisiana native born Percy Miller also remains a partner in Rap Snacks and other ventures. However, the artist whose career expanded to film, sports,... Read more

December 31, 2020 Fresh, News, Video

Scarface Is Sick & He’s Asking Hip-Hop For Help

Rapper Scarface has had a challenging 2020. He is a Hip-Hop legend who was infected by the COVID-19 virus back in late March. In the weeks that followed, the Houston, Texas-based icon's fight was so strong that it led to pneumonia in both of his lungs, kidney failure, a 103-degree... Read more

October 13, 2020 Audio, Fresh, News

J. Cole’s Short Film Is About Basketball & The Drive To Make Dreams Come True (Video)

While many Heads are waiting for The Fall Off to make its way, J. Cole, the face of Dreamville Records, is making his own dreams come true. The now-Grammy Award-winning MC/producer announced this morning (February 13) a multi-year partnership with Puma. Notably, Cole's Roc Nation family member JAY-Z is the President... Read more

February 13, 2020 Lifestyle, TV/Film, Video

Lute Says If J. Cole Made It, There’s No Telling How Far HE Can Go (Video)

On the video single "Under The Sun" from Dreamville’s 2019 acclaimed Revenge Of The Dreamers III album, Charlotte, North Carolina native Lute smashed the second verse, sandwiched between the high-profile home-state likes of J.Cole and DaBaby. Now with a new single titled "G.E.D. (Gettin Every Dolla)," Lute continues to show... Read more

February 8, 2020 Video

How J. Cole Used Drake’s Playbook To Score His Biggest Hit & Win A Grammy

Sunday night (January 26), J. Cole won his very first Grammy Award. The 2020 "Best Rap Song" trophy was for the "a lot" collaboration from 21 Savage's i am > i was. While 2019's category winner, Drake, was included in the televised portion of the show (giving an impassioned and... Read more

January 29, 2020 Food for Thought

J. Cole Wins His First Grammy Ever Alongside 21 Savage

Tonight (January 26), J. Cole took home his first Grammy Award. The accomplished MC/producer has been nominated seven times ahead of the 2020 ceremonies, having never won. That changed with a win alongside 21 Savage in the "Best Rap Song" category. The two artists scored the victory for 2018 video... Read more

January 26, 2020 News

EarthGang’s New Video Is For A Song That Prompted J. Cole To Sign Them

EarthGang's Olu and WowGr8 were scorching hot throughout their 2019 campaign. The Dreamville duo were apart of some of the year's best and most talked about projects, including J. Cole's Rap menagerie, Revenge Of The Dreamers III. Recently, Cole and Ibrahim Hamad assisted with the drop of a Director's Cut... Read more

January 23, 2020 Video

J. Cole & Marshawn Lynch Discuss Drug Addiction, Capitalism & Paying Dues (Video)

Hosted by Blackout for Human Rights, the fifth annual MLK Now event took place at the Riverside Church in Harlem, New York, and was where Dr. King gave his historic "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" speech in 1967. Hip-Hop superstar J. Cole returned after participating in the inaugural... Read more

January 22, 2020 Lifestyle, Video

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2019 (Battle 5): Dreamville vs. Griselda

Over the last couple of years, Ambrosia For Heads has asked our readers to help us determine the Best Rap Album for 2017 and 2018, respectively. In looking at the top music of 2019, we believe that instead of letting the Grammy Awards—a committee who does not know anything about... Read more

January 13, 2020 Best Albums Of 2019

Here Are Ambrosia For Heads’ Top 25 Rap Albums Of The Decade

In the final hours of a decade, Ambrosia For Heads presents our Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums. The 2010s were a wild ride, with an onslaught of important new voices, and incredible maturation from veteran MCs. It was a 10-year span where artists and songs were discovered new places (including the... Read more

December 30, 2019 Best Rap Album 2010s

Ambrosia For Heads’ Top 15 Hip-Hop Albums Of 2019 List

It is that season when “best of” lists abound and, in a year that featured some remarkable music from artists across the landscape, 2019 kept Hip-Hop fans on the edge of our seats. There were reunions, surprise collaborations, and show-stopping debut albums. The year also featured innovative label compilations, unexpected... Read more

December 18, 2019 Best Albums Of 2019

The Game Explains Why He Wants To Battle Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole (Video)

Less than a month ago, The Game released his Born 2 Rap album. What is currently being touted as the Compton, California's final LP features various homages to other songs. "The Light" (embedded below) flips the same Bobby Caldwell song as Common's J Dilla-produced 2000 track of the same name.... Read more

December 15, 2019 Video

DJ Premier Reveals All The MCs He Asked To Be On The Gang Starr Album & What Happened

At the top of the month, Gang Starr released One Of The Best Yet. The seventh album by Guru and DJ Premier features familiar collaborators such as Big Shug, Group Home, Jeru The Damaja, M.O.P., and Freddie Foxxx. Additionally, J. Cole, Talib Kweli, Royce 5'9, Q-Tip, and Nitty Scott, MC... Read more

November 24, 2019 Audio, Fresh

From Dreams To Reality…J. Cole’s Squad Has Been Nominated For A Grammy

The nominations for the 2020 Grammy Awards have been announced. The upcoming year's contenders celebrate a host of potential first-time winners, especially in Rap and Hip-Hop. In the "Best Rap Album" category, there are several key contenders. Notably, J. Cole (who has never previously won a Grammy) earned that distinction... Read more

November 20, 2019 News

Big K.R.I.T. Explains How Using Other Producers Made Him A Better Writer (Video)

Big K.R.I.T. is finishing the decade strong. In 2010, he delivered a mixtape that elevated the medium in the form of K.R.I.T. Wuz Here. Earlier this year, he offered fans another high-level album in K.R.I.T. IZ HERE. It was an appropriate bookend in a decade where the MC/producer left an... Read more

November 18, 2019 Exclusive, Video

EARTHGANG Performs A Colorful Song From 1 Of This Year’s Most Original Albums (Video)

EARTHGANG, comprised of rappers Olu (aka Johnny Venus) and WowGr8 (aka Doctur Dot), is having a breakthrough 2019. Backed by J. Cole's Dreamville Records, EARTHGANG is now responsible for one of the year's best LPs with their full-length debut, MirrorLand. Earlier this summer, the duo appeared on the chart-topping Revenge... Read more

November 8, 2019 Video

Gang Starr’s Album Is Here & It’s One Of The Best Yet (Audio)

Less than six weeks ago, Hip-Hop Heads suddenly learned that a Gang Starr album was on its way. DJ Premier had spent more than a year producing songs around previously unreleased vocals from his longtime creative partner, Guru. The MC/producer had passed away in 2010, nearly seven years removed from... Read more

November 1, 2019 Audio

J. Cole’s Dreamville Is Flying High In Its Quest To Be Hip-Hop’s Best Crew (Video)

2019 has been an exciting year for the Hip-Hop crew. Buffalo, New York's Griselda Records continues to build an empire, brick-by-brick. Last week's first glimpse of a Shady Records-backed album from Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher shows even more promise to a calendar year that's seen... Read more

October 22, 2019 Video

Gang Starr Has An Album Coming & Their New Song Is Classic Material (Audio)

Gang Starr's legacy is everlasting. What Guru and DJ Premier assembled more than 30 years ago has influenced and informed Hip-Hop culture. In early 2010, the group's creator, Keith "Guru" Elam passed away from cancer in a New York City hospital. At the time, it had been more than six... Read more

October 18, 2019 Audio, News

YBN Cordae & Anderson .Paak Travel Back To The ’70s For A Video That’s Super Fly

Last year, YBN Cordae responded to J. Cole's "1985 - 'Intro To The Falloff'" with a song of his own. Cole's song, now more than a year and a half old, confronted some younger Rap peers who had been dissing him, and offering them some valuable game. It was a... Read more

October 14, 2019 Video

Gang Starr’s New Video With J. Cole Keeps Guru’s Legacy Alive (Video)

More than 15 years since the last Gang Starr video, DJ Premier releases "Family and Loyalty." It's a Fab 5 Freddy-directed visual featuring DJ Premier, J. Cole, Big Shug, and plenty of memories surrounding the impact Guru's life made on others. The video begins with Guru's family (including his son,... Read more

October 2, 2019 Video

DJ Premier Details Why He Chose J. Cole For Gang Starr’s New Song (Audio)

On Friday (September 20), Gang Starr released its first single in more than 16 years. "Family And Loyalty" features two verses from Guru (who passed away in 2010), a DJ Premier-produced track, and a guest appearance from J. Cole. Calling into Sway In The Morning, Premier explained some background on... Read more

September 23, 2019 Audio, News

DaBaby Makes A Song That Shows He’s A Grown-Up MC With A Real Message

Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, also known by his Rap moniker DaBaby, has been having a stellar campaign in 2019. After being featured in XXL's "Freshman" class this season, the 27-year-old MC released his debut album, Baby On Baby, which reached the top 25 of the Billboard 200 charts. It was accompanied... Read more

September 21, 2019 Video

Gang Starr Has New Music. J. Cole Joins This Moment Of Truth (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

September 20, 2019 Audio