okayplayer ArchivesAmbrosia For Heads

Former Cop Jason Van Dyke Sentenced To Prison For The Killing Of Laquan McDonald

Late in the evening of October 20, 2014, 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was fatally shot by police officer Jason Van Dyke in Chicago, Illinois. According to reports, McDonald was seen behaving unpredictably while walking and reportedly carrying a knife. In the events that ensued, Van Dyke shot McDonald 16 times, emptying... Read more

January 20, 2019 News

J. Period Celebrates 35 Years Of Hip-Hop Soundtracks With A Mega Playlist (Audio)

Hip-Hop Heads can count on DJ and producer J. Period to curate consistently inventive and entertaining playlists devoted to all aspects of the culture, beyond just the music. From his work on the Hamilton mixtape, which bridged the worlds of Rap and Broadway, to his legacy playlists celebrating the musical footprints of... Read more

June 18, 2017 Audio

Questlove’s Trip to a Prince Concert Went from Near Disaster to Epic Win (Video)

For most of us, being able to see the one and only Prince live in concert will likely never happen. Even less likely is being able to hit the show on a first date. For Questlove, it's a bit less far-fetched of a possibility, and in a wonderfully creative animated... Read more

January 20, 2016 Video

A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory vs. The Roots’ Things Fall Apart. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

November 9, 2015 Finding the GOAT

Take a Long Walk Down Memory Lane With Jill Scott as she Revisits Her Debut Album

Earlier this month, the Hip-Hop infused Neo-Soul songstress Jill Scott celebrated the 15th anniversary of her debut album, 2000's Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1. With it, she answered her own question, and the album's platinum-selling status suggested that few were left unfamiliar with her name. She... Read more

July 22, 2015 Throwback

Common & J Dilla’s The Light Was Part Of The Love Movement. Get The Backstory (Video)

Common's career took a tremendous turn on 2000's Like Water For Chocolate. At the perceived pinnacle of the Okay Player artist movement, Common and MCA Records made what is rarely considered the MC's best album, but may very well be his most important. Transitioning from the critical acclaim of 1997's... Read more

September 18, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Erykah Badu Traced Her DNA to Determine Her Ancestry. Here’s What She Found (Video)

Erykah Badu took a DNA test to get a better sense of her full ancestry. OkayPlayer accompanied her on her journey and it yielded some fascinating results. Not only did Ms. Badu come away with a deeper understanding of her roots, she also learned that some of the things that... Read more

May 21, 2014 Video

Pharoahe Monch Answers “The Questions” (Video)

Pharoahe Monch sat down (actually stood up) with OkayPlayer to answer their rapid-fire series of lighthearted questions. Pharoahe spoke on his favorite Cosby character, the jazz musician that influenced his cadence, which woman he would like to see act out part of the chorus of Simon Says...and more. Check out... Read more

September 4, 2013 Video

Ice Cube Interview with OkayPlayer (Video)

Ice Cube sat down with OkayPlayer and talked to them about his (resolved) beef with Common, whether he will do another Friday or Barbershop, the origin of It Was a Good Day and more. Check out the video. Related: Ice Cube Performs It Was a Good Day with The Roots... Read more

July 3, 2013 Video

Kanye West Tops the Billboard Album Chart for the 6th Time

As expected, Kanye West took the sales crown for last week's hip-hop super tuesday, moving nearly 329K units of Yeezus (followed by J. Cole's nearly 298K units). The conversation about the album continues though. Here are 2 articles that perfectly reflect the debate. The first is a hilarious and deceptively... Read more

June 25, 2013 Food for Thought

Rakim interview with OkayPlayer and performance in NYC at Joe’s Pub (Video)

Here's a dope interview of Rakim by OkayPlayer. It also features footage of him performing with The Roots. You can check out the interview and footage of Rakim performing recently in NYC at Joe's Pub below. Related: Playlist celebrating the music of Rakim (Audio)... Read more

June 29, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

De La Soul interview with OkayPlayer at The Roots Picnic 2012 (Video)

De La Soul. From the soul. Here's a cool interview of Plug 1 and Plug 2 courtesy of OkayPlayer. It features some high-quality footage of De La's performance at this year's Roots Picnic as well as Posdnous and Trugoy discussing working on a new album. Check out the video below.... Read more

June 25, 2012 Video

Here’s a dope mixtape of some of Common’s best tracks from over the years.

Ready for Common's The Dreamer, The Believer to drop? Until then, here's a new mixtape that was done by DJ Soul & OkayPlayer which features some as Common best joints (solo and features). You'll hear his classics (like I Used to Love H.E.R. and Resurrection), ill features (like The Bizness... Read more

November 9, 2011 Audio, Mixes

We’ve posted a lot about Black Milk’s music in the past. Now check out this great video from OkayPlayer to learn more about the man behind the music.

http://vimeo.com/18108330 Click here for more on Black Milk.... Read more

December 29, 2010 Video

If you haven't heard the new Roots album yet, check out this sneak preview sampler. Props to OkayPlayer for always keeping it fresh.

I've posted quite a bit from and about this album over the last couple of weeks. Now that I've heard the full album, I feel fully justified. It's an instant classic for any Roots fan or lover of good hip-hop. The full album drops Tuesday, 6/22. In the meantime, check... Read more

June 18, 2010 Audio

Doin' It Again – The Roots ft. John Legend

Is Black Thought the most underrated MC ever? Did the fact that The Roots are a live band and ?estlove’s presence take attention away from the fact that he consistently spits fire? This track will only help Tariq’s case.... Read more

June 13, 2010 Audio