terror squad ArchivesAmbrosia For Heads

Latinos Have Played A Critical Role In Hip-Hop History. There’s No Debate

Last Friday (August 26) Fat Joe posted a video online that celebrated the contributions of Latino Hip-Hop pioneers. The slideshow acknowledged figures ranging from the Cold Crush Brothers' DJ Charlie Chase to DJ Disco Wiz to early producer/musician Pumpkin to The Fearless Four's Master O.C. and Tito. With the video,... Read more

August 30, 2022 Food for Thought

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

Eminem Raps A Response To Nick Cannon Claiming He Tried To Beat Him Up Over Mariah

UPDATE: Nick Cannon has now reacted to Eminem's diss today (December 6). “[Eminem] has been doing this forever,” Cannon says in the clip uploaded to Instagram from his Power 106 studio. “He should change his name from Eminem to Percocet—what’s the pills that old people take? We gonna call him... Read more

December 6, 2019 Audio

Jadakiss Confirms An Unreleased Concept Song Where He & Big Pun Battled (Video)

Jadakiss has amassed an incredible discography over the last 25 years. Along that journey, the LOX and D-Block member has shared the mic with some of the greats, including JAY-Z, DMX, Nas, Royce 5'9, Eminem, and Scarface, to name a few. Recently, 'Kiss appeared on Bootleg Kev and DJ Hed's... Read more

November 9, 2019 Video

Buckwild Gives Terror Squad Some D.I.T.C. Fire To Celebrate Big Pun (Audio)

Last week (February 7) marked 19 years since Big Pun tragically passed away. Although much of the music from the legendary lyricist has released since his death, friends and collaborators continue to find ways to light his legacy. Diggin' In The Crates producer Buckwild uploaded a new joint to celebrate... Read more

February 12, 2019 Audio

Mysonne Says He’s Today’s Tupac & Nas On The Best Freestyle Of The Year (Video)

Mysonne is far from a new artist. The Bronx, New York MC has made his impression felt for years, on major platforms like his show-stopping performance at last year's BET Hip Hop Awards cypher stage. However, awareness surrounding the MC who appeared on Ma$e's Double Up and Ruff Ryders' Ryde... Read more

July 25, 2018 Video

Chris Rivers & Star Rios Honor Their Father Big Pun With Verses (Audio)

February 7 is a milestone day in Hip-Hop. It marks the birthday of J Dilla (in 1974), and also the day that Big Pun passed away, back in 2000. Typically, Pun's son Chris Rivers uses the date to pay tribute to his father, a personal and controversial figure within the... Read more

February 7, 2018 Audio

Chris Rivers Clarifies His Recent Controversial Music Video About Domestic Abuse (Video)

Today (November 10) would have been Big Pun's 46th birthday. The legendary Bronx, New York MC died at the age of 28, on February 7, 2000, from heart failure. Christopher Rios' only son, who shares his name and raps under the moniker Chris Rivers has celebrated his father, as well... Read more

November 10, 2017 Video

Lil’ Kim Shows She’s The Original Queen Bee As She & Remy Ma Sting Nicki Minaj (Audio)

Lil' Kim and Nicki Minaj have one of Rap music's longest-running beefs. Before Nick' was a YMCMB superstar, she apparently took early shots at Kim on Hoodstarz mixtapes. As Minaj's career rose meteorically in the late 2000s, Kim called out the fellow New Yorker for copying her style of rhyme... Read more

November 8, 2017 Audio, The Bridge

Chris Rivers’ New Video Shows The Type Of Abuse His Family Suffered

Chris Rivers is his own man and has proved it time and again. The Bronx, New York MC is the son of legendary lyricist Big Pun. However, like the documentaries on the late Terror Squad founder have suggested, that's not always a good thing. Videos and family testimony have chronicled... Read more

November 4, 2017 Video

Black Thought Explains How The Roots Are Approaching Their Next Album Differently (Video)

Hip-Hop news and culture move fast, and it’s easy to miss significant developments. Every week, Ambrosia For Heads takes a look back at the LAST 7 days. This video series, hosted by Justin “The Company Man” Hunte examines the current issues with a colorful rundown of the what, where, and why. While the LAST... Read more

October 10, 2017 Exclusive, Last 7, Video

Women In Rap Are Back & They Don’t Dance. They Make Money Moves (Video)

2017 may prove to be a watershed year in Hip-Hop. Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. married concept and advanced technical lyricism with commercial dominance in a way that forced the mainstream to conform. As recently as last week, artists from Logic to Bun B to Trae Tha Truth are taking action on... Read more

September 2, 2017 Exclusive, TBD, Video

See The Full Historic Conversation & Cypher Between Mos Def, Big Pun, Canibus & DMX (Video)

Twenty years ago, Hip-Hop was in crosswinds. Microphones were grabbed by emerging voices from across the landscape, geographically, stylistically, and regarding content. As the genre collected itself following the sudden and tragic killings of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, it wanted new sounds, messages, and conversations. Mos Def & Dave... Read more

August 28, 2017 Throwback, Video

Fat Joe, MC Lyte, DJ Premier & MC Eiht To Headline Final Rocksteady Anniversary Weekend

Next weekend, the Rocksteady Crew will celebrate its 40th anniversary. The yearly New York City event was announced by Crazy Legs to be the organization's final concert event of this kind. While the R.S.C. lives on, Crazy Legs suggested there would be new platforms put in place to show its... Read more

July 23, 2017 Fresh

Fat Joe Explains Why KRS-One Is Still #1 To Him (Video)

Fat Joe is one of Hip-Hop's most recognizable stars. A member of both Terror Squad and Diggin' In The Crates, the veteran has taken his dynamic brand of Hip-Hop across the world. Throughout the 2000s, he has been one of the biggest representatives from the Bronx borough. Fat Joe Airs... Read more

July 10, 2017 Video

Remy Ma Sends Shots From The Podium Like It’s The Source Awards (Video)

Twelve years since her last BET Awards win, Remy Ma took home "Best Female Hip-Hop Artist" honors in 2017. The complement to Kendrick Lamar's male win, Remy celebrated the accolade with some controversy. For starters, upon winning she broke a seven-year streak held by foe/rival Nicki Minaj. And Remy knew... Read more

June 26, 2017 Video

Remy Ma Says Papoose Did Not Write “SHEther.” Do You Believe Her? (Video)

For more than half of 2017, Remy Ma and Nicki Minaj have been beefing on wax. The two New York City veteran MCs have attacked one another in a litany of ways: from plastic surgery accusations to jabs at family members to poking fun at first week album sales. What... Read more

June 15, 2017 Video

Watch 40 Years Of Hip-Hop History In 4 Minutes In A Mind-Blowing Mashup (Video)

It ain't nothin' like Hip-Hop music...Over the last 40 years, there have been few forces in pop culture with more impact than Hip-Hop. Like Rock & Roll before it, the music and lifestyle shaped an entire generation and has had untold influence around the world. The Rub: The History of... Read more

June 5, 2017 Video

Nicki Minaj Re-Asserts Her Claim As The Queen Of Rap In Her New Video

Nicki Minaj and Remy Ma's beef quieted down in the last five weeks. The two New York MCs went from throwing apparent subliminal jabs to throwing heavy verbal artillery this year. After Rem' appeared to throw some televised shade Nick's way this month on Hip Hop Squares, Barbie brings her... Read more

April 19, 2017 Video

Fat Joe Airs Out Terror Squad’s Dirty Laundry & Defends His Name (Video)

Fat Joe is one of Hip-Hop's most controversial figures. The Bronx, New Yorker has roots in some of the hardest Rap music of the '90s, starting with his '93 debut, Represent. However, in the days after Big Pun's sudden 2000 death, Joe stepped forward to become a mainstream giant, making... Read more

March 3, 2017 Video

Remy Ma Is Out To Ether Nicki Minaj. These 7 Minutes May Make Nick Lean Back (Audio)

In the last 48 hours, Nicki Minaj's fiery appearance on "Make Love" led many to believe that the Cash Money/Young Money Queen was gunning for crosstown MC, Remy Ma. Going strictly off ill subliminals, it would be hard to say who struck first, in a series of raps where the... Read more

February 25, 2017 Audio

War & Hip-Hop: Papoose Unleashes Lyrics Of Mass Destruction With Fat Joe (Video)

Fat Joe not only reunited with Remy Ma in the biggest way possible last year, he made a connected collaboration with her husband. Following the Grammy-nominated success of "All The Way Up," Joe and Pap' linked for "Back On My B.S." For two MCs who were spitting rugged raps in... Read more

January 25, 2017 Video

Finding The GOAT Producer: Kanye West vs. Scott Storch. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Producer” begins. The third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots will be reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no deserving... Read more

January 25, 2017 Finding the GOAT

Fat Joe Unsung Tells The Story Of 1 Of Hip-Hop’s Most Enduring Superstars (Video)

Since 1993, Fat Joe has been a mainstay in Hip-Hop. In a genre that cycles through stars every few years and considers artists from as recently as 10 years ago, "Old School," his longevity is miraculous. Time and again, Joe has re-invented himself, going from Joey Crack to R&B Rap... Read more

January 22, 2017 TV, TV/Film, Video

Fat Joe Signs To Jay Z’s Roc Nation. Their Beef Is All The Way Over (Audio)

In 2016, Fat Joe and Jay Z made a statement in both of their careers when they recorded the "All The Way Up (Remix)" together (alongside Remy Ma). Reportedly dating back to the late 1990s, the eventual Terror Squad leader and the Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder were caught in a beef... Read more

January 18, 2017 Audio, News

Remy Ma & Papoose Are Hip-Hop’s Real Bonnie & Clyde. No Couple Has Better Bars (Video)

This week revealed that Remy Ma is going for Grammy Awards for the first time in more than a decade, thanks to her and Fat Joe's reunion campaign, "All The Way Up." The First Lady of the Terror Squad has made her biggest and most beloved music with Joe Crack—between... Read more

December 8, 2016 Video

Wu-Tang Meets D.I.T.C. Two Legendary Crews Ain’t Nuthin’ To Mash Up (Audio)

Ever go Diggin’ In The Crates for some Wu-Tang? On this ambitious mashup of two legendary New York crews who both emerged at the onset of the 1990s, Memory Man shows us what would happen if you took members of the Wu-Tang Clan and D.I.T.C. and threw their styles in... Read more

November 8, 2016 Audio, Throwback

Fat Joe, O.C., & A.G. Go Diggin’ With Substance On A Showbiz Beat (Audio)

Earlier this year, the Diggin' In The Crates collective released a compilation album surrounding their new Bronx, New York recording studio. With all living members involved more (17 years after the death of Big L), the LP also showcased some new producers down with D.I.T.C. On "It's Cold Outside (Remix),"... Read more

September 4, 2016 Audio

Fat Joe Tells An Animated Story About Meeting Big Pun & It’s Epic (Video)

Few artists have impacted Hip-Hop over a longer span than Fat Joe. For nearly 25 years, he has remained relevant, not only enduring, but seemingly growing in popularity. While Joe started off as an underground rapper, aptly-nicknamed "Da Gangsta," he has morphed into an artist with incredible mainstream success, without... Read more

August 4, 2016 Video

DJ Khaled May Be The Key Reason Big Pun & Fat Joe’s Twinz (Deep Cover 98) Became A Hit (Video)

In 2004, the Terror Squad released #1 single "Lean Back." With verses by Fat Joe and Remy Ma, T.S. shouted out DJ Khaled. Outside of Miami, Florida, the DJ, radio personality, and producer (of the alias "Beat Novacane") was not a known name in the mainstream. In 2016, Khaled Mohamed... Read more

July 27, 2016 Video

D.I.T.C. Goes Diggin’ In The Crates For Rare Photos & Footage (Video)

The Diggin' In The Crates crew has released its second completely crew-inclusive album in 16 years. That LP, D.I.T.C. Studios celebrates the newly-opened Bronx, New York recording studio where Showbiz, Lord Finesse, and Buckwild regularly craft dusty tracks. Also home to O.C., A.G., Diamond D, and Fat Joe, the legendary... Read more

June 20, 2016 Video

Greg Nice Reveals Details About The East/West Peace Album Tupac Was Recording When He Died (Video)

In the month of May, the unreleased music of Tupac Shakur has been the topic of discussion. The reported 152 songs belonging to the estate of the slain Hip-Hop superstar are said to now be in the hands of the music executive who signed him to Interscope Records in the... Read more

May 19, 2016 Throwback, Video

Fat Joe Reveals The NBA Player Whose Wife Biggie Described On “I Got A Story To Tell” (Video)

In late 2014, former New York Knicks star Point Guard John Starks appeared on ESPN's Highly Questionable. There, host Bomani Jones asked the former all-star about long-speculated rumors that The Notorious B.I.G. was dissing him on 1997's "I Got A Story To Tell." The Buckwild, Chucky Thompson, and Puff Daddy-produced... Read more

May 17, 2016 Throwback, Video

Remy Ma & Fat Joe Have A Raw Conversation On The Effects Of Prison & Coping With Trauma (Audio)

In a union of two of Terror Squad's major players, earlier this year, Fat Joe and Remy Ma announced they were releasing a joint album. Since then they have been making the rounds discussing the project and their storied shared history. Recently, Remy and Joe were guests on Shawn Setaro's... Read more

April 16, 2016 Audio

Nas Signee Dave East Goes All The Way Up With Fat Joe & Remy Ma (Audio)

In a show of strength that Terror Squad is alive and thriving, earlier this year, Fat Joe and Remy Ma announced they would be releasing a joint album. The announcement was quickly followed by "All The Way Up," a monster single featuring Joe and Remy going to work on a... Read more

April 11, 2016 Audio

Diamond D & O.C.’s Freestyle Makes D.I.T.C. Say “Yo, That’s That ish” (Audio)

Diggin' In The Crates, better known as D.I.T.C., has been a unit for more than 20 years. However, since the 2000s, the New York City producer and MC collective has been building individual careers, including Fat Joe's platinum rise, a slew of O.C. cult-championed LPs, and the ongoing celebration of... Read more

April 8, 2016 Audio

Fat Joe, Lord Finesse & Diamond D Keep That Crate Chemistry Strong (Audio)

Every Monday of 2016, D.I.T.C. has blessed Heads with new tracks. Today (March 21), the Diggin' In The Crates crew may have unleashed the best yet. "Rock S**t" marks the lyrical return of Lord Finesse, whose witty and confident punchline-driven flow would be the blueprint for his star pupil, the... Read more

March 21, 2016 Audio

Fat Joe, O.C. & A.G. Remind Listeners How Lethal D.I.T.C.’s Lineup Is (Audio)

The Diggin' In The Crates reunion is burning strong. After several new crew-thick songs in 2016, the fresh week yields something especially fresh from a D.I.T.C. trio. "Diggin' Number" takes Fat Joe, O.C., and A.G., and assigns them numbers on a knocking quick-strike. Like De La Soul's "Plug" numbers, the... Read more

January 25, 2016 Audio

Mobb Deep’s The Infamous vs. Big Pun’s Capital Punishment. 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 4, 2015 Finding the GOAT

Did You Know An Unsigned Eminem Slid Fat Joe Demo Tapes, More Than 6 Times?

As unsigned Eminem lived in New Jersey in the late 1990s. Running with Pacewon and The Outsidaz, doing 12" singles on small New York City independent labels, the Detroit, Michigan MC made a lot of impact trying to earn a lasting spot in the Hip-Hop/music industry. As fate would have... Read more

September 6, 2015 Fresh

A Previously Unreleased Fat Joe Track Surfaces, With T.I. On The Hook (Audio)

Fat Joe is a master of reinvention. Whether it's his "Da Fat Gangsta" era of the early 1990s, or his crossover hits like "New York" (alongside Ja Rule and Jadakiss) or "Lean Back" (with Terror Squad), Joe Crack can find his many styles, seemingly on-call. The Bronx, New York veteran... Read more

August 11, 2015 Audio

Ever See This Big Pun & Terror Squad Cypher in the Back of a Limo? (Video)

Here's a look back at a behind the scenes moment with Big Pun, Prospect and Cuban Link from Terror Squad, and Charlie Hustle. In an experience that was much like a true to life segment from Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang Clan: 36 Chambers, the crew was in the back... Read more

August 1, 2015 Throwback

Big Pun’s Widow & Chris Rivers Offer Up The Real & Uncut Story of Life With Pun (Audio)

Fifteen years removed from Big Pun's death, there has been a lot of attention paid to one of Hip-Hop's greatest lyricists. The Bronx, New Yorker Terror Squad founder born Chris Rios has been survived by his wife, Liza Rios, and three children. The youngest, Christopher Rios (same name as his... Read more

July 11, 2015 Audio

Chris Rivers Releases a Video For His Scorching Big Pun & LOX Freestyle (Video)

Chris Rivers' "You Ain't Recognized" is one of his 2015 standout moments. The freestyle combines Rivers' dad's "You Ain't A Killer" with The LOX's DJ Premier-produced "Recognize" for a vicious showcase of bars. In the song, Christopher manages to deftly blend style and substance, in what—for many Rap peers—is a... Read more

June 19, 2015 Video

Finding The GOAT (Round 3): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. Big Pun…Who You Got

We have reached the third round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 42 MCs remaining, we are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into... Read more

March 13, 2015 Throwback

15 Years After Big Pun’s Life, Producer Domingo Shares Vivid Memories Off The Books (Interview)

Fifteen years ago today (February 7, 2000), Christopher Rios tragically died from a heart attack, leaving behind his family, friends, and millions of fans. At the time, the Bronx, New York MC known as Big Pun had only released a lone album, 1998's Capital Punishment, but with that body of... Read more

February 7, 2015 Food for Thought

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Big Pun vs. RZA…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

January 16, 2015 Throwback

M.O.P. & Chris Rivers Remake A Hardcore Big Pun Album Cut (Audio)

Back in 2000, just months after Big Pun's death, his gold-certified sophomore LP, Yeeeah Baby released. Within the LP, there was an album cut, "New York Giants." This track, co-produced by Bronx, New York producer/MC Minnesota (Mos Def, Diamond D, Money Boss Players), featured Pun's Loud Records label-mates, M.O.P. Although... Read more

November 13, 2014 Audio, Fresh

In Honor Of Big Pun’s Birthday, His Son Chris Rivers Hops On Super Lyrical (Audio)

Forty three years ago today (November 10), Christopher Rios was born. The Bronx, New York MC perhaps better known as Big Pun shook the world ablaze in the next 29 years. The pinnacle of Pun's career, according to many Heads, is his solo debut, 1998's Capital Punishment. The platinum Terror... Read more

November 10, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Finding The GOAT: Big L vs. Fat Joe…Who You Got?

As we continue the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time), we are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups in a sequence not... Read more

November 3, 2014 Fresh, Throwback