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Young Guru Explains The Hidden Meanings In JAY-Z’s New Verse

Young Guru Explains The Hidden Meanings In JAY-Z’s New Verse

Yesterday (August 26), JAY-Z's astounding verse arrived on DJ Khaled's "GOD DID." The song, a collaboration also featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend, and Fridayy, arrived on Khaled's album of the same name. The song is produced by Khaled, Tarik Azzouz, Streetrunner, and Fridayy. Within, Jay spits lyrics including:... Read more
August 27, 2022 Fresh, Video
J. Cole’s Off-Season Has Several Cryptic References To Illmatic

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
Snoop Dogg & Eminem Have Been Feuding For Months. Here’s Why

Snoop Dogg & Eminem Have Been Feuding For Months. Here’s Why

Two of Dr. Dre's greatest proteges are Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. He developed one esteemed lyricist at the top of the 1990s during the establishment of Death Row Records and the other at the tail-end of that decade, solidifying his Aftermath Entertainment imprint. Ever since, Snoop and Em partnered... Read more
January 18, 2021 Audio, Video
Method Man Has Not Cursed On A Verse In 5+ Years. Here’s Why (Audio)

Method Man Has Not Cursed On A Verse In 5+ Years. Here’s Why (Audio)

In the last five years, Method Man was a driving force on Wu-Tang Clan's The Saga Continues album. He also released two installments of his Meth Lab series with Hanz On. Looking to 2020, Iron Lung is already slated to be teaming up with longtime affiliate Streetlife for a collaborative... Read more
November 30, 2019 Audio, Exclusive
Rakim Raps His Unreleased Lyrics That Were Dissing Big Daddy Kane (Video)

Rakim Raps His Unreleased Lyrics That Were Dissing Big Daddy Kane (Video)

Earlier this week, Rakim published his memoir, Sweat The Technique: Revelations On Creativity From The Lyrical Genius. The God MC's first text tells his life story as well as offers insight into songwriting and rhyming. In promotion of the book (which he wrote with author, activist, and former Source editor Bakari... Read more
September 26, 2019 Video
Mac Miller Was A Shining Example To All That Authenticity Always Triumphs

Mac Miller Was A Shining Example To All That Authenticity Always Triumphs

“Like how could he go? He was part lion.” That lyric, pulled from Mac Miller’s 2013 track “REMember,” was a heartfelt inquiry addressed to the universe. How, at such a young age of 20-years-old and a future so bright, could it be possible for his dear friend Ruben Eli Mitrani to... Read more
September 12, 2018 Food for Thought
Black Thought Explains Why He Believes He’s Never Been Better (Video)

Black Thought Explains Why He Believes He’s Never Been Better (Video)

Less than one month since it was released, Black Thought's "Dostoyevsky" shines as a brilliant 2018 Hip-Hop song and the latest great Tariq Trotter and Rapsody collaboration. From The Roots MC's Streams Of Thought, Vol. 1 EP with 9th Wonder and The Soul Council, the work is on Ambrosia For Heads'... Read more
June 25, 2018 Video
Finding The GOAT Group: Brand Nubian vs. Jungle Brothers. Who Is Better?

Finding The GOAT Group: Brand Nubian vs. Jungle Brothers. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual competition series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups have been pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot will be reserved for a wild-card entry, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to... Read more
June 13, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT
The Book of Ra. Rakim Confirms His Memoir Is Coming This Year. (Audio)

The Book of Ra. Rakim Confirms His Memoir Is Coming This Year. (Audio)

Many of Hip-Hop's best-known and greatest MCs have released autobiographies and memoirs. JAY-Z published Decoded. LL Cool J (I Make My Own Rules), Ice-T (The Ice Opinion), Snoop Dogg (Tha Doggfather), Prodigy (My Infamous Life), Eminem (The Way That I Am), Common (One Day It'll All Make Sense), 50 Cent... Read more
March 5, 2018 Audio, News
Hip-Hop Needs To Take A Stand On Gun Violence. We’ll Go First.

Hip-Hop Needs To Take A Stand On Gun Violence. We’ll Go First.

Since the February 14, 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL that took the lives of 17 people, the discourse around gun violence, and how to lessen it, is as engaged as it’s ever been. The fact that the story has stayed in the news cycle... Read more
February 28, 2018 Food for Thought
Eminem Was A Political Rapper Years Before The BET Cypher. Here’s The Proof (Video)

Eminem Was A Political Rapper Years Before The BET Cypher. Here’s The Proof (Video)

Tuesday night (October 10), Eminem spit what already appears to be the most talked about freestyle verse of all-time. At Detroit's First Street Parking with Shady Records artists and friends looking on (some would later get their turn to rap), Marshall Mathers went off the rails on an a capella... Read more
October 14, 2017 Exclusive, TBD, Video
A New Biggie Documentary Features Unreleased Footage And Nas & JAY-Z Rapping His Lyrics (Video)

A New Biggie Documentary Features Unreleased Footage And Nas & JAY-Z Rapping His Lyrics (Video)

In less than one month, the Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G. documentary will air on television. This is the first doc authorized by the rapper's estate, and contains never before released audio of Biggie talking. It will feature Biggie's wife Faith Evans, his mother Voletta Wallace, his right-hand man... Read more
August 7, 2017 TV, TV/Film, Video
A New Study Suggests Record Labels Are Ignoring The Popularity Of Pro-Social Hip-Hop

A New Study Suggests Record Labels Are Ignoring The Popularity Of Pro-Social Hip-Hop

A new study out of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) is turning a common misconception about what fans of Rap want to hear on its head. Generally speaking, the radio and the industry at large are often criticized for promoting music with negative messages, ones drenched in... Read more
July 13, 2017 Fresh
KRS-One Apologizes For Naming The Wrong Beastie Boy In A Tribute To Hip-Hop’s Fallen MCs

KRS-One Apologizes For Naming The Wrong Beastie Boy In A Tribute To Hip-Hop’s Fallen MCs

In the last week, lyrical legend KRS-One excited fans with the latest sneak attack release, The World Is Mind. Just over 30 years after Criminal Minded, this self-released album had many praising the latest body of work from the South Bronx representative. However, as fans delved into the album (available... Read more
May 13, 2017 News
Outkast’s Aquemini Gets Broken Down to Expose the Art in Storytelling (Video)

Outkast’s Aquemini Gets Broken Down to Expose the Art in Storytelling (Video)

In his ongoing web series Lyricology 101, Andre Gainer takes a highly detailed approach to analyzing not only the lyrics but also the form and function of some of Hip-Hop's greatest hits, both old and new. He's broken down everyone from Joey Bada$$ to Eminem bar for bar, and in... Read more
August 17, 2016 Video
Nia Long Reveals How Phife & “Oochie Wally” Affected Her Career & Taste In Lingerie (Video)

Nia Long Reveals How Phife & “Oochie Wally” Affected Her Career & Taste In Lingerie (Video)

In the canon of Hip-Hop lyrics, many MCs have professed their attraction to celebrities. Whether Royce 5'9" breaking his focus to woo Rihanna during a 2011 BET Cypher or Nas recounting Halle Berry's air-kiss at a Barbara Streisand concert, these moments have colored the folklore of Rap music. Whether the... Read more
June 28, 2016 Video
The Flows of the Best MCs in the World Are Dissected…Brilliantly (Video)

The Flows of the Best MCs in the World Are Dissected…Brilliantly (Video)

What makes lyricists like Rakim, MF DOOM, Notorious B.I.G. and others stand out? For Heads, reasons can vary but it's a generally accepted tenet that what makes them and others so great at what they do is their ability to play with language - not just in terms of rhyming... Read more
May 20, 2016 Video
This Lyrical Autobiography of Kendrick Lamar is Genius

This Lyrical Autobiography of Kendrick Lamar is Genius

Storytelling is arguably one of the most important facets of a skilled MC's artistry, and few contemporary lyricists maintain that quality as consistently as Kendrick Lamar. With a penchant for the conceptual as it relates to albums, Lamar's deftly delivered verses are often chronological in order, anecdotal in format, and... Read more
April 25, 2016 Fresh
Pusha T Says Puff Daddy Pushed Him Like No Other Producer To Be Better (Video)

Pusha T Says Puff Daddy Pushed Him Like No Other Producer To Be Better (Video)

Since its release last week, Pusha T's "CCC (Crutches, Crosses, Caskets)" has had heads nodding vigorously. The Puff Daddy-produced song features a sparse beat, a trunk-rattling bass line and Pusha's merciless lyrics at their coldest. Pusha Ton sat down with Genius' Rob Markman to delve deeper into the meaning of... Read more
December 16, 2015 Video
Eminem’s Lyrical “Genius” Only Grows With His Latest Partnership

Eminem’s Lyrical “Genius” Only Grows With His Latest Partnership

For many years, Rap Genius was the go-to place for Heads looking to peep the lyrics to favorite songs, making the website one of the first to cater to the needs of a particular genre demographic. Now they're just Genius, and their user-submitted arsenal of song lyrics continue to be... Read more
November 4, 2015 News
What Does Ice Cube Think About Ghostwriting In Hip-Hop? (Video)

What Does Ice Cube Think About Ghostwriting In Hip-Hop? (Video)

Ice Cube is widely regarded as one of Hip-Hop's most influential MCs. Whether with N.W.A., Westside Connection, or a multi-platinum solo career, the Los Angeles, California MC has written songs that have defined years, eras, and Rap music as a whole. Notably, Cube has written for others along the way,... Read more
August 3, 2015 Video
Alex Trebek Recites Cypress Hill & The Beastie Boys. He Will Keep the Day Job…(Video)

Alex Trebek Recites Cypress Hill & The Beastie Boys. He Will Keep the Day Job…(Video)

Earlier in the year, a clip of Jeopardy's Alex Trebek reciting lyrics from Biggie, Dr. Dre, The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy provided a minute and change of comic relief. Apparently, the show's producers have a dark sense of humor because they've once again given him a Rap category, forcing... Read more
May 16, 2014 Throwback
Should Rappers’ Lyrics Be Used Against Them in Court? Bun B Weighs In (Video)

Should Rappers’ Lyrics Be Used Against Them in Court? Bun B Weighs In (Video)

Part of what makes Bun B the Trill O.G. is his complete, actualized evolution in Hip-Hop. Heads know that a simple listen to the Super Tight album shows that Bun, and his late UGK co-founder and partner Pimp C were some of the coldest MCs out, on shocking subject matter.... Read more
January 20, 2014 Video
What is a Hilarious Game Show Clip? Alex Trebek Doing Biggie & Dr. Dre Raps on Jeopardy. Seeing is Believing (Video)

What is a Hilarious Game Show Clip? Alex Trebek Doing Biggie & Dr. Dre Raps on Jeopardy. Seeing is Believing (Video)

This week on "Jeopardy," Hip-Hop lyrics were a trivia category. The contestants' knowledge may not impress you, but listening to famed host Alex Trebek stiffly rapping lyrics from Biggie, Dr. Dre, The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy is a hilarious way to spend a minute of your time. Is Mary... Read more
January 7, 2014 Video
Check Out Jay Shells Hitting L.A. With Street Signs Of Lyrics By Ice Cube, DJ Quik, Xzibit & Kendrick Lamar (Video)

Check Out Jay Shells Hitting L.A. With Street Signs Of Lyrics By Ice Cube, DJ Quik, Xzibit & Kendrick Lamar (Video)

Previously, artist Jay Shells canvased the streets of New York at Hip-Hop lyric landmarks with street signs reminding those in the know. These discreet-looking acts of guerilla street art were a hit to Heads in passing, as well as on the Internet. Now Shells hits the streets of L.A., placing... Read more
December 31, 2013 Fresh, Throwback
Can you DeCypher Kendrick Lamar’s Cypher Verse? (Lyrics & Video)

Can you DeCypher Kendrick Lamar’s Cypher Verse? (Lyrics & Video)

Now that you’ve witnessed Kendrick Lamar’s Cypher verse (Control Pt. 2?), it’s time to de-cypher it. The verse was incredibly complex. Many shots were fired—some specific, some general. Take a look at the Cypher and lyrics below and see if you can crack the Da Vinci code. Before you get... Read more
October 16, 2013 Featured-homepage, Video
Lyrical Breakdown With Los (Video)

Lyrical Breakdown With Los (Video)

Although many MCs are respected for their lyrical prowess, it’s always interesting being able to discover what goes on inside their head before they spit those bars. In a recent interview with Diddy's Revolt TV,  one of Diddy's artists, Los (aka King Los) dropped some knowledge on lyrical styles and... Read more
August 26, 2013 Fresh, Video
Jay-Z – Tom Ford Snippet (Video)

Jay-Z – Tom Ford Snippet (Video)

Jay-Z continues being a content tease with music from Magna Carta Holy Grail. Here's a brief snippet of his song Tom Ford, produced by Timbaland. You can see the video sneak preview and read the lyrics to Tom Ford below. Related: Timbaland Discusses Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail Album (Video)... Read more
July 3, 2013 Video
Jay-Z Decodes His New Songs Oceans, Heaven & Jay Z Blue for Rick Rubin, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz & Pharrell (Video)

Jay-Z Decodes His New Songs Oceans, Heaven & Jay Z Blue for Rick Rubin, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz & Pharrell (Video)

Here are videos of Jay-Z decoding the concepts behind Oceans featuring Frank Ocean, Heaven and Jay Z Blue (3 songs from Magna Carta Holy Grail) for Rick Rubin, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz and Pharrell. You can check out the videos and the full lyrics to Oceans below. Related: Swizz Beatz Speaks... Read more
June 28, 2013 Video