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Yasiin Bey Clarifies His Drake Comments With A Strong Message

Yasiin Bey Clarifies His Drake Comments With A Strong Message

Earlier this month, a rare Yasiin Bey interview led to high-profile controversy. The MC/producer formerly known as Mos Def was asked his opinions on Drake during an interview with podcast host OMONDI for her The Cutting Room Floor. While the full episode lives behind a Patreon paywall, Yasiin's response to... Read more
January 29, 2024 News, Trending Stories, Video
Drake Responds To Yasiin Bey Saying He Is Not Hip-Hop

Drake Responds To Yasiin Bey Saying He Is Not Hip-Hop

In the first month of the new year, one of the biggest stories came from clips from a Yasiin Bey interview. The artist formerly known as Mos Def made a rare media appearance on The Cutting Room Floor podcast. While there, in footage published last week, the Brooklyn, New York native and Black... Read more
January 16, 2024 Fresh, Trending Stories
The 25 Most Important Rap Albums Of Hip-Hop’s First 50 Years

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
August 17, 2023 Exclusive, Food for Thought, Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary
Black Star’s New Album Has Been Liberated

Black Star’s New Album Has Been Liberated

In early 2022, Black Star released their first album in nearly a quarter century. No Fear Of Time was produced entirely by Madlib and featured a guest verse from Black Thought. By the end of '22, Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli's sophomore LP was one of the year's best albums and signaled a growing... Read more
June 29, 2023 Audio
Black Thought’s Streams Of Thought Vol. 4 Is Done & Packed With All-Stars

Black Thought’s Streams Of Thought Vol. 4 Is Done & Packed With All-Stars

On Friday (April 14), Black Thought released his sixth solo project in the last five years. Since 2018, a time when The Roots have not been dropping albums, the co-founder of The Roots has enhanced his solo career with his first-ever projects of this kind. Thought launched the Streams Of... Read more
April 16, 2023 News
Joey Bada$$ Performs Mos Def’s Umi Says & Smashes It

Joey Bada$$ Performs Mos Def’s Umi Says & Smashes It

In 2022, Joey Bada$$ released one of the year's best albums courtesy of 2000. The spiritual sequel to Joey's breakthrough 1999 mixtape a decade earlier, 2000 was named among Ambrosia For Heads ' best of the year. Although it was an overt snub by the Grammy Awards in their "Best... Read more
January 20, 2023 Video
The 15 Best Rap Albums Of 2022

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
Black Star & Westside Gunn Join Forces For A Song That’s On 10

Black Star & Westside Gunn Join Forces For A Song That’s On 10

Last month, Westside Gunn released 10. What began as a mixtape series a decade turned into a vehicle that delivered the Buffalo, New York MC and label founder to the mainstream. Griselda Records has become a movement to be reckoned with, and WSG has helped usher in a renaissance of... Read more
November 30, 2022 Video
Black Star Make SNL Chappelle’s Show With 2 Stellar Performances

Black Star Make SNL Chappelle’s Show With 2 Stellar Performances

In 2016, the Saturday following a pivotal American election, Dave Chappelle hosted SNL in one of the sketch show's more memorable moments of the last decade. That November 12 night, the musical guest was the recently reunited A Tribe Called Quest, making a rare performance following the death of Phife... Read more
November 13, 2022 TV, TV/Film, Video
Black Star & Westside Gunn Join Forces On A Collabo That’s Hot Fire

Black Star & Westside Gunn Join Forces On A Collabo That’s Hot Fire

Today (October 28), Westside Gunn delivers 10, the completion of his cult-lauded #HWH series. The Griselda Records founder's second LP of 2022 is a star-studded affair that features Run The Jewels, Raekwon, Busta Rhymes, A$AP Rocky, Ghostface Killah in a cast that also includes The Goo Goo Dolls' Robby Takac... Read more
October 28, 2022 Audio
Mos Def Explains How He Knew Kanye West Would Be Great

Mos Def Explains How He Knew Kanye West Would Be Great

Yesterday (September 9), Drink Champs aired the audio version its long-awaited episode featuring Black Star and Dave Chappelle. One of the limited press spots that Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey have done surrounding their May album, the Madlib-produced No Fear Of Time featured talk about the LP, but it is... Read more
September 10, 2022 Audio
Rawkus Records’ Rise & Fall Is Detailed In A New Video

Rawkus Records’ Rise & Fall Is Detailed In A New Video

It was 15 years ago this fall that Rawkus Records stopped releasing albums. The "Rawkus 50" campaign allowed a new generation of MCs and producers to digitally release product with the same label that introduced many Hip-Hop Heads to names like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Company Flow, High & Mighty,... Read more
August 28, 2022 Video
Black Star Has Released The Best Rap Album Of 2022 So Far

Black Star Has Released The Best Rap Album Of 2022 So Far

Earlier this week (May 3), one of the most anticipated albums has released. Black Star's No Fear Of Time arrived after nearly a quarter-century since the duo's first and only other album, Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star. The two MCs have hinted towards a sophomore album sporadically over the last four years, eventually... Read more
May 5, 2022 Video
Dave Chappelle Was Attacked On Stage Last Night

Dave Chappelle Was Attacked On Stage Last Night

Last night (May 3), comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked during a performance at Los Angeles, California's Hollywood Bowl. Based on The New York Times reports, a man from the audience accessed the stage where he tackled the 48-year-old comedian and actor. TMZ and other sources have reported that the man was armed with a... Read more
May 4, 2022 News, Video
Black Star Release The Featured Artists On Their New Album

Black Star Release The Featured Artists On Their New Album

In less than a month, one of the most anticipated Hip-Hop albums of all time is set to release. On May 3, Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli will wave the Black Star flag once more with the duo's second album in nearly 24 years. Late last week, the Brooklyn, New York... Read more
April 12, 2022 Video
Black Star’s Madlib-Produced Album Gets A Title & Release Date

Black Star’s Madlib-Produced Album Gets A Title & Release Date

After years in the making, Black Star's sophomore album has a title and release date. Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli are scheduled to follow-up their 1998 debut nearly 25 years later with No Fear Of Time. As anticipated since early 2018, the Brooklyn, New York duo is teaming with producer... Read more
April 8, 2022 Fresh
Dave Chappelle Was Abused & No One’s Talking About It

Dave Chappelle Was Abused & No One’s Talking About It

Last month, Dave Chappelle released his first standup special in more than a year. The Closer features material that the star comedian had been performing for a couple of years before delivering it for his sixth (and allegedly final) installment of his current blockbuster Netflix contract. Notably, the specials open... Read more
November 28, 2021 Lifestyle
A New Mos Def & Al Green Mashup Brings Much Love & Happiness (Audio)

A New Mos Def & Al Green Mashup Brings Much Love & Happiness (Audio)

Mos Def (aka Yasiin Bey) and the Reverend Al Green are two voices that transcend genre. Al Green built a career in Southern Soul music. At the top of the 1980s, after chart-topping hits and platinum albums, he pivoted to Gospel. In recent years, Reverend Al made a return to... Read more
December 17, 2019 Audio, Mixes
Yasiin Bey & Talib Kweli Detail How Black Star’s Upcoming Album Came To Be

Yasiin Bey & Talib Kweli Detail How Black Star’s Upcoming Album Came To Be

For nearly two years, Hip-Hop fans have heard bits and pieces surrounding a second album by Black Star. In February of 2018, Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) told concert-goers in Colorado that he and Talib Kweli were recording. “New Black Star with Madlib, Talib Kweli, Yasiin, coming soon!,” said the... Read more
December 10, 2019 Fresh
Go Behind The Scenes Of Robert Glasper’s Star-Studded Blue Note Residency (Video)

Go Behind The Scenes Of Robert Glasper’s Star-Studded Blue Note Residency (Video)

Robert Glasper is an extremely busy man. If he’s not putting out new work like his latest project, F*ck Yo Feelings, he’s assisting friends such as Terrace Martin, Herbie Hancock, and PJ Morton with their own projects. One would wonder just how the award-winning composer and pianist spend his downtime... Read more
November 25, 2019 Video
DJ Premier Reveals All The MCs He Asked To Be On The Gang Starr Album & What Happened

DJ Premier Reveals All The MCs He Asked To Be On The Gang Starr Album & What Happened

At the top of the month, Gang Starr released One Of The Best Yet. The seventh album by Guru and DJ Premier features familiar collaborators such as Big Shug, Group Home, Jeru The Damaja, M.O.P., and Freddie Foxxx. Additionally, J. Cole, Talib Kweli, Royce 5'9, Q-Tip, and Nitty Scott, MC... Read more
November 24, 2019 Audio, Fresh
Talib Kweli Says The New Black Star Album With Madlib Is Done

Talib Kweli Says The New Black Star Album With Madlib Is Done

Nearly two years ago, Yasiin Bey spilled the beans that Black Star was at work on a sophomore album. In February of 2018, the artist formerly known as Mos Def told Colorado audiences that he and Talib Kweli were working on an album with Madlib. “New Black Star with Madlib, Talib... Read more
November 7, 2019 Fresh, Video
Dave Chappelle Accepts Comedy’s Highest Honor With Heartfelt Words For His Peers

Dave Chappelle Accepts Comedy’s Highest Honor With Heartfelt Words For His Peers

On Sunday night (October 27), Dave Chappelle received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at Washington, D.C.'s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The prestigious award was given just miles from where the 46-year-old spent a big part of his youth. "That's why I love my art-form.... Read more
October 29, 2019 Lifestyle, News, Video
Black On Both Sides Is Still Mos Def After 20 Years

Black On Both Sides Is Still Mos Def After 20 Years

Twenty years ago today (October 12, 1999), Mos Def released his solo debut, Black On Both Sides. After two decades of testing time, the Rawkus Records album remains a hallmark from the Underground Hip-Hop boom. On his own strict terms, Dante Smith crafted an LP driven by creativity, piercing commentary,... Read more
October 12, 2019 Food for Thought
Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Yasiin Bey, DJ Quik & E-40 Headline 2019’s A3C Festival Lineup

Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Yasiin Bey, DJ Quik & E-40 Headline 2019’s A3C Festival Lineup

A3C has announced its 2019 lineup. This year the Atlanta, Georgia festival is running for six days and features a host of artists from across the generations of Hip-Hop. Topping the bill of legends we have Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def), who will be putting on a 20th-anniversary Black On... Read more
September 13, 2019 Fresh
Yasiin Bey To Perform Black On Both Sides As 20th-Anniversary Homecoming Concert

Yasiin Bey To Perform Black On Both Sides As 20th-Anniversary Homecoming Concert

This fall marks 20 years since Mos Def released his acclaimed solo debut, Black On Both Sides. The gold-certified Rawkus Records release followed praises from Black Star's album a year earlier. It also showed a versatile artist who rapped, sang, and commanded audiences with a purist's, stripped-down approach to Hip-Hop... Read more
September 10, 2019 Fresh
Marlon Craft Says He’s Mos Def, Talib Kweli & Nas Combined In A Fiery Freestyle

Marlon Craft Says He’s Mos Def, Talib Kweli & Nas Combined In A Fiery Freestyle

Marlon Craft is out to uphold a rich tradition of New York City Hip-Hop. From Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen, this MC put in work on last year's exceptional A Breukelen Story album from Masta Ace & Marco Polo—named one of Ambrosia For Heads' best of '18. Previously, Marlon has been behind... Read more
July 29, 2019 Video
In 2008, Black Thought, Styles P & Mos Def United To Elevate Hip-Hop

In 2008, Black Thought, Styles P & Mos Def United To Elevate Hip-Hop

By 2008, the legendary Roots crew were already well established as Hip-Hop's hardest working band. During the mid-2000s, the Grammy Award-winning Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based group was transitioning its mood. The collective's eighth studio album Rising Down followed the darker, sometimes angsty themes of 2006's Game Theory. In an election year, the... Read more
July 11, 2019 Do Remember
Freddie Gibbs Draws Depictions Of Bandana Songs & He Goes Hard In The Paint (Video)

Freddie Gibbs Draws Depictions Of Bandana Songs & He Goes Hard In The Paint (Video)

Freddie Gibbs is a ferocious MC who raps about the ills of hustling, gangland, and no-strings-attached romance. However, the Gary, Indiana veteran has a sense of humor. That wit regularly makes its way into similes and metaphors in lyrics, and music videos like 2018's "Automatic," where he played a dirty... Read more
July 1, 2019 Video
Black Thought, Yasiin Bey & Freddie Gibbs Educate MCs Over A Madlib Beat

Black Thought, Yasiin Bey & Freddie Gibbs Educate MCs Over A Madlib Beat

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
June 28, 2019 Audio
Madlib & Freddie Gibbs’ Bandana Tracklist Features Yasiin Bey, Pusha & Black Thought

Madlib & Freddie Gibbs’ Bandana Tracklist Features Yasiin Bey, Pusha & Black Thought

This Friday (June 28), Madlib & Freddie Gibbs are releasing their sophomore collaborative album, Bandana. Following three preliminary songs and one music video, the Oxnard, California-to-Gary, Indiana pair has unveiled the tracklist to the Keep Cool/RCA Records release. Notably, it reveals that the March drop, "Bandana" is not included among... Read more
June 24, 2019 Fresh
Black Thought, Yasiin Bey, Pharoahe Monch & Tobe Nwigwe Make A New Live At The BBQ

Black Thought, Yasiin Bey, Pharoahe Monch & Tobe Nwigwe Make A New Live At The BBQ

Yesterday (June 1), The Roots hosted their 12th-annual picnic in the legendary group's hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event moved this year to the Mann Center, in the same West Philly that Questlove represents. With active three stages, the day was filled with incredible performances, including a 20th-anniversary rendition of... Read more
June 2, 2019 Exclusive, Video
Yasiin Bey Has Premiered A New Album As An Art Exhibit

Yasiin Bey Has Premiered A New Album As An Art Exhibit

It's been a while since heads got new music from Yasiin Bey. The MC formerly known as Mos Def announced his retirement from Hip Hop music in a 2016 Facebook Live video, but it never really seemed like he was ready to hang up the mic. He continued to hit... Read more
April 1, 2019 News
Yasiin Bey, Talib Kweli & Anderson .Paak Rock The Stage With Robert Glasper (Videos)

Yasiin Bey, Talib Kweli & Anderson .Paak Rock The Stage With Robert Glasper (Videos)

Robert Glasper's ongoing Blue Note residency in New York City is bringing out some of the illest talent Hip-Hop, R&B, and Jazz has to offer. The two-time Grammy Award-winning keyboardist, songwriter, and producer showed that on Saturday night (October 13). Glasper had Black Star and Anderson .Paak as guests on... Read more
October 15, 2018 Exclusive, Video
20 Years Ago Black Star Released A Gold Standard For Hip-Hop (Audio)

20 Years Ago Black Star Released A Gold Standard For Hip-Hop (Audio)

Twenty years ago today (September 29, 1998), Mos Def and Talib Kweli joined forces and waved the Black Star flag courtesy of an incredible album. Time-tested, that same flag is forever planted in ears, hearts, and consciousness of so many Hip-Hop Heads. After two decades, Mos Def & Talib Kweli... Read more
September 29, 2018 Audio, Throwback
Finding The GOAT Group: Black Star vs. The Roots. Who Is Better?

Finding The GOAT Group: Black Star vs. The Roots. 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
August 9, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT
Black Star Show Why One Of Their Defining Messages Remains Timeless (Video)

Black Star Show Why One Of Their Defining Messages Remains Timeless (Video)

Black Star represented a needed voice in the late 1990s when Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) and Talib Kweli first emerged under the group name. Their “Definition” single and its next track reprise, “RE:DEFinition,” spoke out against violence in Hip-Hop at a time when the community was mourning the losses... Read more
August 1, 2018 Exclusive, Video
Yasiin Bey Is Opening An Art Gallery To Keep Hip-Hop In The South Bronx

Yasiin Bey Is Opening An Art Gallery To Keep Hip-Hop In The South Bronx

After Black Star album reports began in February, it has been a busier year than most for Yasiin Bey. He and partner Talib Kweli performed at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival just last weekend (July 14). It comes in the midst of a 20-year-celebration of their landmark Rawkus Records LP. Now,... Read more
July 18, 2018 Lifestyle, News
Black Star’s Talib Kweli & Yasiin Bey Define What Hip-Hop Means To Them Today (Audio)

Black Star’s Talib Kweli & Yasiin Bey Define What Hip-Hop Means To Them Today (Audio)

Celebrating 20 years since their landmark album, Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) and Talib Kweli have been busy taking their show on the road. On Saturday (July 14), the pair rocked the hometown stage at the 2018 Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival. The day before (July 13), the former Rawkus Records... Read more
July 17, 2018 Audio
Black Star Is Performing Live With A Band Right Now. Watch Here (Video)

Black Star Is Performing Live With A Band Right Now. Watch Here (Video)

Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) and Talib Kweli, aka Black Star, are performing live right now Live at Jazz à Vienne 2018. If you miss the live performance, stay tuned. We will update the post with the on demand video, if it is made available.... Read more
July 11, 2018 Video
Finding The GOAT Group: Black Star vs. Slum Village. Who Is Better?

Finding The GOAT Group: Black Star vs. Slum Village. 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
July 9, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT
Finding The GOAT Group: Organized Konfusion vs. Black Star. Who Is Better?

Finding The GOAT Group: Organized Konfusion vs. Black Star. 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
May 11, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT
Yasiin Bey & Talib Kweli Are Reuniting On Stage To Celebrate 20 Years Of Black Star

Yasiin Bey & Talib Kweli Are Reuniting On Stage To Celebrate 20 Years Of Black Star

September marks 20 years since the release of Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. The collaborative album was the first full-length efforts from both Brooklyn, New York MCs. The Rawkus Records pair has gone on to decorated solo careers, capturing some of that Black Star chemistry on a... Read more
April 24, 2018 Fresh
Nas & Black Star Will Share The Stage This Summer

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
Talib Kweli’s New Video Is Incredibly Powerful In Its Silence

Talib Kweli’s New Video Is Incredibly Powerful In Its Silence

Talib Kweli’s newest video for the single “Radio Silence” featuring Amber Coffman and Myka 9, visually mirrors the track’s message in the most artfully accurate way. The visuals for the title track off Kweli’s eighth solo album, Radio Silence (an inclusion in Ambrosia For Heads' Top 15 albums of 2017),... Read more
February 26, 2018 Video
Tech N9ne Rates The Bars & He Punishes A Guest Verse From 1 Of His Songs (Video)

Tech N9ne Rates The Bars & He Punishes A Guest Verse From 1 Of His Songs (Video)

Tech N9ne is the latest guest on "Rate The Bars." The co-founder of Strange Music stresses that he wants to see some gangsta songwriting. The Kansas City, Missouri veteran, Indie Rap juggernaut, and member of The Regime hands out several perfect scores, praising bars that are especially rooted in street-life.... Read more
February 19, 2018 Video
Yasiin Bey Says Black Star Is Working On New Music With Madlib (Audio)

Yasiin Bey Says Black Star Is Working On New Music With Madlib (Audio)

This August makes 20 years since the release of Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. The Rawkus Records album is a benchmark album of Hip-Hop's underground uprising, and a key introduction of Mos Def (nka Yasiin Bey), Talib Kweli, and producer DJ Hi-Tek. While Talib and Yasiin have collaborated... Read more
February 11, 2018 Audio, News
Talib Kweli Details How He And Mos Def Became Family Before They Were Black Star (Video)

Talib Kweli Details How He And Mos Def Became Family Before They Were Black Star (Video)

This week, Talib Kweli appeared on Desus & Mero to promote November 17's Radio Silence album. That LP reunites Kweli with Jay Electronica and Anderson .Paak, as well as features a range of guests, from Waka Flocka Flame to Freestyle Fellowship's Myka 9 to Rick Ross. In making his return... Read more
October 27, 2017 Video
9th Wonder Explains Why Soundbombing & Rawkus Kept His Hip-Hop Dreams Alive (Video)

9th Wonder Explains Why Soundbombing & Rawkus Kept His Hip-Hop Dreams Alive (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 24, 2017 Exclusive, Last 7, Video
EPMD Are Working On An Album Only Featuring Classic Hip-Hop Duos (Video)

EPMD Are Working On An Album Only Featuring Classic Hip-Hop Duos (Video)

It has been almost nine years since legendary duo EPMD released an album. Late 2008's We Mean Business marked the seventh group effort for Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith. The EP/RBC Records release was a departure from the six consecutive gold albums the Long Islanders released dating back to 1988's... Read more
October 1, 2017 News, Video
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