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The 25 Most Important Rap Albums Of Hip-Hop’s First 50 Years

Over the years, countless music lists have laid out the "Greatest" of a particular category–album, artist, song, etc. These lists often cite vague criteria and then lay out what they claim to be objective rankings. But, they are subjective. At Ambrosia For Heads, we have generally provided opportunities for the people... Read more

Finding The GOAT Group: N.W.A. vs. Public Enemy. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’ annual competition 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 (which has been determined), including the possibility... Read more

Finding The GOAT Group: Public Enemy vs. Boogie Down Productions. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’ annual competition 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 (which has been determined), including the possibility for... Read more

Finding The GOAT Group: Public Enemy vs. Stetsasonic. 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

Producers Rejoice: Legal Sampling Is Now As Easy As Online Shopping (Video)

A potentially game-changing new service is about to hit the digital streets, one that could theoretically help usher in a new golden age for sample-based Hip-Hop. Swedish startup Tracklib has created a one-stop online “crate-digging” marketplace, on which producers can find, buy (at $1.99 a track) and eventually license existing... Read more

Hank Shocklee Reveals Don’t Believe The Hype Wouldn’t Have Been Released Without D.M.C.

Producer Hank Shocklee is attached to some of Hip-Hop (and R&B's) biggest records. As a founding member of The Bomb Squad, the Long Island, New Yorker made history with Public Enemy, as well as produced hits for 3rd Bass, Eric B. & Rakim, and Ice Cube, among many others. In... Read more

Ice Cube Names Chuck D His Favorite Rapper & Bomb Squad His Favorite Producers (Audio)

February 21 UPDATE: The video interview of Ice Cube from The Combat Jack Show has been added below, along with the existing audio stream. Original Post: Starting in 1990's "Endangered Species (Tales From The Darkside)," Ice Cube made some of his most notable collaborations with Chuck D and the producers... Read more

An Oral History Of Yo! Bum Rush The Show Reveals How P.E. Launched A Revolution

Thirty years ago today, one of Hip-Hop's most consistent forces unleashed its game-changing first album. On February 10, 1987, Public Enemy debuted Yo! Bum Rush The Show. The story began half a decade before. Meanwhile, 30 calendars deeper, Heads are still learning interesting facts and anecdotes about the Def Jam... Read more

Finding The GOAT Producer: The Bomb Squad vs. DITC. 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

Public Enemy Affiliate Johnny Juice Blends Bruce Lee Samples With Raw Hip-Hop (Audio)

DJ Johnny Juice Rosado has been a critical role-player in Hip-Hop music for nearly 30 years. In addition to his own career and vast production credentials (Son Of Bazerk, On The Shoulders Of Giants, etc.), Juice was a session DJ and turntablist and integral behind-the scenes-player with Public Enemy through... Read more

Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted vs. Mos Def’s Black On Both Sides. 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

Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back vs. EPMD’s Strictly Business. 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

Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back vs. Jungle Brothers’ Straight Out The Jungle. 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

Once Again It’s On: Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted Rings True At 25

A quarter of a century ago today (May 16, 1990), Ice Cube released his solo debut. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted signaled his post-N.W.A. career, and the acrimonious split left fans eager to hear Cube's perspective. However, what those supporters received was more dynamic than one man's tale of anger and revenge,... Read more

Blow Your Speakers With Bachir’s Bomb Squad Cassette Mix (Mixtape)

With Chuck D and Public Enemy (deservingly) in the headlines regularly again—for a litany of reasons, let's take a sec to look back. When it comes to the production collective known as The Bomb Squad (Hank & Keith Shocklee, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, the oft-uncredited Johnny Juice, G-Wiz, and Chuck D)... Read more

Need Some Inspiration? Watch This Hour-Long Documentary On Public Enemy & The Bomb Squad (Video)

There will never be enough documentaries and books on Public Enemy, and the music they've made. Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, Terminator X (and later, DJ Lord), as well as The Bomb Squad changed Hip-Hop lyrically, musically, and in concert. ego trip's "Night At The Movies" hipped AFH to... Read more

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