AFH Ambrosia for Heads

Archives

Here’s A 20-Year Celebration Of Tupac’s All Eyez On Me Through Its Samples (Video)

Here’s A 20-Year Celebration Of Tupac’s All Eyez On Me Through Its Samples (Video)

Earlier this year (February 13), Tupac's magnum opus, All Eyez On Me, turned 20-years old. The LP was historic, as Rap's first double album, and it embodied all sides of the enigmatic Tupac that made him beloved to many. There were political statements ("Only God Can Judge Me"), odes to... Read more
May 14, 2016 Video
K-Def Takes His Rhythm Roulette Experiment To An Early ’90s-Sounding Paradise (Video)

K-Def Takes His Rhythm Roulette Experiment To An Early ’90s-Sounding Paradise (Video)

K-Def has been making great Hip-Hop music for 25 years and counting. The New Jersey native just released two albums in The Way It Was and The Unpredictable Gemini. With lots to promote, the Redefinition Records honcho is the latest participant in Mass Appeal's Rhythm Roulette. Hitting up Jersey City's... Read more
February 24, 2016 Video
Imagine If The CREAM Sample Wu-Tang Used Went to KRS Instead. It Almost Happened… (Audio)

Imagine If The CREAM Sample Wu-Tang Used Went to KRS Instead. It Almost Happened… (Audio)

K-Def is one accomplished producer. The New Jersey native is known for his extensive discography, which includes work with Lords Of The Underground, UGK, and Puff Daddy. The onetime protege of Marley Marl, K-Def has maintained a career in music for nearly 25 years. In 1993, Def was hard at... Read more
February 2, 2016 Throwback
This Gritty Mix Showcases RZA’s Deep Crates & The Wu-Tang Samples

This Gritty Mix Showcases RZA’s Deep Crates & The Wu-Tang Samples

RZA is one of Hip-Hop's most celebrated producers. The Wu-Tang Clan Abbot not only gave his own clan a distinct set of sounds since the early 1990s, he provided dusty textures for The Notorious B.I.G., Cypress Hill, and AZ, among others. Grand Finale amassed a collection of RZA-produced tracks for... Read more
January 17, 2016 Mixes
This Feel-Good Lord Finesse Mix Is The Cure For The Post-Holiday Hangover

This Feel-Good Lord Finesse Mix Is The Cure For The Post-Holiday Hangover

Let's face it, the first Monday of the new year can often be a drag. For many, this means (fully) back to work, often some challenging weather, and a long haul to the next reason to celebrate. The all knowing Lord Finesse seems to have forecast such a feeling. The... Read more
January 4, 2016 Mixes
This Brand Nubian “One For All” Tribute Is An Audio All-In-One (Mix)

This Brand Nubian “One For All” Tribute Is An Audio All-In-One (Mix)

Last week, Brand Nubian's celebrated debut album, One For All, reached its 25th birthday. The breakthrough album by Sadat X, Lord Jamar, Grand Puba, and DJ Alamo not only carries the distinction of being a "5 Mic" Source album, but a definitive body of work for New Rochelle, New York,... Read more
December 7, 2015 Mixes, Throwback
Here’s A DJ Neil Armstrong Mix Of Originals Sampled in Many Of Hip-Hop’s Biggest Classics (Audio)

Here’s A DJ Neil Armstrong Mix Of Originals Sampled in Many Of Hip-Hop’s Biggest Classics (Audio)

Sample mixes are a funny thing in Hip-Hop. In the 1970s park jams, DJs favored records that evoked a feeling in the crowd. Whether dancing, breakin', or simply signaling good times, these records became mainstays in the emerging culture. By the late 1980s, many of these same records were revisited,... Read more
December 5, 2015 Mixes, Throwback
Organized Noize Show Just How They Made That Outkast & Goodie Mob Magic on Rhythm Roulette (Video)

Organized Noize Show Just How They Made That Outkast & Goodie Mob Magic on Rhythm Roulette (Video)

From Outkast to Goodie Mob to Future, Organized Noize have been essential creators to the last 25 years of Hip-Hop. The Atlanta, Georgia-based trio of Sleepy Brown, Ray Murray, and Rico Wade are stellar samplers, as well as amazing musicians. So the latest guests to play Mass Appeal's Rhythm Roulette... Read more
October 29, 2015 Video
DJ Premier Recreates Gang Starr’s “Who’s Gonna Take The Weight”…On The Spot (Video)

DJ Premier Recreates Gang Starr’s “Who’s Gonna Take The Weight”…On The Spot (Video)

Earlier this month, DJ Premier joined Royce Da 5'9" and Adrian Younge for the first concert with all three PRhyme members. The October 13 Gramercy Theatre event also marked PRhyme's first public New York City show. AFH was in the building to catch the historic moment, which also included Younge's... Read more
October 27, 2015 Exclusive, Video
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper vs. Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique. Which is Better?

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper vs. Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique. 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
September 22, 2015 Finding the GOAT
Bob James May Love Hip-Hop, But He Calls Foul On Madlib’s Sampling

Bob James May Love Hip-Hop, But He Calls Foul On Madlib’s Sampling

Who can deny that sampling has become a fundamental element that has put numerous Hip-Hop classics on the map? Since the very earliest days of Hip-Hop music, sampling has been integral. With it have often come lawsuits, allegations of copyright infringement, and a series of settlements. Recently (April 10, 2015)... Read more
May 8, 2015 News
RZA Has Some Controversial Views On Sample Lawsuits In 2015. Do You Agree?

RZA Has Some Controversial Views On Sample Lawsuits In 2015. Do You Agree?

Since even before 1993's Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), RZA has been a producer who liked to sample. From Janet Jackson to Al Green, Mary Poppins to The Electric Prunes, The Abbott's crates go deep, and unpredictable. However, after nearly 25 years of writing and composing music sold at retail,... Read more
March 22, 2015 News
Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise Is #1 On The Charts. The Samples Played A Role (Mix)

Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise Is #1 On The Charts. The Samples Played A Role (Mix)

More than five years in the making, Big Sean grabbed #1 album honors this past week with his third studio LP, Dark Sky Paradise. The G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Records star is bidding for a permanent place at Rap's upper echelon, and this album—boasting production from Kanye West, DJ Mustard, Mike... Read more
March 9, 2015 Audio
Everybody Loves The Sunshine Of Summer, Which Is Perfect For A Dope Soul Sample-Source Mix (Mixtape)

Everybody Loves The Sunshine Of Summer, Which Is Perfect For A Dope Soul Sample-Source Mix (Mixtape)

Back in the day, Urb magazine was a top music publication. Covering several genres, this Los Angeles-based publication was front-and-center for House, Trance, Jungle, Drum & Bass, Techno, Breakbeat, and various integral 1990s and 2000s waves of Electronic Dance Music (long before Heads were calling it "EDM"). What was more,... Read more
June 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Mixes
Close Out The Nas’ Illmatic Celebrations With DJ Moneyshot’s Amazing Sample-Sourced Mega Mix (Mixtape)

Close Out The Nas’ Illmatic Celebrations With DJ Moneyshot’s Amazing Sample-Sourced Mega Mix (Mixtape)

In one week, it'll be May, and much of the April coverage celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of Hip-Hop's hallmarks, Nas' Illmatic, will seem out of vogue, or passé, while other things are highlighted. Before the calendars change, Solid Steel's DJ Moneyshot, who has previously re-considered and extensively examined... Read more
April 26, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Mixes
How Deep Did J Dilla’s Crates Go? Deep As The Abyss & House Shoes Reminds You (Audio)

How Deep Did J Dilla’s Crates Go? Deep As The Abyss & House Shoes Reminds You (Audio)

From Daft Punk to Steve Miller Band to Aretha Franklin, J Dilla's ears were scanning through a lot of music when it came time to craft his own compositions. That's why, even in his death, Heads are still finding stashes of Dilla's vinyl collection in storage units, stores, and elsewhere.... Read more
February 11, 2014 Audio, Fresh
Must Listen: Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back Deconstructed (Audio)

Must Listen: Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back Deconstructed (Audio)

If the Hip-Hop media trailblazers at ego trip sleep on something, the rest of us may be in R.E.M. too. This week, Ted Bawno's crew pointed out a 2013 podcast/mix from DJ Moneyshot that had been overlooked by many (including us). The mix celebrates 25 years of the massively-acclaimed Solid... Read more
January 10, 2014 Fresh, Throwback
Snoop Doggy Dogg Releases a Mix of the Soulful Samples of Doggystyle (Audio)

Snoop Doggy Dogg Releases a Mix of the Soulful Samples of Doggystyle (Audio)

Snoop Doggy Dogg's classic Doggystyle album turns 20 years old. As part of what is sure to be an extended celebration, Snoop has released a mix of the samples the fueled the album. Given that this was one of the most soulful and funky Hip-Hop albums of all time, you... Read more
November 22, 2013 Audio, Throwback
Will C. Remixes The Beach Boys In This Trippy, Summertime-In-Autumn Adieu Or Die Mix (Audio)

Will C. Remixes The Beach Boys In This Trippy, Summertime-In-Autumn Adieu Or Die Mix (Audio)

Chances are, even if you live on Antarctica, you've heard The Beach Boys. The Wilson Brothers and crew are a landmark of early '60s Americana with themes are wood-sided '40 Ford wagons, surfing, going steady with your best girl, and fixing up old cars. However, like other '60s Pop acts... Read more
November 7, 2013 Audio, Fresh
Bob James Discusses Nautilus Becoming A Hit By Way Of Hip-Hop

Bob James Discusses Nautilus Becoming A Hit By Way Of Hip-Hop

When Heads get into rare groove/sample sources, pianist, composer and arranger Bob James is an ideal starting point. To laymen, James may be best known for creating the smooth theme song to "Taxi," however to those who read the labels, James has a massive catalog of hits that's resurrected by... Read more
September 19, 2013 Throwback
Billy Squier – The Big Beat (Video)

Billy Squier – The Big Beat (Video)

In light of Eminem's "Berzerk," I keep referencing this song. The truth is, the record has an amazing time-piece video. While it might seem cheesy, or a callback to big hair, tight Lee's, and t-top Camaros, this is a break that stays in the arsenal of your favorite producer/DJ. The... Read more
August 27, 2013 Fresh, Throwback
GianniLee – Magna Carta Holy Grail: The Samples (Mix)

GianniLee – Magna Carta Holy Grail: The Samples (Mix)

GianniLee has put together a dope mix of the samples used on Jay-Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail. You'll hear music from Nirvana, A Tribe Called Quest, R.E.M., Biggie, Mase, One Way, Adrian Younge, One Way, M.I.A. and more. You can listen to the mix and check out the tracklist below.... Read more
July 7, 2013 Mixes
Babylon Cartel – good kid, m.A.A.d. city: The Samples (Audio)

Babylon Cartel – good kid, m.A.A.d. city: The Samples (Audio)

Much has been made of the lyrical content of Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d. city (stellar), but the beats are monsters too. Babylon Cartel have compiled some key samples from the album. You can listen to 9 of the songs below. Related: Kendrick Lamar & Jay Rock perform Money Trees... Read more
October 26, 2012 Audio
Rewin(d) – AFH Samples (Video Playlist)

Rewin(d) – AFH Samples (Video Playlist)

We recently posted a documentary about sampling so it seems fitting to make this week's playlist one dedicated to some classic samples. You'll find music sampled by Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, A Tribe Called Quest, Kanye West, DJ Quik, Biggie, 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Redman, Black Moon and more. The tracklist... Read more
January 21, 2011 Audio, Playlists
G.O.O.D. Monday. There was no new Kanye music on Friday because he blessed us with the full album today. If you've heard it, you know it's genius. If not, get ready for a treat…and here's another. Check out the samples Kanye used for the album here.

G.O.O.D. Monday. There was no new Kanye music on Friday because he blessed us with the full album today. If you've heard it, you know it's genius. If not, get ready for a treat…and here's another. Check out the samples Kanye used for the album here.

Click here to download the samples.  Tracklist is below as well as the opportunity to listen to most of the tracks. Mike Oldfield – “In High Places” (Dark Fantasy) The Turtles – “You Showed Me” (Gorgeous) Cold Grits – “It’s Your Thing” (Power) King Crimson – “21st Century Schizoid Man”... Read more
November 22, 2010 Audio
1 2