pharoahe monch ArchivesAmbrosia For Heads

Black Thought’s Streams Of Thought Vol. 4 Is Done & Packed With All-Stars

On Friday (April 14), Black Thought released his sixth solo project in the last five years. Since 2018, a time when The Roots have not been dropping albums, the co-founder of The Roots has enhanced his solo career with his first-ever projects of this kind. Thought launched the Streams Of... Read more

April 16, 2023 News

Many Of Hip-Hop’s Greatest Rappers Name Their Top 5 MCs

Note: Jadakiss recently appeared on ESPN’s Jalen & Jacoby podcast and was asked who his top 5 Hip-Hop groups of all-time were. This article has been updated below with his response, as well as The Game’s top 5 LA Rap albums. A few days ago, during a podcast appearance, Ice... Read more

July 12, 2022 Video

Hear New Music From Busta, De La, Pharoahe & More Courtesy Of Khrysis

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

April 23, 2021 Audio

Pharoahe Monch Explains The Hidden Meanings In His New Album

Three weeks ago (January 22), Pharoahe Monch released his first album in nearly seven years. The Queens, New York veteran MC/producer partnered with esteemed guitarist Marcus Machado and Grammy-winning drummer Daru Jones as Th1rt3en. The band, involving two overlapping musicians from Pete Rock's The Soul Brothers collective, has been releasing... Read more

February 13, 2021 Audio, Exclusive, Video

Pharoahe Monch Delivers The Long-Awaited Album Alongside His Band Th1rt3en

In the last week, 2021's Hip-Hop release calendar got an exciting jump-start. Pharoahe Monch treated fans with his first album in more than six-and-a-half years. Since that time, the Queens, New York lyricist and producer had described a dark, Hard Rock-influenced album. In 2021, that presumed material surfaced alongside Monch's... Read more

January 28, 2021 Audio, Fresh

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2019 (Battle 7): Little Brother vs. Diamond D

Over the last couple of years, Ambrosia For Heads has asked our readers to help us determine the Best Rap Album for 2017 and 2018, respectively. In looking at the top music of 2019, we believe that instead of letting the Grammy Awards—a committee who does not know anything about... Read more

January 15, 2020 Best Albums Of 2019

Nas & Pharoahe Monch’s 1st Collabo Unites 2 Hip-Hop Kings From Queens (Audio)

Nas and Pharoahe Monch each grew up in Queens, New York. While Nasir reps Queensbridge, Pharoahe hails from another section, South Jamaica. Both MCs made impact in 1991. The same year that Monch's crew, Organized Konfusion, released its self-titled debut, Nas famously appeared on Main Source's "Live At The Barbeque."... Read more

November 15, 2019 Audio

DJ Shadow’s Next LP Features Ghostface, Raekwon, Plus A Nas & Pharoahe Monch Collab

In July, veteran producer and mixmaster DJ Shadow released a collaboration with De La Soul. The Davis, California native who was part of the Solesides/Quannum Projects family released "Rocket Fuel" prompting fans to assume that a new album was on the way. Now, Heads learn that it's going to be... Read more

September 20, 2019 Fresh

Pharoahe Monch’s Song Brings Wordplay Back On A Whole New Level (Lyric Video)

Pharoahe Monch is one of Hip-Hop's supreme lyricists, and has been so for more than 25 years. The Queens, New Yorker's wordplay includes metaphors, similes, alliteration, assonance, and many of the other parts of speech that many are taught about in English/Reading class. Even living with asthma, the Organized Konfusion... Read more

September 13, 2019 Audio, Video

Masta Ace & Pharoahe Monch Battle In A Fight For Life (Video)

Masta Ace, the low-key overachiever, a stoic influence on the likes of Eminem, has been able to endure different eras without sacrificing style or flouting a fan-base determined to mature alongside his work, project by project, decade by decade. Earlier in the year, Ace followed up an emotionally charged "Tiny... Read more

May 1, 2019 Exclusive, Video

Pharoahe Monch Just Released A New Song & It’s Pure Crack (Video)

Pharoahe Monch may have just released the most exciting new song in the first week of 2019. Last year, the esteemed lyricist partnered with M.O.P's Lil Fame for the menacing a la carte video single, "24 Hours." The Queens, New Yorker also made standout appearances on Masta Ace & Marco... Read more

January 4, 2019 Exclusive, Video

Masta Ace Opens Up About His Battle With MS & How He Fights Back

This month, Masta Ace and longtime collaborating producer Marco Polo released A Breukelen Story. The Fat Beats LP, embedded below, examines the New York City borough that Ace (a Brownsville native) and Marco Polo (a Fort Greene resident) hold so dear. This week, Ambrosia For Heads’ founder Reggie Williams visited... Read more

November 29, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Masta Ace Is A Hip-Hop King. He Raps Royally On A Marco Polo Track (Video Premiere)

With 30-plus years of being one of Rap's most consistent (and profoundly influential) lyricists in the game, Masta Ace teamed up with longtime collaborating producer Marco Polo to pay homage to the borough of Brooklyn. They did this by collectively constructing a full-length body of work that is conceptual, cohesive,... Read more

November 12, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Pharoahe Monch & Lil Fame Team Up To Make A Record Executive Pay (Video)

Pharoahe Monch is wrapping up 2018 in a big way, and just in time to celebrate his birthday (October 31). This past September, Pharoahe Monch sat down with Take It Personal Radio for a tribute episode dedicated to the Queens MC in which he revealed the release of his latest... Read more

October 31, 2018 Video

Pharoahe Monch Refuses To Be Boxed In. He Makes Soul-Jazz With Marcus Strickland (Audio)

Pharoahe Monch has been busy lately. Ambrosia For Heads recently caught up with the Queens MC last month during J. Period's "live mixtape" show that Monch did with a slew of Hip-Hop legends, including Rakim, Black Thought, Dres, and others. He's also wrapping up a new solo LP he describes... Read more

October 26, 2018 Audio

ONYX Rates The Bars. Sticky Fingaz & Fredro Starr Slam A Few Peers (Video)

The group ONYX is known for its no-nonsense persona. Sticky Fingaz and Fredro Starr have built 25-plus-year careers off of confrontational music and attitudes to match. The crosstown Queens and Brooklyn cousins are the perfect guests for Rate The Bars. Whether you agree with them or not, these MCs aren't... Read more

October 8, 2018 Video

Pharoahe Monch Discusses Early Hip-Hop Experiences & Why He Still Loves H.E.R. (Video)

Last week, respected DJ/producer J. Period orchestrated a "live mixtape" Hip-Hop event featuring Rap performances by Rakim, Black Thought, and Pharoahe Monch. Surprise guest performers included Smif-n-Wessun, Dres and Chi-Ali, Eric B., as well as Mumu Fresh. Yasiin Bey appeared on stage, but did not perform. In addition to rapping and... Read more

September 18, 2018 Exclusive, Interview, Video

Pharoahe Monch Details His Upcoming Album. He Vows It’s His Hardest To Date (Audio)

Pharoahe Monch has not released an album in almost five years. The Queens, New York MC/producer boasts a consistent catalog, whether solo or his three albums with Prince Po in Organized Konfusion. 2014's P.T.S.D. was a critically celebrated release that examined the stresses (and stressors) of the world and in... Read more

September 12, 2018 Audio, News

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

Pharoahe Monch Bodies An Official Wu-Tang Clan Remix With Sean Price & Tek (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let AFH 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 go back... Read more

August 10, 2018 Audio

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

M.O.P.’s Lil Fame Releases His First Solo Video & Billy Danze Is Still By His Side

Lil Fame and Billy Danze have endured many eras of Hip-Hop while consistently giving audiences that hardcore Rap that they entered with during the mid-1990s. While the Mash Out Possé has made songs that brought Brownsville Brooklyn attitudes and antics into the mainstream, the two artists have never done solo... Read more

April 3, 2018 Video

Skyzoo & Joell Ortiz Reunite For A Collabo That Is Brooklyn To The Bone (Audio)

ChanHays is a producer from Halifax, Nova Scotia and someone who likes to feature spitters on his high tech, boom-bap instrumentals. At the end of last year, he dropped his debut project, Here, which touted some legendary MCs. Everyone from Ras Kass and Pharoahe Monch to Elzhi, Masta Ace, and... Read more

March 28, 2018 Audio, Fresh

Saukrates, Pharoahe Monch & Shad Show Why They Are MCs Who Stand The Test Of Time (Audio)

JUNE 25 UPDATE: An official lyric video for "Father Time (2018 Version)" has been created: ORIGINAL MARCH 15 STORY: Last summer Saukrates re-released his 1999 album The Underground Tapes, making it available in digital formats for the first time, while delivering some new remixes and updated versions of those old... Read more

March 15, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

The Kennedy Center Put Q-Tip In Charge Of Hip-Hop Culture & He Built A Dream Team To Help

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. has announced the inauguration of its Hip Hop Culture Council, and the names are nothing short of heavyweights. According to the center's Medium page, the council is comprised of Hip Hop luminaries from across various elements of the culture.... Read more

March 6, 2018 News

Pharoahe Monch, Apathy & Pete Rock Keep On Repping Boom Bap Hip-Hop (Audio)

In the name of balance, Apathy took a more traditional Hip-Hop approach on “I Keep On,” the second single off his forthcoming LP, The Widow’s Son (March 2). Keeping in line with the precedent he set with the first single, “Alien Weaponry,” Ap’ called on another legendary producer, Pete Rock,... Read more

February 2, 2018 Audio

Mickey Factz & Royce 5’9 Serve Lyrics That Make Other MCs Say Their Prayers (Audio Premiere)

In 2016, Mickey Factz dropped The Achievement: circa '82, a collaborative album produced entirely by Nottz and featuring Styles P, Phonte, Blu, Smoke DZA and more. "The Sermon" didn't make it to the Soulspazm/W.A.R.Media project's final track listing, but the Bronx-bred rapper is releasing a deluxe edition of the album... Read more

January 18, 2018 Audio

Apathy Battles Aliens With Battlestar Bars On A Nottz Beat (Audio Premiere)

It doesn’t matter what planet you’re from, no one is safe from Apathy in “Alien Weaponry.” The first single off his forthcoming LP, The Widow’s Son is produced by Nottz, and the beat is just bizarre enough to take the edge of Ap’s sharp tongue. This track nods to the... Read more

January 18, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

Black Thought, Posdnuos & Pharoahe Monch Say It’s Time To Rise For Freedom (Audio)

In an increasingly complicated time in the world, The Roots' Black Thought, De La Soul's Posdnuos, and Pharoahe Monch stand up for oppressed people with a truly standout, topical collaboration. Orchestrated and produced by J. Period, "Rise Up!" is as grabbing a collaboration as any in some time. In the... Read more

April 18, 2017 Audio

Can You Spot DOOM In This Graffiti-Inspired Company Flow Video?

El-P joined forces with Killer Mike to produce his album R.A.P. Music in 2012, officially forming their group Run The Jewels the following year. They have since released three studio albums, rocked a few late night talk shows, made some bold political statements, toured extensively, inspired some amazing graffiti, landed... Read more

December 29, 2016 Do Remember

Yasiin Bey Rocks The Apollo Theater With Some Help From Slick Rick & Pharoahe Monch (Video)

For months, Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) has said that 2016 would be his last year making music. Whether or not Bey sticks to his declaration, he is ending the year on an incredibly high note. This month, has brought news that Bey has 3 completed albums he... Read more

December 22, 2016 Video

15 Years Ago, Nate Dogg & Pharoahe Monch Made a Pledge To The Funk (Audio)

Nearly 16 years ago to the date, Rawkus Records dropped Lyricist Lounge 2, a compilation album featuring - among others - the Notorious B.I.G., Big L, Guru, Q-Tip, and Royce 5'9"; not to mention production from J Dilla, DJ Premier, Madlib, Hi-Tek, and so on and so forth. But the... Read more

December 1, 2016 Do Remember

Daveed Diggs, Pharoahe Monch & A Group Of Remarkable Talents Elevate Broadway Through Hip-Hop (Video)

Hamilton breakout star has been doing his thing since before becoming a Grammy- and Tony-winning stage actor. The Berkeley, California native is a founding member of experimental Hip-Hop troupe clipping., who just released Splendor & Misery. He's a celebrated lyricist in his own right, a talent Lin-Manuel Miranda recognized as... Read more

November 14, 2016 Video

Pharoahe Monch & O.C. Are A Nightmare For Lesser MCs (Video)

In 1991, upon the release of Organized Konfusion's self-titled debut, Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po not only laid a strong foundation for themselves, they brought along close affiliate O.C. along for hit single "Fudge Pudge." By the time O.K. geared up for their '94 follow-up, O.C. (who spent part of... Read more

November 14, 2016 Video

25 Years Ago, Organized Konfusion Opened Our Eyes To What’s Really Going On (Audio)

During the final week of October in 1991, two MCs and producers bubbling with analytical perspectives and bursting with Hip-Hop creativity emerged as Organized Konfusion on their eponymous debut LP. Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po delivered one of the most distinctive debuts in Rap history, proving that lyrical dexterity and... Read more

October 27, 2016 Do Remember

Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap & More Takeover The Roots Picnic New York (Video)

This past weekend, The Roots held the first ever New York version of their annual picnic. Pulling out all the stops, they expanded the traditionally one day festival into two days, and built a star-studded lineup. Participating acts included Wu-Tang Clan, D'Angelo, David Byrne, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Swizz Beatz, EPMD,... Read more

October 3, 2016 Video

The Symphony 2016 ft Kane, G Rap, Royce, Monch, Black Thought, Freeway & More (Video)

This weekend, The Roots hosted their first ever Roots Picnic in New York City. Held in Bryant Park, near Times Square, the two-day affair billed D'Angelo, Wu-Tang Clan, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Swizz Beatz, EPMD, John Mayer, David Byrne, The Jungle Brothers and many more. There were also a number of... Read more

October 2, 2016 Video

Pharoahe Monch, J.Period & More Will Help Open Historic New Museum

This weekend, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture located in Washington, D.C., will open its doors to the public, making it the first institution of its kind in the United States. As part of its grand opening celebration, some of Hip-Hop's most beloved artists will join... Read more

September 23, 2016 News

Hip-Hop Took The Gold In August. Hear The Best Of The Month (Audio)

August was filled with the Olympics and some of the worst heat of the year, but it also brought some great Hip-Hop. De La Soul released their first album in 12 years, and it debuted at #1 on the Rap chart. Andre 3000 had some choice words for ghostwriters. Nas... Read more

September 10, 2016 Audio

Black Thought, Pharoahe Monch & Chuck D Revisit Biggie’s ‘Who Shot Ya’ in Living Colour (Audio)

Musical hybrids through-and-through, Living Colour's sound is nearly impossible to describe in one genre. A full-fledged Rock band, the New York City-based outfit also heavily borrows from the sounds of Heavy Metal, Jazz, Funk, and certainly Hip-Hop. On September 9, the longtime group whose discography stretches back over 25 years... Read more

August 18, 2016 Audio

Pharoahe Monch, A-F-R-O & Marco Polo Swarm Like Some Killer Bees (Video)

In the new video for "Swarm," MCs A-F-R-O and Pharoahe Monch are joined by producer Marco Polo on a murderous rampage, cutting down zombies left and right. It's a fitting metaphor for the lyrical arsenal the two rappers are able to unleash on any challenger who dares cross their paths.... Read more

August 3, 2016 Video

Imagine If Jimi Hendrix & Prince Had A Guitar Prodigy Son. Meet Marcus Machado (Audio & Video)

In the life of every music lover there comes a time when a live performance reminds us of the purest form of power in talent - to reinvigorate, re-inspire, and rekindle that spark which made us fall in love with music in the first place. When coming across an artist... Read more

February 24, 2016 Food for Thought

Pharoahe Monch Speaks About His New Album, J Dilla & 25 Years of Organized Konfusion (Interview)

Pharoahe Monch is - without an iota of doubt - one of music's most indelibly unique voices. Sonically and technically there is no other like him, and yet his influence lives within countless MCs who've come after him. As a solo artist he continues to excite fans with his boomerang... Read more

February 2, 2016 Food for Thought

Listen To The Best Hip-Hop Of December 2015 In One Playlist (Audio)

The number of Hip-Hop releases in December slowed, but the quality did not. In fact, it was one of the densest months of the year in terms of audio dope. Here's a playlist of the best the month had to offer. You'll hear music from PRhyme (DJ Premier & Royce... Read more

January 4, 2016 Audio

Killer Mike & Big Boi Are Helping Bring Hip-Hop’s First Amendment Rights to the Supreme Court (Audio)

On Monday (December 21), the Supreme Court received a plea for justice involving a Mississippi high-school student who in 2011 faced charges relating to an alleged threat he made against another, a threat law enforcement argued he delivered in the form of Rap lyrics. Taylor Bell was a senior when... Read more

December 22, 2015 Lifestyle

Pharoahe Monch’s Pharmacy Freestyle Shows Why He’s One Of Dr. Dre’s Favorite MCs (Audio)

Pharoahe Monch and Dr. Dre have never released music together. The Organized Konfusion MC and the N.W.A. producer nearly aligned when Monch was reportedly courted by Eminem and Shady Records, which would have placed the Rawkus hit-maker in the Shady-Aftermath-G-Unit umbrella. That did not happen. But like Dre, the Queens,... Read more

December 14, 2015 Audio

Duck Down Artists Old & New Celebrate By Performing The Hits, For 3 Hours (Video)

How many labels in Hip-Hop can get all of their artists over the last 20 years back together on stage? Duck Down Music (a/k/a Duck Down Records) celebrated its 20th anniversary this month. On B.B. Kings' Manhattan stage, founders Dru Ha and Buckshot Shorty celebrated this massive milestone accomplishment with a... Read more

December 11, 2015 Video

Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch & Last Emperor Freestyle In A Found 2001 Moment (Audio)

In 2001, things were taking off for Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch. As part of the Rawkus Records movement, these 1990s alums were paving the way for solo careers following extensive group success with the likes of Organized Konfusion, Black Star, and Reflection Eternal. Presumably doing the Hip Hop For... Read more

December 10, 2015 Throwback

Royce Da 5’9″, Pharoahe Monch & D12’s Denaun Demolish a Track With Bars That Cook (Video)

Fans are often told to stand up for Hip-Hop, but it's increasingly rare that songs are of a quality that leave the listener with no choice but to rise from the seat in a salutation to what is emanating from the speaker. Denaun Porter's aptly-titled "Cooking" is one such track.... Read more

November 12, 2015 Video

Talib Kweli Says INDIE 500 Would Not Exist Without the Native Tongues

Talib Kweli has expanded his writing portfolio in recent years, taking to the web to publish thoughtful pieces on current events, particularly as they relate to things like culture, racism, and politics. In the past, he has written on topics ranging from fans' treatment of Lauryn Hill to the recent... Read more

November 9, 2015 Fresh