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The 10 Best Rap Albums Of 2023

As 2023 comes to its close, it is time to celebrate the best in Hip-Hop music. As is tradition, the Ambrosia For Heads team weighs in on our opinion of the year's best albums. For 2023, we present a tight list of 10—celebrating the best of the best in the Rap genre.... Read more

Posdnuos Celebrates Dave On A Beautiful Tribute Song

Today (June 9), Statik Selektah released his first solo album since 2020. Round Trip, arriving on ShowOff/Mass Appeal Records, maintains Statik's gift for assembling interesting groupings of MCs for thought-provoking concepts, over his acclaimed production. This particular collection, Statik's 10th, involves four members of Wu-Tang Clan together on a posse... Read more

Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface & Inspectah Deck Reunite On A New Song

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads sift 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, it’s better than it’s ever been. Not only can we go back... Read more

Joey Bada$$ Has Released The Best Album Of His Career

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads sift 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, it’s better than it’s ever been. Not only can we go back... Read more

Joey Bada$$’s Next Album Is A Sequel To His Classic Mixtape

In June of 2012, Joey Bada$$ launched what has become a highly-respected catalog with 1999. The mixtape from the Brooklyn, New York MC helped usher in the Pro Era movement, with appearances by Capital STEEZ, CJ Fly, Chuck Strangers, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, Dessy Hinds, and more. As a 17-year-old... Read more

Statik Selektah Explains What We Have To Do To Protect Hip-Hop

Less than two weeks ago, Statik Selektah released his ninth compilation-style album, The Balancing Act. The esteemed producer/DJ/Showoff Records founder involves a cast that includes Nas, Black Thought, Killer Mike, Sean Price, Jack Harlow, Method Man, Benny The Butcher, Evidence, Joey Bada$$, and Jadakiss, to name a few. However, the album,... Read more

Anoyd & Statik Selektah’s Video Gets You In The Mood For Summer

This month, Bloomfield, Connecticut MC Anoyd partnered with Statik Selektah and ShowOff Records to release Yuck!. Featuring Nick Grant, Ufo Fev, and Statik's 1982 band-mate Termanology, the 10-song collection showcases one of the more exciting voices coming out of New England, and Hip-Hop at large. Whereas Anoyd built a reputation... Read more

Bun B & Statik Selektah Will Make An Album From Scratch For All To See

Last August, Bun B released his first album in five years. Return Of The Trill saw the UGK co-founder and Port Arthur, Texas legend team up with Run The Jewels, 8Ball & MJG, Lil Wayne, the late Pimp C, and others on an album that was musically overseen by executive... Read more

KXNG Crooked, Tech N9ne, Rittz & Chino XL Go Berserk On A Killer Collabo (Audio)

Nearly 20 years ago, Sway & King Tech released their major label debut compilation album, This Or That. With DJ Revolution behind the Technics 1200s, the album, which nearly broke the Top 100, was a crucial launch-pad in the careers of Eminem, Tech N9ne, Planet Asia, and a Long Beach... Read more

The LOX & Statik Selektah Still Make The Kind Of Hip-Hop That 90s Era Fans Love (Video)

Three months ago today, The LOX and Statik Selektah released "But You Don't Hear Me Tho." The soulful collaboration, also featuring James Mtume served as a nostalgic early look into Statik's 8 album. Today (December 8), that ShowOff Records/Duck Down Music LP releases. Thus, it's just the right time for... Read more

B-Real & Everlast Reunite On A New Song To Show They Can Still Shake ‘Em Up (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 and listen... Read more

Joey Bada$$ & G-Eazy Find Common Ground On A Soulful Statik Selektah Collabo (Audio)

As Q-Tip publicly aired frustrations for A Tribe Called Quest and We Got It From Here…Thank You For Your Service being omitted from this week's 2018 Grammy nominations, another artist with possible reason to be upset is Joey Bada$$. This year's ALL AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ is another heralded Hip-Hop album (and... Read more

Run The Jewels Show Off As They Body Slam A Statik Selektah Beat (Audio)

Run The Jewels is an undeniable force in Hip-Hop. The tag-team duo of Brooklyn producer/MC El-P and the honorable ATLien Killer Mike seem to surge with hype whenever they connect on track. The pair often provides thoughtful, hilarious and electrifying bars for the world to hear, over manic, forward-thinking production by... Read more

The LOX Make Some Of That Beautiful Hip-Hop From Back In The Day (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

Statik Selektah Is A Highly Regarded Producer. But He’s Still One Mean DJ Too. (Video)

In the mid-2010s, Statik Selektah is a deeply respected producer. From some of the highlights of Joey Bada$$'s B4.Da.$$ to Eminem and company's "Detroit Vs. Everybody," to his own incredible album catalog, the ShowOff Records founder is highly sought out, and one of Hip-Hop's most prolific creators. As Statik's career... Read more

DMX Is Mentoring Quadir Lateef. This Ruff Ryders MC Absolutely Stunts On The Mic. (Video)

Ruff Ryders Entertainment may not get the comparable mentions of a Roc-A-Fella or G-Unit, but they should. The label launched as an offshoot of the party promoting by the Dean siblings in the late 1980s would be responsible for an artist with five consecutive #1 albums in DMX. Moreover, the... Read more

La Coka Nostra’s Slaine & Ill Bill Deal Dope Freestyles Right On “Ill Street” (Video)

Just over one month ago, super-group La Coka Nostra released their third album, To Thine Own Self Be True. The crew's feature MCs Slaine and Ill Bill stopped by Statik Selektah's ShowOff Radio Show in the last week. Over Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's "Ill Street Blues" instrumental, the... Read more

Statik Selektah Remixes Some Older Dave East That Shows The Talent Nas Saw (Audio)

Today, Dave East is an MC who is cosigned by Nas, backed by Mass Appeal, and working with a who's who of Hip-Hop. In 2014, the Harlem, New Yorker was simply talented, hungry, and looking to kick in the industry door. At that time, he released video single "Stretched Out"... Read more

Termanology & Kxng Crooked Bring Out The Best In Each Other. Let’s Go! (Audio)

For lovers of lyrics, wordplay, and flow, one of 2016's must-listen-to Hip-Hop albums is Statik Kxng. Kxng Crooked (fka Crooked I) and Statik Selektah made a 10-song EP that is some of the finest work from either. Termanology, Statik's 1982 band-mate made the lone guest appearance on "Let's Go." Now,... Read more

Joey Bada$$ & Termanology Started Out At The Bottom. Now They’re Top Shottas (Audio)

Joey Bada$$ and Termanology remind listeners why they’re some of the “realest top shottas” when it comes to this generation’s true school spitters on the latest release off Term’s upcoming More Politics LP. Both MCs wax poetic about some of their personal struggles. Over a melancholy horn section, jazzy piano... Read more

Stro Runs Through 7 Minutes Of Classic Beats In 1 Of The Year’s Best Freestyles (Video)

Stro (f/k/a The Astronomical Kid) has had a quieter 2016 than other years. However, the Brooklyn, New Yorker is just ramping up, and showing that his skills have refined. Appearing on the most recent episode of Statik Selektah's ShowOff Radio show, Stro asks if he can go off the top... Read more

Ras Kass’ Rawest Rhymes Come To Life Over Statik Selektah Production (Audio)

2016 marks 20 years since Ras Kass entered the stage with Soul On Ice. Ever since, the Carson-by-way-of-Watts, California MC has become one of the most lethal lyricists in Hip-Hop, a master of style and substance. When Ras is agitated, he can make some of his best music—whether tackling lesser-skilled... Read more

Saigon & Termanology Put Prejudice Policing In Its Place Over Q-Tip Production (Audio)

A decade ago, Termanology and Saigon were two of the rising stars in the New York Hip-Hop scene. While Term' would begin a relentless cycle of independent releases that has lasted well into today, Saigon would ink a major label deal with Atlantic Records and get to work on a... Read more

Statik Selektah Gets 2 Chainz To Breathe That Hot Fire (Video)

This month, Statik Selektah opened up the roll-out to his album, appropriately titled 8. "Smoke Break" features 2 Chainz, and represented a directional shift for the Def Jam Records star, as well as a bit of an an extension for the producer/DJ/radio host who has worked with much of the... Read more

2 Chainz Leaves The Trap For Statik Selektah’s Soulful Boom Bap (Audio)

2 Chainz' versatility is his marketability. The same Atlanta, Georgia MC who made a smash hit nearly a decade ago with Dolla Boy and Lil Wayne ("Duffle Bag Boy") has since appeared on party tracks ("I'm Different"), Slab tracks ("Money On The Floor"), and even one of the finer 2010s... Read more

Jakk Frost Has 1 Of The Year’s Best Freestyles. This Is How It Should Be Done (Video)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania veteran MC Jakk Frost has worked extensively with guys like DJ Premier, Freeway, Sean Price, and Jedi Mind Tricks' Vinnie Paz. While Frost has showered the mixtape game for more than a dozen years, the Beard Gang bully has not released a studio LP. For more than two... Read more

Kxng Crooked Tears Into A Statik Selektah Soul Creation (Audio)

Statik Kxng was more than just a one-off for Kxng Crooked (p/k/a Crooked I) and Statik Selektah. The Showoff Records/Penalty Entertainment, Long Beach-to-Brooklyn duo exists beyond their early 2016 10-track EP. "Street Music" appears on Mike Epps' forthcoming Meet The Blacks soundtrack, but stands taller than a typical peel-away track.... Read more

Joey Bada$$’ New Single Shows He’s Ready To Do It All Again, In 2016 (Audio)

Joey Bada$$ has released his first proper single of 2016. "Ready" keeps one of the Pro Era front man MC's strongest music mates close to the fold in Statik Selektah. In the song, the Brooklyn, New Yorker promises to be around a mighty long time, as he stretches out his... Read more

Kxng Crooked & Statik Selektah Are Ruthless With This Music. Let’s Go (Audio)

The MC formerly known as Crooked I has been on a tear in early 2016. The same week he unleashed a beast of a freestyle at Tony Touch's radio show, Kxng Crooked returns with a fully-produced bar massacre. "Let's Go" teams with album partner Statik Selektah on the boards, and... Read more

Kxng Crooked’s “Dead Or In Jail” Verses Demand A Lyric Video

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Kxng Crooked (f/k/a Crooked I) and Statik Selektah gave Heads some food for thought. "Dead Or In Jail," which features Jessica Quintero, examines the skewed justice system, and how institutional racism is very much around, in the United States and beyond. Less than one week later,... Read more

Joey Bada$$ & Statik Selektah Address Knee-Jerk ’90s Hip-Hop Comparisons (Video)

Since his 2010 arrival Joey Bada$$ has been often compared to the 1990s litany of East Coast MCs. The Brooklyn, New York MC is not a fan of being always considered a throwback, when the Pro Era MC has worked to prove himself as an original. Similarly, DJ/producer Statik Selektah... Read more

Joey Bada$$ & Big K.R.I.T. Hope That You’re Listening To These Jewels (Audio)

Tomorrow, Statik Selektah will release his Lucky 7 seventh album—on 7-7, no less. One of the ShowOff Records/Duck Down Music release's highlights is "In The Wind." This moment is the latest run-in between Joey Bada$$ and Big K.R.I.T., alums from A$AP Rocky's "1 Train" as well as the obvious connection as... Read more

Royce Da 5’9″ Says It So It’s Crystal Clear: Soft Artists Are Winning In 2015 (Audio)

"This year, we've got the softest group of artists in the history of Blues, R&B, Soul / For y'all to be so willing to be so blast-off honest / Black Pride, I'm astonished / I'm a full-contact guy, in a flag-ball climate..." Royce Da 5'9" is not mincing words in... Read more

Action Bronson & Ab-Soul Join Elle Varner For Differing Perspectives On Relationships (Audio)

Amidst the 2010s finest crop of MCs, Action Bronson and Ab-Soul have both succeeded in rapping about relationships, from the devoted to the dissolved. "All You Need" is a Statik Selektah-orchestrated moment from Lucky 7 (July 7) that shows that range. While Bam Bam celebrates a trist-turned-true love, Soulo looks... Read more

Action Bronson & Joey Bada$$ Celebrate Success While Staying True (Audio)

It was just 30 months ago that Action Bronson and Joey Bada$$ appeared on A$AP Rocky's "1 Train," a unified front of a new, nostalgic New York City Rap crop. In 2015, a lot's changed, but a lot hasn't. All three MCs have 2015 albums, all garnering a lot of... Read more

Prodigy & Rick Gonzalez Make That Rugged & Raw Relationship Rap (Audio)

As an actor, Rick Gonzalez can play many parts. As an MC, the artist formerly known as Realm Reality can do the same. Teaming with mentor Prodigy and producer Statik Selektah, "Love & Money" moves Rick's traditionally-aggressive pastiche over to something softer, intimate and reflective. Aimed at relationships, this moment... Read more

Lil Fame Takes ‘Em To Church On A Funeral Freestyle (Audio)

Lil Fame is more than 20 years deep in making music that speaks to angst, aggression, and abrasive street life. The Brooklyn, New Yorker known for his work with M.O.P. is a close affiliate of Statik Selektah. Fame (a/k/a Fizzy Womack) teamed with Statik's other 1982 half, Termanology for an... Read more

Your Old Droog Goes All-City On A Statik Selektah Holdover (Audio)

Your Old Droog crosses paths with Statik Selektah. It's a complementary fit, as these are two Brooklyn, New York-based B-boys strongly pull from past generations and nostalgia, while flipping things with a modern slant. Droog takes a Statik-produced dusty arrangement, and goes all-city with "Unlimited Metrocard." The swipe of the... Read more

Fashawn Adds To A Major Week In His Career With A Dazzling Freestyle (Video)

With The Ecology out, Fashawn may be having the week of his career. The Fresno, California MC hit Statik Selektah's ShowOff Radio show. There, the 100 Proof collaborators linked up to allow Fash' to kick a quite-nice freestyle over beats by Souls Of Mischief and Gang Starr. With wit, impeccable... Read more

Talib Kweli Freestyles About Suge Knight. Too Soon? (Video)

Featured in the 2000 film, Freestyle: The Art Of Rhyme, Talib Kweli has built his skills in the cyphers, and with the impromptu improvisation that is freestyling. These days, Kwe' is busy touring, making albums, and co-running a label conglomerate. The days in the parks may be few and far... Read more

Rick Gonzalez Makes A Spacey Street Track With Infamous Mobb’s Big Twins (Audio)

Rick Gonzalez pulls in some heavyweight collaborations for his growing discography. Fresh off of a Kool G Rap link, and a Blu collabo last year, the newly-inked ShowOff Records artist teams with another Queens, New York veteran bully rapper in Big Twins for "Cross The Line." Mobb Deep and Alchemist... Read more

Joey Bada$$ Rolls Deep. They Terrorize The Borough & The Beat (Video)

Just one day after releasing "No. 99" in audio, Joey Bada$$ drops the video for his Statik Selektah-produced sophomore single. The visual features a faux Brooklyn news report of a menace on the loose. "Badman" is none other than Joey, who with his Pro Era crew is causing mass destruction... Read more

Joey Bada$$ Unleashes A New Album Single. He & Statik Selektah Have Chemistry (Audio)

For an artist who puts art above image, music above interview antics, and the engaged live show above dedicated social media presence, January is a great month to release an album. Slow burn and long consideration will go a long way for Cinematic's longtime emerging star. With January 20, 2015... Read more

REKS Sounds Harder Than Ever & This Is Only The Intro To His New LP (Video)

REKS is one of the more hardcore MCs who remains deeply active in Hip-Hop. The Massachusetts native has more than 13 years deep in delivering compelling accounts as a street kid who lives and loves the culture, wanting to be heard. His latest project with Hazardis Soundz, Eyes Watching God... Read more

Alchemist & Statik Selektah Co-Produce A New Term Joint With REKS & Willie The Kid (Audio)

In 2014, co-production in from some producers is very rare. Two such cases are Alchemist and Statik Selektah. Eminem's DJ and Q-Tip's (onetime) DJ are two respected sources on the boards, and while they work with a lot of the same cats (Action Bronson, The LOX, Dilated Peoples), they aren't... Read more

Jared Evan & Ransom Know It’s Cold Outside, So They Pack A Hoodie (Audio)

From Jared Evan's forthcoming #StillBlue release (October 28), the onetime Interscope/Zone 4 singer/rapper links with his homie Statik Selektah, and Statik's partner Ransom for "Outside." As a result, brash deliveries about the warmth "inside" are depicted on a track that also chronicles the cold realities of the outside world. Related:... Read more

Statik Selektah, Joey Bada$$ & Freddie Gibbs Hit The Park In Style (Video)

For early What Goes Around single "Carry On," Statik Selektah set his turntables up in Lower Manhattan's famed Washington Square Park. There, the ShowOff shows off on a random afternoon, while Joey Bada$$ and Freddie Gibbs (who recently moved to Harlem) plug in, and put on. The vibe of the... Read more

UGK’s Bun B & De La Soul’s Posdnuos On The Same Track? Statik Selektah Knows (Audio)

Known for assembling jaw-dropping collaborations, Statik Selektah's biggest feat may be "God Knows." Taking a Jared Evan-sang riff from the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds classic, the album's closer pairs UGK's Bun B and De La Soul's Posdnous, an unlikely pair of '80s Rap vets, who take a similar stance on... Read more

Statik Selektah Assembles Logic, Ab-Soul & Jon Connor For A Soulful Wakeup (Audio)

With What Goes Around three weeks away (August 19), Statik Selektah's roll-out rolls on. In the last seven years, the New England native has rivaled the likes of DJ Khaled and DJ Drama in his ability to make massive collaborations work, all while being thematic. Looking to the new class... Read more

Joey Bada$$ & Statik Selektah Play An Hour-Long Mix Of Pro Era’s Finest Moments (Audio)

Statik Selektah has been one of the early adopters to the Pro Era sound. The ShowOff CEO and longtime radio (terrestrial and satellite) staple dropped quite a few needles on Joey Bada$$ and his cohorts before labels, big studios, or major features were ever involved. As Joey lends his mic... Read more