new york ArchivesAmbrosia For Heads

Cam’ron Details Refusing To Pay A Threatening Suge Knight (Video)

Late last month Harlem's own Cam'ron released his seventh solo album, Purple Haze 2. The 15-years-later sequel to 2004's Purple Haze features Wale, Max B, and fellow Diplomats co-founder Jim Jones. Throughout the LP, Killa Cam spills knowledge from his nearly 25 years in Rap. There are recollections about late... Read more

January 13, 2020 Video

The Hip-Hop Museum Is A Reality Thanks To $3.5 Million From New York

For years, there has been a drive to make the Universal Hip-Hop Museum a reality. New, the Empire State is providing some significant seven-figure funding to give the Bronx, New York a place where Hip-Hop Heads can celebrate the culture's origins and heritage. On Thursday (December 19), New York Governor... Read more

December 22, 2019 Fresh, News

DJ Eclipse Discusses The Legacy Of Fat Beats On Its 25th Anniversary

This coming Sunday (July 14) Fat Beats Records will celebrate its 25th-anniversary with a special New York City concert. In many ways, the Sony Hall event is a homecoming and a deserving pause for recognition to a keystone in Hip-Hop's independent movement. Non-Phixion, The Juggaknots, The X-Ecutioners' Rob Swift & Mista... Read more

July 10, 2019 Exclusive, Video

Joell Ortiz & Hit-Maker Salaam Remi Have Released A New EP. Take A Listen.

This past year has been busy for Brooklyn, New York's Joell Ortiz. Last year, the Slaughterh*use co-founder linked up with veteran Michigan producer Apollo Brown for the release of their joint venture, Mona Lisa. Then at the beginning of 2019, Joell caught a wave with Dipset affiliates The Heatmakerz and... Read more

June 8, 2019 Audio

Ava DuVernay’s Central Park Five Film Trailer Shows The Pain Of Injustice (Video)

Ava DuVernay famously recreated the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches and brought them to life for "Best Picture"-nominated film 50 years later. Selma portrayed the committed fight for civil rights in a way that was real, human, and palpable to the modern issues—beyond most textbooks. The Lynwood, California native next took... Read more

April 20, 2019 TV/Film, Video

Jadakiss Has A Solo Album Coming Soon & The LOX Are Working Too (Video)

Joe Budden sat down with Jadakiss this month for the latest episode of Pull Up. For nearly an hour, Budden and 'Kiss discuss a range of industry-related and personal topics. These include his relationship with Def Jam Records, both artists' sons pursuing Rap careers, revenue in the streaming age, Rap's... Read more

April 14, 2019 News, Video

Ill Bill Delivers His Newest Rhymes Like A Hulk Smash To The Face (Video)

It has been almost one year to the day since Brooklyn, New York native Ill Bill dropped his two-track collaborative project, Split, with Oakland Thrash band Ghoul, bridging the culture's of both East and West Coast musicianship with hardcore Hip-Hop and Heavy Metal once again. The veteran Brooklyn MC's last... Read more

April 2, 2019 Video

A New Documentary Investigates Who Killed Jam Master Jay. See The Trailer

Sixteen years ago, Run-D.M.C. co-founder Jam Master Jay (aka Jason Mizell) was murdered in his Queens, New York studio. He was just 37 years old. The murder remains unsolved. A new documentary by Brian Oakes (Abstract: The Art Of Design, Jim: The James Foley Story) aims to take a closer... Read more

December 6, 2018 TV/Film, Video

Sean Price Teamed With Mic Handz In His Last Days. Listen To The Music They Made (Video)

UPDATE: Mic Handz' video to "Conceit," featuring Sean Price: ORIGINAL OCTOBER 27 STORY: "More than three years since he passed away, Sean Price's legacy burns bright. Last year, Duck Down Music and Sean's wife Bernadette released Imperius Rex, an album that was selected among Ambrosia For Heads' best of 2017.... Read more

October 27, 2018 Audio, Video

J-Live Unleashes A Rapping & Scratching Routine With A Motown Classic (Audio)

J-Live is a true Hip-Hop multi-threat. He raps, he DJs, he produces, he runs a label, and he does so much more. The Brooklyn, New Yorker (who now calls Georgia home) sometimes demonstrates several talents at once. For those who have not seen a J show, they get a taste... Read more

August 27, 2018 Audio

Rakim, Black Thought & Pharoahe Monch Will Record A Live Mixtape Onstage

Three of the most respected veteran MCs are coming together to make some history. Throughout the 2010s, DJ J. Period has assembled live mixtapes. He's orchestrated these incredible performances on revered stages, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. These guest-driven affairs have become fixtures at events like The Roots... Read more

August 22, 2018 Fresh, News

Finding The GOAT Group: Organized Konfusion vs. Black Star. 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

May 11, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT

Phife Loved Hip-Hop, But Hip-Hop Needed Him (Video)

Today (March 22) marks two years since the passing of one of Hip-Hop’s grandest luminaries, Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest. While his legacy and imprint on music is still unfolding and carving out its place within the Rap history books, his efforts on the microphone maintain their relevancy... Read more

March 22, 2018 Do Remember

Flip The Script: Graffiti Writers Are Awarded Millions After Their Works Were Painted Over

In a landmark ruling, a federal judge in Brooklyn, New York has awarded a $6.7 million judgment on Monday (February 12) to 21 graffiti artists whose work was destroyed in 2013 at the 5Pointz complex, near the Mega Dice Casino, in Long Island City, Queens. The financial settlement comes after a... Read more

February 13, 2018 News

Action Bronson To Star Alongside Pacino, De Niro & Pesci In Upcoming Scorsese Film

Queens, New York's Action Bronson is definitely no stranger to the camera. In fact, some could argue that the onetime underground MC gained mainstream recognition as an entertainer, crafting a double life as a lyricist by day and charismatic celebrity icon by night. Bam Bam is currently the star of... Read more

January 23, 2018 News, TV/Film

Lil’ Kim Shows She’s The Original Queen Bee As She & Remy Ma Sting Nicki Minaj (Audio)

Lil' Kim and Nicki Minaj have one of Rap music's longest-running beefs. Before Nick' was a YMCMB superstar, she apparently took early shots at Kim on Hoodstarz mixtapes. As Minaj's career rose meteorically in the late 2000s, Kim called out the fellow New Yorker for copying her style of rhyme... Read more

November 8, 2017 Audio, The Bridge

Large Professor Supplies Fashawn With A Vintage Beat & He Skates On It (Video)

Decked out in a red t-shirt supporting one of Mobb Deep's favorite spirits and bandana as a sign of respect to the “late, great Prodigy, The H.N.I.C,” Fashawn takes to Flushing, Queens with a local, Large Professor, in this new eponymous visual. One of XXL magazine’s 2010 Freshmen, Fashawn has... Read more

October 19, 2017 Video

Developers Who Destroyed A Graffiti Landmark Aim To Use Its Heritage In Their Redesign

Queens, New York's 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center was a Hip-Hop landmark that endured for decades. Dubbed "The Institute Of Higher Burning," the Long Island City art space was home to a living shrine of graffiti. Curated by writer Meres One (aka Jonathan Cohen), the five-story warehouse building built in 1892... Read more

May 29, 2017 Lifestyle

A Giant Wall May Be the Only Way to Save New York City from Climate Change

New York City could be under a foot of water as soon as 2030.While that may not sound like a lot, the prospect of such a drastic change in sea level surrounding a city built on a series of islands is indeed scary. The birthplace of Hip-Hop is home to... Read more

July 5, 2016 Lifestyle

This 1982 Profile of Keith Haring is a Must-See For Any Graffiti Art Buff (Video)

When it comes to pop art there are a handful of names which come to mind, at least when asking those in the Hip-Hop generation. Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Keith Haring are three giants of that world, and with their deaths now belonging in the confines of previous generations,... Read more

April 18, 2016 Lifestyle

Chris Rivers’ Latest Visual Examines The Battle for Greatness (Video)

As Heads may know, New York MC Chris Rivers is an avid boxer and is just as passionate about the sport as he is about his music. He participated in the 2014 Golden Gloves and has a goal of becoming heavyweight boxing champion of the world someday. The visual for... Read more

May 4, 2015 Video

Spit Gemz & Kool G Rap Host A Wordplay Clinic In Latest Collab (Audio)

Spit Gemz is one of Hip Hop's rising rugged Rap voices. In his track “Legacy," he teams up with veteran supreme lyricist Kool G Rap to deliver some of that classic New York under-belly flavor. The two MCs both represent Queens, but it's not the only thing they have in... Read more

April 15, 2015 Audio

Q-Tip Walks the Walk in Protest for Michael Brown in New York (Video)

As protests break out across the nation in light of last night's decision by the grand jury in Ferguson, MO to not indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, prominent members of the Hip-Hop community continue to take a stand. Last night, Killer Mike spoke passionately... Read more

November 25, 2014 Video

Watch Common’s First Ever Live Performances From Nobody’s Smiling (Video)

Last night (7/21), Common held a release party at NYC's Gramercy Theatre for his new album, Nobody's Smiling. He treated an intimate but extremely hyped crowd to an energetic performance of many of the album's songs for the first time, as well as a run through many of his classics.... Read more

July 22, 2014 Video

RZA & Faulkner Show What It Means To Be A New Yorker (Video)

Even with residences in New Jersey and California as well as extensive travel abroad, RZA is always a New Yorker. The Wu-Tang Clan Abbott helped helm a sound identifiable with the city in the early 1990s, and stayed shining a light on the unheard and under-represented parts of the city... Read more

July 16, 2014 Fresh, Video

Raekwon Takes A Swing At An Isley Brothers Classic (Audio)

Raekwon spits a few bars over The Isley Brother's highly recognizable "Footsteps In The Dark." How does this stack up against Ice Cube's classic version, "It Was A Good Day?" Related: Raekwon Gets Open Over Another Hot 90′s R&B Joint. Stop Trippin’ (Audio)... Read more

July 3, 2014 Audio, Fresh

D’Angelo Explains Delving Into Funk-Rock, Brotherly Bond With Questlove (Video)

D'Angelo takes the microphone in a much different capacity as the singer-songwriter hits the Red Bull Music Academy in New York for an hour-and-a-half-long talk with journalist/author/filmmaker Nelson George. In front of an energetic audience at the Brooklyn Museum, D'angelo discusses a wide variety of topics including his inspiration from... Read more

May 23, 2014 Fresh, Video

Skyzoo & Torae Morph Into The Barrel Brothers And Pay Homage To The Classic Yankee Cap

With the anticipation of Skyzoo and Torae's collaborative project, Barrel Brothers, building, it's time for all to release a collective sigh of relief with the drop of their latest single, "Blue Yankee Fitted." Dedicated to the universally recognized baseball cap of quite possibly the most beloved and most hated team... Read more

April 24, 2014 Audio, Fresh

The Lox Rep New York in Their Latest Release (Audio)

"Yeah we wore shiny suits, but that put us in a new tax bracket..." The Lox are back with a new song repping their city. Check out New York. Related: The Lox Are Back With Some Boom Bap and a KRS-One Hook (Audio)... Read more

March 2, 2014 Audio

What’s Wrong with New York Hip-Hop? The Lox Speak…And It Gets HEATED (Video)

There's been a lot of chatter about what's wrong with New York Hip-Hop, but few are more qualified to speak on the issue than The Lox. They sat down with NYC's Hot 97 and kept it 100% real. They discussed the politics at major record labels, why Jadakiss won't release... Read more

December 27, 2013 Video

Astro Defends & Analyzes His City, Stresses The New, New York (Audio)

"If only this was '92, imagine what the hood would do." Astro makes a dense response to Trinidad Jame$' recent comments criticizing the state of Hip-Hop in New York City. The Brooklyn MC highlights the socioeconomic changes in the five boroughs, and while there's a lot of civic pride here,... Read more

November 20, 2013 Audio, Fresh

Write Of Passage: Graffiti’s True History Explored

When it comes to the elements of Hip-Hop, it seems that one element always has had more of a negative light shined on it than the others. Although graffiti was just as influential in the beginning of Hip-Hop as b-boying, DJing, and being an MC, it's taken a backseat over... Read more

October 7, 2013 Fresh, Throwback

Mack Wilds – New York: A Love Story (Full Album Stream)

Mack Wilds (aka actor Tristan Wilds from The Wire and 90210) has created an album that is both an ode to his hometown of NYC and his clear love for Hip-Hop. While Mack sings on the majority of the album, the Hip-Hop presence is ubiquitous, from the Executive Production of... Read more

September 20, 2013 Audio

Angel Haze – New York (Video)

Angel Haze made a mini-horror film as the video for her burner, New York. Check it out below. Related: My Mic Sounds Nice documentary on women in hip-hop (Video) and playlist of female MCs (Audio)... Read more

August 1, 2012 Video

Angel Haze – New York

Angel Haze went IN on this track. It's good to see a new wave of female MCs on the scene. Check out New York. Related: My Mic Sounds Nice documentary on women in hip-hop (full video) and a mix dedicated to female MCs (Audio)... Read more

June 28, 2012 Audio

DMX Performs at SOB’s (Video)

Last night was a good one for hip-hop in NYC. It marked the premiere of Schoolboy Q (as a headliner) and the return of DMX. Check out footage of DMX performing at SOB's below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfsJ_gafXxw And, if you missed it, here's some footage of Schoolboy Q's performance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgE_lLbRffI&feature=plcp&context=C3c7d661UDOEgsToPDskJgKXmHHYCeaC1T-Wy7C_Fp... Read more

February 24, 2012 Video

Statik Selektah – New York, New York ft Styles P, Saigon & Jared Evan

Here's another record from Statik Selektah's Population Control album and it's another solid track. Check out New York, New York featuring Styles P, Saigon and Jared Evan. Check it out. Population Control drops on 10/25.... Read more

October 20, 2011 Audio

Kendrick Lamar – Live at S.O.B.’s (Video)

We gave you our thoughts on the special performance Kendrick Lamar put on Wednesday night in NYC at S.O.B.'s. Now hear what Kendrick had to say about it. Here are 2 professionally-produced videos featuring highlights from the night and reflections from the man, himself. Check them out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk1yUMCfITw&feature=player_embedded http://vimeo.com/28553015... Read more

September 4, 2011 Video

Kendrick Lamar – Live From New York (Review)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LdhQyL6m74U Kendrick Lamar just BLEW UP New York's legendary SOB's venue. The crowd was as live as any crowd I've ever seen there (and I've seen a few...). I also don't recall any artist from the West Coast getting more love there than what Kendrick received tonight. The audience knew... Read more

September 1, 2011 Food for Thought

Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q in New York (Video)

There's been a lot of buzz about these cats lately, and justifiably so. They've dropped 2 very hot albums in the last month (Kendrick Lamar's Section 80 and Jay Rock's Follow Me Home) and are at the vanguard of a new West Coast movement. Here's a video showing their recent... Read more

July 28, 2011 Video