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The 15 Best Rap Albums Of 2022

The 15 Best Rap Albums Of 2022

As 2022 winds down, it comes time to celebrate the best in Hip-Hop music. As is tradition, the Ambrosia For Heads team weighs in on our opinion of the year's best albums. This list of 15 includes some comeback performances, significant sequel efforts, and collaborative tandems. The collection of LPs also shows... Read more
December 20, 2022 Best Rap Albums Of 2022
The 10 Best Rap Albums Of 2021 So Far

The 10 Best Rap Albums Of 2021 So Far

As 2021 quickly approaches its midpoint, it is tradition to evaluate the year's best Hip-Hop albums—so far. So on the latest episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast, we did just that. As we did in deciding the best albums of 2020, the AFH team uses the platform to publicly discuss the best... Read more
June 15, 2021 Exclusive
How MF DOOM Became Hip-Hop’s Biggest Hero

How MF DOOM Became Hip-Hop’s Biggest Hero

On December 31, the family of MF DOOM (aka Daniel Dumile) publicly announced that the legendary MC/producer/visual artist had died two months earlier. While information surrounding DOOM's passing may still be forthcoming, the hurt felt around the Hip-Hop community was immediate and profound. At just 49 years old at the... Read more
January 11, 2021 Audio, Fresh, Video
R.A. The Rugged Man Is A Hip-Hop Showman Who Rapped His Way From Loser To Legend

R.A. The Rugged Man Is A Hip-Hop Showman Who Rapped His Way From Loser To Legend

R.A. The Rugged Man knows how to grab eyeballs. The Long Island lyricist with the cult following announced his first album in nearly seven years today (January 15). So in sharing the good news, the respected MC leads with a video single that is captivating visually while offering a lot... Read more
January 15, 2020 Video
Westside Gunn & Mr. Green Partner For An EP. Here’s A Sample From That Stash (Audio)

Westside Gunn & Mr. Green Partner For An EP. Here’s A Sample From That Stash (Audio)

The Griselda family's breakthrough player, Westside Gunn, seems to be going even harder in 2018 than he did in 2017, and that says a lot. Having dropped several full-length projects, appeared in the Shady Records BET Cypher, as well as a collabo 12” with MF DOOM in 2017, one might... Read more
March 22, 2018 Audio
Your Old Droog & Conway Kick Rhymes That Are Hard Like Cement (Audio)

Your Old Droog & Conway Kick Rhymes That Are Hard Like Cement (Audio)

Brooklyn, New York's Your Old Droog has in the past labeled a lot of his songs as "Outsider Music," not Hip-Hop or Rap. However, his latest single, featuring Conway the Machine, is an exception: he has categorized “Cement 4's” as Metal. Music of this kind is often called “gritty" or... Read more
January 11, 2018 Audio
Redman Explains Why He Would Rather Endure Gruesome Pain Than Suffer Disloyalty (Video)

Redman Explains Why He Would Rather Endure Gruesome Pain Than Suffer Disloyalty (Video)

Later this month, Masta Killa will release Loyalty Is Royalty (September 29). Three of that album's guests include Redman, Method Man, and Inspectah Deck. In line with the title of the Wu-Tang Clan member's fourth album, those three affiliates spoke about what loyalty means to them. Masta Killa’s New Album... Read more
September 15, 2017 Video
DOOM Revives KMD With A Jay Electronica Collabo (Audio)

DOOM Revives KMD With A Jay Electronica Collabo (Audio)

Long before MF DOOM was a name known and celebrated by Rap fans, there was a KMD. The Elektra Records trio consisted of Zev Love X (nka DOOM), brother DJ Subroc, and Onyx The Birthstone Kid. Formed in New York City during the late 1980s, the group would subsequently sign... Read more
August 16, 2017 Audio, News
The 1st Rhyme Masta Killa Ever Wrote Was For Wu-Tang Clan’s 36 Chambers (Video)

The 1st Rhyme Masta Killa Ever Wrote Was For Wu-Tang Clan’s 36 Chambers (Video)

Masta Killa made a last minute debut on a Rap classic: Wu-Tang Clan's Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). What Heads may not realize is that was the Brooklyn, New York MC's first rhyme and his first time in the studio. Having described himself as the "little brother" within the Clan,... Read more
August 8, 2017 Exclusive, Now You See Me, Video
Masta Killa’s New Video Reminds Us To Celebrate Rap’s OGs While They’re Still Here

Masta Killa’s New Video Reminds Us To Celebrate Rap’s OGs While They’re Still Here

As a member of one of Hip-Hop's most venerated crews, Wu-Tang Clan's Masta Killa is a true original. With his 48th birthday turning the corner next month, he's been releasing music since the 1990s, including three solo LPs beginning with 2004's No Said Date. This December will mark the 5th... Read more
July 31, 2017 Video
Masta Killa Is Releasing His First Album In 5 Years. His New Single Shares OG Wisdom (Audio)

Masta Killa Is Releasing His First Album In 5 Years. His New Single Shares OG Wisdom (Audio)

Wu-Tang Clan’s own Masta Killa is preparing to release his upcoming album, Loyalty Is Royalty, on Nature Sounds this fall. The LP will be his first solo effort since Selling My Soul in 2012, and his fourth overall. Although the veteran Brooklyn, New York MC may not put out music... Read more
July 13, 2017 Audio
R.A. Shows That Even Rugged Men Change With Fatherhood (Video)

R.A. Shows That Even Rugged Men Change With Fatherhood (Video)

R.A. The Rugged Man is one of Hip-Hop's true wild hearts. The Long Island, New York veteran was famously banned from numerous label offices (including his own) during the 1990s for his storied antics. R.A.'s live shows play host to bloody and sweaty mosh pits, make-out sessions with fans, and... Read more
June 14, 2016 Video
DOOM Remixes Some Definitive Method Man With His Own Brand Of Herbs (Audio)

DOOM Remixes Some Definitive Method Man With His Own Brand Of Herbs (Audio)

Renowned as an MC, DOOM (a/k/a MF DOOM) is a highly accomplished producer too. Even before his reinvention on Operation Doomsday, the K.M.D. front man was producing tracks for 3rd Bass' Pete Nice and others. In the last 10 years, the masked villain has laced songs for Ghostface Killah, Masta... Read more
May 19, 2016 Audio
DOOM & Jay Electronica’s Collaboration Surfaces From 2 Of Rap’s Most Elusive MCs

DOOM & Jay Electronica’s Collaboration Surfaces From 2 Of Rap’s Most Elusive MCs

For more than 25 years, DOOM (a/k/a MF DOOM) has been one of Hip-Hop's hardest MCs to pin down. The British-born lyricist has historically swapped out names, reinvented himself with a masked face, and retreated to tropical islands for years on end. However, when the Operation Doomsday creator makes an... Read more
May 14, 2016 Fresh
DOOM Releases A Live Performance Of “Accordion” (Audio)

DOOM Releases A Live Performance Of “Accordion” (Audio)

It's been more than a decade since DOOM's Live From Planet X was released, and for many of his longtime fans, it's the closest they've gotten to seeing him live. The notoriously private MC and producer has appeared on stage extensively throughout his nearly 30-year career, but many times his... Read more
April 20, 2016 Audio
A-F-R-O Describes Achieving “Hip-Hop Dreamland” While Still A Teenager (Video Interview)

A-F-R-O Describes Achieving “Hip-Hop Dreamland” While Still A Teenager (Video Interview)

A-F-R-O was among the performers at this past weekend's second annual J Dilla Weekend in Miami, Florida. The 18 year-old Bellflower, California representative has gotten critical cosigns from DJ Premier, GZA, Jean Grae, and others, as well as being mentored by his personal favorite MC, R.A. The Rugged Man. Speaking... Read more
February 8, 2016 Exclusive, Food for Thought, Video
A-F-R-O Has A New EP Coming. He Praises R.A. The Rugged Man’s Mentorship

A-F-R-O Has A New EP Coming. He Praises R.A. The Rugged Man’s Mentorship

Eighteen year-old Bellflower, California MC A-F-R-O has had quite a 12 months. The artist went from relative obscurity to working with his heroes, touring the world, and even appearing in Vh1 TV movie The Breaks. Cosigned by DJ Premier and GZA, All Flows Reach Out told HipHopDX how it was... Read more
February 2, 2016 News
Black Thought, Jay Electronica, & Bun B Added To 2016 J Dilla Weekend Lineup

Black Thought, Jay Electronica, & Bun B Added To 2016 J Dilla Weekend Lineup

There have been some major changes surrounding the 2016 J Dilla Weekend. The second annual event in Miami, Florida will take place February 5-7. The event, hosted by J Dilla's mother, Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey, features concert performances, art exhibits, panels, record swap meets, and more. The main venue for... Read more
January 25, 2016 News
This Far Reaching Mix Sprinkles Some Of J Dilla’s Best & Rarest Donuts

This Far Reaching Mix Sprinkles Some Of J Dilla’s Best & Rarest Donuts

Next month (February 5-7), the second annual J Dilla Weekend will take place in Miami, Florida. The three-day event features music performances, exhibits, panels, and more. Pre-sale ticket packages are available. At present, Dilla's onetime group Slum Village, and a host of collaborators are signed on for the event. Additionally,... Read more
January 17, 2016 Audio, Mixes, Throwback
De La Soul Are Performing Together to Honor J Dilla During His Tribute Weekend

De La Soul Are Performing Together to Honor J Dilla During His Tribute Weekend

In late December, the second annual J Dilla Weekend was announced. The Miami, Florida event will take place the weekend of February 5-7, and will be hosted by Dilla's mother, Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey. With Slum Village, Royce Da 5'9", Rapsody & 9th Wonder, Blu & Exile, Chuck Strangers, A-F-R-O,... Read more
January 6, 2016 News
DJ Premier, Slum Village, Royce Da 5’9″, Rapsody & 9th Wonder To Perform At 2016 J Dilla Weekend

DJ Premier, Slum Village, Royce Da 5’9″, Rapsody & 9th Wonder To Perform At 2016 J Dilla Weekend

The second annual J Dilla Weekend has been announced. The Miami, Florida extension of Detroit, Michigan's longstanding J Dilla Day will take place on February 5-7, 2016. Hosted by Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey (Dilla's mother), the event continues a rich tradition of celebrating James Yancey's life and music through performances,... Read more
December 21, 2015 Exclusive, News
Camp Lo’s Fashion & Luxury Transportation Suits Their Style (Video)

Camp Lo’s Fashion & Luxury Transportation Suits Their Style (Video)

Sonny Cheeba and Geechie Suede are masters of nostalgia. The veteran Hip-Hop duo Camp Lo, joined by longtime mentor/producer Ski Beatz has a knack for channeling '70s slang, '60s film, and '80s New York City. From their 2015 Nature Sounds LP, Ragtime Hightimes, the duo delivers the video for "Life... Read more
July 22, 2015 Video
Blu Addresses Passing On A Death Row Deal On The Thriller (Audio)

Blu Addresses Passing On A Death Row Deal On The Thriller (Audio)

It has been a quiet three months for Blu. The MC/producer known for a relentless appetite for releasing music may be quiet for good reason. Today (June 29), the Los Angeles, California native announced a Nature Sounds maxi-single, The Return. With some remixes and DJ-goodies, Johnson Barnes delivers "Thriller." Featuring... Read more
June 29, 2015 Audio
Camp Lo Re-Team With Luchini Producer Ski Beatz on Black Jesus (Audio)

Camp Lo Re-Team With Luchini Producer Ski Beatz on Black Jesus (Audio)

Camp Lo is in tact with their original mentor/producer Ski Beatz. However, the upcoming Ragtime Hightimes (May 19) is not a regurgitation of that Uptown Saturday Night sound. Instead, "Black Jesus" is just the latest example of Sonny Cheeba and Geechie Suede's ability to flex new styles. The 20-plus-year pair... Read more
May 4, 2015 Audio
Camp Lo’s Futuristic Flows Get A Visual Treatment To Match (Video)

Camp Lo’s Futuristic Flows Get A Visual Treatment To Match (Video)

Since the Profile Records, Uptown Saturday Night days, Camp Lo has created this world intersecting the future with the past. Geechie Suede and Sonny Cheeba, as their names have always suggested, are inspired by the 1970s New York City. From slang to album covers to strong cinematic references, these guys... Read more
April 1, 2015 Video
Finding The GOAT (Round 3): Jay-Z vs. MF DOOM…Who You Got?

Finding The GOAT (Round 3): Jay-Z vs. MF DOOM…Who You Got?

We have reached the third round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 42 MCs remaining, 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... Read more
March 19, 2015 Fresh
Blu & MED Release a Mixtape Strictly for the Underground. No Fakers Allowed (Audio)

Blu & MED Release a Mixtape Strictly for the Underground. No Fakers Allowed (Audio)

While they're both old soul MCs, both Blu and MED utilize the digital age to the fullest. The two sunny Southern California lyricists release music at a pace that would make 2Pac proud. Whether the albums are on major labels, legendary indies, or bootlegged by the men who made them,... Read more
February 28, 2015 Audio
Lil Fame Remixes M.O.P.’s Welcome 2 Brooklyn & Works In A Handful Of Classics (Audio)

Lil Fame Remixes M.O.P.’s Welcome 2 Brooklyn & Works In A Handful Of Classics (Audio)

M.O.P. bridged the gap with "Welcome 2 Brooklyn." The Street Certified EP video single merged Mash Out with Maino, and showed the made shades of BK. Still hard at work on the Nature Sounds release (executive produced by longtime M.O.P. affiliate DJ Premier), Lil Fame (a/k/a Fizzy Womack) reworked the... Read more
February 18, 2015 Audio
R.A. The Rugged Man Makes An Artful & Powerful Indictment Against The Media (Video)

R.A. The Rugged Man Makes An Artful & Powerful Indictment Against The Media (Video)

Back in 2013, Long Island, New York Hip-Hop veteran R.A. The Rugged Man released a monster in Legends Never Die. The Nature Sounds release garnered due praise, and one of the dense moments within was the track "Media Midgets." Produced by 20-plus-year collaborator Buckwild (D.I.T.C.) and mixed by super-engineer Chris... Read more
January 20, 2015 Video
M.O.P. & Maino Cinematically Show You The Brooklyn They Love (Video)

M.O.P. & Maino Cinematically Show You The Brooklyn They Love (Video)

As 2014 year-end lists flood the Internet, magazines, and more...one Hip-Hop album that seemingly deserved more recognition is M.O.P.'s Street Certified. Billy Danze and Lil Fame's first foray with Nature Sounds Records brought in DJ Premier as an executive producer, without simply aiming to push the Mash Out Posse back... Read more
January 5, 2015 Fresh, Video
Ghostface Killah & Sheek Louch Fire The First Shot, It’s Wu Block Biznez (Audio)

Ghostface Killah & Sheek Louch Fire The First Shot, It’s Wu Block Biznez (Audio)

More than two years removed from Wu-Block, the Wu-Tang Clan x The LOX connection was far from a one-off. Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch have announced that they are waving the flag together again, in a hybrid album under the Wu-Block guise. Nature Sounds Records has announced that Hidden Gems,... Read more
December 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh
Finding The GOAT: Pete Rock vs. J. Dilla…Who You Got?

Finding The GOAT: Pete Rock vs. J. Dilla…Who You Got?

As we continue 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 in a sequence not... Read more
December 11, 2014 Fresh, Throwback
DOOM & Ghostface Killah Calls Dibbs On 2015’s Most Anticipated Album

DOOM & Ghostface Killah Calls Dibbs On 2015’s Most Anticipated Album

DOOM (f/k/a MF DOOM) and Ghostface Killah have both released albums in 2014. In the case of the latter, there's both a solo (36 Seasons) and Wu-Tang Clan project, while DOOM teamed with Bishop Nehru (NehruvianDOOM). However, after more than eight years in waiting, the two '90s Hip-Hop mainstays are... Read more
December 8, 2014 Fresh
Get A Deeper Look At A Joint From M.O.P.’s New EP With Cuts By DJ Premier (Audio)

Get A Deeper Look At A Joint From M.O.P.’s New EP With Cuts By DJ Premier (Audio)

M.O.P.'s new EP, Street Certified is now available. Within the Nature Sounds-released effort, executive produced by DJ Premier is "Heistmasters (Still At It)." The cut is produced by DJ Skizz (Your Old Droog, O.C., Roc Marciano), with Preem on the cuts. Within, Billy Danze and Lil Fame kick some classic... Read more
November 25, 2014 Audio, Fresh
Finding The GOAT: Ol’ Dirty Bastard vs. Lil Fame…Who You Got?

Finding The GOAT: Ol’ Dirty Bastard vs. Lil Fame…Who You Got?

As we continue 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 in a sequence not... Read more
November 19, 2014 Fresh, Throwback
M.O.P. & Maino Are Brooklyn O.G.’s Who Never Dodge (Audio)

M.O.P. & Maino Are Brooklyn O.G.’s Who Never Dodge (Audio)

M.O.P. never got that album they were promised from Jay Z at Roc-A-Fella Records or the one with 50 Cent at G-Unit some years later. However, after "Ante Up" became an early 2000s anthem, and "Cold As Ice" followed onto radio waves, nobody can argue that Lil Fame and Billy... Read more
November 17, 2014 Audio, Fresh
With DJ Premier Executive Producing, M.O.P Drops Street Certified Artwork & Tracklisting

With DJ Premier Executive Producing, M.O.P Drops Street Certified Artwork & Tracklisting

Three years removed from their Sparta LP with German production outfit The Snowgoons, M.O.P. brings it back Stateside for their first EP. Street Certified is a nine-track effort, releasing November 18 (one week from today). Coming on Nature Sounds (Blu, J Dilla, Havoc), this release is executive produced by DJ... Read more
November 11, 2014 Fresh
M.O.P. & Busta Rhymes Show You The Life They Represent (Video)

M.O.P. & Busta Rhymes Show You The Life They Represent (Video)

In preparation for their new EP, M.O.P. release the visual for "Broad Daylight," featuring Busta Rhymes. The video plays like a violent metaphor for Fame, Danze and Busta's menacing lyrics about what happens to soft competition when they mix it up with hardscrabble veterans. Flipmode Squad and First Family go... Read more
November 5, 2014 Fresh, Video
Method Man & R.A. The Rugged Man Talk Music Industry Black-Balling (Video)

Method Man & R.A. The Rugged Man Talk Music Industry Black-Balling (Video)

R.A. The Rugged Man, who's been a longtime label-mate of Masta Killa at Nature Sounds, predates a lot of Wu-Tang Clan members, as far as record contracts. The early 1990s Jive Records sensation known as Crustified Dibbs recently got up with Method Man backstage on the road, recalling their circa-1993... Read more
August 18, 2014 Fresh, Video
Camp Lo’s Ski Beatz Reunion Has Some Back To The Future Feel To It (Audio)

Camp Lo’s Ski Beatz Reunion Has Some Back To The Future Feel To It (Audio)

While they publicly previewed some samplings previously, Camp Lo's reunion with producer Ski Beatz is underway. Today, the Nature Sounds Records artists unveiled the first full, finished glimpse of their upcoming album. "Cold Retarded" features an antiquated expression that Biz Markie and Roxanne Shante helped make famous. However, the sound... Read more
July 7, 2014 Audio, Fresh
Everything That’s Great About The ’80s Comes To New Life In R.A. The Rugged Man’s Ill New Visual (Video)

Everything That’s Great About The ’80s Comes To New Life In R.A. The Rugged Man’s Ill New Visual (Video)

Coming up in the mid-1980s New York City Hip-Hop era, R.A. The Rugged Man traveled from Long Island to Brooklyn to experience his favorite MCs. The friend of The Notorious B.I.G. and longtime collaborator of Havoc and Sadat X loved Hip-Hop's history, and collected tapes and studied flows. The 20-plus-year... Read more
June 2, 2014 Fresh, Video
Camp Lo & Ski Beatz Confirm A Reunion Album, Preview Some Joints From The Studio (Video)

Camp Lo & Ski Beatz Confirm A Reunion Album, Preview Some Joints From The Studio (Video)

For over three albums, Bronx duo Camp Lo closely worked with Ski Beatz. Ski, who hailed from Original Flavor, was also working closely with Jay Z and Roc-A-Fella Records at the time of 1996's Uptown Saturday Night album. Ski, Geechie Suede, and Sonny Cheeba have worked together again, into the... Read more
May 27, 2014 Fresh, Video
Blu’s Homecoming Is A Few Days Early (Album Stream)

Blu’s Homecoming Is A Few Days Early (Album Stream)

Blu's Good To Be Home is scheduled to release on May 20. However, one of Johnson Barnes' longtime label affiliates, Nature Sounds, blessed the Heads with an early listen to Disc 1 and Disc 2 of the LP boasting full production by Bombay. Veteran MC guests from the likes of... Read more
May 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh
It’s Organized Konfusion As Pharoahe Monch & O.C. Rock With Prince Po & Oh No (Audio)

It’s Organized Konfusion As Pharoahe Monch & O.C. Rock With Prince Po & Oh No (Audio)

Just last year, Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po cracked the mic together on Marco Polo's PA2: The Director's Cut. The Queens, New York vets have been in the news a lot lately, with last week's reunion show in NYC, celebrating the 20th anniversary of cult-championed sophomore LP, Stress: The Extinction... Read more
February 4, 2014 Audio, Fresh