jay rock ArchivesAmbrosia For Heads

Jay Rock & Ab-Soul’s New Songs Are Reminders Of TDE’s Greatness

Over the last 10+ years, Top Dog Entertainment has proven itself to be not just one of the greatest record labels of the 2010s, but one of the greatest in the history of Rap music. Built around the Black Hippy collective of Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul and ScHoolboy Q,... Read more

October 21, 2023 Audio, Trending Stories

Death Row Family vs. TDE: 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 24, 2023 Greatest Rap Crew

TDE vs. Sick Wid It: 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 15, 2023 Greatest Rap Crew

TDE vs. Odd Future: 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 3, 2023 Greatest Rap Crew

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

Where TDE Ranks Among Hip-Hop’s Greatest Record Labels

Kendrick Lamar made a rare and significant announcement in the last week: his upcoming album would be his last with Top Dawg Entertainment. For more than a decade, Kendrick has been TDE's flagship artist. He is even a part-owner in the record label responsible for taking SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Jay... Read more

August 24, 2021 Video

TDE vs. Dreamville: Who Wins The Battle With These 2 New Songs?

Last November, J.I.D. admitted that competition between Dreamville Records and TDE is a very real thing. During his DiCaprio 2 campaign, the Georgia MC described his primary motivation was helping his squad, started by J. Cole, outshine the team that includes Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and others. “Being... Read more

June 5, 2019 Audio

Jay Rock Celebrates His Grammy With Some G-Funk

Two weeks ago, Jay Rock won his first Grammy Award. The win came from the song "King's Dead." That video single featuring Kendrick Lamar, Future, and James Blake appeared on the chart-topping Black Panther soundtrack one year ago. Then, the Mike WiLL Made It, Sounwave, 30 Roc, and Twon Beatz-produced... Read more

February 22, 2019 Audio

Jay Rock & Anderson .Paak Win Their First Grammy Awards…In A Tied Race

Ahead of the 61st Grammy Awards television broadcast, some important winners have already announced in significant categories. For the second year in a row, Dave Chappelle took home "Best Comedy Album" honors for his third and fourth Netflix special of 2017. Meanwhile, in the"Best Rap Performance" category, there is a... Read more

February 10, 2019 News

Joe Budden Rips Future’s Mask Off For Lying About Lean

Yesterday (January 18), rapper Future released his seventh studio album, Future Hndrxx Presents: The WIZRD. Recently, the maturation of Future's music has been at the forefront of many conversations in the Rap music space, especially on The Joe Budden Podcast. However, at the same time, the Dungeon Family product appears... Read more

January 19, 2019 Audio, Lifestyle, News

Reason Shows He Stands With TDE’s Finest By Freestyling On Kendrick & Jay Rock Beats

Top Dawg Entertainment artist Reason has proven that he has bars, but he's also shown that he can use his lyrical ability to make great music as well. He showcased such ability on 2017's There You Have It, an independent project which was remastered and re-released earlier this year by... Read more

December 19, 2018 Video

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2018 (Battle 9): Black Thought vs. Jay Rock

We have our opinions on the best releases of 2018, but rather than simply tell you our pick for #1, we thought it would be more interesting to hear what you, the readers, believe is the Best Rap Album of 2018. With that in mind, we decided to make our... Read more

December 17, 2018 Best Rap Album 2018

Four Hip-Hop Artists Have Grammy Nominations For Album Of The Year

The 61st Grammy Awards nominations have been announced, and there is plenty to talk about for Rap and Hip-Hop fans. The affair will take place February 10, 2019, returning the event to Los Angeles, California's Staples Center after a New York City ceremony earlier this year. While Top Dawg and... Read more

December 7, 2018 News

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2018 (Battle 2): Jay Rock vs. Nipsey Hussle

We have our opinions on the best releases of 2018, but rather than simply tell you our pick for #1, we thought it would be more interesting to hear what you, the readers, believe is the Best Rap Album of 2018. With that in mind, we decided to make our... Read more

December 6, 2018 Best Rap Album 2018

Ambrosia For Heads’ Top 15 Hip-Hop Albums Of 2018 List

It is that season where “best of” lists abound and, in a year that featured stellar music from artists young and old, 2018 kept Hip-Hop fans on the edge of our seats. Now is an excellent time to reflect on the best ones. Throughout December, Ambrosia For Heads will pit... Read more

December 4, 2018 Best Rap Album 2018

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

J.I.D. Confirms That Dreamville’s Competition With TDE Is Real

2018 has been a monumental year for J. Cole's Dreamville label. In the last 12 months, Cole released one of the front-runners for the year's best in K.O.D. That was a few months after Los Angeles, California's Cozz dropped an impressive Effected. At the end of summer, Bas released Milky Way, an... Read more

November 26, 2018 Fresh, Popular, Video

Reason Demands His Place In Rap With A New Video Freestyle

TDE's Reason formally introduced himself earlier this year with the re-release of his 2017 mixtape, There You Have It. Since its arrival through Top Dawg Entertainment, he's been on the road in support of label mate Jay Rock's Big Redemption Tour, earning himself the respect of some of Hip-Hop's most selective... Read more

November 21, 2018 Video

Jay Rock Shows The Serious Consequences Of Impulsive Decision Making (Video)

Top Dawg Entertainment’s stable of star rappers has been ruling airwaves and charts for the last couple of years. But 2018 saw one of the label’s earliest signings, Jay Rock, step much closer to getting the recognition that he deserves. Although he already had two rock-solid albums under his belt,... Read more

November 14, 2018 Video

Jay Rock & Kendrick Lamar Go Back To Basics In Their “Wow Freestyle” Video

Jay Rock may have dropped his highly praised Redemption album at the top of the summer, but he is still working on the TDE project. The “Wow Freestyle” is the eighth video he has dropped off his third full-length project, which is 13 tracks long. Artists have been saying that... Read more

October 25, 2018 Video

Jay Rock Recalls Top Dawg Discovering Him When He Was Just A Boy In The Hood (Video)

Currently on the Big Redemption Tour in promotion of his album, Jay Rock and tour-mate Reason recently crossed the border in to Vancouver, Canada for an interview with Nardwuar. Throughout the video, Nardwuar drops insights on Jay Rock and Reason's upbringing in Southern California, from Reason's college basketball days to... Read more

October 11, 2018 Video

Reason Describes His Journey From Hungry MC To TDE’s Next Top Dawg (Video)

Six weeks ago, the dominant Hip-Hop label of the 2010s announced that it had added a new MC to its tight-knit family. Carson, California's Reason signed to Top Dawg Entertainment. The imprint with five #1 releases, including this year's Black Panther soundtrack held no press conferences nor staged a chain-awarding... Read more

September 25, 2018 Exclusive, Interview, Video

Jay Rock’s Freestyle Shows What A Migos Beat Sounds Like With Some G-Funk (Video)

Jay Rock's sound seems to be evolving. In 2018, the Watts, California MC linked with producers Boi-1da, Vinylz, and CT for "Win." Working with some technicians known for a hand in Drake's discography (along with many other chart-toppers), the move showed some new range for an MC with a raspy... Read more

September 4, 2018 Video

TDE Adds A New MC To Its Championship Roster. Meet Reason. (Audio)

Much like the Golden State Warriors, Top Dawg Entertainment continues to add more pieces to its roster after coming off of The Championship Tour. The newest addition to one of Hip-Hop's most winningest teams comes in the form of Reason, the Carson, California MC whose signing to the label was... Read more

August 8, 2018 Audio, News

Jay Rock’s Video Shows Him As A Street Fighter Who Plays No Games

Jay Rock's third album Redemption has been one of Hip-Hop's most heralded albums of the last month, and his videos are living up to the quality of the tracks they represent. The TDE mainstay MC is keeping that visual train moving with the release of his video for Redemption's straightforward... Read more

July 9, 2018 Video

Jay Rock Opens The BET Awards & Takes A Victory Lap (Video)

Fresh on the heels of releasing his third album, Jay Rock was given center stage at the 2018 BET Awards. The Watts, California MC stood in no one's shadow as he performed "Win," the second single from Redemption. Awards host Jamie Foxx joined the Top Dawg Entertainment MC on stage... Read more

June 24, 2018 Video

Jay Rock & J. Cole Are A Deadly Combination Lyrically And In Their New Video

With June 15's Redemption, Jay Rock released his first album since suffering a nearly fatal dirt-bike accident in 2016. The album's title and much of its content deal with themes of triumph over adversity, including singles "King's Dead," "WIN" and "The Bloodiest." With his J. Cole collabo, "OSOM (Out Of Sight,... Read more

June 20, 2018 Video

Jay Rock’s Bloodiest Video Shows That Sometimes Nothing Is What It Seems

Jay Rock's just-released album, Redemption, has fans rejoicing. It's also a reminder why Top Dawg Entertainment built its foundation off his talents as an MC. The Watts, California native's latest LP has many real-life tales, but perhaps the grimiest and most vivid come from album opener, "The Bloodiest." Now, Heads... Read more

June 16, 2018 Video

Jay Rock Gets His Redemption Alongside J. Cole. Nothing Can Stop Him Now (Audio)

Jay Rock has just released his third album Redemption. In addition to his Black Hippy and TDE label-mates, the LP includes highly anticipated collaborative single, "OSOM (Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind)" featuring J. Cole. The song examines Johnny's rise to fame, which began a dozen years ago with a... Read more

June 15, 2018 Audio

Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q & Ab-Soul Explain Jay Rock’s Importance To TDE (Video)

According to his latest video single, Jay Rock is winning. While the Watts, California MC is not one to take L's, his fans can agree that he is overdue. It was 11 years ago that the raspy-voiced MC with the pavement poetry was put on the front lines of a... Read more

June 5, 2018 Video

Jay Rock Put TDE On His Back. Now, They’ve Got His For The Win (Video)

After a strong start to the year with his highest-charting single to date ("King's Dead" from the Black Panther soundtrack), Jay Rock is back with another check mark in the "W" column. For those following the movement, Jay is the cornerstone on which the success of TDE was built. So,... Read more

May 31, 2018 Video

Jay Rock’s Third Album Is Coming In Less Than A Month

Watts, California MC Jay Rock has been quite busy in 2018. The breakout artists on Top Dawg Entertainment since the mid-2000s, Jay appeared on the chart-topping Black Panther soundtrack. Alongside Kendrick Lamar and Future, "Kings Dead" gave Rock his first Hot 100 single (#21) of his career. Moreover, the raspy-voiced... Read more

May 21, 2018 Audio, Fresh

TDE Has Made The Funniest Concert Promo Video Of All-Time

Top Dawg Entertainment is taking its whole show on the road the 2018 Championship Tour. In January, TDE announced cross-country US dates for May and June. At the time, Kendrick Lamar had not yet won a historic Pulitzer Prize for Musical Composition (the first ever going to an artist outside... Read more

April 17, 2018 Video

Mozzy Fits In Nicely With Rap’s Top Dawgs. He & Jay Rock Extend Their Chemistry (Audio)

California spitter Mozzy has been making quite a name for himself as of late. The Oak Park, Sacramento native appeared on Black Panther: The Album's cut "Seasons" (alongside Sjava and Reason) and has already received praise from members of Top Dawg Entertainment, including Kendrick Lamar and his Grammy award reception... Read more

February 22, 2018 Audio

Tech N9ne Rates The Bars & He Punishes A Guest Verse From 1 Of His Songs (Video)

Tech N9ne is the latest guest on "Rate The Bars." The co-founder of Strange Music stresses that he wants to see some gangsta songwriting. The Kansas City, Missouri veteran, Indie Rap juggernaut, and member of The Regime hands out several perfect scores, praising bars that are especially rooted in street-life.... Read more

February 19, 2018 Video

Kendrick Lamar Reveals Tracklist & Release Date For “Black Panther” Soundtrack

On January 29, Marvel Studios hosted an early premiere of Black Panther ahead of its February 16 United States release. One of the most anticipated films of 2018, the superhero flick is bound to be a blockbuster success, thanks in no small part to its cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B.... Read more

January 31, 2018 Fresh

Why Jay Rock Is The Unsung Hero Of Top Dawg Entertainment (Video)

In Hip-Hop, the first is not always the biggest. Just as football has its linemen fighting for every inch, Rap music often has its figures that blaze a trail, light a path, or move the boulders for another artist to shoot the resulting gap. This week, TDE announced its Championship... Read more

January 23, 2018 Food for Thought

TDE’s Roster Is Full Of Champions. The Label Announces A 2018 Award Tour

Just 22 days into 2018 TDE appears sending a message about their top dog status in the music industry. With a Kendrick Lamar and SZA-heavy Grammy Awards airing in less than a week (January 28), and a Black Panther soundtrack to follow on February 9, Top Dawg Entertainment has now announced... Read more

January 22, 2018 Fresh

Jay Rock & Kendrick Lamar Go Off Again In Their Latest Collaboration (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let AFH 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 go back... Read more

January 12, 2018 Audio

Jay Rock Shows Again Why He’s One Of The Best Guest MCs Of His Generation (Video)

Although he was the first artist on the powerhouse record label that is TDE, Jay Rock's output has been relatively sparse, compared to that of Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q and others in the family. Rock has only released one album in the last six years, 2015's stellar 90059. The Watts... Read more

November 28, 2017 Video

The Game Drops His Best Verse In Years & Lil Dicky Is At Least As Good (Audio)

Two years ago, Lil Dicky released one of the most creative records in some time with his song "Pillow Talking." Housed on his album, Professional Rapper, the song was a whopping 10 minutes and, not only featured Dicky rapping a conversation between himself and a date, but also sported an... Read more

September 14, 2017 Audio

Rapsody Is Releasing A New Album. Her Single With Busta Rhymes Is Downright Scary (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let AFH 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 go back... Read more

September 1, 2017 Audio

Saba May Be The Next Great Chicago MC. Just Ask Andre 3000 (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let AFH 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 go back... Read more

August 23, 2017 Audio

Jay Rock’s First Verse Of 2017 More Than Makes Up For The Wait (Audio)

As appears to be the TDE way, Jay Rock is about quality over quantity. The Watts, California MC has had a very quiet 2017. If he has been recording, Heads have yet to hear the music. However, that has just changed with a feature verse on Mozzy's "Momma We Made It."... Read more

August 3, 2017 Audio

ScHoolboy Q Explains What It Would Take For A Black Hippy Album To Happen (Video)

ScHoolboy Q conducted a recent interview with Montreality. Within the conversation, the Los Angeles, California MC discusses his affinity for '90s wrestling and details of his awkward "first time." However, at the 5:30 mark, Q makes some interesting points when asked about the potential of a Black Hippy album. "Everybody... Read more

June 5, 2017 Video

Drake Releases His More Life Playlist & It’s A Return To More Hard Rapping (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with the good stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been before. Not only are we able to go... Read more

March 18, 2017 Audio

Cheers. There’s Still Great Hip-Hop Being Made. Here’s A Bunch (Audio Playlist)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with the good stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been before. Not only are we able to go... Read more

February 17, 2017 Audio

SiR Is The Latest Signee To TDE & He Brings A Ton Of Soul (Video)

Over the last 5 years, Top Dawg Entertainment has grown into one of music's most powerful and respected record labels. TDE is the home to some of Hip-Hop's most celebrated MCs, including Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Isaiah Rashad. Those who follow closely, however, also know that... Read more

January 19, 2017 Video

Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q & Jay Rock Bring Holiday Spirit To Watts (Videos)

In its third annual installment, the TDE Christmas concert and toy giveaway took place on Tuesday (December 20), this time at the Nickerson Gardens Projects in Watts, a neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles. Label-mates Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad, SZA, and Lance Skiiiwalker all put on for... Read more

December 21, 2016 Video

Ab-Soul’s New Album Is Done & Jay Rock’s Is Close. He Previews A New Song (Video)

At the beginning of the year, Top Dawg, founder and owner of Top Dawg Entertainment promised the label would release 6 projects in 2016. Kendrick Lamar led off with untitled unmastered in March, and he was followed by ScHoolboy Q who dropped his Blank Face LP in July. Last week,... Read more

August 13, 2016 Fresh