mobb deep ArchivesAmbrosia For Heads

Ras Kass, Method Man, Lil Fame & RJ Payne Roll On MCs

Ras Kass knows a thing about super-groups. The Southern California veteran MC co-founded HRSMN with Kurupt, Killah Priest, and Canibus 25 years ago. He also linked with Xzibit and Saafir for several memorable songs, amid onetime reports of an album in the works. In 2024, Razzy Kazzy has teamed Philly-by-way-of-Brooklyn... Read more

March 29, 2024 Audio, Trending Stories

JAY-Z’s “U Don’t Know” Was Originally Offered To Busta Rhymes & Prodigy

Hip-Hop history is filled with what-ifs, especially concerning beats and production. Tupac's diamond-certified All Eyez On Me once featured verses from Inspectah Deck and The Lady Of Rage. Moreover, Disc 2's Dr. Dre-produced "Can't C Me" was rumored to be created for a shelved Ice Cube collaboration before another iteration had Tha Dogg Pound rapping. Jadakiss'... Read more

March 19, 2023 Video

Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, M.O.P. & More Celebrate LOUD Records

Tonight (October 4), BET aired its annual Hip Hop Awards. Hosted by Fat Joe, the night was meant to celebrate Hip-Hop's finest, both old and new. The big winner of the night was Kendrick Lamar, who took home awards for artist of the year, album of the year, video director... Read more

October 5, 2022 TV, TV/Film, Video

Cormega Explains Why The Realness 2 Is A True Sequel To The Original

Upon its mid-2001 arrival, Cormega's The Realness lived up to its title. After years of waiting his turn, the MC asserted himself to step forth with a body of work that combined a passion for wisdom-drenched lyricism with a survivor's tale of life in New York City streets and the Rap industry. The independently... Read more

September 20, 2022 Exclusive, Interview, Video

Griselda Have Made A Sequel To A Mobb Deep 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, is better than it’s ever been. Not only can we go back... Read more

September 25, 2021 Audio

Legendary Hip-Hop Photographer Chi Modu Has Passed Away

One of Hip-Hop's most legendary photographers has died. In a developing story, members of the Hip-Hop community are mourning the passing of Chi Modu, who shot iconic images of Biggie Smalls, Tupac Shakur, Eazy-E, Mobb Deep, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and LL Cool J, to name a few. Smif-n-Wessun's General... Read more

May 22, 2021 News

LOUD Records’ Founder Details Getting Arrested For Bringing The Ruckus For Raekwon

Steve Rifkind, the founder of LOUD Records, is known for creating the record company that introduced much of the world to Wu-Tang Clan, Xzibit, Tha Alkaholiks, Funkmaster Flex, and dead prez, among others. The Long Island, New York native is the son of Spring Records executive (Jimmy Spicer, James Brown,... Read more

February 11, 2020 Video

Your Old Droog’s New Song Features Prodigy Over Alchemist Production (Audio)

2019 showcased that Brooklyn, New York rapper Your Old Droog seemingly never stops working. The veteran artist dropped three full-length albums in the year to keep fans eating: It Wasn't Even Close in April, Transportation two months later, and his latest album, Jewelry, which released in the closing days of... Read more

January 2, 2020 Audio

As Tical Turns 25, Method Man Brings The Pain To A Havoc Beat (Video)

Twenty-five years ago today (November 15, 1994), Method Man gave fans his Tical album. The Def Jam Records album was the first Wu-Tang Clan solo album following Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) almost exactly a year earlier. Meth's RZA-produced debut would achieve platinum status and earn the Shaolin representative a... Read more

November 15, 2019 Video

A 20-Year-Old Hears Mobb Deep For The 1st Time & It Brings Him To Tears (Video)

Kvng Guap is 20 years old. Like many folks of that age, he may not have been regularly exposed to some of the Rap music released before his birth. Guap has a video account that includes first-watch reactions to some of the artists, groups, and songs that he wishes to... Read more

November 6, 2019 Video

Wu-Tang, Pete Rock & Others Reunite To Celebrate 25+ Years Of Loud Records

Loud Records dominated the Rap music landscape in the 1990s and early 2000s. Steve Rifkind's label has some of the greatest all-time albums in the genre. To do so, Loud took chances by signing and supporting acts that defied the model at the major labels. Rifkind had been a leader... Read more

August 12, 2019 Fresh

Nas Celebrates Prodigy & Queens On A Stellar Pete Rock Track (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

July 19, 2019 Audio

20 Years Ago, Mobb Deep, G Rap & Alchemist Made 1 Of The Realest Collabos (Audio)

Mobb Deep has released two highly-acclaimed albums in the mid-1990s. Prodigy and Havoc's sophomore set, The Infamous, is one of the most beloved LPs of all-time. A year and a half later, they delivered Hell On Earth, a menacing follow-up that stayed the course. By the close of the 1990s,... Read more

May 11, 2019 Do Remember

M.O.P.’s Ante Up Remix Was Supposed To Feature JAY-Z & Prodigy While They Were Beefing

Although "Ante Up," may not M.O.P.'s highest-charting single, the street anthem is a cornerstone of Billy Danze and Lil Fame's catalog. Released in late 2000, the Loud Records single produced by D/R Period was emblematic of the menacing music that the Brownsville, Brooklyn Rap duo had been making since 1994's... Read more

March 13, 2019 Audio, Throwback

Cormega Breaks Down His Evocative New EP & Why The Fans Matter The Most

In the closing week of 2018, Cormega self-released Mega. The five-song project (that also includes the instrumentals) marked the MC's first in more than four years. The New Yorker partnered with Streetrunner, the veteran Grammy Award-winning producer co-credited for Meek Mill, JAY-Z, and Rick Ross' "What's Free?" in addition to... Read more

March 10, 2019 Exclusive, Interview

Common Brings His A-Game On A Cold Collabo With Joell Ortiz

DJ Absolut has been a sound provider who in addition to playing others' records is dropping heat of his own. Previously, Ambrosia For Heads presented Rap fans with some unearthed Mobb Deep freestyles via the New York mixmaster. Now, Heads can get a taste of more Big Apple-inspired heat headed... Read more

February 26, 2019 Audio

Method Man & Havoc Reunite For A Song All About That Street Life

Throughout the last 23 years, Method Man and Havoc have rich built a collaborative chemistry. Mr. Mef' was a guest on Mobb Deep's Hell On Earth in 1996, courtesy of "Extortion." Two years after that, Hav' produced "Play IV Keeps" from Method's chart-topping sophomore solo LP. Since then, the Staten... Read more

February 12, 2019 Audio

Jamla Is The Squad & This Freestyle Shows Why Reuben Vincent Made The Team

Jamla Records is a brand that Hip-Hop Heads can trust. Since its earliest days, 9th Wonder's label has put its stamp on a host of talented artists that care about music. In 2018, Jamla Is The Squad II showed a plethora of talent on the imprint the includes Rapsody, Elzhi... Read more

January 22, 2019 Video

Ain’t No Such Thing As Halfway KXNG Crooked Verses. He Goes All In With Mobb Inspiration

KXNG Crooked has always been nice on the mic, but he's not above paying respects to the greats who shaped his style. The Slaughterhouse MC formerly known as Crooked I just released a freestyle that would make Mobb Deep proud. Titled "Halfway Me," the song is an homage to the Queensbridge... Read more

January 11, 2019 Audio

Alchemist Tells B-Real About Just How Much His Time With Cypress Hill Shaped Him

B-Real can get some interviews on his Smokebox TV that go beyond typical taped conversations. Beyond the obvious reasons included in the title, "Dr. Greenthumb" asks great questions and seems engaged in wanting to understand his guests' story. The Cypress Hill MC's latest episode with Alchemist does not disappoint. In... Read more

January 3, 2019 Video

Cormega Releases His 1st Project In 4 Years & It’s Full Of Realness

Early in this decade, Cormega proved that one could still make major noise through the independent channel. The Queensbridge veteran accomplished more on his own than any famed label could seemingly do for the unique spitter. Throughout the last 20 years, Mega has fed his faithful fan-base with award-winning gems... Read more

December 27, 2018 Audio

Reef The Lost Cauze’s Video Shows What’s Golden About Hip-Hop Can Never Fade Away

Bearing a lengthy Hip-Hop resume, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based MC, Reef The Lost Cauze (born Sharif Lacey) is a certified authority when it comes to the genre. From the Army Of The Pharaohs (A.O.T.P.) member's early days of battling, to his various mixtapes and albums, a current six-year window of podcasting, and... Read more

November 7, 2018 Ready Or Not

Jonah Hill’s Top 5 MCs Shows He’s A True ’90s Hip-Hop Head (Video)

Jonah Hill is an Oscar-nominated actor whose career in film almost began behind the camera. Instead, appearances in comedies like Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Pineapple Express blazed a path that led him to become one of his generation's most sought-after comedic actors. Turns in dramatic roles for Moneyball and The Wolf Of Wall... Read more

October 18, 2018 TV/Film, Video

Lute’s 2 New Freestyles Show J. Cole’s Ear For Talent Is Impeccable (Audio)

Lute made a strong impression with his debut album, West 1996 Pt. 2. The LP was released one year ago under J. Cole's Dreamville Records. Back in 2015 while scouting talent in North Carolina, Cole stumbled across Charlotte's Lute via YouTube. At the time, the MC was still employed at... Read more

September 11, 2018 Audio

A Video Shows Mobb Deep’s Lethal Sampling For “Murda Muzik,” On Its 19th Birthday

Mobb Deep's fourth album, Murda Muzik, remains their best-selling album to date. It began the duo's transition from New York street poets into a pair capable of making records that played on the radio, video shows, and the clubs at once. Havoc didn't forfeit his gift for sampling in the... Read more

August 17, 2018 Throwback, Video

The Mobb Deep vs. N.W.A. GOAT Match-Up Is Too Close To Call. Decide Who Advances.

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’ 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 (which has been determined), including the possibility for... Read more

August 16, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT

Ski Beatz Admits To Throwing Away An Entire Pre-Reasonable Doubt JAY-Z Album & Big L Music

Hip-Hop lore often provides Heads with stories of triumph, classic moments, and past situations that, at the time, those involved didn't know how legendary they'd be. Sometimes though, disheartening news will emerge when the greats do recall their musical past. RZA's studio was flooded multiple times, which caused the creation... Read more

August 14, 2018 News, Throwback, Throwback

Finding The GOAT Group: Mobb Deep vs. N.W.A. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’ 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 (which has been determined), including the possibility for... Read more

August 14, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT

Prodigy Discusses Living A Lifetime Filled With Excruciating Pain (Video)

June marked the first anniversary of Prodigy's passing. His death blindsided the Hip-Hop community, despite his frequent, frank discussions about living with sickle-cell anemia. He even used his 2000 debut solo album, H.N.I.C, as an opportunity to share his struggles with the illness on "You Can Never Feel My Pain." Though... Read more

August 5, 2018 Video

Here Are The 16 Hip-Hop Groups Competing To Be Named The Best Of All-Time

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’ annual competition series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot was reserved for a wild-card entry, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

August 5, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT

Russ Buries A Generation Of Lil SoundCloud Rappers With A Fiery Freestyle (Video)

Like many artists who will be sure to come into the fold of the music industry in a similar wake, Russ' career ultimately began on the Internet. Between 2011 and 2014, Russ released 11 albums for free on Soundcloud. In 2016, Russ' single, "What They Want," hit the Billboard Hot... Read more

August 2, 2018 Video

Finding The GOAT Group: Mobb Deep vs. The LOX. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’ 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 (which has been determined), including the possibility... Read more

July 2, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT

Havoc Releases 2 Mobb Deep Freestyles To Celebrate Prodigy 1 Year After His Passing (Audio)

One year ago today Prodigy unexpectedly passed away Hip-Hop has not been the same. It's all been helpful for those who were truly touched by his spirit and life's work. What's also great to help cope is anytime new music surfaces from the Mobb camp, and that's what happened Wednesday... Read more

June 20, 2018 Audio

Finding The GOAT Group: Mobb Deep vs. Black Moon. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle 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

April 27, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT

Tupac Hit Up Many More People Than Biggie In His Original Makaveli Liner Notes

Tupac was not alive for the release of his fifth solo album, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. However, he was promoting and working on the LP at the time of his September 13, 1996 death. Fresh off the success of double-album, All Eyez On Me, Tupac wrote and... Read more

April 5, 2018 News, Throwback

Sade & Mobb Deep Get Mashed Up By J. Rocc For One Quiet Storm (Audio)

Sade has music that works for just about any mood. Beat Junkies founder, JayLib member, and Soundbombing, Vol. 2 co-host J. Rocc grasps this fact and melded her soulful melodies with the rugged flow of Mobb Deep in Thug Ballads. He combines the right Sade instrumental back-drops and vocals with just... Read more

January 23, 2018 Audio, Mixes

It’s Prodigy’s Birthday & This New Song Is A Present For Fans Of His Hard Verses (Audio)

Prodigy would have been 43 years old today (November 2). Tragically, the MC/author born Albert Johnson died this June, leaving Hip-Hop music forever altered. P's cutthroat worldview, cautionary street tales, and cantankerous delivery made him pilot Hip-Hop's rugged movement of the mid-'90s. While Mobb Deep would find mainstream's embrace and... Read more

November 2, 2017 Audio

EPMD Are Working On An Album Only Featuring Classic Hip-Hop Duos (Video)

It has been almost nine years since legendary duo EPMD released an album. Late 2008's We Mean Business marked the seventh group effort for Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith. The EP/RBC Records release was a departure from the six consecutive gold albums the Long Islanders released dating back to 1988's... Read more

October 1, 2017 News, Video

50 Cent Explains Why Despite Their Beef Prodigy & Tupac Were Truly Alike (Video)

In May of 2006, Mobb Deep would release their seventh album, a first with G-Unit/Interscope Records. Blood Money would be Prodigy and Havoc's lone album with 50 Cent. However, a Queens, New York bond seemed especially strong, when Curtis Jackson—at the top of the Rap food-chain gave his borough neighbors luxury... Read more

September 27, 2017 Video

Nas & Ghostface Killah’s Collabos Set The Stage For A Strong A3C (Audio)

Two of New York's finest MCs, Nas and Ghostface Killah, have a great history of bringing out the best in each other when they're on the same track. Both possess intricate storytelling ability, effortless wordplay, and immense street credibility. They've only rhymed together but a few occasions. However, the synergy... Read more

September 19, 2017 News

Havoc, Fabolous & Lil Kim Perform “Quiet Storm (Remix)” In Tribute Of Prodigy (Video)

In June, the Hip-Hop world was rocked by the sudden death of Prodigy from Mobb Deep. The veteran MC had just performed at the Art Of Rap festival in Las Vegas, days before his passing. Although he was hospitalized shortly thereafter, those close to him believed the visit to be... Read more

September 18, 2017 Video

JAY-Z Reveals He And Prodigy Made Peace Before His Death (Video)

While the JAY-Z vs. Nas battle of the early 2000s may be the one that gets the most ink in the history books, Hov's beef with late Mobb Deep MC Prodigy is one of legend too. From Summer Jam photo reveals to disses on both sides, these two artists had... Read more

September 7, 2017 Video

Sean Price, Prodigy & Styles P Are The 3 Lyrical Ps (Audio)

Sean Price's Imperius Rex album is less than a week away. To build anticipation for the beloved MC's posthumous LP, Duck Down releases "The 3 Lyrical P's." Among the album with features from DOOM, Method Man, and members of Boot Camp Clik, this track speaks for itself. Styles P and... Read more

August 3, 2017 Audio

The Blueprint: How 1 Kanye West Beat Tape Changed Roc-A-Fella Records Forever (Audio)

In September of 2001, JAY-Z released his sixth album. The Blueprint was wholeheartedly a pivot. To his fans, Shawn Carter had an incredible consistent streak of quality, authenticity, and event-worthy album-making. Five years removed from his debut album, S.Dot sought a new sound, and raised the stakes in every possible... Read more

August 2, 2017 Audio

N.O.R.E. Says He Knows Who Ruined Prodigy’s Mural & Why (Video)

One of July's most disturbing stories in the Hip-Hop space was when a Queens, New York mural honoring the late rapper Prodigy was defaced on July 6. The attack came just two weeks after the Mobb Deep co-founder's death. Artists Jeff Henriquez and Eli “Eos” Lazare had created the work... Read more

July 28, 2017 Video

Alchemist & Mobb Deep’s New Song Is A Reminder Of Prodigy’s Quiet Storm (Audio)

In 1999, Mobb Deep released Murda Muzik, the duo's fourth LP and one that featured production from The Alchemist. On the album's eponymous track as well as the Kool G Rap-assisted "The Realest," the producer with a Los Angeles provenance vibed perfectly with Havoc and Prodigy, two of Queensbridge's most notorious... Read more

July 21, 2017 Audio

Prodigy Mural Permanently Removed After Being Vandalized Twice In A Week (Video)

Less than a week after a mural dedicated to Mobb Deep co-founder Prodigy was painted, it has twice been defaced. Saturday morning (July 8), the Queens, New York mural created by Jeff Henriquez and Eli “Eos” Lazare was covered by white paint. At the time, the mural was less than... Read more

July 10, 2017 Fresh

The FDA Has Approved A New Sickle Cell Treatment For The 1st Time In 20 Years

Prodigy, the late rapper who suffered from sickle-cell disease, played an important role in opening up dialogues about health in communities of color. The illness - which primarily affects African-Americans, Latinos, and other racial minority groups - caused him tremendous pain and suffering, a struggle about which he spoke frankly... Read more

July 10, 2017 Lifestyle

Prodigy Mural In Queens Is Vandalized Just Hours After Completion

On Thursday (July 6), a mural dedicated to Mobb Deep MC Prodigy was completed in Queens, New York. The aerosol wall painting paid respects to the hometown artist (born Albert Johnson) who died on June 20. Created by Jeff Henriquez and Eli "Eos" Lazare "out of love and respect" for... Read more

July 8, 2017 Fresh, News

Hip-Hop Notables Support Havoc As He Does His 1st Show Without Prodigy (Video)

Last November, Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi took the Saturday Night Live stage, A Tribe Called Quest's first major appearance since the death of Phife Dawg in March of 2016. For many, watching a beloved group perform new material for the first time in decades without one of its... Read more

July 3, 2017 Video