the firm ArchivesAmbrosia For Heads

Nas’ New Song With DJ Premier Shows Time Is Illmatic

Today marks the 30th anniversary of Nas' Illmatic. In April of 1994, Nas debuted with a panel of legendary producers to deliver a debut album that Ambrosia For Heads readers determined to be the "Greatest Hip-Hop Album Of All-Time" through a poll in April of 2016. Thirty years later, Nas... Read more

April 19, 2024 Audio, Trending Stories

AZ Reintroduces Himself With Amazing New Music

Today (December 1), Brooklyn, New York veteran MC AZ released a new album. However, unlike AZ's respected back-catalog, Truth Be Told marks his first album-long partnership with a producer. Diggin' In The Crates legend Buckwild has been working with S.O.S.A. since "Ho Happy Jacky" on Doe Or Die. The Bronx... Read more

December 1, 2023 Audio, Trending Stories

Nas Is Releasing A New Album For His 50th Birthday

Less than two months ago, Nas and Hit-Boy released Magic 2. The mid-July release was Nas and Hit's fifth album since summer 2020, and followed up a late 2021 LP. The latest installment featured a reunion with 50 Cent, as well as the inclusion of the 21 Savage peace-offering collaboration... Read more

September 12, 2023 News

Nas Shows What Real Black Magic Is 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

July 21, 2023 Audio

M.O.P. & Cormega Are Cut From A Different Cloth Of MCs

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

June 10, 2023 Audio

Keith Murray Details His Alleged Affair With Foxy Brown While She Dated Kurupt

In late 1999, Kurupt released one of the most inflammatory diss songs of that period. "Calling Out Names," an unlisted bonus song from Tha Streetz Iz A Mutha, was a scathing diss by Tha Dogg Pound MC aimed at DMX, Ja Rule, and Irv Gotti—while making disparaging remarks about The... Read more

December 29, 2022 Video

The 15 Best Rap Albums Of 2022

As 2022 winds down, it comes 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. This list of 15 includes some comeback performances, significant sequel efforts, and collaborative tandems. The collection of LPs also shows... Read more

December 20, 2022 Best Rap Albums Of 2022

Kool G Rap & AZ Are The Last Of A Dying Breed Of MCs

As 2022's calendar winds down, there is still plenty of Hip-Hop to look forward to. On December 9, Kool G Rap will release his first album in more than four years. Last Of A Dying Breed will feature the late Sean Price, Vado, and fellow Queens, New Yorker Royal Flush.... Read more

November 27, 2022 Audio

Cormega & Nas Have Reunited On A Song & It’s Glorious

Today (October 7), Cormega has delivered The Realness II. As Cormega recently detailed to Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast, the album was carefully made to be a true sequel to the original—which arrived just over 21 years ago. Beloved song “American Beauty" gets a stylish update on "Her... Read more

October 7, 2022 Audio, Interview, Video

Cormega Explains Why The Realness 2 Is A True Sequel To The Original

Upon its mid-2001 arrival, Cormega's The Realness lived up to its title. After years of waiting his turn, the MC asserted himself to step forth with a body of work that combined a passion for wisdom-drenched lyricism with a survivor's tale of life in New York City streets and the Rap industry. The independently... Read more

September 20, 2022 Exclusive, Interview, Video

KRS-One Joins Forces With AZ & O.C. To Save The Culture

Last week, Ambrosia For Heads premiered "Represent The Real," a powerhouse collaboration between AZ, KRS-One, and O.C. That song, produced and released by Dublin, Ireland's Stylistic Murder (and the A-side to a special 7" vinyl single, with a B-side featuring ONYX, has now released a music video, which conveniently begins... Read more

August 19, 2022 Video

KRS-One, AZ & O.C. Represent Real Hip-Hop With Style

UPDATE: Stylistic Murder has released the music video for "Represent The Real," featuring AZ, KRS-One, and O.C.: ORIGINAL AUGUST 11 STORY: Today (August 11) marks Hip-Hop's birthday. In celebration of the date, three elite MCs who have stood for the culture come together for a special collaboration premiering at Ambrosia For... Read more

August 11, 2022 Exclusive, Video

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

AZ Drops Another Vintage Verse On A New Song With Logic

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

June 17, 2022 Audio

Nas Has Released A New Album With More Hit-Boy Magic

In the closing days of 2021, Nas has released his second album this calendar. In March, Nas won his first Grammy Award, taking home "Best Rap Album" honors for King's Disease, produced entirely by Hit-Boy. Then, in August, Nas and Hit returned with King's Disease 2. The Mass Appeal Records sophomore effort... Read more

December 24, 2021 Audio

The 14 Best Rap Albums Of 2021…What Did We Miss

As 2021 comes to a close, it is appropriate to reflect on a remarkable year for Hip-Hop music and news. Although we did it slightly differently this year, Ambrosia For Heads shares our list of the best Hip-Hop Albums Of 2021. On episode #72 of the What's The Headline podcast—starting at 1:13:00—we list our... Read more

December 21, 2021 Best Rap Albums Of 2021, Video

Nas, Jadakiss & Rick Ross Unite On A New Collabo

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 and listen... Read more

December 5, 2021 Audio

AZ Says He’s Down To Make Music For The Firm’s 25th Anniversary

Last month, AZ released one of the most anticipated albums of 2021. The East New York, Brooklyn veteran delivered Doe Or Die 2, a sequel to his lauded 1995 debut–and an album that AZ had been hyping since the early 2010s. Proudly independent, AZ self-released the LP on his Quiet... Read more

October 26, 2021 Exclusive, Video

AZ Is Still Keeping It Real On Doe Or Die 2

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, is better than it’s ever been. Not only can we go back... Read more

September 10, 2021 Audio

Nas Is In The Second Prime Of His Career

For the second time in less than a year, Nas has released an album. King's Disease II follows 2020's campaign, which landed Nas his first Grammy award, taking home "Best Rap Album" honors in early '21. Entirely produced by Hit-Boy, KD1 included reuniting the founding members of The Firm (along with the group's album... Read more

August 10, 2021 Video

Swizz Beatz & Timbaland Are Giving Ownership In Verzuz To All Past Participants

It was an exciting week for Hip-Hop. Sunday culminated with a first-time Grammy win for Nas, a poignant second win for Anderson .Paak (as well as a show-stopping performance), and more. As many looked back at a year defined by the pandemic, the week also saw the acquisition of one... Read more

March 16, 2021 Video

Here Are Our 20 Best Rap Albums Of 2020

We can all agree that 2020 has been something else. But we can also agree music has been a godsend—especially Hip-Hop music. It has been a pivotal year for Ambrosia For Heads, after a decade of dedication to the culture. However—as we like to do about this time, AFH offers our annual list of... Read more

December 15, 2020 Best Rap Albums Of 2020

Nas Releases His King’s Disease Album. Where Does It Rank In His Catalog?

Last Friday (August 21), Nas released his 13th solo album, King’s Disease. Produced entirely by the Inland Empire native Hit-Boy, the project features appearances by Anderson .Paak, Charlie Wilson, Big Sean, and Dr. Dre, among others. The Mass Appeal Records release also marks a surprise reunion of The Firm. The... Read more

August 24, 2020 Fresh

Last Week In Hip-Hop: Nas Has A New Album Coming. How Many Classics Does He Have?

In less than a week (August 21), Nas is slated to release his 13th solo album, King's Disease. With 2019's Lost Tapes 2 serving as a welcomed snack for fans, this marks the first new LP from Nasir Jones since 2018's NASIR-a collection produced entirely by Kanye West. Maintaining that... Read more

August 17, 2020 Fresh

Erick Sermon, Styles P & AZ Team Up To Save The Rap Game (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let Ambrosia For Heads 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... Read more

April 28, 2019 Audio

Cormega Breaks Down His Evocative New EP & Why The Fans Matter The Most

In the closing week of 2018, Cormega self-released Mega. The five-song project (that also includes the instrumentals) marked the MC's first in more than four years. The New Yorker partnered with Streetrunner, the veteran Grammy Award-winning producer co-credited for Meek Mill, JAY-Z, and Rick Ross' "What's Free?" in addition to... Read more

March 10, 2019 Exclusive, Interview

AZ Is Not Part Of Marley Marl’s Crew But His Video Shows He’s Still Got Juice

Last Friday (January 18), AZ premiered some new music at Ambrosia For Heads. "It's Time" is a fitting title for the Brooklyn, New York O.G. who has teased fans with Doe Or Die 2 throughout the decade. This June makes it an even 10 years since S.O.S.A. put an album... Read more

January 24, 2019 Video

Nas & Rick Ross Team Up To Deliver Another Chin Check (Audio)

Throughout the last dozen years, Nas and Rick Ross have collaborated many times, usually on Rozay's albums. The South Florida rapper is clearly inspired by Nas—an artist whose many gifts include detailed imagery, and a knack for blending street exploits with quote-worthy wisdom. Fresh off of last year's stellar "Powers... Read more

November 16, 2018 Audio

AZ Gets Down To Firm Biz As He Rates The Rhymes Of Nas, Future & More (Video)

AZ is the latest guest on the "Rate The Bars" program. Many Hip-Hop Heads revere the Brooklyn, New Yorker for his lyricism, wordplay, and imagery. The MC said to be at work on his long-anticipated Doe Or Die 2 is a fitting and qualified judge for others' rhymes. As a... Read more

July 9, 2018 Video

Cardi B Is The First Woman Rapper In Hip-Hop History To Have Two #1 Singles

Even as she awaits her first child, Cardi B is steadily making moves that haven’t been made before in Rap. Her latest single, “I Like It” featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin has climbed to the #1 slot on the Billboard "Hot 100" chart. This second hit comes after, “Bodak... Read more

July 3, 2018 News

Swizz Beatz Says He & Nas Made An Album Together In 2016 & A Taste Is Coming

It was in the summer of 2016 that DJ Khaled released "Nas Album Done." That video single, belonging to the Miami, Florida-based DJ/producer's #1 album Major Key signaled something that eventually came to fruition—in June 2018. Last month, Nas released Nasir, a project produced entirely by Kanye West. Debuting at... Read more

July 2, 2018 Fresh

Capone-N-Noreaga Join Forces With Cormega To Rule A Track Like Queens Kings (Audio)

It's been four years since Cormega released an album. Still, the Queens, New York representative has stayed busy releasing books, a la carte singles, and maintaining his ironclad reputation for feature work. 2014's Large Professor-produced Mega Philosophy is an album that offered plenty to sustain fans of introspection and cultural... Read more

April 23, 2018 Audio

Kanye West Says He Produced Nas’ Next Album & Shares The Release Date

Last week, Kanye West used his rediscovered enjoyment for tweeting to announce four albums. The G.O.O.D. Music founder revealed his next release (an apparent EP), a collaboration with Kid Cudi, and new label releases from Pusha T and Teyana Taylor. Tonight (April 22), West provided some more detail on his... Read more

April 22, 2018 News

Nas & Black Star Will Share The Stage This Summer

Nas and Black Star are two championed Hip-Hop acts. Whereas Nas has released 11 solo albums, in addition to compilations, and group work with The Firm and Distant Relatives, Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey have just one group LP. In 2018, reports are lingering that both entities have album plans... Read more

April 12, 2018 Fresh

Snoop Dogg Provides New Details About 1996 Meeting Between Tupac & Nas (Video)

On September 4, 1996, the MTV Video Music Awards took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, and Suge Knight were in Manhattan at a time when tensions were strong between their Death Row Records and several top Rap artists from the Big... Read more

March 19, 2018 Video

Do Remember When AZ & Pete Rock Made A Gem That Was Rather Unique (Audio)

Almost exactly a year and a half after his show-stopping appearance on Nas' Illmatic, AZ Tha Visualiza released his debut album, Doe Or Die. In October of 1995, AZ carefully refrained from any further features between his 5-mic debut and his solo set-up. Fans were starving, and the East New... Read more

February 15, 2018 Do Remember

Planet Asia Recruits AZ For One Of His Biggest & Best Collabos (Audio Premiere)

Two qualities define and distinguish the two-decade-plus career of Fresno, California MC Planet Asia. First, his central role within the independent Hip-Hop scene on the West Coast (he is credited with helping reinvigorate the movement back in the late '90s), and his bold production choices. Planet Asia’s 2017 collaboration with... Read more

January 18, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

How Nas & De La Soul Battled For The Future Of Hip-Hop & Splintered It Forever (Video)

Last month, producer 9th Wonder remembered July 2, 1996's impact on the Hip-Hop community. During one of the biggest commercial booms of Rap albums, Nas released It Was Written the same Tuesday that De La Soul dropped Stakes Is High. Those two releases, coming from artists running in the same... Read more

November 4, 2017 Exclusive, TBD, Video

Nas Was Only 16 When He Wrote Illmatic. He Reminisces On The Music That Made Him (Video)

Since his days of being "too scared to grab the mics in the park" and "breakin' into candy factories," Nas' youth is legendary. Since Illmatic, the son of Jazz trumpeter Olu Dara and Anne Jones chronicled his adolescence in rhyme. The Hip-Hop culture listened, and apparently related to an MC... Read more

September 28, 2017 Fresh

Nas Lends His Words To A Remix For A$AP Rocky Affiliate Joe Fox (Audio)

Nas has dropped guest verses for folks he believes in, across genre. British singer Joe Fox was a powerful force on A$AP Rocky's At.Long.Last.A$AP album in 2015. He appeared on five songs, several of which were video singles. The singer's delivery sounds like something out of the late '60s, coming... Read more

September 26, 2017 Audio

AZ, Papoose & Mysonne Are Grown Men Who Are Unafraid To Rap Like It (Video)

Rap music about street exploits is a lot of what is made every single day. AZ, Papoose, and Mysonne have all done this, quite effectively, at various points in their respective careers. However, these three New York City MCs also know when it's time to spit about the exit strategy—not... Read more

September 14, 2017 Video

Nas Details What Made Biggie One Of The Greatest To Ever Touch The Mic (Video)

Nas and The Notorious B.I.G. were both friends and rivals. With a complicated history—one of legend, the two artists tragically never were able to share a song—despite plans for a "Gimme The Loot (Remix)" in 1994-1995. Looking at the life and work of his man, Nas gives it up for... Read more

September 6, 2017 TV, TV/Film, Video

Nas Says His Place In Hip-Hop Is Secured & The Album Is Too (Video)

Hours after his 2017 BET Awards performance, DJ Khaled releases the latest video from his Grateful album. The veteran DJ-turned-superstar has made a lot of noise in the last 12 months through Nas collaborations. On "It's Secured," the pair keep the chemistry bubbling, alongside some chorus work from Travi$ Scott.... Read more

June 26, 2017 Video

AZ, Raekwon & Prodigy Show That Rhymes Are Like Life Or Death To Great MCs (Video)

In April, AZ released a powerful collaboration alongside Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon and Mobb Deep's Prodigy. "Save Them" was guttural East Coast Rap, produced by D.I.T.C. member Buckwild. These three MCs proved that they've been able to stay sharp, make incredible product, and never compromise from who they said they were... Read more

June 12, 2017 Video

Nas, Ghostface Killah & Just Blaze To Headline 2017 A3C Festival

2017 marks 13 years of A3C. The Hip-Hop festival and conference in Atlanta, Georgia has announced its headliners and confirmed performers for this year (taking place October 4-8). With an album done (and possibly released ahead of his A3C concert), Nas is the headliner. After more than 25 years on... Read more

May 31, 2017 Fresh

The Woman At The Center Of The JAY-Z & Nas Beef Speaks Up & Tells Truths (Video)

Carmen Bryan is not a household name. However, she was strongly referenced in one of the most famous feuds in music history. In 2001, Jay Z launched "The Takeover" as part of his Blueprint campaign. The opening song to the acclaimed album put a reportedly longstanding tension with Nas out... Read more

May 1, 2017 Video

Nas Dusts Off A Gil Scott-Heron Sample For A Nasty Look At Addiction (Audio)

Nas is an executive producer (and rhyme-writer) on the series, The Get Down. Set in the 1970s Bronx, the show looks at the earliest days of Hip-Hop music and culture, and the circumstances around its creation. While DJ'ing, MC'ing, breakin', and graffiti are colorful forms of expression, crime, drugs, and... Read more

April 11, 2017 Audio, The Bridge

AZ, Raekwon & Prodigy Are Out To Carry On Tradition For Hip-Hop, Doe Or Die (Audio)

Hip-Hop Heads knew that April 7, 2017 was going to be a big day for the music. However, few could have expected that three supreme lyricists from the 1993-1994 class of New York City Rap would come together to do microphone damage to make today all the more special. Marching... Read more

April 7, 2017 Audio

10 Years Ago, Rakim, Nas, Kanye West & KRS-One Made A Classic (Video)

This week, a new video with D.M.C. revealed how telling his verse on "My Adidas" truly was. The Hollis, Queens superstar MC pointed back to the lyrics claiming he took the beat of the street and put it on TV. In doing just as Darryl McDaniels said, the world followed,... Read more

March 23, 2017 Do Remember

Nas Powers Up With His First Verse Of The Year (Audio)

Last month, during a DJ battle between Just Blaze and Swizz Beatz, the Ruff Ryders producer brought out the big guns. Swizzy played a never-before heard song by Nas, Jay Z, Jadakiss, and DMX. On one hand, the record called back to the late '90s and early 2000s, when Ruff... Read more

March 18, 2017 Audio