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Mother’s Day Playlist

Shout out to all the mamas out there. Here's a playlist for you. Happy Mother's Day from Ambrosia For Heads. Related: Hip-Hop & Love Playlist Mamas by Parfit on Grooveshark... Read more

We asked the AFH community who the best rap group of all time was and (not surprisingly) the response was strong and varied. Here’s a playlist featuring music from (almost) all of the groups mentioned. (Playlist)

You'll hear 32 groups including Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy, EPMD, Tha Dogg Pound, ATCQ, De La Soul, Run-D.M.C., The Beastie Boys, The Pharcyde, Jedi Mind Tricks, Mobb Deep, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Whodini, Eric B & Rakim, NWA, Black Star, Slaughterhouse and MANY MORE. You can listen to the whole thing below.... Read more

Scarface kicks off the first playlist in our new Living Legends series dedicating to celebrating Hip-Hop icons that have not received their proper shine lately. You can listen to a playlist that highlights 2 decades of Scarface music below (Playlist)

The loss of MCA was a reminder of how much love we show to fallen hip-hop legends. It's time to show some to the LIVING Legends too. We're kicking off a new series of playlists where we celebrate those hip-hop icons still with us (especially those who may not have... Read more

Old School Hip-Hop playlist featuring The Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, Whodini, Kool Moe Dee, Slick Rick, Biz Markie, The Fat Boys, LL Cool J and more (Playlist)

Why so serious? As I've listened to Licensed to Ill over the last 24 hours, it reminded me how much the subject matter of rap music has changed. Back in the day of The Beastie Boys, even the most serious rappers still had a sense of humor. In the spirit... Read more

Just Blaze – Hard Knock Life Interview (Video) + A Playlist of His Classics

The mighty Just Blaze often is overlooked in discussions about the best hip-hop producers but he has been behind the boards for classic upon classic upon classic. Hard Knock TV sat down with the legendary producer for a lengthy interview. Just talks about working with Jay Electronica, Joe Budden and... Read more

Here are 2 playlists of hip-hop from the 80’s and 90’s and the 80’s R&B originals that inspired them (Playlist)

Learning recently that Nas had been thinking about rocking over the Juicy sample on Illmatic before Biggie did it on Ready To Die reminded me how much hip-hop is built on smoothed out 80's R&B. So, this week here are 2 playlists. The first is full of smoothed out R&B... Read more

Rap music started with 2 turntables and a microphone, no doubt, but there’s something special when a dope MC’s voice combines with other instruments. Here’s a playlist of 13 songs that feature some if not all live instrumentation on the track–maybe drums, a bass line, horns or all the above (Playlist)

You'll hear music from DJ Quik, Eazy-E, Elzhi, Big KRIT, The Roots, De La Soul, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, Grand Puba, The Pharcyde and 2Pac. You can listen to the whole thing below. Sit back and experience hip-hop Live & Direct.... Read more

Here’s a back in the day playlist of 80’s hip-hop classics from Melle Mel, Rakim, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Kurtis Blow, Whodini and more (Playlist)

This back in the day playlist was inspired by hearing Nas talk about his love for 80's hip-hop legends like Melle Mel, Kurtis Blow, KRS-One, Slick Rick, Rakim and others. In addition to those MCs, you'll hear tracks from The Fat Boys, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, LL... Read more

Here are two tributes to Eazy-E to celebrate his music and life on the 17th anniversary of his passing.

Today marks the 17th anniversary of the untimely passing of Eazy-E. As has become customary for anniversaries of the passing of hip-hop legends, Mister Cee did a tribute mix that was radio-friendly. Given how "colorful" Eazy's lyrics tended to be, we decided to do a playlist of his raps that... Read more

Reflections on Trayvon Martin (Playlist) and a petition to prosecute his killer.

I've been searching for a song to capture my feelings around the senseless killing of Trayvon Martin and lack of prosecution of his killer but I haven't found one. It's probably because I have a multitude of emotions ranging from rage to sorrow to reflection. Here are some songs that... Read more

The latest installment of our Producer Series features classic cuts produced by Large Professor. Click below to listen to the playlist.

Seeing vintage footage of Large Professor at Nas' SXSW show reminded us that we had not done an installment in our Producer Series in a while and, more importantly, we had not done one featuring the music of Large Professor, one of the all-time greats. Below is a playlist of... Read more

Biggie Smalls is the illest…Here are some vintage interviews of The Notorious BIG and a playlist of some of his classic music. Check out both below.

March 9th. It's been 15 years since we lost Big. Biggie Smalls. The Notorious BIG. I've been thinking about what to do to CELEBRATE HIS LIFE on this date for quite some time. Of course I was thinking a playlist (and you can find that below), but it didn't seem... Read more

Miami (Bass) vs. Los Angeles (G-Funk) (Playlist)

5 on 5.  Miami vs. LA.  Big game today between the Lakers and Heat.  As you wait for the game (or not) here are 2 playlists featuring 5 back in the day songs each that represent the distinctive sound generated in hip-hop from each locale.  For Miami, it was the... Read more

Here’s a Valentine’s Day Playlist for Lover’s of Hip-Hop (Audio)

Like most relationships, the one between Hip-Hop & Love is complicated. Here's a playlist showing its many sides. You'll find music from Common, Mos Def, Dead Prez, The Roots, OutKast, Snoop Dogg, Murs, A Tribe Called Quest, Pharoahe Monch, Slum Village, Heavy D, Method Man, Biggie and many more. Some... Read more

J Dilla Tributes – Donuts (as performed by the Stray Phrases jazz band) + J Dilla Playlist + Big Dilla Mixtape ft Big Pun over J Dilla Beats

And, let's not forget that today was also J Dilla's birthday. Here's a triple tribute to one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time. Below you'll find an incredible live jazz band version of Donuts, our playlist of J Dilla produced tracks and a link to a project featuring... Read more

Here’s a video playlist some classic hip-hop commercials (Video)

Commercials are always a big part of Super Bowl Sunday. With that in mind, here's a video playlist of some vintage hip-hop commercials. You'll hear verses from Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Large Professor, Grand Puba, Biggie, Snoop, 2Pac, Warren G, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang, Ice Cube, EPMD, Geto Boys... Read more

J Dilla – Clap Your Hands Freestyle

Here's a previously unreleased freestyle from the great J Dilla on one of his patented tracks. Damn, I miss that KNOCK. Check out Clap Your Hands. If you need some more Dilla, check out our Dilla playlist here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KtY5L9G7mA&feature=player_embedded... Read more

Organized Noize Tells All: The Stories Behind Their Classic Records

Complex has been doing an incredible series where they interview legendary producers and have them break down their classic songs track for track. In the past, they've done DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Diamond D and others. The latest is Organized Noize, the production team behind some of best joints by... Read more

Super Soul Sunday (Playlist)

Having withdrawal from the NFL playoffs? Here's a Super Soul Sunday playlist to ease the pain. If names like Roy Ayers, Earth, Wind & Fire, Herbie Hancock, George Benson, The Brothers Johnson and Stevie Wonder mean anything to you or you just like good, soulful music, this one's for you.... Read more

Here’s an MLK day playlist featuring music from Common, Talib Kweli, Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T., Nas and more (Playlist)

Happy MLK day. MUCH has changed since the 60's when Dr. King led a peaceful revolution for justice and equality, but the beautiful struggle continues. We are in complex times. The nation has a black president, a reality that likely would not have materialized had it not been for the... Read more

Bring That Funk Back (Playlist)

Here's an old school playlist of songs from the 70's and 80's that influenced a lot of the funk in hip-hip.  If you like music from Dr. Dre, DJ Quik, Erick Sermon or just appreciate some of that rich back in the day goodness, this one's for you.  You'll find... Read more

Terrace Martin – Thoughts From Detention ft Yung Shep (Video)

Terrace Martin drops some more of that new West Coast heat on Thoughts from Detention featuring Yung Shep. Check out the video. You can also check out our playlist of the evolution of the West Coast sound from Ice-T to Kendrick Lamar here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l735zqqB9s&feature=player_embedded... Read more

Cinematic Soul Playlist

Hip-hop has long been influenced by the cinematic soul of the 70's. Whether you're a fan of Big K.R.I.T. or Biz Markie, UGK or Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre or Just Blaze...you can hear the influence of music from films like Shaft, Super Fly, The Mack, The Payback. Here's a playlist... Read more

Was there ever any question that Def Jam Recordings would be the #1 most important hip-hop record label of all time??? Here’s a 30-song playlist of music from some of the legendary Def Jam artists: LL, Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys, Redman, Method Man and more.

Before record labels were considered “the enemy” their brands actually meant something. Artists dreamed of being on the same label as the MCs they grew up idolizing and some labels had such credibility fans would buy the record just because it was on that label. We decided to look at... Read more

Death Row Records was the most feared record label in the music industry. They are the 2nd most important hip-hop record label of all time. For the full scoop on Death Row and a video playlist of its classics, click here.

#2 Death Row Records The history of Death Row Records reads like a season of The Sopranos. Suge Knight was the Godfather figure who rose to power as quickly as anyone ever in entertainment, and he ruled with an iron fist once he got to the top. The label was... Read more

Bad Boy Records made the East Coast relevant again in rap music, making it the 3rd most important hip-hop record label in history.

#3 Bad Boy Records While East Coast Rap music was never dead, there is no question that from mid-1992 to mid-1994 commercial hip-hop was dominated by the West Coast, primarily by Death Row Records. It was not until Sean "Diddy" Combs was fired from Uptown Records and decided to launch... Read more

Sugar Hill Records introduced hip-hop to most of the world. Nuff said. They are the 4th most important hip-hop record label of all time.

#4 Sugar Hill Records Much has been written about the allegedly shady past of Sugar Hill Records and the lack of credibility of the Sugar Hill Gang (many of Big Bank Hank's rhymes were actually bitten from Grandmaster Caz). Regardless, it cannot be denied that most people had never even... Read more

Tommy Boy kicks off the Top 5 as the 5th most important hip-hop record label of all time.

#5 Tommy Boy Records More than any other hip-hop record label on this countdown, Tommy Boy Records is noteworthy not for impressive stats or significant accomplishments of individual artists, but for the overall breadth and impact of its entire catalog. For more than 20 years, the label released hip-hop records... Read more

Hip-Hop may never have been anything more than a fad without Profile Records, the 6th most important hip-hop record label of all time.

#6 Profile Records Founded in 1981 by Steve Plotnicki and Cory Robbins, Profile Records was the first label to establish hip-hop with the mainstream as an enduring genre. There had been some hit singles, previously, but Profile was the first record label to have a rap album certified gold (500,000+... Read more

Ruthless Records re-defined the boundaries of rap music, making them the 7th most important hip-hop record label of all time. Click here to read more about Ruthless and to hear a playlist of some of its key artists: NWA, Eazy-E, The D.O.C., Bone Thugs N Harmony and more.

#7 Ruthless Records Ruthless Records, founded by Eric "Eazy-E" Wright and Jerry Heller, in 1987 re-defined rap music in several ways. The label was the first to put the West Coast on the map as a force to be respected in hip-hop. Before Ruthless, there were outliers like Ice-T, but... Read more

Cash Money Records comes in as the 8th most important hip-hop record label of all time. It’s getting serious.

#8 Cash Money Records As we discussed in our entries about #16 Rap-A-Lot Records and #12 No Limit Records, the South currently runs hip-hop (and has for at least the last 5 years) and Cash Money is by far the most successful hip-hop record label to come out of the... Read more

Roc-A-Fella Records is the 9th most important hip-hop record label of all time, and not just because of arguably the greatest rapper of all time…

...though he is a big part of it. #8 Roc-A-Fella Records EVERYONE knows that Roc-A-Fella records was the home to Jay-Z. He, along with his partners Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, founded the label back in1996 and Jay-Z repped the label as hard as any artist ever has represented... Read more

Aftermath Entertainment kicks off the Top 10 as the 10th most important hip-hop record label of all time.

#10 Aftermath Entertainment In 1996, Dr. Dre was wounded from his departure from Death Row Records. He had virtually given up everything (ownership of his masters, future revenues and equity interest) to extricate himself from the madness that had swallowed up Death Row, not the least of which was the... Read more

Rap-A-Lot Records was the 17th most important hip-hop record label. Also holding down the South at #12 is…

#12 No Limit Records While Rap-A-Lot was the first major label to rise from the South, No Limit Records was the record label that put the "Dirty Dirty" on the MAP. No Limit established the South as a stronghold for hip-hop that many might argue has never been relinquished. Despite... Read more

The 14th most important hip-hop record label of all time might be the most controversial on the list…

...but not because they didn't put out dope music. #14 Uptown Records Uptown Records did not make its mark with rap music, though it was founded by former rapper Andre Harrell (one half of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) and was home to some significant rappers. Uptown Records was extremely... Read more

Arguably the most acclaimed artist in hip-hop was on the 15th most important hip-hop record label of all time.

#15 Ruffhouse Records Ruffhouse Records is another one of those record labels where few outside the music industry knew the label, but EVERYBODY knew its artists. Ruffhouse was founded in 1989 by Chris Schwartz and Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo who got his nickname due to his skills at chopping up... Read more

The Dirty South began playing a major role in rap music long before No Limit and Cash Money. The #16 most important record label in hip-hop music is Rap-A-Lot Records. Check out a playlist of their key artists below.,

#16 Rap-A-Lot Records Not from Houston but I Rap-A-Lot...Long before Cash Money and long before No Limit, Rap-A-Lot records was the voice of hip-hop in the South. Founded by J Prince in 1986, the label put Houston on the map. That was no small feat given that rap music was... Read more

Rawkus and Loud were the 20th and 19th most important hip-hop record labels, respectively. Numbers 18 and 17 are…

Select Records and Fresh Records How can Select Records and Fresh Records be ahead of Rawkus AND Loud??? 2 words: historical context. Without a doubt, both Rawkus and Loud released records by some of the greatest MCs to ever bless the mic, but each of those record labels was building... Read more

The 19th most important hip-hop record label of all time is…

#19 Loud Records Steve Rifkin may not be a household name like Suge Knight, Sean "Puffy" Combs or Baby aka The Birdman, but his impact on hip-hop is enduring just the same. In the 90's, his Loud Records put out some of the grimiest hip-hop that had ever been heard.... Read more

The Roots – The Undun Videos (Parts 1-4)

Over the last few weeks, The Roots have been dropping videos as a lead up to the release of their album, undun, on December 6. This week, they've released Sleep, which is part 4 of 4 videos. Like the album, the videos tell the story of Redford Stephens, a fictional... Read more

RIP to the Overweight Lover Heavy D. He was Hip-Hop’s original BIG man. Here’s a tribute playlist featuring some of his many hits.

We wish you a peaceful journey. Also, here was his incredible performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards just last month.... Read more