jay-z Archives

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

Here’s a President’s Day playlist featuring music about the presidents most discussed in hip-hop: Dead Presidents. You’ll hear music from 2Pac, DJ Quik, Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie, Wu-Tang Clan, Scarface, Eric B & Rakim, Kanye West, Zion I, J Cole and more. You can listen to the whole playlist below.

Dead Presidents by Parfit on Grooveshark... Read more

February 20, 2012 Audio, Playlists

Jay-Z & Kanye West – N*ggas in Paris (Video)

Jay and Ye dropped the video for N*ggas in Paris today. It features footage from their Watch the Throne tour. You can check it out below. Also, if you missed it, peep the knowledge behind the meaning of "that sh*t Kray" here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gG_dA32oH44... Read more

February 9, 2012 Video

Here’s a video playlist some classic hip-hop commercials (Video)

Commercials are always a big part of Super Bowl Sunday. With that in mind, here's a video playlist of some vintage hip-hop commercials. You'll hear verses from Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Large Professor, Grand Puba, Biggie, Snoop, 2Pac, Warren G, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang, Ice Cube, EPMD, Geto Boys... Read more

February 5, 2012 Audio, Playlists, Throwback, Video

The first month of 2012 is almost in the books. Here’s a playlist of some of the better music to drop in January 2012. You’ll hear music from Schoolboy Q, Rapper Big Pooh, Curren$y, Jay-Z (and Blue Ivy Carter), Common & Drake, Scolla, Logic, Rick Ross, Stalley, Saigon and more. You can listen below.

January 28, 2012 Playlists, Video

Nipsey Hu$$le – A Million (Video)

Here's a new video from Nipsey Hu$$le for his song, A Million, which flips the hook from Jay-Z's classic A Million and One Questions. Check it out. Also, if you missed it, you can listen to and download Nipsey's mixtape, The Marathon Continues, here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4kqJI_ACTw&feature=player_embedded Here's the original Jay-Z joint:... Read more

January 11, 2012 Video

Kanye West plays Big Brother for Jay-Z for the first time (Video)

Here's some pretty dope footage of the studio session where Kanye West played Big Brother (the original version) for Jay-Z the first time. It kicks in at around the 1 minute mark. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-ZpPdqhTs3U... Read more

January 10, 2012 Video

Jay-Z and Beyonce welcomed their daughter, Blue Ivy, into the world on Saturday. Jay-Z did an intimate song about her and his entry to fatherhood. Check out Glory, produced by and featuring Pharrell.

January 9, 2012 Audio

Ambrosia For Heads’ 2011 Best Hip-Hop Albums/Mixtapes of the Year: Here’s a look at our picks for the best of the best in 2011. You’ll find words on each as well as samples of the music. Tell us your picks for 2011.

It's that time of year again, when you're hit with a ton of year end, best of lists. We're going to keep it simple. We have 2 lists: best hip-hop albums/mixtapes of the year and songs of the year. First up, here are our picks for the best hip-hop albums/mixtapes... Read more

December 28, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought, Mixes, Video

Roc-A-Fella Records is the 9th most important hip-hop record label of all time, and not just because of arguably the greatest rapper of all time…

...though he is a big part of it. #8 Roc-A-Fella Records EVERYONE knows that Roc-A-Fella records was the home to Jay-Z. He, along with his partners Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, founded the label back in1996 and Jay-Z repped the label as hard as any artist ever has represented... Read more

December 7, 2011 Food for Thought, Playlists, Video

Young Jeezy Double Play: I Do ft Jay-Z and Andre 3000 + F.A.M.E. ft T.I. (Video)

Here's a double play from Young Jeezy. Check out his new song I Do featuring Jay-Z and Andre 3000, and the new video for F.A.M.E. featuring TI below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CiXZ23Unec Here's I Do featuring Jay-Z and Andre 3000 (with tags...for now) Click here to download.... Read more

November 18, 2011 Audio, Video

Here’s a playlist of songs that have focused a critical eye on the status quo and expressed a desire for something better. Some of the names you would expect (Public Enemy, Talib Kweli, Common, Lupe Fiasco, 2Pac) and others might surprise you (Jay-Z, Eminem, Kanye West). Regardless of whether or not you share their views or not, it’s food for thought in these interesting times.

With the global economy in chaos, people are standing up for their beliefs across the world. The many "Occupy" protests are just a few examples of this. Throughout time, music has played an important role in such movements. Hip-hop was that voice of unrest for many in the 80's and... Read more

November 1, 2011 Food for Thought, Playlists

RE-WIN(D): Here’s a video playlist of joints from the early to mid-90’s. You’ll find songs from Mobb Deep, Jeru Tha Damaja, Group Home, The Roots, Jay-Z, De La Soul, Gang Starr, O.C., Diamond D and more. Just press play and let it ride.

Click here for another RE-WIN(D) playlist featuring De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, The Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah, Kid N Play, Special Ed, Monie Love, Chubb Rock, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and more.... Read more

October 25, 2011 Playlists, Throwback, Video

Jadakiss & Styles P – Runnin’ Through the Jungle

Jadakiss and Styles P re-join forces to take their turn on Kanye and Jay-Z's Welcome To The Jungle. Check out Runnin' Through the Jungle. Click here to download.... Read more

October 17, 2011 Audio

T.I., Jay-Z and Kanye West – N*ggas in Paris

TI just jumped on the N*ggas from Paris track and BODIED it. Check it out below.... Read more

October 15, 2011 Audio

Here are The 50 Best Radio Freestyles, according to Complex. They discuss each freestyle AND provide audio for each one. It includes freestyles from Tribe, Wu, Snoop, Kanye, Common, Biggie, Nas, Eminem, Jay-Z and many, many more. It’s unbelievable. Just classic.

Complex has been doing a "best of" series for a while but THIS ONE is the best yet. They recently compiled The 50 Best Radio Freestyles and each entry is accompanied by the audio. This compilation would have been worth it for the legendary Common/Kanye battle, alone. The fact that... Read more

October 7, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought

J. Cole – Mr. Nice Watch ft Jay-Z

Here's J. Cole's collabo with Jay-Z from the forthcoming Cole World: The Sideline Story. What do you think? Click here to download. Here's what VIBE had to say about the making of the track: "Although, this wasn’t the original track young Jermaine hoped Jay would lay vocals on. At the... Read more

September 14, 2011 Audio

Kris Kasanova – Just Anotha Day (Video)

Just Anotha Day by Kris Kasanova is a throwback to times when hip-hop was just dope rhymes over hard beats. Kris runs down the everyday happenings in his neighborhood, and it plays out like a cross between It Was A Good Day and 99 Problems. Check out the video for... Read more

August 25, 2011 Audio, The Bridge, Video

Skyzoo – Penny Freestyle Series #4: Take It There

Skyzoo continues to murder tracks from Watch the Throne. In the latest installment, of his Penny Freestyle Series, he takes the instrumental from Lift Off (#2 on Watch the Throne ft Beyonce) in a whole new direction. It highlights the soulfulness of the track and Skyzoo's flow meshes well with... Read more

August 19, 2011 Audio

CyHi Da Prynce – Feelin’ It + Mahd – Where I Live

Here are a couple of other new takes on classic 90's tracks. First up, is one from CyHi Da Prynce who flows on Jay-Z's Feelin' It (produced by Ski Beatz--click here for our Ski Beatz playlist). Check it out (with tags from Funkmaster Flex). Click here to download. And, here's... Read more

August 17, 2011 Audio, The Bridge

Statik Selektah on AZ (Video)

Statik Selektah breaks down his thoughts on why AZ is one of the most slept on MCs. During his analysis, he reminds folks that at one time AZ, Nas, Jay-Z and Biggie were considered peers. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvFhm4_gfwU&feature=player_embedded Here's the video Statik Selektah referenced as proof of AZ's status... Read more

August 17, 2011 The Bridge, Video

“Ghostface Killah” – Watch the Throne Review

You've had your time to marinate on Watch the Throne. Now check out this review of the album in the voice of "Ghostface Killah." Hate it or love it, you probably have never read a review quite like this before. Also, if you missed it, check out the video to... Read more

August 12, 2011 Food for Thought, Video

Here’s a parody music video called In the Flow from Affion Crockett where he’s created a fake collabo between Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Cory Gunz, and in which he plays ALL FOUR. His impersonations are scary good…Check it out.

His new show premieres Sunday on FOX. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKifdd6_ZXo&feature=player_embedded In case you're not familiar with Affion (or you just want to see them again), here are 2 more classic spoofs from him. Run This Town http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTw5wZXunyU Hip-Hop Dishonors http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUfQBEcW7wc... Read more

August 9, 2011 The Bridge, Video

Watch The Throne – Album (Snippets)

Can't wait to hear Watch the Throne? Ticketmaster has posted 30 second snippets of every song. As we said in our review, the album is complex, so 30 seconds per song won't do it justice, but at least you'll get a feel for it sonically. Click here for the snippets. ... Read more

August 7, 2011 Audio

Watch the Throne – The Listening Party

I just attended the listening party for the album at the Rose Center Planetarium in NYC. Below are some quick observations, as well as some clips from an interview Jay-Z did with Angie Martinez earlier. 1. They brought out the heavy-hitters: It was a who's who of music and media... Read more

August 1, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought

Watch the Throne – Tour Dates and a dope 3 Little Digs video ft CyHi Da Prynce talking about being in the studio with Jay-Z and Kanye

Listen to how CyHi describes Jay-Z's recording process. You've heard it before...but it's still incredible to hear. http://vimeo.com/26713060 Here are the Watch the Throne tour dates: 9/22/11 Detroit, MI Palace of Auburn Hills 9/24/11 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre 9/25/11 Montreal, QC Bell Centre 9/27/11 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center... Read more

July 26, 2011 Video

Here’s a short film on the making of Watch the Throne.

It got yanked from YouTube already, so watch it while you can... Watch the Throne drops on August 5th. Click here to download Kanye and Jay-Z's Otis ft Otis Redding.... Read more

July 22, 2011 Video

New Jay-Z and Kanye West from Watch the Throne. Check out Otis ft Otis Redding.

This is the one that had all the critics raving. What do you think: hot or not? Click here to download.... Read more

July 20, 2011 Audio

The tracklist for Watch the Throne has been finalized. The album drops on 8/2.

Here's the tracklist: 1. No Church in The Wild (Feat. Frank Ocean) 2. Lift Off (Feat. Beyoncé) 3. Niggas in Paris 4. Otis (Feat. Otis Redding) 5. Gotta Have It 6. New Day 7. Prime Time 8. Who Gon Stop Me 9. Murder to Excellence 10. Welcome to The Jungle... Read more

July 13, 2011 Food for Thought

Here’s some interesting food for thought from Young Guru, one of the sonic architects behind much of the music of Jay-Z, Kanye West and many others.

For many years, Young Guru has worked as the engineer on much of the music to come out of the Roc-A-Fella camp, as well as on tracks by De La Soul, Mariah Carey, Little Brother, T.I., Talib Kweli and many more. Having been in the game as long as he... Read more

July 11, 2011 Food for Thought, Video

It looks like Watch the Throne will actually drop before the end of the Summer.

Jay-Z had a listening session for the album last night. Complex has posted a compilation of the reviews. You can check out the articles and a summary below. From Complex: Our very own Editor-In-Chief, Noah Callahan-Bever—who was there as a portion of the album was created—took to Twitter and tweeted... Read more

July 8, 2011 Food for Thought

It’s been 15 years since Jay-Z’s timeless Reasonable Doubt album was released.

To commemorate the anniversary, Philadelphia's DJ Colby Colb just released this rare Jay-Z interview and Criminology freestyle from '95, 10 months before he dropped Reasonable Doubt. Check it out. Also, if you missed it, check out this article discussing what might have been if Reasonable Doubt was a mixtape instead... Read more

June 29, 2011 Audio

It’s been 17 years since No I.D. laced Common with the track for the classic I Used to Love H.E.R. Nearly 2 decades later, the Chicago legend that Kanye West cites as his mentor is still going strong. The latest installment of our Producer Series is dedicated to the music of No I.D. Click below to hear the mix.

Nearly 2 decades later, the Chicago legend that Kanye West cites as his mentor is still going strong. The latest installment of our Producer Series is dedicated to the music of No I.D. It's always interesting to listen to a producer's body of work over an extended period of time. ... Read more

June 17, 2011 Audio

Remember our question about which album was going to drop 1st: Watch the Throne or Detox?

According to The Source, Watch the Throne is going to take that one. A supposedly very reliable source says Watch The Throne is dropping on 7/4 (how's that for fireworks) and Kanye and Jay-Z are making the official announcement tonight. Click here for The Source story.... Read more

June 9, 2011 Food for Thought

Jay-Z has helped put on a LOT of producers. Very few can say they helped put him on. Ski Beatz is one of them…

The latest installment of our Producer Series is dedicated to the music of the legendary Ski Beatz. If you like Reasonable Doubt-era Jay-Z and Curren$y's Pilot Talk series, this one is for you. Ski Beatz was one of the primary sonic architects of all those projects. He also did one... Read more

June 3, 2011 Audio, Playlists

Sade has inspired some dope hip-hop performances lately. Killa Kyleon murders the Soldier beat.

Check out the video. And, if you missed it, click here to check out Sade's first ever collaboration, The Moon & The Sky, featuring Jay-Z. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YGhItoxszw&feature=player_embedded... Read more

May 14, 2011 Video

Just Blaze is known but he does not often get his props as being 1 of the all time great producers. He is the subject of the latest installment of our Producer Series playlists. You’ll hear Joe Budden, Beanie Sigel, Cam’ron, Freeway, Kanye, Jay Electronica, The Game, Nas, Scarface, Saigon and of course lots of Jay-Z.

Just Blaze's first producer credits were in 1999 but he really caught people's attention in 2000 when he laced Jay-Z with his classic Streets is Talking track. A year later, Just Blaze and another promising young producer named Kanye West combined to produce 9 out of the 15 tracks on... Read more

May 12, 2011 Audio, Playlists

It takes BIG STONES to hop on a track that Jay-Z murdered back in the day, but that’s just what Pusha T did on Can I Live…

...and he kinda killed it. I'm not saying he topped or even equaled Jay, but it's hard to be mad at what Pusha did with the track. Check out the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74niHnKDLcw&feature=player_embedded This is from Pusha T's Fear of God mixtape. If you missed it, click here to download. And,... Read more

April 26, 2011 Audio, The Bridge, Video

Sade is not hip-hop…but she is a one of a kind artist. And, she just did her first ever collaboration with another artist (of any genre). The honor went to…Jay-Z.

Nuff said. Check out The Moon & The Sky featuring 2 of the best to ever do it. Click here to download.... Read more

April 8, 2011 Audio

After 10 years, Backstage is still one of the most candid behind the scenes looks at life on tour in hip-hop. Watch the whole movie below.

It's fascinating to go back and look at the likes of DMX, Method Man, Redman, Ja Rule and Jay-Z in the earlier stages of their careers. Even more insightful is the look at Damon Dash, Jay-Z's infamous partner in crime in building Roc-A-Fella Records. Some of his exchanges vividly depict... Read more

March 13, 2011 Video

This week’s playlist is the first in a series dedicated to the greatest producers in hip-hop. First up is the legendary DJ Premier.

Primo burst onto the national scene more than 23 years ago and has been a hip-hop staple ever since. He represents guaranteed credibility for any project he touches and has often been the go-to guy for the greatest rappers in the game. You know what to expect: Biggie, Nas, Jay-Z,... Read more

March 11, 2011 Audio, Playlists

My Hu$$le by Dee Goodz is a cool hybrid. He spits over one of Aaliyah’s best tracks using Jay-Z’s flow from Can’t Knock The Hustle.

The track also features Casey Veggies and Young Scolla. Check it out. Click here to download. Here are the Aaliyah and Jay-Z joints: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5AAcgtMjUI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96sFW-3vGv4... Read more

March 1, 2011 Audio, The Bridge

The life and times of Shawn Carter…flow-wise. Check out this video of Jay-Z breaking down the evolution of his rhyme-style.

Jay-Z fans have no doubt heard the evolution of his style over the years. While he would often display several styles over the course of an album, he tended to have dominant styles that manifested themselves more than others over certain eras. When he started he primarily had the same... Read more

February 28, 2011 Audio, Food for Thought, Video

Here’s a Presidents Day playlist dedicated to the presidents most celebrated in hip-hop: Dead Presidents.

This one is all about the mighty dollar. You'll find some Jay-Z, J. Cole, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Biggie, Dogg Pound, DJ Quik, Scarface, 2Pac, 50 Cent and some outliers like Zion I and Mountain Brothers. Press play, sit back and count stacks.... Read more

February 21, 2011 Playlists

Here’s a new installment of New World (Au)der in honor of Grammy-nominated best rap albums Recovery and The Blueprint 3.

NEW GRAMMY AUDER If you've missed past New World (Au)ders, here's how they work: I flip your favorite joints in the order they should've been when you copped them. These NEW WORLD AUDERS are in honor of this year's Grammy nominees for Best Rap Album. Check how I flipped the... Read more

February 13, 2011 Audio

This week’s playlist was inspired by those lost Little Brother gems that dropped earlier in the week. It draws heavily on that deep, melodic 9th Wonder sound.

It draws heavily on that deep, melodic 9th Wonder sound, as well as his muse Pete Rock and others. You'll find some J-Live, Jay-Z (courtesy of 9th), Nicolay & Kay, The Foreign Exchange and lots of Little Brother (esp. from the Chittlin Circuit era). This one is for the love.... Read more

February 11, 2011 Playlists

Remember Kev Brown? He produced the best version of The Black Album other than the official version.

Here is a video featuring a couple of new songs from his upcoming project with Kaimbr under the name Alexander Green. This one is strictly for the underground. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJbcM6OVEFo&feature=player_embedded# If you missed The Brown Album click here to download it.... Read more

February 1, 2011 Mixes, Video

Here’s the first full visual from Big K.R.I.T.’s project with the band Grillade. It’s an in-studio performance of Hometown Hero, shot stylishly in black and white.

Big K.R.I.T. gets MAJOR props for branching out like this so early in his career. Few rappers take on the live band aspect and when they do it's after they're 3 or more albums deep. Even fewer incorporate a rock element into their sound. K.R.I.T. is doing both before even... Read more

January 25, 2011 Audio, The Bridge, Video

The Kid Daytona flew under the radar in 2010 but dude is DOPE. Get ready to hear a lot more from him in 2011. Here’s the video for his song On The Hill.

He takes it back to the nineties, kicking hot lyrics over a super-jazzy sample. You may recognize the sample from when Biggie and Jay-Z murdered it on Puff Daddy's Young G's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmYks8YKOZU Here's the original--On The Hill by Oliver Sain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-MSeohFtnM&feature=player_embedded... Read more

January 24, 2011 The Bridge, Video

Rewin(d) – AFH Samples (Video Playlist)

We recently posted a documentary about sampling so it seems fitting to make this week's playlist one dedicated to some classic samples. You'll find music sampled by Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, A Tribe Called Quest, Kanye West, DJ Quik, Biggie, 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Redman, Black Moon and more. The tracklist... Read more

January 21, 2011 Audio, Playlists