kanye west Archives

Joell Ortiz Drops Fiery Verses in Between Compliments From Kanye West (Audio)

During an appearance on NYC's Hot 97 in 2011, Kanye West spoke on what artists he liked at the time and one name was front and center: JOELL ORTIZ. Ye, spoke extensively about Ortiz's talent, elaborating on the Slaughterhouse member's rhyme technique and even referencing specific lines. Years later, Joell... Read more

February 10, 2015 Audio

Kanye West Warns The Grammy’s That If True Artistry Isn’t Honored, He & Others Will Withdraw (Video)

Last night (February 8), the 57th annual Grammy Awards were held at Los Angeles, California's Staples Center. Kanye West was among performers, as well as nominees. The Def Jam Records superstar joined Rihanna and Paul McCartney on stage to perform "FourFiveSeconds," following a touching delivery of his "Only One" earlier... Read more

February 9, 2015 News

A Hungry Rapper Steps To Kanye West Looking For A Deal & Might Get A Job (Video)

Last May, on the streets of New York, an aspiring rapper pushed through the masses and tried to rap for Kanye West on the sidewalk, with entourage in tow, headed home for the night. To the surprise of many, 'Ye not only listened, he complimented the assertive hopeful. Nearly a... Read more

February 8, 2015 Video

Did DJ Mustard Just Give Rihanna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney’s Single The Boost It Needed? (Audio)

Despite all of its star-power, "FourFiveSecond," Rihanna's single, featuring Kanye West and Paul McCartney hasn't really been the sort of impact Heads may be used to from a RiRi opening look. Especially given that Unapologetic was three years ago, this is big stuff. Moreover, the single pushes Rihanna's booming vocals,... Read more

February 4, 2015 Audio

Rick Rubin Reveals His Insider Stories Behind Songs He Produced

In recent years, RapGenius has been the go-to website to decipher your favorite Rap lyrics, but it often works best when the artists themselves log on to give their insight. Artists who have created verified accounts to do this include Nas, Kendrick Lamar, GZA, Common, Joey Bada$$, and many more,... Read more

February 3, 2015 News

Kanye West, Paul McCartney & Rihanna Go The Old Fashioned Portrait Route (Video)

For their superstar-stacked collaboration, "FourFiveSeconds," Rihanna, Paul McCartney, and Kanye West aimed to support it with a straightforward visual. Shot in black & white by Inez & Vinoodh, the video shows the trio as themselves—not overly styled or choreographed. The song also is stripped from big production or Power Pop... Read more

February 3, 2015 Video

Big Sean, Drake & Kanye West Bless the Mic Over a Rugged Beat (Audio)

Big Sean, Drake and Kanye West have come together on one track for the first time in almost four years, on the remix to Big Sean's "Blessings." The song is from Sean's forthcoming album, Dark Sky Paradise. The three artists last worked together Kanye West's "All of the Lights (Remix)"... Read more

January 30, 2015 Audio

Kanye West’s Video for Only One Shows a Tender Moment with His Daughter (Video)

"Only One," Kanye West's duet with Paul McCartney, was a surprising close to 2014. The song, a tribute to his daughter Nori (with wife Kim Kardashian), featured Kanye singing vulnerably, accompanied by nothing but McCartney on keys. The video, which was directed by Spike Jones, perfectly captures the sentiment of... Read more

January 29, 2015 Video

The Beatles’ Paul McCartney To Co-Produce Kanye West’s Seventh LP? An Insider Says So…

Thirteen months since Q-Tip and Rick Rubin were slated to produce "the bulk" of Kanye West's seventh solo album, a follow-up to 2013's Yeezus, a new iconic name enters the fold. Paul McCartney, of The Beatles, Wings, and nothing short of a legendary solo career is the latest name attributed... Read more

January 25, 2015 Audio

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Kanye West vs. Ja Rule…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

January 21, 2015 Fresh

CyHi The Prynce Says He Was Wrongfully Left Off Year-End Lists & Shows Out (Audio)

Although he is the fourth inclusion on Ambrosia For Heads' Best Mixtapes Of 2014 list, CyHi The Prynce is feeling passed over in the year that was. Does he have a point though? Black Hystori was among the year's strongest and most cerebral projects (albums and mixtapes combined). While it... Read more

January 9, 2015 Audio, Fresh

Kanye West Ends 2014 with a Moving Collaboration with Paul McCartney (Audio)

Kanye West closes down 2014 and opens the new year with a beautiful track dedicated to his daughter, North "Nori" West. The song, titled "Only One," features West singing from the heart over keys played by the legendary Sir Paul McCartney. Check it out. Click here to purchase "Only One."... Read more

January 1, 2015 Audio

Pusha T Is Taking Lunch Money, Not Losses (Video)

Pusha T's new Kanye West-produced single "Lunch Money" is simply put, the raw uncut. For the video, the G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Records star took a similar approach. With some dancing intermissions, Pusha tells his tale to a handheld camera, which may be or simply look like an early '90s RCA... Read more

December 15, 2014 Fresh, Video

It’s A Cold World When Pusha T & Kanye West Are On One (Audio)

If you liked last year's My Name Is My Name album, Pusha T gives more of the hardest element of the G.O.O.D Music LP in "Lunch Money." Based around bullying, King Push's newest track is more of what Clipse/Re-Up Gang Heads love. It's slick talking, mean-spirited Hip-Hop that outs the... Read more

November 18, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Big Sean’s IDFWU Football Visual Brings ‘Em Out, Including E-40 & Kanye West (Video)

Big Sean's done it again. The G.O.O.D Music MC's "IDFWU (I Don't Fuck With You)" single has become a viral hit. With that in mind, the Detroit wordsmith (joined by ageless veteran E-40) unveiled the visual to the single. Using the highly-topical world of football, Sean invites (Coach) Kanye West,... Read more

November 6, 2014 Fresh, Video

DJ Craze Is A DMC World Champion Turntablist. Check His Kanye West New Slaves Routine (Video)

If you've seen the film Scratch, you're up on DJ Craze. The Miami, Florida-based DJ is featured amidst competition. Around the time of the Doug Pray film's production, Craze was an undisputed king of turntablism, winning the DMC World Championships in 1999, 2000, and 2001. In 1998, he was also... Read more

October 30, 2014 Fresh, Video

Think Everything Sounds Conventional? Try Theophilus London’s VIBES (Album Stream)

Theophilus London is one of the most original new voices in Hip-Hop. The Reprise/Warner Bros. Records artist debuted in the Top 30 back in 2011 with Timez Are Weird These Days. After working with Kanye West, Blood Orange, and Jesse Boykins III, Theo' is back with VIBES. The Brooklyn, New... Read more

October 28, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Michael Jordan First Hit The Court With The Chicago Bulls 30 Years Ago Today

Tomorrow night the NBA will tip-off, marking it's 69th season. However, it was almost thirty years ago to the day on October 26, when a Brooklyn-born, North Carolina-raised 21-year old exchanged his powder blue Tar Heels uniform for the red and white jersey of the Chicago Bulls to play in... Read more

October 27, 2014 Fresh

Hear the Original Demo for Kanye West’s New Slaves (Audio)

Kanye West's ears have always been far-reaching. For Yeezus, that is an understatement. In making the album, and it's standout "New Slaves," 'Ye looked within his own circle. Benjamin Bronfman, son of former Warner Bros. Records CEO Edgar Bronfman, Jr., has been a longtime friend of Mr. West. According to... Read more

October 27, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Did Kanye West Give Tyga The Ultimate Banger In 40 Mill? (Audio)

With his new family, Kanye West's fallen back from a prolific production output the last year and a half. However, the G.O.O.D. Music founder still has heat behind the boards, and continues to evolve with his sound and style. Heads may be surprised to see that Mr. West really locked... Read more

October 15, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Theophilus London Voices a Girl Fantasy Over a Moody Track Arranged By Kanye West (Audio)

Theophilus London showed a piece of it early this year, but the Warner Bros. Records-backed rapper/singer now releases the full version "Do Girls." Arranged by Kanye West, this atmospheric, rock and EDM-fusing song speaks to Theo's fantasy of winning over a woman whose preferences lie elsewhere. Do you think Theophilus... Read more

September 24, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Dr. Dre Estimated To Have Made More Than Next 24 Wealthiest Hip-Hop Stars, Combined

It's Dre Day, and everybody's celebratin'. Following 2013's announcement that Jay Z and Puff Daddy were the Forbes Cash Kings (top earners) of the year, they can watch the throne now. As anticipated, Dr. Dre assumes the pole position—following a year where Apple bought his Beats By Dre Electronics line... Read more

September 23, 2014 Fresh

G.O.O.D Music’s Hudson Mohawke Lays Down A Mix Featuring Madlib, Rah Digga & D.I.T.C (Audio)

Hudson Mohawke is one of the plethora of artists in the G.O.O.D Music ensemble. Heads who like "Mercy" and "Blood On The Leaves" are familiar with his handiwork within the fold of hits, however the Glasgow, Scotland producer/DJ has a decade of work in the game, with ties to (other)... Read more

September 22, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Big Sean Sprinkles Fans With 4 New Songs, With Involvement From E-40, Kanye West & DJ Mustard (Audio)

Big Sean isn't playin'. Less than 24 hours after announcing his rockin' with Roc Nation, the Detroit, Michigan MC hits Heads with four new songs. Here's the breakdown: "Paradise" Produced by Mike WiLL Made It, this Bounce-themed joint finds Sean reaching into his bag of verbal tricks, and coming out... Read more

September 12, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Big Sean Joins The Roc Nation Family

Wale might be out, but one of his star contemporaries of the 2010s is in. News broke last night (September 11) that Detroit, Michigan MC Big Sean has joined Roc Nation management. Sean, like Roc Nation flagship artist Rihanna, is signed to Def Jam Records, but Sean is inked through... Read more

September 12, 2014 Fresh

The 2014 BET Hip-Hop Awards Nominees Announced

The 2014 BET Hip-Hop Awards will air Tuesday, October 14 at 8pm EST. Leading up to the annual affair, the network has announced its categories and nominees. Hip-Hop elite, including Drake (leading all nominees), Kanye West, Eminem, and Jay Z are prominently nominated, while stars of the last year including... Read more

September 4, 2014 Fresh

Kanye West Performs at Made in America in Philadelphia (Video)

Kanye West headlined the Philadelphia stage of the Made in America festival Saturday night and was in top form. Check out a video of the performance below, as well as a live stream of today's acts which include Pharrell, YG, Danny Brown, Nipsey Hussle, Cypress Hill, Chance the Rapper and... Read more

August 31, 2014 Video

Kendrick Lamar To Debut m.A.A.d. Film At Sundance’s New Film Festival

Almost as quickly as Kendrick Lamar's good kid m.A.A.d. city swept the nation in 2012, the rumor mill was spinning with fervor as talks swirled about an accompanying film with the album, supposedly directed by former Transformers star, Shia LaBeouf. The rumors of Shia LaBeouf's handiwork with the Top Dawg... Read more

July 31, 2014 Fresh

GQ Calls Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy The Best Album Of The 21st Century

GQ recently revealed their 21 best albums of the 21st Century that includes some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop and R&B. The man at the top of their list may be no surprise, but the album of choice could be. Selecting Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as... Read more

July 30, 2014 Fresh

This Week in Hip-Hop Brought a Righteous Verse from Lecrae, Videos from Common, Cormega, ONYX, YG & More (Video Playlist)

This week in Hip-Hop video brought some heavy hitters, including Lecrae conquering Sway's 5 Swingers of Death MC challenge with a righteous verse, 19-year old Kanye freestyling, new music videos from Cormega, Common, ONYX, YG, 2 Chainz, Chance the Rapper and more, Snoop interviewing Jimmy Kimmel, short clips on Apollo... Read more

July 26, 2014 Playlists, Video

Remember Kanye Rapping At 19? Here’s The Extended Version (Video)

DJ Eclipse recently took some old VHS footage of Kanye West rapping at the young age of 19 and reformatted it for the entire world wide web to see. Now we can revisit the grand opening of Fat Beats and pay respect to its 20 year anniversary once again as... Read more

July 25, 2014 Fresh, Video

Kanye West Tells GQ Why New Slaves Is The Greatest Rap Verse Of All-Time & Why Being A Dad Is Cool

Today (July 21) GQ magazine published their latest interview with longtime subject, Kanye West. A pillar of contemporary music, fashion, celebrity, and arguably—masculinity, the superstar rapper inadvertently touched on all of the subjects. While the interview uses 'Ye's bringing Jay Z and Mos Def to the same studio the same... Read more

July 21, 2014 Fresh

This Week in Video Brought New Redman & Method Man, DJ Quik, 1996 Kanye and More (Video Playlist)

This was a big week in Hip-Hop video, bringing new music from Method Man & Redman and DJ Quik, a bombastic lyric video from Busta Rhymes & Eminem, Nas' video for "Represent" 20 years later, a provocative video from Hopsin, footage of 19-year old Kanye freestyling, a preview of Aaron... Read more

July 20, 2014 Playlists, Video

Time Travel To ’96 & See Kanye West Rapping At Fat Beats In New York (Video)

From the under belly of Hip-Hop history rises an unreleased video of a youthful, 19 year old Kanye West rapping at the grand opening of Fat Beats Record shop in New York City back in August of 1996. The video comes just a few months before the release of fellow... Read more

July 17, 2014 Fresh, Video

How Does Kanye West Avoid Snapping on Fans? Watch and Learn (Video)

So, it turns out Kim Kardashian was not Kanye West's entry point into the world of reality TV. TMZ has unearthed some old footage from a Kanye reality show that never made the air. Though the clip is only a couple of minutes long, it shows Kanye giving a hilarious... Read more

July 14, 2014 Video

After Plenty Rappers Have Sampled The White Stripes, Jack White Covers Kanye West (Audio)

From Apathy to Jermaine Dupri, Hip-Hop artists have been sampling/covering Jack White and his The White Stripes band for over a decade. These days, Jack White collaborates with Hip-Hop artists, including Black Milk. At a recent tour date in Dublin, Ireland promoting sophomore solo LP, Lazaretto, White covered Kanye West's... Read more

July 1, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Common Explains Why Nobody’s Smiling In Chicago (Video)

Common sits down with HardKnockTV to discuss his upcoming album, Nobody's Smiling, a concept that developed from Rakim's line "I'm in the ghetto, nobody's smiling," and took on a life of its own (0:50). Common's biggest inspiration for the project derives from the increasing crime rate in the Chicago area... Read more

July 1, 2014 Fresh, Video

Here’s a Side of Kanye West You May Have Never Seen…and It Might Just Be the Most Authentic (Video)

Kanye West is celebrated for fashion, art, braggadocio, rants, Kim and, most importantly, music. What is often overlooked, and possibly the thread through each of these elements, is his formidable intelligence. Kanye recently sat on a panel at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity with Steve Stoute (Tanning of America,... Read more

June 24, 2014 Video

Rick Rubin’s 1-Hour Conversation With Zane Lowe Leaves No Question Unanswered (Video)

To some extent, Rick Rubin is something of Hip-Hop's Howard Hughes, and that's not just the beard. The music mogul went from starring (as a hybrid of himself) in Krush Groove to basically shunning press and spotlights throughout the '90s and 2000s. That started to change, especially as far as... Read more

June 23, 2014 Fresh, Video

You Thought That They Were Gone For Good, But Dilated Peoples Are Back (Video)

Dilated Peoples, who have a vibrant underground following and most notably made their way onto the Billboard 100 ten years ago with John Legend and Kanye West on their collaborative track, "This Way," are back with all new material for your ears. The Los Angeles Hip-Hop collective meet out in... Read more

June 16, 2014 Fresh, Video

Dave Chappelle Recalls Being Mistaken As A Member Of The Roots, Prince Laughing At Himself (Video)

Dave Chappelle had two critical media appearances in the past week. At the top of things, the Ohio native appeared on "The Late Show With David Letterman," discussing his absence from the spotlight, and walking away from $50 million from Comedy Central to fulfill a "Chappelle Show" contract. Later appearing... Read more

June 14, 2014 Fresh, Video

30 Minutes Of Kanye West’s Off-The-Mic Inspiration, War-Cries & Chest-Thumping (Video)

Sometimes, the same thing that's great about an artist's music is what makes their personality and stardom so strong. Tupac Shakur had a courage in his music as he did in his life, and it's a big part of the reason why his face is printed on thousands of posters... Read more

June 11, 2014 Featured-homepage, Fresh, Video

David Alan Grier Provides A Dramatic Reading Of Some Of Kanye West’s Classic Tweets (Video)

Since I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, David Alan Grier has been supplying Heads with laughs. In actuality, this classically-trained actor's resume spans over 30 years, long before he was an integral part of the "In Living Color" cast from beginning to end, and star of such films as Blankman and... Read more

June 3, 2014 Fresh, Video

Did Drake Just Blow Up Jay Z & Kanye’s Throne? 0 to 100. You Do the Math…(Audio)

Drake just released a new track that is deceptively catchy and lyrical. On first listen to the 2-part song, it's easy to get caught up in the dual personality of the track (a la Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2) and skip over the lyrical content. Upon review, however, what's revealed... Read more

June 2, 2014 Audio

Kanye West Explains How J Dilla Influenced Yeezus (Video)

Back in 2005, during the launch of Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music, 'Ye inked a deal with one of his influences, Common. During the making of Comm's Be LP, two producers worked on the album: Kanye and J Dilla. The gold-certified, Grammy-nominated album would eventually feature two Jay Dee production, and... Read more

May 29, 2014 Fresh, Video

Here’s the Official Mixtape for the 7th Annual Roots Picnic (Mixtape)

The 7th annual Roots Picnic will be held on May 31st in Philadelphia and headlined by Snoop Dogg, backed by The Roots. As has become tradition, they have released a mixtape to accompany the event, featuring many of those who will be performing. This year's edition features The Roots, Snoop,... Read more

May 28, 2014 Audio

From Yeezus to God Level: New Music From Kanye West (Audio)

Update: Sources have confirmed the track is in fact called "God Level" and was produced by Grammy Award winning producer 88-Keys. Both friends and collaborators, this is not the first time Kanye and 88 have worked together. Most people know 88-Keys for his stellar production on Ye and Jay's "No... Read more

May 24, 2014 Audio, Video

CyHi The Prynce Goes to South Africa For His Mandela Visuals (Video)

When Kanye West was named executive producer of CyHi The Prynce's Black Hystori Project mixtape, Heads may have been confused. After all, the G.O.O.D. Music founder who inked CyHi some years back was not a track-by-track producer on the project, or a guest. However, when it's come time to make... Read more

May 23, 2014 Fresh, Video

Kanye West Is Recording, But Who Is Involved & What Does It Sound Like?

All Heads know right now is that Kanye West is recording his seventh solo album, and it's allegedly going down in Florence, Italy. Early on, reports stated that Q-Tip and Rick Rubin were sitting in the executive producer's chairs, following Rubin's role in Yeezus, and G.O.O.D. Music inking The Abstract... Read more

May 22, 2014 Fresh

Kanye West Is Recording His Next Album Where?

Kanye West has certainly made the most of his Def Jam Records album budgets. Starting in 2009, G.O.O.D. Music's founder set up shop in Hawaii, living with his collaborators by day, and recording by night the sessions for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. There were accounts of Pete Rock and... Read more

May 16, 2014 Fresh