What's The Headline: Recent Episodes
Ambrosia For Heads
What's The Headline is a podcast brought to you by Ambrosia For Heads. Each week, AFH’s Founder Reggie Williams and its Editor-In-Chief Jake Paine will discuss life through the lens of Hip-Hop. Conducted remotely, Jake and Reggie will talk TV, Film, Sports, Current Events and, above all, Music. In addition to conversation that invites fans to participate through comments and even occasionally joining the chat, Reggie and Jake will invite artists and others to drop in and discuss their projects. As always, the conversations will be led by the music first.
The D.O.C. joins this episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast. He discusses his new documentary, his first verse in 19 years, performing for the first time in 33 years and more. He also details his formula for how to be a great MC.0:00 The D.O.C. has begun performing again for the first time in 33 years3:15 The D.O.C discusses why the message in Rap music has changed for the worst5:35 The D.O.C. is considering putting out more new music.6:50 The D.O.C. explains how he is able to sing 7:38 The D.O.C. discusses the possibility of using AI to rap again8:45 The D.O.C. says his documentary will show where he’s going in the next 10 years of his life14:00 The D.O.C. discusses how he developed Snoop Dogg and Eazy-E15:42 The D.O.C. explains why all rappers have their own individual cadence18:37 He discusses the times he’s written rhymes that MCs were not able to rap properly19:30 The D.O.C. details the formula for developing a rap style21:14 The D.O.C. explains why he was mad at Biggie until he met him24:00 Method Man is the one guy who’s cadence The D.O.C. cannot replicate24:44 The D.O.C. explains what made Suge Knight a successful business man25:58 The D.O.C. discusses his enduring relationships with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg31:15 The D.O.C. says “The Grand Finale” was a battle between him, Ice Cube and MC Ren32:45 On recording his verse for The Codefendants’ “Fast Ones”34:48 Who The D.O.C. would take in a crew battle between N.W.A. & The Posse and Death Row36:14 The D.O.C. speaks on the character that may have based on him in CB437:30 On his shoutout from JAY-Z on The Black Album’s “PSA”38:00 Why his documentary will be the best music documentary ever.
ack Harlow's Jackman. album is his best yet and also his most controversial. We discuss the album, the best and worst posthumous Rap albums of all-time, Pras Michel's conviction and more on this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast.0:00 Intro2:34 Jack Harlow’s Jackman. album is his best yet13:41 Jack Harlow blasts white fans who are down with black culture but not black people on “Common Ground”40:40 Jack Harlow lists the many things his success is due to outside of his race on “It Can’t Be”54:18 Jack Harlow says he is the best white rapper since Eminem on “They Don’t Love It”59:45 Does Jack Harlow have the potential to be as big as Drake?1:04:47 Jack Harlow talks about many other surprising subjects on Jackman.1:09:08 Are posthumous albums good or bad for artists and their legacies1:22:45 The best and worst posthumous Rap albums of all-time1:32:55 Pras Michel has been convicted of funneling money to influence politicians1:37:00 Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers tour is the highest grossing Rap tour of all-time1:39:20 RIP Harry Belafonte
In this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline podcast, we discuss our new partnership with BET to let fans decide who is the Greatest Rap Crew Of All-Time. We also review the new Dear Mama docuseries about Tupac and Afeni Shakur, remember Ahmad Jamal, discuss how AI will transform the music business and more.0:00 Intro3:00 Ambrosia For Heads is partnering with BET in a tournament to let fans decide who is the Greatest Rap Crew Of All-Time21:20 Reviewing the Dear Mama docuseries about Tupac and Afeni Shakur22:22 Can Allen Hughes objectively view Tupac given that Tupac assaulted him28:30 Key producers and participants in Dear Mama31:00 Why did FX premiere Dear Mama in the Friday night “graveyard” time slot36:22 Key themes in Dear Mama41:14 Tupac had many different personalities. Which one was really him48:35 Did Tupac’s being a chameleon play a role in his death57:40 New things we learn about Tupac from Dear Mama1:03:20 Current artists who embody Tupac’s spirit1:07:00 Previously unseen photos and footage in Dear Mama1:11:15 Remembering heavily-sampled Jazz musician Ahmad Jamal1:15:40 AI-generated deep fake songs will transform the music business forever1:23:53 Killer Mike is releasing a new solo album1:26:10 Frank Ocean’s Coachella performance was a disaster1:34:00 New music from Swizz Beatz, Jay Electronica and Lloyd Banks
In this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we review Black Thought and El Michel Affair's new Glorious Game album and take an in-depth look at how his solo releases have impacted his legacy as an MC. We also discuss the new J. Dilla documentary, Snoop Dogg's career-altering decision 30 years ago, and more.0:00 Intro4:55 Black Thought has released 6 projects in the last 5 years7:30 Black Thought is in the prime of his career in his 50s13:30 Black Thought’s career has flourished since he started releasing solo projects16:45 Reviewing Black Thought’s stellar album Glorious Game with El Michels Affair38:45 Black Thought is re-writing his legacy outside of The Roots53:45 Black Thougt’s Streams Of Thought, Vol. 4 album is done and packed with all-stors58:06 Who would be the ideal next producer for Black Thought?1:03:00 Is Black Thought still underrated?1:06:50 Reviewing The Legacy Of J. Dilla documentary1:19:55 Snoop Dogg gives several details of his life he has not previously shared1:24:52 Snoop Dogg was days away from signing a deal that would have prevented him from joining Death Row1:39:30 Snoop and Tupac battled the first night they met1:41:21 Jake tells an epic story about the time he interviewed Snoop1:49:20 50 Cent says he has been a billionaire since 2007
Royce 5'9 joins this week's episode of What's The Headline, along with his 25-year business partner, Kino Childrey. This is not an interview. It is an amazing conversation between trusted colleagues and friends. Here's what we discussed:0:00 Royce 5’9 joins AFH for a special edition of What’s The Headline0:10 How 2020 transformed Hip-Hop3:00 Why Royce 5’9 does not want to do a Verzuz battle6:40 Royce 5’9 on being a pioneer of Grown Man Rap and how Hip-Hop’s elder statesmen should move13:00 Royce 5’9 explains his virtual Heaven Experience in the metaverse26:00 Royce 5’9 on buying back his master recordings and the importance of ownership37:40 What caused the tensions within Slaughterhouse and why he felt betrayed46:40 Royce’s business partner Kino Childrey joins the conversation48:18 Why Kino and Royce built The Heaven Experience56:00 Royce and Kino discuss their new artist Courtney Bell and why he will change the game1:07:50 Royce 5’9 speaks on the lifestyle changes he’s made to stay healthy1:12:45 How Royce has grown over the years1:15:35 How Royce and Kino have overcome difficulties with each other over their 25 years together1:33:00 Royce speaks on whether we will get new music from him, PRhyme and Bad Meets Evil1:35:50 Royce 5’9 speaks on how he pushes Eminem1:38:30 Royce and Kino speak on how much of their growth is organic vs. strategic1:47:00 Royce 5’9 lists the first 5 producers he had, and all are legends1:53:00 Where fans can join The Heaven Experience virtual world1:55:55 Who will be bigger between LaRussell and Symba1:58:30 Why Royce and Kino are such great partners
This week in Hip-Hop was jam-packed. We discuss Nipsey Hussle's legacy 4 years later, the potential Verzuz rematch between The LOX and Dipset, protests against Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Akademik's criticism of J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake, and new music from Larry June & Alchemist, DJ Drama, Royce 5'9, Tyler, The Creator and more.0:00 Intro6:00 Remembering Nipsey Hussle 4 years later19:45 The LOX and Dipset want a Verzuz rematch. Here’s why they should not do it31:20 How should Afrika Bambaataa’s Hip-Hop legacy be handled in light of allegations against him53:20 DJ Akademiks called out J. Cole, Drake and Kendrick Lamar for no longer supporting Hip-Hop media outlets1:09:28 Snowfall’s Damson Idris discusses the behind the scenes help JAY-Z gives people1:16:57 DJ Jeff explains why He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper was supposed to sound very different1:21:00 Suge Knight is developing a TV series about his life1:25:26 Madlib is making new music with Erykah Badu, Mac Miller, MF DOOM and more1:31:10 Larry June & The Alchemist’s The Great Escape is the year’s first masterpiece album1:40:55 Tyler, The Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale is more than a deluxe version of his album1:46:30 DJ Drama is taking a victory lap with the release of his I’m Really Like That album1:52:00 Royce 5’9 released The Heaven Experience EP featuring Redman1:54:18 DJ Quik has released his first new music in years
This week, J. Cole released his first interview in years, and it was INSPIRATIONAL. On this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we break down Cole's interview and compare his secrets to success with those of Kendrick Lamar, Rapsody, Big K.R.I.T., Ab-Soul and JAY-Z. The similarities are fascinating...We also discuss how Tupac tried to change the culture at Death Row Records, DJ Premier's inside story on the making of Biggie's "Ten Crack Commandments" and new music from Hit-Boy & Nas, Mistah F.A.B., Lloyd Banks and Method Man, and more.
On this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast, we take a hard look at the conflicting versions of himself that Logic has presented over the years. We also discuss the passing of music great Bobby Caldwell, Just Blaze's status as at Top 10 Hip-Hop producer, and some new music by Statik Selektah, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and Raekwon, as well as releases by T-Pain and Curren$y and Jermaine Dupri.
On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we discuss Grandmaster Melle Mel's sharp critique of Billboard and VIBE's list of the 50 Greatest Rappers Of All Time, and his comments about JAY-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and Lil Wayne. We also talk about Jadakiss taking record labels to task about some of the content they promote. We discuss Snoop Dogg returning Death Row Records music to streaming services, Dreamville's Creed III soundtrack, Talib Kweli and Madlib's new joint album and more.
0:00 Intro
6:30 Grandmaster Melle Mel offers a sharp critique of the Billboard/VIBE list of the 50 Greatest Rappers Of All-Time
11:40 Why Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five’s “The Message” is one of the 3 best Rap songs of all-time
14:15 The criteria Billboard and VIBE used to create their list
15:00 Why was Melle Mel ranked so low as #48 on the Billboard/VIBE list of the 50 Greatest Rappers Of All-Time
19:30 Melle Mel says Busta Rhymes is a greater MC than JAY-Z and explains why
30:00 Melle Mel say Tupac is greater than both Biggie and JAY-Z
38:00 Melle Mel says nobody wants to rap like Kendrick Lamar and he does not deserve to be #2 on the list
42:40 Melle Mel says Eminem only gets placed at #5 because of his race
49:00 Melle Mel criticizes Lil Wayne for using autotune
51:30 Does Melle Mel’s opinion hold more weight because he is a pioneer of Hip-Hop
55:50 Jadakiss says record labels should be held accountable for releasing violent content
1:04:00 Use of the N word by non-Black people when listening to Rap
1:10:30 Death Row Records music is back on streaming services through Snoop’s partnership with a new major player in music
1:19:45 Many of Hip-Hop’s greatest icons came together to celebrate the release of De La Soul’s music on streaming services
1:22:00 DJ Quik details the behind the scenes intimidation that took place at Death Row Records
1:27:00 The D.O.C.’s first verse in 19 years shows he still has the formula
1:31:53 J. Cole’s Dreamville has created an incredible soundtrack for Creed III
1:41:10 Talib Kweli and Madlib have released their joint album Liberation 2
Biggie Smalls was the illest…Big had a top-notch flow, a booming voice, and lyrics drenched in authenticity and humor. The all-time great MC born Christopher Wallace said it was all a dream, and then he took us on a ride from his time as a stressed-out kid in the streets of Bed-Stuy…to when he made that dream a reality by becoming one of the biggest stars on the planet. And he did it all through sheer force of will and talent.
As metamorphic as Big’s life was, his iconic style shape-shifted too. Heads watched Biggie’s fashion transformation play out in real time. In five short years, The Notorious B.I.G. went from wearing bandanas and t-shirts to rocking tailored suits and silk shirts. As Biggie himself said on “Sky’s The Limit,” his style went from “ashy to classy…” And, it turns out, that was by design.
Behind the music videos, the Source magazine covers, and the unforgettable red carpet looks were two people who helped transform Biggie Smalls into Big Poppa. One husband and wife team helped turn a man who described himself as “far from handsome”... and who sewed fake logos on his clothes as a kid…into an international sex symbol whose fashion influence was generational. This is the story of how those two people helped take Biggie from ashy to classy.
On this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we discuss the life and legacy of Dave from De La Soul. We also talk about Billboard's recent list ranking the top 50 rappers of all-time, debate whether Drake has surpassed Lil Wayne, and more. We also breakdown the sale of Quality Control, Pharrell's new position at Louis Vuitton and more.
0:00 Intro
3:48 Remembering the life and legacy of Dave from De La Soul
8:50 What De La Soul has meant to us as fans of Hip-Hop
14:54 How De La Soul was different than any other Rap artist
20:50 Is it possible for De La Soul to continue without Dave
23:55 Celebrating Dave as an individual
31:20 Our personal interactions with De La Soul
36:08 Dave spoke about his health problems before his passing
41:14 Our favorite Dave verses
44:28 Billboard and VIBE published a joint list naming the 50 greatest MCs of all-time
47:43 Has Drake surpassed Lil Wayne
57:20 Should Drake be #2 on the list
1:03:54 The most questionable rankings on the list
1:09:48 Do these lists do more harm than good
1:13:50 The biggest omissions from the list
1:23:00 The Quality Control record label was sold for $300MM
1:26:50 Black-owned record companies have been undervalued historically
1:33:10 Pharrell Williams has been named the Creative Director of Menswear for Louis Vuitton
1:38:31 The New York Times refers to Pharrell as “the American rapper and producer”
1:45:49 50 Cent has signed a development deal with FOX
On this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we breakdown the highs and the lows of the 2023 Grammy Awards, with deep dives on the year's biggest surprises, best performances and the most important Hip-Hop moments.
0:00 Intro
5:08 The lead up to the 2023 Grammy Awards
13:40 Slick Rick is honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
15:36 The Roc Nation Brunch experience
17:30 A famous star mistakes Reggie for Stevie J
19:04 Grammy party gift bags
21:50 How Will Smith’s slap changed comedian behavior at live events
24:30 Were Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé sending messages by being late to the show
28:00 Is Kendrick Lamar preparing to release a new album
31:20 Why did JAY-Z and Beyoncé come back to the Grammys after years of absence
33:35 Quavo’s in memoriam tribute to Takeoff
35:30 Beyoncé is now the artist with the most Grammys
37:00 Most surprising Grammy wins of 2023
46:00 Chris Brown throws shade toward Robert Glasper for Glasper’s win
50:50 Kendrick Lamar dominated the Rap categories
53:00 Stevie Wonder performs in honor of Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson
1:00:15 Did the performance of DJ Khaled’s “GOD DID” ft Rick Ross, Lil Wayne and JAY-Z live up to expectations
1:08:52 The Questlove curated Hip-Hop 50 tribute featured 5 decades of Rap legends
1:12:30 The 17-song playlist was mind-blowing and truly for Hip-Hop heads
1:15:30 The Grammy Awards finally gave Hip-Hop its proper respect
1:22:20 Songs of the Week
On this episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we discuss De La Soul's announcement that music they recorded for Tommy Boy is coming to streaming services, as well as Black Sheep's lawsuit against Universal Music Group for $750 million. We also talk about Dr. Dre's impending sale of his music catalog, as well as new music from Skyzoo and Dr. Dre.
0:00 Intro
2:56 RIP Gangsta Boo
3:56 De La Soul’s music is coming to streaming services after years of battling
6:48 A timeline of De La Soul’s history with Tommy Boy Records
19:20 The legal barriers to putting De La Soul’s music on streaming services
24:00 Part of De La Soul’s older music has been re-recorded
29:20 Why having music on YouTube is not enough
37:00 Black Sheep is suing Universal Music Group for $750 million
45:20 If Black Sheep wins it will fundamentally change the music business
51:00 Dr. Dre is selling part of his music catalog for $200 million
1:00:40 RIP Laylaw
1:01:50 Boldy James is recovering from a very serious car crash
1:03:05 Slick Rick is getting a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
1:06:18 Skyzoo has released an album The Mind Of A Saint rapped from the perspective of Snowfall’s Franklin Saint
1:11:07 Black Thought is releasing a new album with El Michels Affair
On the final episode of the year for AFH's What's The Headline, we run down Ambrosia For Heads' 15 Best Rap Albums of 2022, and discuss why each one made the list. 0:00 Intro 3:40 Our process for reviewing albums for this list 7:00 Key trends in Hip-Hop in 2022 13:20 Why we don’t rank our year end list 16:00 The 15 best Rap albums of 2022 (in no particular order) 16:12 Black Thought & Danger Mouse - Cheat Codes 20:36 Joey Bada$$ - 2000 26:55 Lupe Fiasco - DRILL MUSIC IN ZION 32:28 Black Star - No Fear Of Time 39:14 Ab-Soul - HERBERT 46:32 Roc Marciano & The Alchemist - The Elephant Man’s Bones 50:05 Open Mike Eagle - Component System With Auto Reverse 55:50 JID - The Forever Story 1:00:47 Elzhi & Georgia Anne Muldrow - Zhigeist 1:05:16 Apollo Brown & Philmore Greene - Cost Of Living 1:08:02 Nas & Hit-Boy - King’s Disease III 1:12:44 Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future 1:16:53 Cormega - The Realness II 1:21:26 Pusha-T - It’s Almost Dry 1:25:32 Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers 1:30:40 Our personal picks for Rap song of the year
On this episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we discuss the best Rap verses of 2022 and which ones made our top 10. Check Spotify or the site to follow along with a playlist on our page.
0:00 Intro
5:40 The criteria for what makes a great verse
9:30 14 verses are contending for the 10 best verses of 2022
10:30 JAY-Z - “GOD DID”
19:00 J.I.D. - “Crack Sandwich”
24:10 Kendrick Lamar - “Mother I Sober”
28:08 J. Cole - “Johnny P’s Caddy”
34:11 Lupe Fiasco “On Faux Nem”
38:30 Kendrick Lamar - “The Heart, Pt. 5”
43:52 Drake - “Middle Of The Ocean”
50:33 Black Thought - “No Gold Teeth”
53:48 Conway The Machine - “Stressed”
57:26 Remy Ma - “Remy Rap”
1:01:47 Symba - “GOAT”
1:05:05 Coast Contra - “Never Freestyle”
1:08:51 Joey Bada$$ - “Head High”
1:12:59 Elzhi - “King Sh!t (Say Word)”
1:17:00 Honorable mention: Coast Contra - “Scenario Freestyle”
1:20:14 The 10 Best Rap Verses of 2022
Nas has released King's Disease III, the third in his series of KD albums produced entirely by Hit-Boy. In this episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast, we review the album song by song and rate it on a scale of 1 to 10. We also rank the albums in the King's Disease series.
0:00 Intro
1:55 The problem with hot take reviews
7:15 Attending the release party for Nas’ King’s Disease III
11:45 Reviewing Nas’ King’s Disease III song by song
11:48 “Ghetto Reporter”
14:54 Hit-Boy has Nas sounding like he’s in his prime in his 40s
27:30 21 Savage recently said Nas was not relevant
32:01 “Legit”
35:30 “Thun”
39:42 “Michael & Quincy”
43:30 What producer should Nas work with next
47:26 “30”
51:10 “Hood2Hood”
53:57 “Recession Proof”
55:30 “Reminisce”
56:11 What are Nas’ 7 best albums
1:00:50 “Serious Interlude”
1:02:47 “I’m On Fire”
1:04:08 “WTF SMH”
1:05:41 “Once a Man, Twice a Child”
1:10:17 “Get Light”
1:11:06 “First Time”
1:14:20 “Beef”
1:16:17 “Don’t Shoot”
1:18:05 “Till My Last Breath”
1:21:34 How we rate Nas’ King’s Disease III album on a scale of 1 - 10
1:22:55 Ranking the album in the King’s Disease series
The nominations for the 2023 Grammy Awards are in, and they are not without controversy. Some of Rap's best artists have been snubbed, and the stage is set for an epic clash of the titans between JAY-Z and Kendrick Lamar. On this episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we break down each of the categories featuring Rap artists, assessing the nominations, discussing the snubs, suggesting who should win and predicting who the eventual winner will be.
0:00 Intro
3:57 Best Rap Performance
6:38 Was “The Heart Pt. 5” Kendrick Lamar’s best song this year
19:52 Who will win the night between Kendrick Lamar and JAY-Z
24:34 Best Melodic Rap Performance
28:40 Best Rap Song
34:40 If "GOD DID" were to win, should this count as a first Rick Ross Grammy
36:05 Song Of The Year
41:20 Kendrick Lamar and JAY-Z are competing in four categories. There is a lot of history and a Grammy rivalry here
42:40 Could Kendrick Lamar’s The Heart Part 5 take Music Video Of The Year
44:10 What’s the difference between Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year
45:00 Record The Year
46:40 Song Of The Year
48:00 Album Of The Year
52:20 Will Kendrick Lamar attend the Grammy Awards this time
53:25 Best Rap Album nominations
54:40 Does Kanye West’s role in Pusha-T’s It’s Almost Dry album make it a Grammy liability
55:00 Predicted winner of Best Rap Album
57:00 Joey Bada$$’s 2000, Black Star’s No Fear Of Time, JID’s The Forever Story were snubbed by the Grammys
59:05 Tobe Nwigwe, Freestyle Fellowship, Questlove, Boi-1da, DJ Dahi, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Dave Chappelle, and others received noteworthy nominations
1:05:50 Song Of The Week from a Grammy-nominated project
Last week's death of Takeoff from the Migos marks more than 60 Rap artists who have been lost to gun violence. The latest episode of AFH's What's The Headline examines the history and evolution of violence in Rap music. The conversation, which draws from actual statistics, also looks at why 1987 - 1993 marks a turning point in the musical content and imagery that is very much still driving the consumption of Rap music.
0:00-2:00 intro - More than 60 rappers have died from gun violence
2:01 - 6:10 - AFH’s coverage of Migos and our personal relationships to the music
6:11 - 9:30 - There is a history and evolution of violence in Rap music. This is not preaching, but analysis and commentary from two Hip-Hop Heads
9:31 - 12:30 - Rap music has always possessed the power to influence in many ways
12:31 - 17:30 - Violence is one of the ways that Rap music can influence. Trick-Trick makes the point that music can put a spell on the listener
17:31 - 21:40 - There was a time in recorded Rap music where violence themes were barely existent
21:41 - 25:50 - Boogie Down Productions, Schoolly D, Ice-T, and N.W.A. changed things substantially, especially by 1987
25:51 - 29:30 - Shortly after BDP releases “9MM Goes Bang,” Scott La Rock is killed. It is also their most-streamed song on Spotify
29:31 - 36:30 - N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton began a time when violence in Rap music went from being the exception to the norm. That coincides with the crack epidemic
36:31 - 40:00 - The Geto Boys’ “Mind Of A Lunatic” took violence in Rap music to that other level
40:01 - 45:50 - N.W.A. raises the stakes again with Efil4zaggin and that album goes to #1 on the pop charts
45:50 - 47:59 This trend continues with Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, a critically-acclaimed, commercially successful, radio-embraced albums
48:00 - 49:50 In a five-year span Rap music has gone from barely cursing to glorifying violence and misogyny
49:51 - 53:10 - Art imitates life with Snoop Dogg, the death of Philip Woldemariam, and Murder Was The Case
53:11 - 58:30 - The mid-‘90s emergence of Horrorcore and a whole movement built are violence and death
58:31 - 1:01:40 - The movement continues, into Tupac, Drill music, and beyond. People are addressing real violence in the music
1:01:41 - 1:09:00 - Some powerful statistics about murders in America, and the relationship those figures have to what is happening in the lyrics
1:09:01 - 1:16:00 - A history of anti-violence Rap songs involving KRS-One and H.E.A.L., We’re All In The Same Gang, Heather B, Organized Konfusion, Black Star, Gang Starr, Kendrick Lamar, Main Source, and more
1:16:00 - 1:19:00 - Beyond Rap music, there is an increasing prominence of violence in film, television, and video games
1:19:00 - 1:21:00 - Some powerful statistics about the murder rates and gun homicides of Black Americans versus white Americans
1:21:01 - 1:29:00 - What is the role that we, as Heads, and AFH play in this carnage?
1:29:00 - 1:33:00 - What role do record labels and digital streaming platforms play in this?
1:33:01 - 1:36:10 - Is art really imitating life for some Rap artists?
1:36:11 - 1:40:20 - What can society do to be better with our appetite for destruction?
1:40:21 - Song of the weeks from Heather B and Ab-Soul featuring Zacari
0:00 Intro
3:00 Coolio’s Rap legacy
9:20 Do people think of Coolio as an LA artist?
11:15 The Game names his top 5 LA Rap albums
13:20 What are the top 5 Rap albums of all-time?
29:00 How 50 Cent clowned Ja Rule for making pop records, while making pop records
32:20 The Game says Dr. Dre has never produced a song for him
39:28 Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre are releasing a new album in November
46:30 Why was there a two-year delay between the video shoot for Kendrick Lamar’s "N95" and the release of his Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers album?
49:24 Kanye West’s self-destruction should no be televised
1:05:28 The Virgil Abloh exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum is a great tribute to him
1:07:38 Roc Marciano & The Alchemist put on a show for a star-studded audience in Brooklyn
1:11:18 New music from Open Mike Eagle, Cormega, Freddie Gibbs, Kid Cudi, YG, Rome Streetz, and more
Rapper Big Pooh joins AFH's What's The Headline to discuss his album To Dream In Color, fighting to keep his dreams alive, working with TDE and Dreamville, the status of Little Brother and more.
0:00 Intro
1:00 Rapper Big Pooh joins the What’s The Headline podcast to discuss his album To Dream In Color2:00 Rapper Big Pooh details the life lessons he learned from his grandmother
4:24 How becoming a rapper was by divine intervention for him
7:53 The origin story or Little Brother
9:25 Rapper Big Pooh’s advice to the next generation about how to survive in the music business
12:00 Why major record labels are all the same
15:00 On owning his own masters
16:45 Rapper Big Pooh discusses the making of To Dream In Color
18:30 How he became better at writing rhymes over the last six years
24:50 Rapper Big Pooh details how he and Phonte sequence albums
29:40 Which is more important between peace and prosperity
30:40 How the phrase “thoughts and prayers” has lost meaning
35:40 Rapper Big Pooh on working with Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul
40:43 What it means to man up and go for your dreams and to dream in color
42:00 How he manages Dreamville’s Lute and maintains his career at the same time
48:28 Rapper Big Pooh speaks about the movement Dreamville has built
50:55 A Little Brother May The Lord Watch documentary is coming in 2023 and it will answer questions
52:30 On whether the rift between Rapper Big Poor and Phonte with 9th Wonder can be repaired
53:45 How Rapper Big Pooh and Phonte resolved their differences
57:40 How Little Brother’s fate would have been different if they started now instead of in the '00s
1:02:20 How his views have changed on material things
1:04:00 Rapper Big Pooh speaks about working other jobs to maintain his Rap career
1:13:00 The joys of the old school CD clubs like Columbia House and BMG
1:15:10 On the legacy of the Justus League
1:19:40 How pride and ego can tear you apart
1:21:40 Rapper Big Pooh gives words of advice to people thinking about quitting their dreams
Cormega joins the latest episode of AFH's What's The Headline to discuss his album The Realness 2. This is one of the realest interviews of the year.
0:00 Intro
1:25 Cormega speaks on what his purpose is in music
3:44 Why it’s important for him to spread wisdom through his music
7:15 Why it was important to make The Realness 2 a true sequel to the original
9:10 Cormega shares his thoughts on the origins of Hip-Hop
15:23 The current state of Cormega’s relationship with Nas
25:30 Why artists lie in their raps
37:00 The balance between keeping it real and snitching on yourself in music
45:00 His evolution as an artist and a man
48:00 The biggest challenge Cormega has overcome
53:50 Some of the biggest distractions Cormega sees in the world
58:20 Working with Large Professor, Sha Money XL, Havoc, Alchemist, Harry Fraud, Streetrunner, Domingo and more as producers on the album
1:06:35 Cormega speaks about things people should be questioning in life
1:09:40 Why Kanye West and others inspire him
1:16:20 Cormega on why innovators are often met with resistance
1:19:00 Why there was no other choice but Biggie and Wu-Tang Clan for him to celebrate on “White Roses”
1:27:00 What success means to Cormega
1:30:45 Why Rod Strickland, Patrick Ewing and Bernard King could have beaten the 1990s Chicago Bulls
1:33:00 On doing wrong to get right
This week on Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we talk about why we disagree about the quality of JAY-Z's "GOD DID" verse, discuss the three things that happened in 1996 which forever divided Hip-Hop and detail the 100+ year history of the elements of Hip-Hop. We also discuss the alleged theft of MF DOOM's rhyme book and great Rap music from the summer of 2022.
0:00 Intro
1:23 Why we disagree with each other about the quality of JAY-Z’s verse on DJ Khaled’s “GOD DID”
7:58 How JAY-Z’s rap flow has changed over the years
13:00 People celebrated JAY-Z when he talked about drug money but hate on him for talking about corporate money
24:20 The three things in 1996 that split Hip-Hop in two: mainstream & underground
57:28 The elements of Hip-Hop have been around for closer to 100 years not 50 years
1:12:07 Egon has been accused of stealing MF DOOM's rhymebooks
1:25:07 New music from JID, Roc Marciano, Black Thought, Joey Bada$$, Diamond D, Larry June, Meyhem Lauren & Daringer, Rapper Big Pooh, and more
Meyhem Lauren and Daringer have joined forces to create a new album. They speak in detail about the making of Black Vladimir as well as discussing their extensive careers, on the latest episode of AFH's What's The Headline.
0:00 Intro
0:22 Daringer discusses the project that put him on the map as a producer
2:00 Meyhem Lauren and Daringer detail the making of their new Black Vladimir album
5:10 How to make music that’s timeless
7:00 Daringer’s approach to sampling music
8:30 Producers who influenced Daringer
10:30 Meyhem names his favorite Queens MCs
15:00 Daringer explains how he and Westside Gunn created the Griselda sound
18:20 Meyhem Lauren speaks about getting into the food industry
20:00 Meyhem Lauren explains what “million dollar conversations” are
21:12 Daringer discusses how he makes beats
24:00 Black Vladimir is just the beginning for Meyhem Lauren and Daringer
25:10 Daringer has productions in the vault that sound very different than what he has released
26:50 Meyhem Lauren apologizes to Michael Jordan
30:00 Daringer and Meyhem Lauren name the MCs they most want to work with
31:38 How they’ve both stood the test of time in music
33:40 Daringer on how he is able to be so prolific in making beats
36:00 Who Meyhem Lauren and Daringer make music for
40:00 What keeps them motivated
41:40 The meaning of Black Vladimir
Diamond D speaks in-depth about the making of his album The Rear View. He also discusses the day he spent with Dr. Dre, spending time with Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock, names his top 5 producers, and more on this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline.
0:00 Intro 1:15
Diamond D discusses his time with Dave Chappelle during lockdown
7:00 How Diamond D and Westside Gunn connected
8:00 How living in Atlanta has impacted Diamond D’s music
9:20 Diamond D on working with Outkast
10:20 Why Diamond D respects Griselda and what he looks for in new MCs
14:00 Why it was important for him to rap on his new album The Rear View
16:00 What The Rear View means to Diamond D
18:00 Diamond D on keeping your finances right
20:00 How Diamond decides when he wants to work with other producers
21:00 On spending the day with Dr. Dre
22:50 Diamond D names his top 5 Hip-Hop producers
24:30 The role he had in shaping Fat Joe’s career
27:10 On working with Posdnuos on The Rear View
30:00 How Diamond D approaches making remixes
33:34 On being one of the best producer/rappers in Hip-Hop history
38:29 Diamond D’s impact on Rawkus Records
41:10 His experience working with The Fugees and Open Mike Eagle
44:20 What motivates Diamond D today
45:10 The moment Diamond D fell in love with Hip-Hop
47:00 Business tips for being an independent artist
Pete Rock and Funkmaster Flex are at war over the future of New York Hip-Hop. On this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline we explain why the two icons are fighting, and what's at stake. 0:00 Intro 1:20 Funkmaster Flex is in a feud with Conway The Machine and Pete Rock, and it’s turned ugly 2:18 Pete Rock’s Hip-Hop resume 7:30 What Funkmaster Flex has meant for Hip-Hop 13:00 Conway The Machine’s Hip-Hop credentials 17:35 AFH’s relationships with each of Pete Rock, Conway The Machine and Funkmaster Flex 20:16 Why do most Hip-Hop feuds start on social media now? 23:00 Conway The Machine’s beef with Funkmaster Flex 27:23 Why FM radio plays so little variety today 44:10 Funkmaster Flex’s response to Conway The Machine’s attack 49:25 Pete Rock blasts Funkmaster Flex for not supporting “Real Hip-Hop” 58:55 Funkmaster Flex responds to Pete Rock and makes several serious allegations 1:31:20 Where will this feud go next 1:33:00 Does being played on FM radio even matter for artists anymore 1:39:08 DJ Premier released an EP featuring Nas, Rema Ma, Rapsody, Run The Jewels, Lil Wayne and Slick Rick
Rappers are fans too...On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we do a deep dive into the Top 5 MC lists of 30 of Hip-Hop's greatest artists. 0:00 Intro 1:10 Ice Cube said Lil Wayne is the greatest rapper of all-time (besides himself) 7:25 The significance of Top 5 MC lists in Hip-Hop 14:44 Jake’s Top 5 MCs 15:37 Reggie’s Top 5 MCs 17:35 The Top MCs for 30 of the greatest artists of all-time 19:08 Ice Cube’s Top 5 MCs 23:40 Black Thought’s Top 5 MCs 26:38 Snoop Dogg’s Top 5 MCs 30:30 Scarface’s Top 5 MCs 33:00 Run’s Top 5 MCs 35:02 J. Cole’s Top 4 MCs 36:45 Nas’ Top 7 MCs and his Top 5 MCs of this generation 42:48 LL Cool J’s Top 5 MCs 46:30 Pharoahe Monch’s Top 5 MCs 48:43 Lupe Fiasco’s Top 3 MCs 51:03 Ab-Soul’s Top 5 MCs 53:48 Raekwon’s Top 5 MCs (not in Wu-Tang Clan) 56:00 Action Bronson’s Top 5 MCs 59:08 Vinnie Paz’s Top 5 MCs 1:01:14 Kurupt’s Top 5 MCs 1:03:04 The D.O.C. names the rapper he would most want to be like if he was still rapping today 1:07:12 Kendrick Lamar’s Top 5 MCs 1:09:09 Jadakiss’ Top 5 MCs 1:12:55 R.A. The Rugged Man’s Top 5 MCs 1:18:22 Drake’s Top 5 MCs 1:21:03 Bun B’s Top 5 MCs 1:22:26 Immortal Technique’s Top 5 MCs 1:23:49 Lil Kim’s Top 10 MCs 1:25:12 Kool G Rap’s Top 5 MCs 1:27:41 Rakim’s Top 5 MCs and who he thinks is the most underrated MC 1:29:50 Eminem’s Top 5 MCs 1:31:38 Lil Wayne’s Top 5 MCs 1:33:52 JAY-Z’s Top 5 MCs 1:35:55 Kool Herc’s Top 5 MCs 1:38:17 Key takeaways
Rolling Stone recently released an incredibly controversial list of the Top 200 Rap Albums Of All-Time. On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we discuss the list, reveal our own personal Top 10 lists, and lay out the list of the Top 20 Rap Albums Of All-Time that was decided by millions of AFH readers.
0:00 Intro
1:20 Rolling Stone released a very controversial list of the Top 200 Rap Albums of All-Time
6:50 Why people care about lists
10:55 Ambrosia For Heads has hosted a number of competitions where millions of fans decided the greatest of all-time—MC, Album, Producer, Group
21:00 Why are women not given their proper respect as MCs
23:00 Discussing some of the more questionable Rolling Stone rankings
27:20 Our personal lists of the Top 10 Rap Albums Of All-Time
1:17:42 The Top 20 Rap Albums Of All-Time as decided by millions of AFH readers
1:39:50 Drake and Logic released new album this week
After 5 years, Kendrick Lamar has released Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, his long-awaited follow up to DAMN. Like its predecessor, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is 2 albums in one and loaded with hidden references. On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we explain the meanings behind the two albums--Mr. Morale AND The Big Steppers--and explore Kendrick Lamar's career of complex works of art.
0:00 Intro
7:47 Kendrick Lamar started the rollout for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers in August 2021
15:20 The meaning of Kendrick Lamar’s Oklama nickname
18:11 AFH’s personal relationship with Kendrick Lamar
28:00 AFH was among the first publications to report that DAMN was really 2 albums in 1
37:50 “The Heart, Pt. 5” contained a number of hidden clues about Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
45:00 Kendrick Lamar is looking in the mirror in the video for “The Heart, Pt. 5”
51:15 The meaning of the artwork for Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
1:01:56 Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers are 2 separate albums with different artwork and themes, and they are in reverse order
1:11:00 Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is not in the order in which we are supposed to listen
1:24:00 Explaining the Mr. Morale album
1:24:12 Count Me Out
1:25:35 Crown
1:28:30 Silent Hill
1:31:40 Savior Interlude
1:37:20 Savior
1:42:28 Auntie Diaries
1:46:00 Mr. Morale
1:51:10 Mother | Sober
1:55:00 Mirror
1:57:20 Explaining The Big Steppers album
1:57:48 United In Grief
1:59:24 N95
2:01:50 Worldwide Steppers
2:03:40 Die Hard
2:06:36 Father Time
2:10:25 Rich Interlude
2:12:00 Rich Spirit
2:15:40 We Cry Together
2:20:00 Purple Hearts
2:23:40 What is next for Kendrick Lamar
Black Star (Yasiin Bey fka Mos Def and Talib Kweli) have released No Fear Of Time, their first album in 24 years. We review the Madlib-produced album on this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, and we discuss the history and impact of Black Star and Rawkus Records. We also discuss Kendrick Lamar's forthcoming Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, potentially being a double album.
0:00 Intro 0:33 Recapping the history of Black Star and Rawkus Records
8:42 Reviewing the solo careers of Mos Def and Talib Kweli 12:40 Revisiting the Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star album
18:48 Black Star’s No Fear Of Time album has been at least 4 years in the making
24:25 Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli released No Fear Of Time exclusively on Luminary
32:59 Black Star’s No Fear Of Time does not have curses
35:30 Talib Kweli explains the meaning of the album title
39:13 Reviewing Black Star’s No Fear Of Time song by song
41:36 o.G.
51:31 So be it
56:40 Sweetheart. Sweethard. Sweetodd.
59:19 My favorite band
1:04:52 The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing
1:07:25 Yonders
1:11:06 Supreme alchemy
1:15:32 Freequency featuring Black Thought
1:17:00 No fear of time
1:19:41 Where does No Fear Of Time stand among albums Madlib has produced
1:22:10 Where the album fits alongside Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star
1:23:58 Where Black Star’s No Fear Of Time stands among the best Hip-Hop albums of 2022
1:27:10 Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers may be 2 different albums
1:32:42 Pusha-T has his first number 1 album with It’s Almost Dry
Pusha-T has released his album It's Almost Dry, which was produced by both Kanye West and Pharrell. Pusha says the album was his Verzuz between Kanye and Pharrell. On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we review It's Almost Dry, song by song, and determine who won between Pharrell and Kanye. We also celebrate the life of DJ Kay Slay, and discuss what we know so far about Kendrick Lamar's upcoming album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.
0:00 Intro
5:12 RIP DJ Kay Slay
8:24 Pusha-T explains the meaning of his album title, It’s Almost Dry
9:06 Pusha-T says he used It’s Almost Dry as his personal Verzuz between Kanye West and Pharrell
9:40 Who is the better producer generally between Kanye West and Pharrell?
16:23 Who between Kanye and Pharrell has been the better producer for Pusha-T over the years?
24:15 Reviewing It’s Almost Dry song by song and scoring the Pharrell Verzuz Kanye battle
24:32 Brambleton (Pharrell)
31:00 Let The Smokers Shine The Coupes (Pharrell)
33:30 Dreamin’ Of The Past ft Kanye West (Kanye West)
38:44 Neck & Wrist featuring JAY-Z & Pharrell (Pharrell)
42:39 Just So You Remember (Kanye)
46:30 Diet Coke (Kanye) 52:25 Rock N Roll featuring Kid Cudi & Kanye West (Kanye)
57:01 Call My Bluff (Pharrell)
57:58 Pusha-T says he wishes he had J. Cole's fan base. What does he mean?
1:02:16 Scrape It Off ft Lil Uzi Vert & Don Tolliver (Pharrell)
1:04:25 Hear Me Clearly featuring Nigo (Kanye)
1:06:05 Open Air (Pharrell)
1:06:45 I Pray For You featuring Malice (Kanye)
1:09:48 Who won the “Verzuz” between Kanye West and Pharrell
1:14:40 How we rank Pusha-T’s It’s Almost Dry on a scale of 1 to 10
1:15:45 Where It’s Almost Dry ranks in Pusha-T’s solo catalog
1:18:05 Does Pusha-T have a classic album in his solo catalog?
1:20:00 Is Pusha-T a great MC?
1:23:20 Where does Pusha-T’s It’s Almost Dry rank among the best Hip-Hop albums of 2022?
1:25:50 Kendrick Lamar is releasing his new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers on May 13. What we know so far 1:37:22 Wu-Tang Clan’s 36 Chambers and A Tribe Called Quest’s Low End Theory will be in the Library of Congress
We discuss JAY-Z's many sneak disses on this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast. We also talk about Will Smith's ban from the Oscars, Black Star's new album with Madlib, ScHoolboy Q's new Soccer Dad song, Kidd Creole's (from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five) manslaughter conviction and more.
0:00 Intro
2:56 Will Smith is banned from the Oscars for 10 years. Does it matter?
10:15 Black Star are releasing their new Madlib-produced album in a few weeks. What to expect
19:24 Black Star are releasing their new album through an alternative distribution platform
28:14 Pusha T and JAY-Z have released their latest collaboration
32:37 Both JAY-Z and Pusha-T are using new flows on Neck & Wrist
35:55 JAY-Z raps about what his position in Hip-Hop would be if Biggie was still alive
38:18 JAY-Z dissed Faizon Love on Neck & Wrist
40:00 JAY-Z is the king of sneak disses. Decoding some of his subliminal lines and listing his many targets
1:20:39 ScHoolboy Q shows his growth as a man on his new Soccer Dad song
1:30:20 Kidd Creole from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five is convicted of manslaughter
1:32:05 New music of the week from Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA, Wiz Khalifa & Girl Talk, Vince Staples, Quelle Chris, Termanology & Paul Wall, Method Man, Redman & KRS-One, and more.
After making progress in recent years, the 2022 Grammy Awards dropped the ball again when it came to Hip-Hop. We break down their misses, the new Dreamville mixtape, Freddie Gibbs and Benny The Butcher's feud and more on episode #79 of AFH's What's The Headline.
0:00 Intro
1:00 Last thoughts on Will Smith x Chris Rock
4:20 Reviewing the 2022 Grammy Awards for Hip-Hop
9:44 This was one of the most disappointing Grammys for Rap in years
14:37 J. Cole continues to be disrespected
18:00 Best Rap Performance - who won and who should have won
26:36 Best Melodic Rap Performance - who won and who should have won
30:45 Best Rap Song - who won and who should have won
36:54 Best Rap Album - who won and who should have won
42:45 How the Grammy Awards show should change in the future
45:50 Nas stole the night with a statement performance
54:00 Discussing new music by Cypress Hill & Black Milk, Elzhi & Georgia Anne Muldrow, Marlon Craft, Phife Dawg, Buddy, and more
58:48 Dreamville is staking its claim as Hip-Hop’s best collective with a new mixtape
1:03:30 Freddie Gibbs and Benny The Butcher are feuding
Benny The Butcher continues his hot streak, with the release Tana Talk 4. We review the album, song by song, in addition to discussing Joell Ortiz and Kxng Crooked's The Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse and Fly Anakin's Frank on this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline.
2:40 Benny The Butcher has released his Tana Talk 4 album
4:30 Was Johnny P’s Caddy the best way to kick off the album’s promo cycle?
6:26 What makes Benny The Butcher’s Tana Talk series different from his other music
13:50 Johnny P’s Caddy was a surprising way to start the album
18:25 Alchemist is at the top of his game as a producer on Johnny P’s Caddy
21:25 Back 2x - Daringer and Beat Butcha are 2 of Hip-Hop’s most prolific producers
24:00 Stove God Cooks has become a strong addition to Griselda
26:30 Benny The Butcher believes he is a top 10 MC
29:22 Benny The Butcher speaks on how real he is on Super Plug, produced by The Alchemist
32:44 Weekend In The Perry’s - Benny The Butcher says he is Westside Gunn’s best investment. Is it true?
38:44 Benny The Butcher has made a sequel to Biggie’s classic with Ten More Crack Commandments
43:00 A list of Benny The Butcher’s 10 crack commandments
49:10 Tyson vs. Ali showcases Benny The Butcher and Conway The Machine as 2 of Hip-Hop’s best MCs
55:15 Uncle Bun features Benny The Butcher and 38 Spesh on a Daringer production
56:57 Thowy’s Revenge finds Benny The Butcher rapping as fast as we’ve ever heard him flow
1:01:34 Benny The Butcher discusses the consequences of hustling on Billy Joe
1:03:44 Guerrero features Benny The Butcher and Westside Gunn, with Benny saluting a key founder of Death Row Records
1:06:40 Bust A Brick Nick offers another top shelf Alchemist production, with Benny making a reference to his recent shooting
1:08:48 Mr. Chow Hall closes out Tana Talk 4
1:10:34 How would Tana Talk 4 change if Johnny P’s Caddy was the album’s last song
1:12:12 How does Tana Talk 4 compare to the rest of Benny The Butcher’s catalog
1:15:00 Is Tana Talk 4 the best album of 2022 so far
1:16:17 Joell Ortiz and Kxng Crooked have released The Rise And Fall Of Slaughterhouse, an album that details all of their grievances with the group
1:31:41 Fly Anakin’s Frank is one of the best Rap albums of 2022 so far
Last week, Joe Budden and Royce 5'9 had a heated public exchange with Joell Ortiz. On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we provide an in-depth timeline of the rise and fall of Slaughterhouse.
1:00 The members of Slaughterhouse are in a war of words with one another 3:00 Why Slaughterhouse is so loved by so many 9:40 The rise and fall of Slaughterhouse: a timeline 10:00 Where Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, Royce da 5’9 and Joe Budden were in their careers right before the formation of Slaughterhouse 12:33 The origin story of Slaughterhouse 23:30 How a song launched Slaughterhouse the group and then an album 25:15 The state of Hip-Hop in 2009 when Slaughterhouse was formed 32:44 Slaughterhouse signs with Shady Records in 2011 38:11 Shady Records puts Slaughterhouse on Hip-Hop’s biggest stage during the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards 40:32 Slaughterhouse goes mainstream in 2012 and it does not connect with their fans 45:30 Slaughterhouse and TDE have BET Cyphers in 2013, and all eyes are on who is the best crew 51:20 In 2014, Slaughterhouse release their House Rules mixtape and record an un-released album that is rumored to be their best 54:22 Joe Budden releases an entire song about Eminem in 2015 1:01:28 Joe Budden delivers a savage review of Eminem’s Revival album on Everyday Struggle, and it creates division within Slaughterhouse and Shady Records 1:06:43 Eminem begins releases a song dissing Joe Budden 1:09:20 Joe Budden is publicly saying he is retired as a rapper, in 2017 and beyond 1:11:30 Kxng Crooked releases a statement saying he is no longer a part of Slaughterhouse, in April 2017 1:14:00 Royce details the status of Slaughterhouse, and speaks about them in the past tense 1:17:40 Eminem releases Kamikaze, an album filled with Joe Budden disses 1:22:50 Joe Budden says that is a better rapper than Eminem and details his grievances with Em 1:32:20 Joe Budden releases a trailer for a conversation between him and Crooked, but the full interview is never released 1:44:50 Eminem releases a song featuring Joell Ortiz, Kxng Crooked and Royce 5’9, with a line that may be dissing Budden 1:46:20 Joell Ortiz and Kxng Crooked release a project together called H.A.R.D. 1:49:11 In February 2022, Joell Ortiz and Kxng Crooked announce their album, The Rise and Fall of Slaughterhouse, and release 2 songs detailing why they believe the group has broken up 1:33:55 On March 4, 2022, Royce 5’9, Joell Ortiz and Joe Budden had a public conversation that became extremely heated 1:59:14 Joe Budden says that while he was publicly stating he was retired, behind the scenes he was telling the members of Slaughterhouse that he would reunite with them if they got out of their Shady Records agreement 2:02:48 Most of Slaughterhouse’s disagreements have been about business 2:06:42 Royce and Joe Budden laugh about Joell Ortiz’s song “Shake Dat Je’llo” 2:09:40 Joell Ortiz joins the call and it becomes heated, with Joell and Royce both accusing each other of lying 2:10:40 Their biggest disagreement is about a Slaughterhouse record deal that is currently on the table 2:13:30 Royce 5’9 and Joe Budden say the person who procured the record deal for the group is shady 2:14:50 Joell calls out Royce and Joe for having this discussion publicly, instead of behind the scenes with the group 2:15:28 Joe Budden calls Joell Ortiz a f’ing liar 2:20:48 Joe Budden tells Joell that Budden is bigger than anything Joell has going on 2:26:54 This is where their conversation escalates, becomes super ugly and abruptly ends 2:30:00 Is this war of words real or orchestrated for publicity
Joe Budden, Royce 5’9 And Joell Ortiz Argue About Slaughterhouse & It Ends Badly: https://ambrosiaforheads.com/2022/03/joe-budden-royce-59-joell-ortiz-argument-video/ Ambrosia For Heads Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Ssx21OFFRNJMMvlG2xeWV?si=DW9psDeWS4qa9UsItVq9pA Official Site: http://ambrosiaforheads.com/
Dr. Dre led one of the greatest halftime performances in Super Bowl history. On this week's episode of What's The Headline, we unpack the symbolism and references in a show that included Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak. We also discuss Snoop's new album and his purchase of Death Row Records.
0:00 Intro
2:14 Where does the Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige halftime show rank among halftime shows?
4:25 A history of Hip-Hop performances at the Super Bowl
11:00 Reviewing the Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige halftime performance song by song
19:40 50 Cent makes a surprise appearance
23:00 Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg did not perform any songs from The Chronic or Doggystyle
27:12 Mary J. Blige gave a standout performance
28:45 Kendrick Lamar’s performance was filled with symbolism
35:00 Eminem closes his performance by taking a knee for justice
42:50 Dr. Dre paid tribute to Tupac
44:40 There was Crip-walking on the Super Bowl halftime stage
47:40 Was this the best Super Bowl halftime performance of all-time?
49:34 Snoop Dogg is the new owner of Death Row Records
54:42 Snoop Dogg released a new album called Bacc On Death Row
59:53 Mary J. Blige released her Good Morning Gorgeous album
1:01:35 Kanye West has gone on a social media frenzy
1:06:55 Questlove has been nominated for an Oscar
1:07:43 Lupe Fiasco is releasing some of the leaked songs from Food & Liquor
1:09:30 New music of the week from Fatlip, Blu, GBA, Hermlock Ernst & Ras Kass as well as Nana
The Wu-Tang: An American Saga TV series depicts that origin story of the Wu-Tang Clan. The show's creators call it "historical fiction." On this week's episode of What's The Headline, we look at many of the show's biggest moments, and explain what's fact and what's fiction. Do not watch or read ahead, if you have not watched Wu-Tang: An American Sagaand do not want some of the plot points to be revealed.
0:00 Intro
5:48 Our personal interactions with members of the Wu-Tang Clan
8:20 Determining fact vs. fiction on Wu-Tang: An American Saga
8:35 Did Ghostface Killah and Raekwon really originally hate each other?
12:38 Did Raekwon and Power really shoot up Ghostface Killah’s apartment?
16:05 Was there really a fight during the filming of the Protect Ya Neck video?
21:40 Did Method Man, Inspectah Deck, and others witness a man wrongfully killed by the police?
25:00 Did RZA really shoot a man and faces charges for attempted murder? Hear RZA speak in his own words.
32:52 Was U-God arrested the night Wu-Tang Clan auditioned and performed for Loud Records?
35:48 Did Wu-Tang Clan really crash the Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito show to get them to play “Protect Ya Neck?”
39:27 Did a flood really destroy unreleased Wu-Tang Clan albums in RZA’s basement?
46:04 Did RZA really color-code the disks he kept full of Wu-Tang Clan beats?
49:20 Did Wu-Tang Clan really bum rush the stage at the Jack The Rapper convention?
53:18 Did Just-Ice confront RZA backstage when they were on tour together?
56:28 Did Ghostface Killah really have a child with RZA’s sister?
J. Cole has been using guest verses to make the case that he is the best rapper alive. We discuss his greatest appearances, Snoop Dogg being back on Death Row Records, a new book about J. Dilla and more in this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline.
0:00 Intro
1:20 Benny The Butcher’s "Johnny P’s Caddy," featuring J. Cole, is a special moment for Hip-Hop
5:19 The meaning of Johnny P’s Caddy
6:55 J. Cole has been using feature verses to prove he is the best rapper alive
9:40 Who had the better verse on Johnny P’s Caddy between Benny The Butcher and J. Cole
10:07 Is J. Cole undefeated in his appearances as a featured MC on other rappers’ records
12:08 Reviewing J. Cole’s best feature verses
12:45 Royce 5'9's Boblo Boat featuring J. Cole
14:30 Jay Rock’s OSOM featuring J. Cole
16:56 Rapsody’s Sojourner featuring J. Cole
20:00 Moneybagg Yo’s Say Na featuring J. Cole
23:10 21 Savage’s A Lot featuring J. Cole
27:20 Big K.R.I.T.’s Prove It featuring J. Cole
30:37 Gang Starr’s Family And Loyalty featuring J. Cole
31:37 Benny The Butcher’s Johnny P’s Caddy featuring J. Cole
35:04 What is J. Cole’s best feature verse
36:13 Which rappers are the best at guest verses
40:55 The one MC who defeated J. Cole on a song
43:53 Rap lyrics are being used as evidence in criminal trials
51:40 Dan Charnas has written the definitive biography on J. Dilla
59:40 Benny The Butcher is releasing Tana Talk 4 1:00:24 Kanye West is releasing Donda 2, executive produced by Future
1:02:15 Kendrick Lamar is releasing a new song in the next 2 weeks
1:03:05 Is Snoop Dogg back on Death Row Records
1:11:20 New music coming from Big K.R.I.T., Cypress Hill and Cormega
1:15:55 New music of the week
A new crop of MCs is emerging to take the throne from Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Drake. We name the 10 best rappers of the Now School. On episode #73 of the What's The Headline podcast, we also discuss Pete Rock not being paid for his work on Illmatic, Kool Moe Dee's resurfaced report card grading MCs from the 80s and 90s and more.
0:00 Intro
5:02 There is a new generation of MCs emerging to take over the 2020s
9:20 The top MCs of the 2010s
12:43 The differences between traditional Rap and melodic Rap
17:30 The criteria for choosing the top MCs of the 2020s
18:10 The best rappers of the 2020s
18:14 J.I.D.
23:46 Jack Harlow
27:32 Lute
31:57 Mach-Hommy
36:10 Russ
42:37 Your Old Droog
45:01 Nick Grant
46:20 Boldy James
48:49 Cordae
51:53: Megan Thee Stallion
54:49 Cardi B
58:02 Reason
1:00:18 Isaiah Rashad
1:04:05 Why Da Baby and Lil Baby aren’t being considered
1:06:48 Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher (Griselda)
1:10:35 Westside Boogie
1:11:40 Buddy
1:13:23 Saba
1:14:36 The Top 10 MCs of the Now School
1:18:18 Kool Moe Dee graded the top MCs of the 80s and 90s
1:26:49 Pete Rock says he has not been paid for his work on Illmatic; who’s to blame?
1:32:25 Kanye West spills the details about his divorce on a new song with The Game
1:34:50 Tupac affiliate CPO Boss Hogg has passed away
1:36:40 New music of the week from Nicholas Craven and Evidence, Camp Lo, Cainaan and Masta Ace, and more.
We discuss 2021's biggest Hip-Hop stories and best Rap album on this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline:
0:00 Intro
1:48 The biggest Hip-Hop stories of 2021 (Impact)
2:45 Busta Rhymes tore down the stage at the VMAs with an iconic performance
9:40 Hip-Hop will take over the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige
12:39 Hip-Hop owned the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame with the induction of LL Cool J and JAY-Z
17:08 Dr. Dre made a major comeback a year after his brain aneurysm
22:22 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia came to blows on the Verzuz stage
28:45 Big Daddy Kane Verzuz KRS-One was filled with behind the scenes tension
32:38 The LOX and Dipset took Verzuz to a new level with their performance and competitiveness
37:37 Drake and Kanye West feuded all year, openly and secretly
47:00 Kanye West gave Drink Champs the most riveting interview of the year
49:48 Hip-Hop lost DMX, Biz Markie, Shock G, Black Rob, Kangol Kid and many others
1:00:30 The biggest Hip-Hop stories of 2021 (ambrosiaforheads.com traffic)
1:07:30 The biggest Hip-Hop stories of 2021 (What’s The Headline podcast)
1:08:10 Royce 5’9, Lupe Fiasco and Mickey Factz had the best war of words of the year
1:09:20 Mickey Factz released the best diss record of the year with WRAiTH
1:11:00 AFH interviewed AZ, Joell Ortiz, Evidence, Skyzoo, Kurupt, Mickey Factz, Blu and more
1:13:17 The best Hip-Hop albums of 2021
1:14:20 Mach-Hommy - Pray For Haiti
1:15:27 Skyzoo - All The Brilliant Things
1:18:32 Lute - Gold Mouf 1:21:45 J. Cole - The Off-Season
1:25:30 Evidence - The Unlearning, Vol. 1
1:29:30 Westside Gunn - Hermes 8 Sides A & B
1:31:07 Dr. Dre - The Contract
1:13:23 Nas - King’s Disease 2
1:36:10 Stalley & Apollo Brown - Blacklight
1:38:55 Russ - Chomp 2
1:41:03 Khrysis - The Hour Of Khrysis
1:42:24 Armand Hammer & The Alchemist - Haram
1:43:50 Benny The Butcher - The Plugs I Met 2
1:45:00 Breeze Brewin & Juggaknots - Hindsight
1:47:20 Honorable Mentions
1:51:11 Big Sean joined Drink Champs and spoke in detail about his grievances with Kanye West
1:58:23 New music of the week from The Cool Kids & Larry June, Alchemist & Boldy James, and RZA & the Flatbush Zombies
Kanye West and Drake did a concert together last week. The world believed they had made peace, but Drake performed several songs in his set that contained Kanye disses. We break down the history of their feud and the lyrics of the songs Drake used to publicly wage warfare against Kanye, on this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline:
0:00 Intro 1:10 Drake and Kanye West have been fixated with each other for years
2:50 Kanye West and Drake did a massive joint concert last week
7:10 Rap-A-Lot founder J. Prince brokered the recent peace between Drake and Kanye, after years of feuding
12:25 Pusha-T and Drake have were beefing with each other, and Kanye was involved
15:30 Pusha-T revealed to the world that Drake had a son, in a diss record
16:59 J. Prince put a stop to the war of words between Pusha-T, Kanye and Drake in 2018
19:00 The highlights of the Kanye West and Drake concert that were covered by the media
27:38 The history of Kanye West and Drake’s 11-year beef
35:20 Kanye West describes the kind of psychological warfare Drake wages
39:00 Drake is the king of sneak disses
41:30 Kanye West used his concert with Drake to perform a number of his greatest hits
42:30 Drake performed 12 songs; why did he choose these records out of his massive catalog
44:20 Drake dissed Kanye West throughout his entire set
45:00 How Drake used his 12-song set to wage warfare against Kanye
1:19:30 RIP Greg Tate
1:22:10 Dr. Dre has new music coming this week
1:23:50 Russ released Chomp 2, one of the best Hip-Hop albums of the year
The fight between Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia was one of the biggest stories of the week, but their ability to move past it, given their history, is an even bigger story. We discuss that, the premiere party for You Are Now Watching Video Music Box--Nas' documentary on Ralph McDaniels--and more on episode 70 of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline:
0:00 Intro
6:50 The expectations going into the Three 6 Mafia and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Verzuz
11:50 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia have had longstanding tension between them
16:40 The similarities between Three 6 Mafia and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
25:10 Other Verzuz battles where there could have been fights
29:00 DJ Paul and Gangsta Boo did something during the Bone performance that might have set Bizzy Bone off
31:20 Recapping the fight between Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia blow by blow
40:30 Was this fight a publicity stunt?
47:10 DJ Paul discusses how he feels about Bone Thugs-n-Harmony after the fight
48:00 Bizzy Bone explains the fight and what led up to it
53:30 How this fight will impact the Verzuz brand long term
54:40 The bigger story than the fight is Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia’s ability to get past it
55:50 Highlights from the Three 6 Mafia and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Verzuz
1:00:00 Who won the Verzuz
1:02:50 Remembering Virgil Abloh
1:08:00 Recapping the premiere party for You Are Now Watching Video Music Box, Nas’ directorial debut celebrating Ralph McDaniels
1:12:40 New music of the week from Nick Grant, Reef The Lost Cauze, Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Remedy, Mach-Hommy, and Page Kennedy.
The 2022 Grammy nominations have arrived, and the year’s best album wasn’t even nominated. Here are the biggest misses and predictions for the winners. On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we discuss all of the Rap categories, make our picks and predict who will win the awards. This installment was recorded prior to the death of Virgil Abloh. AFH's offers its condolences to his friends and family, and there is a tribute to him on ambrosiaforheads.com.
0:00 Intro
6:20The 2022 Grammy nominations have been announced
7:00 The biggest Hip-Hop snubs by the 2022 Grammy nominations
20:58 Certain artists were placed in the wrong Grammy categories
23:20 J. Cole is getting much deserved recognition from the Recording Academy
25:38 The 2022 nominees for Best Rap Performance; AFH’s picks and predictions of the winner
33:12 The 2022 nominees for Best Melodic Rap Performance; AFH’s picks and predictions of the winner
37:10 The 2022 nominees for Best Rap Song; AFH’s picks and predictions of the winner
41:45 The 2022 nominees for Best Rap Album; AFH’s picks and predictions of the winner
51:40 Kanye West’s Donda is a contender for the 2022 Album Of The Year Grammy
1:00:10 Kanye West’s extensive history with the Grammy Awards
1:06:38 November was National Hip-Hop Month
1:11:00 The legacy of Young Dolph
1:16:19 New music of the week by Apollo Brown & Stalley, Freddie Gibbs & Jadakiss, Redman & Method Man, and CRIMEAPPLE.
Joell Ortiz joins episode 68 of AFH's What's The Headline. He discusses his new album The Autograph, his top 5 Brooklyn MCs, using one of his songs as his wedding vows and more.
0:00 Intro
1:00 The partnership Joell Ortiz has with Mello Music Group
3:00 How Joell Ortiz approaches storytelling in his music
4:50 Joell Ortiz was competing with JAY-Z when he first started
7:00 Joell Ortiz names his top 5 Brooklyn MCs
8:25 It’s becoming cool again to listen to great Hip-Hop
9:47 Joell Ortiz speaks about always striving for new heights
14:20 Joell Ortiz on how Stretch Armstrong changed his life
17:05 What Joell Ortiz would change about leaving Aftermath Entertainment
19:40 On being born to be an MC
20:45 Joell Ortiz on the benefits of keeping a low profile
23:55 The story behind Slaughterhouse’s “I Will” with Eminem
26:25 Joell Ortiz on creating his first Hip-Hop love song
29:00 On using his song “Lifeline” as his wedding vows
32:20 Joell Ortiz on how he uses music as therapy
36:40 The power of revealing secrets through music
38:52 Joell Ortiz on working with Cyhi The Prynce and their similarities
43:20 Why Joell Ortiz made a song about growing older
49:00 Why Joell Ortiz is always making new music
Press photograph by Photo Rob
Kanye West's appearance on Drink Champs has become one of the biggest Hip-Hop moments of 2021. On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we discuss why, after years of being dismissed as crazy, the world is listening to Ye again.
0:00 Intro
1:30 The Kanye West Drink Champs interview is one of the biggest Hip-Hop events of the year
2:40 The early media coverage of the Kanye West interview focused on click bait topics
9:50 Breaking down Ambrosia For Heads’ approach to reporting Hip-Hop news
14:26 Why What’s The Headline did not cover part 1 of the Kanye West Drink Champs interview
20:40 It was no coincidence that Kanye opened up on Drink Champs
22:40 Kanye has had other great interviews that have been overshadowed by negative headlines
24:00 People have used Kanye’s mental illness to inappropriately dismiss everything he says
30:15 Ye says Talib Kweli, Big Sean, John Legend and others betrayed him
33:40 Kanye West says Black people are born into a vote
38:50 Ye breaks down the forces exerting control over people
40:40 Does Kanye undermine himself with some of his own statements?
41:50 What Kanye West and Elon Musk have in common?
43:30 Kanye West speaks in detail about Black empowerment 49:50 Ye speaks about why the term “rapper” has become derogatory
51:50 Kanye West says artists have a responsibility to make redemptive music
54:43 How Kanye West and Drake should settle their beef?
1:05:09 How this interview will change the perception of Kanye West’s Donda album
1:08:22 Is Kanye West’s Drink Champs appearance the best interview of 2021?
1:12:16 Why are people responding differently to this Kanye West interview than they have in the past?
1:19:00 Benny The Butcher has signed a deal with Def Jam Records
1:26:46 Snoop Dogg wants to run Death Row Records
1:31:50 Three 6 Mafia will face Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on Verzuz
1:33:00 UTFO’s Kangol Kid has stage 4 colon cancer
1:34:15 New music from Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak / Silk Sonic, Joell Otiz, Malik Moses, Your Old Droog, J-Tek, and more.
Hip-Hop took over the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, with the induction of JAY-Z and LL Cool J. We discuss their legendary careers, MF DOOM, Nas' upcoming documentary on Video Music Box and one of the best new music weeks of the year for Hip-Hop, on episode 66 of AFH's What's The Headline.
0:00 Intro 1:55 Hip-Hop’s place in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
5:35 JAY-Z and LL Cool J are Hip-Hop’s 2021 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
6:00 Is LL Cool J the most under-respected Hip-Hop artist of all-time
8:10 Remembering the impact of LL Cool J’s legendary career 8:46 He bursts onto the scene with Krush Groove
12:23 LL Cool J was the first Rap artist to make a major comeback
17:00 LL was one of the first Hip-Hop artists to go from music to Hollywood
19:00 LL Cool J brought his early collaborators with him to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony
20:00 Dr. Dre gave LL Cool J an amazing induction speech
23:50 Hip-Hop brought 2 billionaires, a living legend and a former President of the United States to the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame stage
24:30 Dr. Dre and LL Cool J have a lot of unreleased music together
26:20 Dr. Dre is entering a new chapter in life and his career
29:50 Barack Obama and Dave Chappelle inducted JAY-Z into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
31:51 Remembering the impact of JAY-Z’s historic Hip-Hop career
33:00 JAY-Z, Nas and Biggie competed for to be Hip-Hop’s King Of New York in the '90s
34:20 JAY-Z was Hip-Hop’s King Of New York in the 2000s
39:30 JAY-Z is one of only 2 MCs who have at least 4 classic albums apiece
42:15 JAY-Z is moving to a place where his business moves might eclipse his musical accomplishments
47:06 JAY-Z played a significant role in getting Barack Obama elected president
51:45 JAY-Z thanked Rakim, KRS-One, Chuck D, Big Daddy Kane and LL Cool J in his acceptance speech
56:28 Similarities between JAY-Z and LL Cool J
1:03:38 Reflecting on MF DOOM a year after his passing
1:07:06 The Harder They Fall soundtrack features new music from JAY-Z, Lauryn Hill, Ceelo Green, Seal and more
1:09:58 Nas is producing a documentary on Ralph McDaniels and Video Music Box
1:15:45 Damian Lillard had a standout freestyle where he talks about not joining a dream team
1:17:44 Ghostface Killah celebrates the 25th anniversary of his Ironman album
1:21:00 A$AP Rocky released Live.Love.ASAP on streaming platforms for its 10th anniversary
1:26:50 Snoop Dogg and Freeway lost close family members this week
1:28:42 New music from Planet Asia, J-Live (on DSPs), Ransom & Rome Streetz, Stalley and Apollo Brown, Reason, Big Sean & Hit-Boy, YG and more.
AZ has released Doe Or Die 2, an album that was nearly 10 years in the making. AZ join's AFH's What's The Headline to discuss the album, his biggest musical influences, and what he's learned over his 25+ year career.
0:00 Intro 1:15 AZ names his biggest Soul music influences
2:39 AZ details how he developed his Rap style
3:31 AZ names the 7 MCs who influenced him the most
4:50 AZ speaks on how life in New York has changed since the release of Doe Or Die
7:20 How AZ has changed his lifestyle to be healthier
9:35 AZ weighs in on the Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One Verzuz 10:40 Why he decided to have Idris Elba open Doe Or Die 2
11:40 What AZ still wants to accomplish in his career
14:17 The responsibility and benefits that come with owning his own record label
15:25 What he looks for in artists he would sign to his label
16:00 Working with Lil Wayne, Conway The Machine and The Alchemist on Doe Or Die 2’s “Ritual”
19:03 Why AZ wanted Rick Ross on Doe or Die 2
20:11 How AZ selected the other MCs he featured on Doe Or Die 2
20:58 Featured verses that launched MCs careers
22:15 Not realizing the impact of Nas' Illmatic while recording it
22:50 The musical chemistry between AZ and Pete Rock
23:40 How he became AZ the Visualiza 24:26 AZ reflects on reuniting with The Firm and Dr. Dre on Nas’ “Full Circle” from King’s Disease
27:30 Why it took many years to make Doe Or Die 2
30:30 What AZ from 2021 will tell AZ from 1996
31:15 The pros and cons of keeping up with the music scene
33:10 Why it was more pressure to make Doe Or Die than making Doe Or Die 2 33:50 AZ’s book and his plans for 2022 and beyond
Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One have wanted to battle each other for decades. They finally got the chance on Verzuz, Hip-Hop's biggest stage. We score the battle, round by round, on episode 64 of AFH's What's The Headline:
0:00 Intro
1:10 KRS-One and Big Daddy Kane battled on Verzuz
7:50 Big Daddy Kane has wanted to battle KRS-One for decades
9:45 Strategy played a big part in this Verzuz
12:30 Big Daddy Kane Verzuz KRS-One was long a boxing match between fighters with completely different styles
14:50 Scoring KRS-One Verzuz Big Daddy Kane round by round
14:55 Round 1: KRS-One - “Criminal Minded” vs. Big Daddy Kane - “Just Rhymin’ With Biz”
18:25 Round 2: KRS-One - “I’m Still #1” vs. Big Daddy Kane - “Nuff Respect”
21:05 Round 3: KRS-One - “MCs Act Like They Don’t Know” vs. Big Daddy Kane - “Young, Gifted & Black”
22:48 Round 4: KRS-One - “The MC” and “Outta Here” vs. Big Daddy Kane - “Rap Summary”
25:04 Round 5: KRS-One - “Jack of Spades” vs. Big Daddy Kane - “Set It Off”
27:18 Round 6: KRS-One - “My Philosophy” vs. Big Daddy - Kane “Mortal Combat”
29:00 Round 7: KRS-One - “Super Ho” and “Jimmy” vs. Big Daddy Kane - “I Get The Job Done”
32:37 Round 8: KRS-One - “Part Time Suckas” vs. Big Daddy Kane - “Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy ft Nice & Smooth”
35:25 Round 9: KRS-One - “Black Cop” and “Take It Easy ft Mad Lion” vs. Big Daddy Kane - “Raw”
38:00 Round 10: KRS-One - Freestyle vs. Big Daddy Kane - Freestyle
41:35 Round 11: KRS-One - “Represent The Real Hip-Hop ft Das EFX” vs. Big Daddy Kane - Freestyle and “Smooth Operator”
45:00 Round 12: KRS-One - “Step Into A World” vs. Big Daddy Kane - “Wrath Of Kane”
48:35 Round 13: KRS-One - “South Bronx” vs. Big Daddy Kane - “Ain’t No Half Steppin’”
50:41 Round 14: KRS-One - “Sound of Da Police” vs. Big Daddy Kane - “Platinum Plus” (Big L)
53:36 Round 15: KRS-One - “Poetry” and “Love’s Gonna Getcha” vs. Big Daddy Kane - Freestyle
56:27 Round 16: KRS-One - Freestyle vs. Big Daddy Kane - Freestyle and “Another Victory”
58:45 Round 17: KRS-One - “The Bridge Is Over” vs. Big Daddy Kane - “The Symphony" ft Masta Ace & Craig G
1:05:25 Round 18: KRS-One - Freestyle vs. Big Daddy Kane - “Warm It Up Kane”
1:09:08 Round 19: KRS-One - “9mm Goes Bang,” “Ah Yeah,” “Self-Destruction” and “Mad Izm”
1:16:44 And the winner is…
KRS-One and Big Daddy Kane are the next participants to do battle on Verzuz. Dr. Dre is taking over the Super Bowl halftime performance with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige. We discuss this and more on episode 63 of AFH's What's The Headline:
0:00 Intro
4:50 J. Cole brought bars to Brooklyn with The Off Season Tour
15:55 Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One will be the next to battle on Verzuz
17:50 Did the people want Big Daddy Kane Verzuz Rakim 22:10: Who was your first favorite rapper
25:40 Does Big Daddy Kane have a deep enough catalog to battle KRS-One?
31:25 What are Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One’s top 5 records
35:50 What each of KRS-One and Big Daddy Kane needs to do to win their Verzuz
46:20 Who will win Big Daddy Kane Verzuz KRS-One
49:00 Other artists who should face off on Verzuz
53:40 Dr. Dre, Eminen, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige will be the halftime performers for the Super Bowls
54:10 Super Bowl LVI will be Dre Day and Hip-Hop is celebrating
59:15 A history and timeline of Hip-Hop Super Bowl performers
1:04:20 Dr. Dre has set new boundaries for Hip-Hop and Pop culture before
1:08:00 Will Dr. Dre release a new album after the Super Bowl
1:10:00 What songs Mary J. Blige will perform at the Super Bowl
1:11:10 JAY-Z’s role in making this historic Super Bowl halftime show happen
1:15:00 Will JAY-Z be a surprise performer at the Super Bowl LVI halftime
1:17:15 Is this Super Bowl halftime just a reflection of where culture is now
1:20:50 Rap City is returning for one night only
1:25:00 New music of the week— Meek Mill, Andy Mineo, D Smoke, Wale & J. Cole, Solemn Brigham, Maticulous, Neek The Exotic & Large Professor, and more
After saying it would never happen, The Fugees have reunited…and it may just be the beginning. We discuss that, J. Cole's new "Heaven's EP" single, Ja Rule's Verzuz, new music from Westside Gunn and Blu, and more on this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline:
0:00 Intro
1:00 The Fugees have reunited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their album The Score
2:30 Why 25th anniversaries matter more than others
8:40 How The Fugees went from near bust to being one of the biggest artists in music
15:40 Is the excitement around their reunion about The Fugees or Lauryn Hill
19:50 Why The Fugees broke up and the personal differences they had to overcome to reunite
33:15 What motivated The Fugees to reunite now
41:40 This may be the beginning of a new chapter for The Fugeest
43:10 J. Cole stakes his claim as Hip-Hop’s best MC on “Heaven’s EP”
43:40 J. Cole is very intentional about releasing singles outside of albums
48:15 Why J. Cole released “Heaven’s EP” now
49:30 Is J. Cole using this single to remind the Grammy Awards about The Off-Season album
52:50 J. Cole says he represents intelligent people who grew up harshly
55:00 J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake all question themselves but in different ways
58:20 Is J. Cole the best MC between him, Kendrick Lamar and Drake
1:00:48 J. Cole is the Tim Duncan of Hip-Hop
1:03:15 J. Cole is able to do anything Kendrick Lamar and Drake can but doesn’t get the props for it
1:04:57 Drake tells J. Cole he is one of the greatest rappers to touch a mic
1:07:26 Ja Rule is getting his flowers after his Verzuz with Fat Joe
1:07:40 50 Cent killed Ja Rule, using Ja Rule’s hit-making formula
1:10:00 Why does Hip-Hop tear down its biggest stars
1:19:00 Styles P says part of his Verzuz strategy was influenced by Tekashi 6ix9ine
1:20:27 Benny The Butcher’s collaboration with Drake has leaked
1:23:20 Westside Gunn has released 2 of 2021’s best albums, with his HWH8 series
Andre 3000's has made the best verse of 2021, and one of the finest of his career, and it may never be officially released. We discuss that, Common's new album, and more on episode 61 of AFH's What's The Headline:
0:00 Intro 1:09 Drake has the best first week sales of 2021, with Certified Lover Boy
1:40 Which album between Certified Lover Boy and Kanye West’s Donda will better stand the test of time
11:40 The critical reception for Drake’s Certified Lover Boy has been mixed
13:20 Why Drake dissed Swizz Beatz on Certified Lover Boy’s “You Only Live Twice”
15:00 Was Swizz Beatz upset with Drake for not accepting an offer to battle Kanye West on Verzus
16:54 Who would win Kanye West Verzuz Drake
20:48 The reception to Kanye West’s Donda is becoming more favorable over time
24:10 Kanye West’s “Life Of The Party” featuring Andre 3000 was removed from Donda
27:00 Andre 3000’s “Life Of The Party” performance is the best verse of 2021
28:50 Unpacking Andre 3000’s “Life Of The Party” verse
36:23 Kanye West’s verse on “Life Of The Party” is filled with controversy
41:00 Who between Andre and Kanye caused “Life Of The Party” to be removed from Donda
42:24 Will “Life Of The Party” ever be officially released
47:00 Common re-established his MC roots with one of the year’s best freestyles
52:00 Should artists market their albums before they have been released in the era of streaming
56:30 What is Hip-Hop’s best outlet for freestyles in 2021
1:00:22 Reviewing Common’s new A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 2 album
1:11:59 Will Common when a Tony award to complete his EGOT
1:13:47 Has Common’s Hip-Hop credibility been diminished over the years
1:19:40 Afrika Bambaataa will face trial for alleged sexual assault
1:29:04 Freddie Gibbs attacks Kendrick Lamar, BET and the Grammy Awards on his "Champagne Poetry" freestyle
1:32:30 Kendrick Lamar has a new verse on Baby Keem’s “range brothers”
1:37:20 AZ has released his Doe Or Die 2 album
1:39:20 Blackalicious’ Gift Of Gab’s posthumous album Finding Inspiration Somehow has been released
1:42:40 New music from Damu The Fudgemunk, Bronze Nazareth, and Wiki
The battle between Kanye West and Drake has reached a fever pitch, with the release of Drake's Certified Lover Boy less than a week after Kanye's Donda reached DSPs. On this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we review Drake's CLB and discuss why he may never have a classic album [Note: this episode was recorded prior to the news of Michael K. Williams' passing.
0:00 Intro
0:20 Several of Hip-Hop’s super powers—Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Drake and Andre 3000—have been active in the past few weeks
0:56 Kendrick Lamar’s first verse of 2021 was packed with revelations 3:44 Baby Keem’s “family ties” with Kendrick Lamar is the best Hip-Hop video of 2021 so far
6:50 Kendrick Lamar is waving the pgLang flag now
9:00 Kendrick Lamar has declared himself the GOAT MC
10:30 Releasing “family ties” the day when Kanye West’s Donda was supposed to drop was a statement
12:50 Our first impressions of Kanye West’s Donda album
17:30 Should Kanye West’s Donda and Drake’s Certified Lover Boy be considered double albums
19:00 Why both Drake and Kanye released such long albums
24:00 The ongoing war between Kanye West and Drake has escalated in the last few weeks
30:28 The history of Drake and Kanye West’s beef
36:00 Reviewing Drake’s Certified Lover Boy
38:50 Drake has been using the same formula for his last few albums
40:10 Why Drake does not have a classic album
45:20 How Drake could make a series of classic albums
47:50 Drake disses Kanye West throughout Certified Lover Boy
59:00 Drake’s music has a recurring theme of distrusting people in the music industry
1:04:20 The complicated relationship between JAY-Z and Drake
1:08:00 Evaluating JAY-Z’s 2021 guest verses
1:14:50 Drake and Rick Ross reunite on You Only Live Twice, but Lil Wayne steals the show
1:19:40 How Kanye West influenced Drake’s style
1:21:00 Drake teams up with Kid Cudi; Is this another dig at Kanye
1:23:10 Melodic Rap is the most prominent genre on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy
1:28:00 Drake uses his albums to showcase relatively unknown artists
1:29:00 Drake often ends his albums with autobiographical records
1:31:45 Does Drake care about critical acclaim and making a classic album
1:36:13 Where Drake’s Certified Lover Boy ranks in his catalog
1:39:10 Which album is better, Certified Lover Boy or Donda
1:41:48 Why Kanye West does not rap as much anymore on his albums
1:43:14 AFH rates Certified Lover Boy and Donda on a scale of 1 to 10
1:44:22 Andre 3000 is unknowingly dragged into the beef between Drake and Kanye West
1:53:10 Does this beef benefit either Drake or Kanye West
1:55:00 New music of the week from Gorilla Nems, J-Tek, Saigon & Benny The Butcher, Kota The Friend, Blackalicious' Gift Of Gab and more.
Kendrick Lamar has announced that his next album will be his final one for Top Dawg Entertainment, the label he has been on for his entire career. Although both Kendrick and TDE will have success in the future, it is the end of a magnificent era. On this week's What's The Headline, we provide a celebratory timeline of how TDE became the greatest Rap label of the 2010s.
Blu and Mickey Factz join episode 58 of AFH's What's The Headline to discuss their new Nottz-produced EP The Narrative, Mickey's battle with Royce 5'9, their 2009 XXL Freshman cover, Below The Heavens and more:
0:00 Intro
1:59 Blu & Mickey Factz have an EP produced by Nottz called The Narrative
2:35 Why Blu and Mickey decided to do a project together
4:40 Mickey Factz’s father was a rapper in 1983
7:00 How Blu’s family influenced his pursuit of music
7:50 Mickey breaks down how he and Blu put The Narrative together
9:53 Blu and Mickey Factz speak about negative encounters they’ve had with the police
13:30 Mickey speaks about performing in front of Kool Herc’s building where Hip-Hop was born
18:48 Blu speaks about his earliest Hip-Hop influences
19:36 Mickey Factz and Blu discuss how their record labels folding changed their careers
25:24 The impact being 2009 XXL Freshmen had on them
27:56 Blu and Mickey Factz name the rising MCs they believe are shining today
29:24 Blu recalls rocking a show once after the power went out
30:01 Mickey Factz discusses the reaction to his WRAITH record dissing Royce 5’9
33:31 How Mickey got pulled into the war of words between Royce 5’9 and Lupe Fiasco
34:36 Mickey Factz confirms the boxes he checked with WRAITH
35:29 Blu gives his opinion of the diss records by Royce, Lupe and Mickey
36:16 Mickey explains why he impersonated RJ Payne and Ransom on WRAITH
37:44 Mickey discusses the impact this battle has had on Hip-Hop culture
39:26 Nottz’s role in making The Narrative with Blu and Mickey
40:38 Decoding the artwork for The Narrative
41:16 Blu speaks about his work as a producer
42:56 Mickey Factz details how he found the beat for WRAITH
45:00 Why Blu and Mickey decided to have Nottz be the only producer on The Narrative
46:20 Blu breaks down some of his heaviest bars on the project
48:46 Mickey discusses leaving his job at a law firm to pursue music full-time
52:56 Blu and Mickey reveal their hidden talents
55:26 Blu and Mickey discuss how death shapes the way we live
57:16 Mickey Factz explains the strategy he used in his IG Live discussion with Royce 5’9
58:51 Mickey would have released a different record if his conversation with Royce on IG had gone differently
1:00:56 Blu discusses making Johnson & Jonson
1:03:26 What’s next for Mickey Factz and Blu
On the latest episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we review Nas' King's Disease 2 album song by song, and rank it in his catalog:
0:00 Intro
2:05 The Hip-Hop community is still buzzing about The LOX Verzuz Dipset
5:10 Kanye West’s second listening party for DONDA included new music featuring The LOX, Griselda and Jay Electronica
16:30 Nas owned the weekend in Hip-Hop with the release of his King’s Disease II album
18:00 Overall reactions to Nas King’s Disease 2 album
21:30 Comparing Nas’ King’s Disease II and Life Is Good albums
24:55 Is the King’s Disease series Nas’ best 1-2 album punch since Stillmatic and God’s Son?
29:30 Nas released King’s Disease II with no hype and let the music speak for itself
30:43 Nas and Hit-Boy have found a special chemistry. What other great MC/producer combos have arisen later in their careers?
36:53 Nas is in the second prime of his career. What other MCs have done this?
40:12 Nas is unafraid to have guest verses from MCs that might outshine his verse
42:30 Reviewing Nas’ King’s Disease II song by song
42:40 “The Pressure” sets the tone for the entire album
49:23 Nas gives a masterful history lesson about his relationship with Tupac on “Death Row East”
57:46 “40 Side” is the weak link on King’s Disease 2
1:00:04 Nas, EPMD and Eminem all shine on “EPMD 2”
1:03:20 Is Eminem’s verse on this song getting the respect it deserves? 1:06:40 Eminem names his list of great MCs on “EPMD 2” and includes Drake but not Kendrick Lamar
1:11:46 “Rare” is a sleeper cut on Nas’ King’s Disease II
1:13:35 “YKTV” may be the most polarizing song on King’s Disease II
1:16:46 “Store Run” is the most “traditional” Nas song on King’s Disease II
1:19:30 Nas showcases his incredible wisdom on “Moments”
1:26:00 “Nobody” featuring Lauryn Hill is the best Rap song of the year, so far
1:29:40 Lauryn Hill’s verse reminds that she is one of Hip-Hop’s greatest MCs
1:32:30 Lauryn Hill is the perfect guest for a song about the serenity of anonymity
1:38:20 Nas details a failed relationship on “No Phony Love”
1:40:40 “Brunch On Sundays” and “Count Me In” are 2 of the least memorable songs on King’s Disease II. Would the album have been better without them?
1:44:15 Hit-Boy shows he is a legitimate producer/MC double threat on “Composure”
1:45:54 “My Bible” is Nas at his finest over production that is reminiscent of another legendary producer
1:48:55 “Nas Is Good” is the “cool down” for King’s Disease II
1:50:38 Which is better, King’s Disease or King’s Disease II?
1:51:24 Where does King’s Disease II rank in Nas’ catalog?
1:53:23 How does King’s Disease 2 fare in the race for best Rap album of 2021?
1:55:00 Discussing new music from Pink Siifu, The Black Soprano Family, G Perico, Tanya Morgan, and Flying Lotus.
On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we score the supremely entertaining LOX Verzuz Dipset battle and recap all the trash talk, round by round. This was by far the most lively Verzuz yet, and, at times it seemed the trash talking was going too far. In the end, it was New York Hip-Hop at its finest and most ferocious:
0:00 Intro
4:00 Key themes from The LOX verzuz Dipset
7:20 Which group was the favorite going into the battle
10:30 Do The LOX and Dipset represent the same era of Hip-Hop
14:45 How Verzuz has evolved since it launched in 2020
16:20 Round 1: The LOX - “F*CK YOU” vs. Dipset - I’m Ready”
20:50 Round 2: The LOX - “Banned From TV” vs. Dipset - “Crunk Muzik”
22:30 Round 3: The LOX - “Ni**az Done Started Something” vs. “Touch It Or Not”
23:58 Round 4: The LOX - “Mighty D-Block (2 Guns Up)” vs. Dipset’s “Santana’s Town”
27:00 Round 5: The LOX - “Who Shot Ya” vs. “Get Em Girls” + “Live My Life”
29:13 Round 6: The LOX - “Reservoir Dogs” + “Blood Pressure” vs. Dipset - “357” + “Just Fire (The Roc)”
31:52 Round 7: The LOX - “24 Hours To Live” vs. Dipset - “G’s Up” + “Byrd Gang Money” + “Purple City Byrd Gang”
36:00 Round 8: The LOX - “Next Level Clue Freestyle” vs. Dipset - “Bout It, Bout It 2”
39:12 Round 9: The LOX - “Dope Money” vs. Dipset - “Welcome To New York City?”
42:40 Round 10: The LOX - “New York” vs. “Certified Gangstas”
45:25 Round 11: The LOX - No Ideas Original Freestyle” vs. Dipset - “We Fly High (Ballin’)”
48:17 Round 12: The LOX - “All About The Benjamins” vs. Dipset - “Dipset Anthem”
50:00 Round 13: The LOX - “Wild Out” vs. Dipset - “Killa Cam”
51:55 Round 14: The LOX - “Kiss Your Ass Goodye (Remix)” vs. Dipset - “Salute (Remix)”vs. “848”
53:39 Round 15: The LOX - “Felony Ni**az” vs. Dipset - “Oh Boy” + “Hey Ma”
56:55 Round 16: The LOX - “Ride Or Die Chick” + “Honey (Remix) + “Jenny From The Block” + “No More Drama (Remix)” + “Good Love” +“Knock Yourself Out” vs. Dipset - “Summer Wit Mami”
59:45 Round 17: The LOX - “Good Times (I Get High)” vs. Dipset - “SANTANA”
1:00:33 Round 18: The LOX - “All For The Love” + “Ruff Ryders Anthem (Remix)” + “Get At me Dog” + “Last Day” vs. Dipset - “Down”
1:01:40 Round 19: The LOX - “Money Power Respect” + “By Your Side” + “Come Thru” + “Put Ya Hands Up” + “Blackout” + “We Gonna Make It” vs. Dipset - “I Really Mean It”
1:04:50 And the winner is…
1:06:24 What to expect from The LOX x Dipset tour
Episode 55 of AFH's What's The Headline podcast unpacks the evolution of the discord between Lupe Fiasco and Royce 5'9:
0:00 Intro
0:58 Kanye West faked us out again by not releasing his Donda album
1:50 Hip-Hop has its first major beef since 2019 3:46 Is the disagreement between Royce 5’9 and Lupe Fiasco real or staged
7:25 How did Royce and Lupe go from hosting a podcast together to dissing each other on records
10:20 A detailed timeline of how fun and games between Lupe and Royce turned into personal insults
10:28 June 25 - Royce posts about Lupe on his IG and the two have a testy debate on IG live
15:30 Lupe starts to clean his gun during their discussion
19:05 July 15 - Royce and Lupe escalate during a conversation with Young Guru & Mickey Factz
21:06 Royce calls Lupe a b…..
22:40 July 15 - Lupe does a 15+ minute freestyle on IG live about Royce
26:39 July 15 - Royce goes back on IG and says Lupe may be “taking advantage of their friendship”
28:50 July 16 - Lupe says he and Royce have had tension for months
32:20 July 21 - Royce releases “Silence Of The Lambda” dissing Lupe; less than 24 hours later, Lupe releases “Steve Jobs: SLR 3 1/2” in response
32:50 Breaking down the 2 diss records; 1 got really personal
42:20 July 22 - Royce tweets he will not attack Lupe personally
42:50 July 22 - Royce and Mickey Factz verbally spar for more than an hour; Joe Budden joins
51:10 Will Mickey Factz release a record dissing Royce
58:25 July 23 - Lupe says his podcast with Royce is over
1:00:00 Will this battle continue
1:01:50 Was it appropriate for either Royce or Lupe to mention Biz Markie on their diss records
1:04:50 More on Kanye’s delay and The LOX verzuz Dipset, and talking new music by Page Kennedy and Rasheed Chappell
After 20 years, the HRSMN—Ras Kass, Canibus, Killah Priest and Kurupt—have released their long-awaited The Last Ride album. Kurupt joins AFH's What's The Headline to discuss the making of the project, his Death Row Records history, battle rapping and more:
0:00 Intro
1:15 How the HRSMN (Ras Kass, Canibus, Killah Priest and Kurupt) were formed
3:30 What each Horseman represents
5:30 Why Kurupt decided to join the super group
7:14 How they were able to complete the album after 20 years of setbacks
11:25 How The Last Ride album by the HRSMN was created using new and older material
14:30 The HRSMN’s desire to make their album a reality for the fans
17:20 The knowledge Kurupt got from Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, Dr. Dre, Suge Knight and more
21:50 What inspired him on “Believer”
23:45 Kurupt on which classic Death Row songs that were freestyles
26:50 Kurupt on a HRSMN battle with Black Hippy, Slaughterhouse or four members of Wu-Tang Clan
28:38 Kurupt’s history with battle rapping
32:00 Kurupt’s favorite battle rappers 33:50 HRSMN rapping over Pat Benatar music
36:23 Rapping on Snoop’s “Doggy Dogg World”
36:50 Ricky Harris’ impact on Kurupt, Daz and Snoop
38:50 The MC who brought the fun to HRSMN’s The Last Ride album
40:00 How it feels to finally release the HRSMN album
41:17 The new projects Kurupt will be releasing soon, including a new album from Tha Dogg Pound
On episode 53 of AFH's What's The Headline, we discuss the incredible career of Biz Markie, JAY-Z's lawsuit against Jonathan Mannion, the potential Rap battle between Conway The Machine and Jim Jones, and more:
0:00 Intro
6:34 False reports of Biz Markie’s death were published recently
9:33 The responsibility and care that comes with covering celebrity deaths 15:10 Celebrating the incredible career of Biz Markie
20:10 Remembering Blackalicious’ Gift Of Gab who passed away on June 18, 2021
25:28 JAY-Z is suing Hip-Hop photographer Jonathan Mannion who shot the Reasonable Doubt album cover
26:55 The lawsuit could forever change the law regarding who owns the copyright in celebrity photos
39:32 JAY-Z has bought part of a company valued at more than $500 million
45:46 Logic makes his return to Hip-Hop
48:10 Snoop Dogg is now a creative consultant for Def Jam Records
50:37 De La Soul’s Stakes Is High, Nas’ It Was Written, and JAY-Z’s Reasonable Doubt turn 25 years old
52:56 Jim Jones and Conway The Machine want to have an old-fashioned Rap battle
1:00:14 New music from Evidence, Tyler, The Creator, The Roots, Kay Slay and more
Evidence has released his album Unlearning, Vol. 1 and it's a masterpiece. He explains how he unlearned everything about making music to create some of the best work of his career:
0:00 Intro
1:36 Evidence on deciding to share the process of working through the loss of his son’s mother on Unlearning, Vol. 1
3:06 Evidence discusses unlearning his old ways of making music in order to create something new
5:20 How music has changed since Evidence released Weather Or Not
7:38 The changes Evidence made in his approach making Unlearning, Vol. 1
9:20 How Evidence stays true to himself when collaborating with other artists
13:14 How spending Summers in Brooklyn shaped him
14:49 Evidence explains the meaning of the cover artwork for Unlearning, Vol. 1
16:40 Wanting the album to be one track and making it sound like how he performs
18:27 Evidence breaks down his process for making albums
20:00 The impact DJ Premier had on his ear for production
23:37 Having to start over in his career when he went solo after a Dilated Peoples run
26:36 Evidence on his admiration for Sean Price
28:20 How Evidence finds the courage to put his most personal life experiences in his music
31:13 How his son has inspired him to keep going
32:13 What Evidence values more than money
35:00 Things outside of music that inspire Evidence to create
37:39 What it felt like to work with DJ Premier in D&D Studios
39:20 Why he writes his rhymes in the morning
40:10 How Evidence balances being an artist and a single parent
41:50 His plans to start touring again
Press photograph by Stephen Vanasco by Rhymesayers Entertainment
Skyzoo joins episode 51 of AFH's What's The Headline to discuss his new album, All The Brilliant Things:
0:00 Intro
3:24 Skyzoo discusses why he moved from Brooklyn to Atlanta
7:10 Skyzoo explains the concepts behind his song “A Tour Of The Neighborhood” from his album All The Brilliant Things
10:20 Skyzoo on growing up in Brooklyn in the '80s and '90s
12:11 Skyzoo on why 1995 was the greatest year ever
14:40 Recalling the exact moment he knew he wanted to rap
16:55 The impact of growing up in the neighborhood with Biggie, Lil' Kim and Junior M.A.F.I.A.
18:55 Skyzoo explains the origin and meaning of the album cover for All The Brilliant Things
22:54 The importance of creating an album using a central theme
23:40 On learning how to write songs by listening to Ma$e 25:17 Why Skyzoo chose not to feature any other rappers on All The Brilliant Things
26:27 Skyzoo was supposed to be a trap rapper
30:48 Why MCs should not be put into a box for their rhyme styles
32:59 Why a famous rapper told Skyzoo to work less hard
34:30 Phonte talked Skyzoo out of retiring
36:00 On being one of the most underrated MCs in Hip-Hop
38:00 Why he’s anti-music industry now
40:30 The influence Miles Davis has had on Skyzoo’s music
43:40 Why Skyzoo raps about money so much in his music
48:20 How inflation is used to move groups of people out of neighborhoods
54:20 Skyzoo on why people need to love Black people as much as they love Black culture
55:13 Why we have to be careful with cancel culture
57:15 How Black people can better capture the wealth they are creating
59:30 Why Skyzoo does not turn down any interviews
1:01:06 Why media outlets who cover Hip-Hop culture must be from the culture
1:04:35 Why Skyzoo tries to respond to every positive social media post about him
1:05:50 Seeking validation is the plight of Black folks 1:12:32 How gentrifiers played off the fears of the locals
1:14:30 On never having a major company behind him
1:17:00 Skyzoo discusses the moment when he took his rap skills to a different level
1:19:10 Skyzoo on the power of Hip-Hop to educate future generations about gentrification
Photograph by Photo Rob
On episode 50 of AFH's What's The Headline, we name our 10 best Rap albums of 2021 so far:
0:00 Intro
2:03 We listen to more than 1,000 albums per year to try to highlight the best ones for you
7:48 Should Ambrosia For Heads expand the scope of the music it covers?
10:52 Reviewing what the state of Rap music has been in 2021 so far
14:13 The debate to name the 10 best Rap albums of 2021 so far
15:30 Benny The Butcher & Harry Fraud - The Plugs I Met 2
22:00 Madlib - Sound Ancestors
28:25 Judas & The Black Messiah - Various Artists
34:20 Khrysis - The Hour Of Khrysis
40:48 J. Cole - The Off-Season
49:05 Evidence - The Unlearning, Vol. 1
58:36 Conway The Machine - La Maquina
1:05:30 Devin The Dude - Soulful Distance
1:11:11 DMX - Exodus
1:18:50 Skyzoo - All The Brilliant Things
1:26:27 Your Old Droog - Time
1:32:40 Mach-Hommy - Pray For Haiti
1:39:50 CZARFACE & MF DOOM - Super What?
1:44:20 Armand Hammer & Alchemist - Haram
1:51:30 Cutting the list from 14 album to 10 albums
2:01:30 Honorable Mentions
2:02:40 Hear are the 10 best Rap albums of 2021 so far
2:03:18 Revisiting Busta Rhymes’ Extinction Level Event 2 six months later
Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=aforhtvAmbrosia For Heads Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Ssx21OFFRNJMMvlG2xeWV?si=DW9psDeWS4qa9UsItVq9pAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambrosia4heads/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ambrosiaforheadsTwitter: https://twitter.com/ambrosia4headsOfficial Site: http://ambrosiaforheads.com/
De La Soul's music may finally be coming to streaming music platforms. We discuss that, unreleased DMX music and more on episode 49 of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline:
0:00 Intro
1:25 There is no catalog of music more important than De La Soul’s missing from streaming services
2:33 Tommy Boy Records, home to De La Soul’s music, was recently purchased by Reservoir
3:20 The executive who signed Nas and Big L is now in charge of De La Soul’s Tommy Boy catalog
4:10 Reservoir is a SPAC that is becoming a music powerhouse
7:41 The history of Tommy Boy Records—Queen Latifah, Naughty By Nature, Digital Underground, Coolio, House Of Pain and more
11:38 Reviewing De La Soul’s 3 Feet High & Rising and the Native Tongues era
17:35 Why the group completely changed its sound for its second album, De La Soul Is Dead
19:47 De La Soul pivoted again with Buhloone Mindstate, ditching samples or live instruments
22:20 De La Soul introduced the Hip-Hop world to J. Dilla on Stakes Is High
23:20 Why De La Soul is Hip-Hop’s version of The Beatles
24:15 De La Soul concludes is Tommy Boy Records catalog with their masterful AOI album series
26:38 Why De La Soul has stayed relevant for 30 years
31:10 Inside the heated dispute between De La Soul and Tommy Boy Records over making their music available for streaming
32:30 Many of the samples on the early albums were not cleared
33:50 Breaking down the economics of record deals and why they are so onerous
37:30 The deal De La Soul signed with Tommy Boy was very unfavorable to them
38:44 In 2019, De La Soul sat down with Tommy Boy to renegotiate their deal, with some help from AFH
40:39 The talks broke down and De La Soul went to the public
42:00 Devil’s advocate: Tommy Boy Records’ defense
46:00 The time has come for economic terms in the music industry to fundamentally change
49:10 Why Reservoir’s purchase of Tommy Boy Records finally will allow De La Soul’s music to be released on streaming services
51:10 Having De La Soul’s music on Spotify, Apple and other services will cement the group’s legacy
54:14 Producer Dame Grease says he has 50 unreleased DMX records that he want to put out
56:00 Should more DMX music be released?
57:14 Comparing Swizz Beatz’s and Dame Grease’s catalogs with DMX
59:25 The public reaction to DMX’s Exodus album has been mixed
1:01:40 Who should be in charge of DMX’s musical legacy
1:10:20 JAY-Z share his favorite stories about DMX on The Shop with LeBron James
1:18:07 New music from Lloyd Banks, Peter Rosenberg, Children of Zeus and more
We review DMX's Exodus album song by song on episode 48 of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline:
0:00 Intro
2:02 First impressions of DMX’s Exodus album
6:50 Exodus was made before DMX’s passed and is true to his vision
11:24 DMX was preparing to roll out Exodus in a major way before his death
12:11 Swizz Beatz has lots more DMX music but Swizz does not want to release it
15:35 Swizz Beatz and DMX were very intentional about choosing the featured artists on Exodus
17:03 DMX’s estate is reported to be as low as $50,000
19:30 Def Jam was the only record label willing to sign DMX at this stage in his career
20:55 Our belief that Exodus will be DMX’s 6th #1 album
23:28 Reviewing DMX’s Exodus album song by song
23:32 “That’s My Dog” featuring The LOX is a perfect way to start Exodus
27:00 “Bath Salts” featuring JAY-Z and Nas has been officially released after being leaked by Swizz Beatz in 2017, but what happened to Jadakiss’ verse?
32:38 Did JAY-Z diss Kim Kardashian on “Bath Salts” in response to Kanye West’s harsh words about Beyoncé?
39:42 Who had the best verse on “Bath Salts” between JAY-Z, Nas and DMX?
41:17 “Dogs Out” features Lil Wayne and Swizz Beatz. Does anyone sound better than Wayne on Swizz productions, other than DMX and Nas?
44:08 Pop Smoke was supposed to be on “Money Money Money,” instead of Moneybagg Yo
47:32 “Hold Me Down” featuring Alicia Keys is one of DMX’s most honest and vulnerable songs on any album
52:25 “Skyscrapers” features U2’s Bono. Do Rap/Rock collaborations work?
1:01:19 Knowing the context behind the “Stick Up Skit” is critical
1:03:36 “Hood Blues” featuring Griselda’s Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher and Conway The Machine lives up to expectations
1:10:50 “Take Control” featuring Snoop Dogg sounds like a sequel to a DMX classic from …And Then There Was X
1:15:10 The Marvin Gaye sample on “Take Control” was very costly
1:16:38 “Walking In The Rain” featuring Nas was meant to feature Scarface
1:17:28 DMX left Swizz Beatz a recording of X telling the story of his entire life 1:18:32 There is video footage documenting the entire making of DMX’s Exodus album
1:20:00 How did Nas end up on “Walking In The Rain?”
1:21:22 “Exodus Skit” came from DMX’s son Exodus being in the studio during much of the making of the album
1:23:44 “Letter To My Son (Call Your Dad)” is the most powerful song on DMX’s Exodus and stands with any song in his catalog
1:29:00 Swizz Beatz played “Letter To My Son” for Xavier, X’s son discussed in the song, before anyone else heard it
1:30:03 “Prayer” is the most fitting way to close DMX’s final album
1:31:25 Where Exodus stands among DMX’s entire album catalog
1:33:08 The greatest of all time comeback albums in Rap music
1:43:51 Is DMX’s Exodus Hip-Hop’s greatest comeback album?
1:50:30 Will DMX’s Exodus album be nominated for a Grammy?
1:52:27 R.I.P. Paul Mooney, Chi Modu and Captain Rock
1:54:13 “Fans” who abuse NBA players during games should be publicly exposed and prosecuted; Race is a factor in these incidents
2:01:45 Alchemist has released an anonymous secret album
2:03:02 Mach-Hommy has released Pray For Haiti on Griselda Records
On episode 47 of Ambrosia For Head's What's The Headline, we do a comprehensive review of J. Cole's The Off Season album. We discuss:
0:00 Intro 1:08 Breaking down the main themes of J. Cole’s The Off Season album 1:19 Basketball metaphors prevail 2:30 J. Cole has now mastered many different Rap styles 3:40 Cole actually trained to make this album 6:20 The Off Season has several hidden parallels with Nas’ Illmatic 13:30 The Off Season is a mixtape in disguise 18:20 Breaking down J. Cole’s The Off Season song by song 18:30 “95.south” is Cole embracing both is Southern AND his Northern roots 23:15 J. Cole raps like he never has before on “amari” 26:38 21 Savage is the first guest artist to rap on a J. Cole album since 2010, on “my.life” 34:30 J. Cole shows absolute disrespect for his competition on “applying.pressure” 37:48 Damian Lillard explains the concept behind The Off Season on “punchin’.the.clock” 45:36 J. Cole raps over a trap beat by a key producer for Drake and Kendrick Lamar on “100.mil’” 48:35 “pride.is.the.devil” is a lull on the album…but is it intentional? 51:52 Is Cole’s choice not to include features on the tracklist a slight to his guest artists? 55:00 “let.go.my.hand” is the best song on J. Cole’s The Off Season album 1:00:07 Puff Daddy has had altercations with Kendrick Lamar, Drake and J. Cole…Coincidence? 1:05:39 “interlude” shows why it’s important to hear songs in the context of the album 1:10:05 “the.climb.back” is nearly a year old. Should Cole have included it on The Off Season? 1:14:26 “close” is J. Cole’s most personal song on The Off Season 1:18:00 “hunger.on.hillside” ties The Off Season together sonically and thematically 1:20:08 Ranking J. Cole’s album catalog and where The Off Season sits 1:24:20 J. Cole’s The Off Season is the best album of 2021 so far…but how will it fare against Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott? 1:26:47 LL Cool J and JAY-Z are being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 1:29:00 Michael Jordan inducting Kobe Bryant into the Basketball Hall of Fame 1:30:33 DMX’s Exodus album will be released on May 28 1:33:20 MC Serch clears the air about his relationship with Nas
Watch J. Cole's "Applying Pressure" documentary: https://youtu.be/135bv6GhD2M
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On episode 46 of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we discuss:
0:00 Intro 2:38 TDE Releases new Isaiah Rashad music, not Kendrick Lamar 7:26 J. Cole is releasing his album The Off-Season on May 14 9:24 The first release from the album is “interlude” 14:34 J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Travis Scott are likely to release albums in 2021 15:40 Were there any MCs bigger than those 4 artists in the 2010s? 22:10 Has there ever been a year in the last decade where more Rap superstars have released an album? 24:30 Does Hip-Hop belong to the generation of Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Travis Scott now? 34:48 Which one of these MCs will be seen as the greatest 5 years from now? 40:30 If all 4 MCs deliver their best work, 2021 will stand among the greatest years in Rap history 42:17 The week brought new music from Phife Dawg and MF DOOM 43:00 Are posthumous Rap albums legitimate? 48:40 What are some of the best posthumous Rap album releases? 56:35 New music from Anthony Hamilton, Marcus Machado, and Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman
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On episode #45 of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we lay out the evidence for why Kendrick Lamar is releasing new music this week, debate Nas and JAY-Z's verses on "Sorry Not Sorry" and more:
0:00 Intro
1:00 TDE’s Top Dawg Posted “The Wait Is OVAH!!!!!!” on social media
2:00 Which artist—Kendrick Lamar, Isaiah Rashad, SZA or someone else—is releasing new music
3:20 The AFH team is divided, so they make a wager on whether or not new Kendrick Lamar music is coming on May 7
7:40 An argument for why it will be Isaiah Rashad or SZA music
14:20 A history of TDE’s surprise album release strategy
31:49 The mountain of evidence that suggests new Kendrick Lamar music is coming on May 7
42:52 Kendrick Lamar’s new music may have been recorded in the Death Row Records studio where Tupac recorded
45:50 A review of DJ Khaled’s “Sorry Not Sorry” featuring Nas and JAY-Z
47:40 Nas and JAY-Z do not rap their best verses when they are on the same song together
49:00 The substance of Nas and JAY-Z’s verses on “Sorry Not Sorry” is more important than the quality of the verses
55:50 Nas and JAY-Z are still competing with each other on many levels
1:01:14 DJ Quik says he wants his credit for his work on Nelly’s “Hot In Herre,” Kendrick’s “King Kunta,” Tupac’s All Eyez On Me & more
1:09:24 Every song Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN has been certified at least gold
1:11:08 Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek are making a new, third Reflection Eternal album
1:16:28 New music of the week: J. Period, Tiron & Ayomari and more
In episode 44 of Ambrosia For Heads What's The Headline podcast, we discuss the following: 0:00Intro 0:40Shock G brought the Funk to Hip-Hop 4:45Digital Underground crossed over with “The Humpty Dance,” without selling out 6:30How Digital Underground was connected with N.W.A. and Tupac 8:16Shock G brought showmanship back to Hip-Hop 11:18The loss of Tupac and a lack of creative control tormented Shock G 18:28Tupac got his start with Digital Underground 19:30Shock G was also an incredible music producer 22:00Digital Underground’s catalog was much deeper than Sex Packets and “The Humpty Dance” 34:55DMX’s Celebration of Life memorial service sent him off in grand style 39:16Kanye West reminded all of his musical genius with his Sunday Service choir at DMX’s memorial service 45:13Swizz Beatz had sharp words for people claiming to be X’s friends who did not support him when he was living 46:10Why don’t artists’ paid representatives help them put wills in place? 50:00Joey Badass’ Oscar-nominated short film, “Two Distant Strangers,” shows he might be even better at acting than rapping 55:22Who are the best double threat rapper/actors? 1:03:55Dave Chappelle, Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) are doing a podcast together 1:07:45Open Mike Eagle’s “What Had Happened Was” is one of the best podcasts out right now 1:12:03Snoop Dogg recreates and brings to life several classic Rap album covers in his “Look Around” music video 1:14:11Logic is making a new album with Madlib, MadGic 1:18:30A new documentary is being produced about the D.O.C.
On episode 43 of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we discuss: 0:00 Intro 1:48 EPMD, K-Solo, Keith Murray, RZA, DJ Kool, Inspectah Deck and other highlights from the night 6:12 Was this a competition or a joint celebration? 12:20 The times we’ve interacted with Method Man and Redman personally 18:20 We score Method Man Verzuz Redman round by round 1:02:20 The importance of giving Hip-Hop legends their flowers while they are still here 1:03:30 Verzuz continues to get better and better 1:04:55 Remembering Black Rob 1:09:42 Nas scores at least a $40 million payday with Coinbase 1:14:24 Conway The Machine and Khrysis deliver 2 of the best Rap albums of 2021 so far 1:16:32 It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop: Guilty, Guilty, Guilty 1:18:05 The final scores in Method Man Verzuz Redman
On episode 42 of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast, we celebrate the life, legacy and legend of DMX: 0:00 Intro 1:02 The times we met DMX and stood in his presence 14:30 Why DMX wanted to be a fireman when he was growing up 16:05 The life lessons DMX learned from dogs 21:15 DMX’s start in Hip-Hop was as a beatboxer, not a rapper 22:35 DMX toiled for nearly 10 years before he got his big break 30:45 DMX’s jaw was wired shut when he auditioned for Def Jam 32:06 Puff Daddy passed on signing DMX to Bad Boy 33:35 Irv Gotti’s impact on DMX’s career 36:46 DMX makes history with his first 2 albums 38:35 DMX made Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of My Blood in 30 days for a million dollar bet 41:05 Why DMX punched Def Jam’s Chris Lighty in the face 43:07 DMX solidified Def Jam’s place in music before its sale 45:55 DMX did not want to do Ruff Ryders Anthem 49:33 Why DMX, Jay-Z and Ja Rule’s Murder Inc. album did not happen 58:20 The brotherhood between Swizz Beatz and DMX 1:03:05 Standout songs from DMX 1:08:25 DMX’s sonic connection to EPMD 1:13:20 DMX the movie star 1:15:51 The cypher between DMX, Big Pun, Canibus, John Forte, Mic Geronimo and Mos Def 1:17:49 DMX tore down the stage at Woodstock ’99 1:20:19 DMX gives a fan the experience of a lifetime for her first concert 1:21:58 DMX Verzuz Snoop gave X his flowers when he was still with us 1:24:55 DMX’s heart stopped for 4 minutes in 2016 1:25:25 Spiritual quotes from DMX 1:27:03 The list of artists DMX says will be on his upcoming album
This week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline podcast is part of a continuing series where we examine some of the best years in Hip-Hop. In episode 41, we make the argument for 2000. Note: this was recorded before last week's tragic events with DMX. We are covering this story on ambrosiaforheads.com (link below) and send positive thoughts to him and his family. 0:00 Intro 4:00 The classic Hip-Hop albums that were released in 2000 4:40 OutKast ends one of the greatest 4-album runs ever 10:18 Nelly releases a debut that would reach Diamond status and put St. Louis on the Rap map 13:00 Jay-Z releases his most underrated album 17:45 Eminem releases the best album of his career 22:40 Common makes magic with J. Dilla, DJ Premier and more on Like Water For Chocolate 26:32 M.O.P. took a victory lap for smash mouth Rap 29:30 The Soulquarians bring out the best in D’Angelo and Erykah Badu 36:10 Ghostface Killah reigns supreme for Wu-Tang Clan 39:30 Talib Kweli solidifies his eternal stardom without Mos Def 43:50 What happened in 2000 that changed the direction of Hip-Hop 44:40 Eminem starts a run that will make him the biggest artist of the decade 47:10 OutKast stake their claim as the best artists of the last decade 48:10 LL Cool J makes his case as Hip-Hop’s GOAT MC 50:45 Nas reminds all of Queens’ place in Hip-Hop 52:10 Jay-Z recruits Just Blaze, Kanye West, Beanie Sigel and more to solidify the Roc-A-Fella dynasty 53:10 Snoop Dogg completely repositions his career and is still relevant 20 years later 58:13 The end of an era for Death Row and No Limit Records 1:01:08 The Rap songs released in 2000 that would define the decade 1:07:26 Three of Hip-Hop’s greatest concert tours showcase all of the best aspects of Rap 1:12:50 Why 2000 was a benchmark year for Underground Hip-Hop 1:19:00 Napster changes the way we find and listen to music forever 1:25:34 Several of Hip-Hop’s GOAT producers have banner years in 2000 1:28:12 Hip-Hop is great in several areas of the country in 2000 1:29:50 Many Hip-Hop veterans have resurgent years in 2000
T. Eric Monroe is one of Hip-Hop's all-time great photographers. In the 90s, he took iconic photos of Tupac, Biggie, Guru, Big Pun, Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Puff Daddy, Dr. Dre, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, De La Soul, Big L and so many more. In episode 40 of AFH's What's The Headline, T Dot discusses the following: 0:00 Intro 3:24 On being in the front row at The Source Awards when The East Coast/West Coast Beef started 8:18 On photographing Tupac and Biggie when they were friends 21:12 How Big L’s music improved over time 24:45 Photographing Guru, Roy Ayers and Donald Byrd together 25:50 Working with Nas to capture one of his most iconic photos 27:30 How he took his rare photo of Mos Def and Talib Kweli 31:40 What Tupac was like when the cameras weren’t pointed at him 33:34 His first impressions of Mos Def when they met 35:14 How Tupac changed when he was around kids 36:40 Hearing unreleased music by The Roots in the studio 39:00 The importance of respecting artists’ boundaries 40:45 Why he stopped doing Hip-Hop photography 44:00 The amazing chemistry he saw between Raekwon and Ghostface Killah 46:15 His experience working for The Source 48:20 Taking one of the few photos of Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo together 51:35 The uniqueness of The Roots’ Malik B 55:38 Photographing Big Pun at home with his family 59:20 Being on set for Missy Elliot’s first video shoot 1:01:50 What he learned from doing his Rare & Unseen Moments Of 90’s Hip-Hop books 1:06:18 What he’s learned about himself through is photography career
It's been a big week for Hip-Hop. On episode #39 of Ambrosia For Head's What's The Headline, we discuss: 0:00 Intro 0:20 Raekwon vs. Ghostface Killah Was The Best Hip-Hop Verzuz Yet 4:45 This Was A Real Competition, Not Just For The Culture 5:15 Scoring Raekwon Verzuz Ghostface Killah Round By Round 37:08 The Final Tally & Who Won The Battle 39:30 Raekwon & Ghostface Each Played New Music At The End 41:20 Best Moments Of The Night From Ghostface & Raekwon Outside Of The Music 44:00 Ghostface & Raekwon Are Now Owners In Verzuz 48:00 Method Man Verzuz Redman Announced For 4/20 49:10 Review Of Benny The Butcher’s The Plugs I Met 2 Album 1:02:10 How Do Benny’s Last 4 Albums Rank Against Each Other 1:04:50 Why Benny The Butcher Has Been The Best MC In Hip-Hop For The Last 2 Years 1:08:45 The Best 2 Year Runs By Any MC In Hip-Hop 1:13:30 Kanye West Is Now Hip-Hop’s Wealthiest Mogul According To Forbes 1:18:00 Who Are Kanye West’s Fans Now 1:24:40 Can Forbes Lists Be Trusted 1:28:00 Drake Makes Billboard Chart History With Scary Hours 2 1:29:10 A Short Film Featuring Joey Bada$$ Was Nominated For An Academy Award 1:34:00 New Music Of The Week
On episode #38 of Ambrosia For Head's "What's The Headline" podcast, we discuss: 0:00 Intro 0:51 Why Did It Take 30 Years For Nas To Win His First Grammy 5:44 Illmatic Got Zero Grammy Nominations 7:50 Was This Grammy For King’s Disease Or For Nas’ Career 10:40 King’s Disease Was Not The Best Rap Album Nominated In 2020 14:30 Hit-Boy Was Able To Do For Nas What Kanye West Could Not 19:14 Nas Lost To Eminem, Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Drake In Past Years 26:15 Why Nas’ Win Might Make It Harder For Busta Rhymes To Win For 2021 30:56 Swizz Beatz & Timbaland Have Sold Verzuz To Triller 32:35 Swiss & Timbaland Gave Equity In Triller To All Past Verzuz Participants 36:00 Does Verzuz Have Value Without Swizz Beatz & Timbaland 42:55 How The Verzuz Acquisition Helps Triller Compete With Tik Tok 49:30 Why This Was The Perfect Time To Sell Verzuz 51:00 RIP Marvin Hagler and Troop’s Reggie Warren 52:44 New Details Emerge Regarding The Murder Charges Against Kid Creole of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five 1:00:50 New Music From Oddisee and Benny The Butcher
On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline podcast, we discuss:
0:00 Intro 1:20 JAY-Z Will Make Much More Money From Ace Of Spades Now With His Sale To LVMH 5:09 JAY-Z Sells TIDAL To Square For $297MM 10:14 The Sale May Allow Artists To Monetize Music Using NFTs 13:20 How NFTs Are Restoring & Raising The Value Of Music 17:20 How Jack Dorsey & JAY’s Cryptocurrency Partnership May Relate To TIDAL 19:20 Did JAY-Z Sell $600MM In Assets Because He Needed The Money? 24:14 Artists Need To Make Money From Music Instead Of Touring 27:43 Review Of Coming 2 America 30:00 Is Eddie Murphy’s Humor Dated? 32:30 Why Comedies Are Better In Movie Theaters 34:31 Review Of Biggie I Got A Story To Tell Documentary 40:39 Facebook Launches App For Creating & Sharing Freestyle Video Clips 44:33 Facebook Video Views Will Count For Billboard Charts 50:10 Review Of Drake’s Scary Hours 2 59:24 Stalley Joins Mello Music Group 1:05:40 Review Of Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic Leave The Door Open Single 1:09:20 Notable New Music Releases For The Week
DMX is working on a new album that will feature Griselda, Pop Smoke and others. What's more, the album will mark X's return to Def Jam, the record label that powered him to superstardom in the beginning of his career. Will the reunion restore both to their past glory? We discuss that, Lauryn Hill becoming the first woman MC to have an album certified diamond, nominations for LL Cool J, JAY-Z and more to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, new music from Phife Dawg and much more in the latest episode of AFH's What's The Headline.
Pharoahe Monch and his band th1rt3en (with Marcus Machado and Daru Jones) have released A Magnificent Day For An Exorcism, his first album in more than six years. Pharoahe joins Ambrosia For Heads; What's The Headline podcast to discuss the album, and he goes deep. He talks about working with a band to bring his Rap/Rock fusion to life, his thoughts on being a Hip-Hop GOAT, his connection with MF DOOM, working with Nas and Cypress Hill, staying relevant in Hip-Hop into his 40s, why he added the "e" in his name, and much more.
Run-D.M.C. LL Cool J. Whodini. The Fat Boys. Kurtis Blow. Beat Street. Breakin'. Fresh Fest. Def Jam...Those are just a few of the reasons that make 1984 Hip-Hop's greatest year. We dive into the many things that make '84 Hip-Hop's watershed moment, in this episode of AFH's What's The Headline.
Eminem and Snoop Dogg have been beefing for months and, according to Daz Dillinger, it's been longer than that. Snoop says they're good, but Em has yet to declare a truce. We breakdown the history of the feud in this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline. We also discuss why rappers are being sent to jail because of their lyrics, new music coming from Benny The Butcher and more.
On the latest edition of AFH's What's The Headline, we discuss the life and legacy of MF DOOM. We cover his early days before KMD, the controversy with their second album, the ascension of the DOOM character, the differences between that character and Zev Love X, Viktor Vaughn and King Geedorah, how he recorded Madvillainy with Madlib, unreleased Madvillain music, his philosophy on wordplay and much more. This is an in-depth celebration of Hip-Hop's masked villain.
Phife Dawg has a new album coming. Lil Wayne may have sold his publishing. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five are getting a Lifetime Achievement Grammy. E-40 and Too Short took Verzuz to the Bay. And, Breakin’ will be featured in the Summer Olympics. We discuss all this and more on the latest episode of AFH’s What’s The Headline.
On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we name our 20 Best Rap Albums of 2020. With new music from Busta Rhymes, Black Thought, Benny The Butcher, Royce 5'9, Jay Electronica, Run The Jewels, Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist, Westside Gunn, Nas and many more, this was no easy task. Watch us debate the list and tell us what we missed.
Statik Selektah has released his new album, The Balancing Act, featuring Nas, Joey Bada$$, Black Thought, Method Man, Styles P, Jadakiss, Jack Harlow, Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, Evidence, Sean Price and many more. Statik joins this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline and discusses the album, working with Joey Bada$$, the artists he would most like to hear on one of his tracks, life balance, and why WE MUST PROTECT HIP-HOP.
This week is the 10 year anniversary of Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album. Many consider it to be Kanye's best work, but is it a classic? We discuss that, the Verzuz battle between Gucci Mane and Jeezy, the 20th anniversary of Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun, the shooting of Benny The Butcher, Westside Gunn's departure from Shady Records and much more on this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline.
Lyric joins the latest episode of AFH's What's The Headline to discuss the making of Closer Than They Appear, her phenomenal new album which was executive produced by Phonte. She describes how her dream of working with the Little Brother and Foreign Exchange artist became a reality, talks about the impact of Rah Digga and J-Live on her career, speaks about the challenges of being a woman in Rap and much more. AFH's Jake and Reggie also discuss the near death experience of Busta Rhymes, new music by 2 Chainz, Goodie Mob, Your Old Droog and more.
Last week, Busta Rhymes released his new album, Extinction Level Event 2, and it shook up the Hip-Hop world. The project features Rakim, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, M.O.P., Q-Tip, Anderson .Paak and many others, and it is the best work of Busta's legendary career. We discuss his classic, the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards, the 20th Anniversary of OutKast's Stankonia and more on this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline.
MC Eiht's latest album, Lessons, features B-Real, Kurupt, Havoc, Talib Kweli, Conway The Machine, DJ Premier and more. Eiht joins this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline to discuss life lessons he's learned from having his own record label, working on Menace II Society and Boyz N The Hood, beef with DJ Quik, studying Rakim and EPMD, and much more. He also reveals his Top 5 MCs.
When word broke that Ice Cube was working with Donald Trump, it had many wondering if the man who released AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted was still true to the game..We discuss that, Killer Mike's new Black-owned bank, T.I. confirming a nasty rumor about Drake, new music by Benny The Butcher, Black Thought, Pete Rock and more, in the latest episode of AFH's What's The Headline.
On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we discuss Scarface's need for a kidney transplant, Big Sean's harsh words for Kanye West, the most underrated MCs in groups, why the rumor that Kendrick Lamar departed from TDE gained traction, and more. We also talk about who the real King of the South is in Hip-Hop.
Many questioned Joe Budden for leaving Complex's Everyday Struggle at the peak of its success. Budden then went to Spotify and became the number 1 music podcaster in the world. Now, Budden has left that platform and is on the cusp of making his biggest move yet. On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline podcast, we detail why it's such an important move, celebrate Eddie Murphy's Emmy win, discuss Travis Scott making Hip-Hop's best videos, explain why Chris Rock thinks Cardi B is nearly as funny as Dave Chappelle, talk new music by Elzhi, Benny The Butcher, Problem, REKS, and more.
The LOX have released Living Off Xperience, their fourth studio LP as a group. The album features production by Swizz Beatz, Scram Jones, Araab Muzik, Nottz, Scott Storch, Statik Selektah, Large Professor and more. Jadakiss, Styles P and Sheek Louch join AFH's "What's The Headline?" podcast to discuss what's kept their bond strong for more than 20 years, the importance of maintaining relationships in the music business, the roles each play in the group, working with Griselda and more. They also break down what it takes to make a classic project.
Press photo by Danny Hastings provided by Roc Nation.
Last week, Nas released his King's Disease album. Where does it stand in his catalog. We discuss that, the arrest of Jam Master Jay's suspected killers, a lawsuit against Nicki Minaj that could change how music is made, new music from The LOX & DMX, RZA & Ghostface Killah, Big K.R.I.T., and more, in this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline podcast.
In this episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast, we discuss Nas' discography. While Nasir Jones has at least a handful of great albums, how many of them fit the criteria of a classic? If Illmatic is the lone classic in his album catalog, then what does that say about Nasty Nas place in Top MC lists, if anything at all? We delve into Nas' Hit-Boy-produced single "Ultra Black," discuss new music from Drake & Lil Durk, Anderson .Paak, Jay Rock, J.I.D., and NoName, and much, much more.
Rakim has challenged Big Daddy Kane to finally battle him in the Verzuz series. Who would win? We discuss that, Rick Ross vs. 2 Chainz, Jaguar Wright's allegations against The Roots and Common, whether women MCs can gain mainstream success without showing flesh and more on this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline.
This week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline podcast discusses the Snoop Dogg & DMX Verzuz battle, new music by J. Cole and Joey Bada$$, why Rapsody decided to re-release music from her Eve album, Biz Markie's current serious hospitalization and more. We also debate why Killer Mike is a top 10 MC today and Logic is not.
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Duckwrth was influenced by OutKast, A Tribe Called Quest, Erykah Badu, The Neptunes and more, but he's carved out his own unique sound. He join's AFH's What's The Headline podcast to discuss what to expect from his upcoming Supergood album, recalls meeting Q-Tip, explains why Off The Wall is better than Thriller and more.
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Legendary MC, Producer and DJ Lord Finesse has released a project featuring his remixes of Motown classics. The Diggin' In The Crates crew member joins AFH's What's The Headline podcast to discuss how he re-made songs by Michael Jackson and DeBarge, working with Big L, his dream collaborators and more.
Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c...Ambrosia For Heads Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Ss...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambrosia4he...Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ambrosiaforheadsTwitter: https://twitter.com/ambrosia4headsOfficial Site: http://ambrosiaforheads.com/
Freddie Gibbs is one of Hip-Hop's most credible MCs. Few would put Drake in that category. So...why does Freddie list Drake as one of the 5 best MCs in Rap right now? We break it down in this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline podcast. We also name Ambrosia For Heads Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2020 so far, review the 2020 BET Awards and much more.
When it comes to pushing culture forward, Hip-Hop often leads the way. However, it is still woefully behind in its treatment and portrayal of women. In this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline podcast, we discuss that, as well as AFH's editor in chief being held up at gunpoint this week, Griselda's path to becoming Hip-Hop's next moguls, Kanye West's true legacy being in fashion, Rick Rubin's attempt to reconcile with the Beastie Boys and more.
After releasing his song "Snow On Tha Bluff," J. Cole once again found himself found himself under attack. On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline podcast, we discuss why Cole so often seems to be targeted by younger rappers. We also discuss powerful new releases from Public Enemy and DJ Premier, Anderson .Paak and Jay Rock, Beyoncé and more.
Last week, Dave Chappelle released his latest comedy special, 8:46, and it was not very funny, at all...but, that was the point. In this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline podcast, we discuss Dave's special, Hip-Hop's role in covering the events of the world, John Legend vs. Alicia Keys' Verzuz matchup, why Nicki Minaj worked with Tekashi 6ix9ine on his new Trollz song, Run The Jewels' new album, the Grammys' change to the name of Hip-Hop categories and more.
Legendary producer Prince Paul (Stetsasonic, De La Soul, Gravediggaz and more), and his longterm collaborator Don Newkirk, have joined forces again to score the docuseries Who Killed Malcolm X. In conjunction with the project, they have released a new album called By Every Means Necessary, which curates music from the show. They join Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast to discuss Malcolm X, revolution, De La, Stetsasonic, KRS-One and 40 years of friendship. They also speak in-depth about why self-empowerment is the means to bringing true racial equality.
In this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' podcast, What's The Headline, we break down why LL Cool J truly might be Hip-Hop's GOAT MC. We also discuss Swizz Beatz's proposal to pay reparations to Hip-Hop's founders, AZ's upcoming Doe Or Die 2 album, potential Verzuz battles between Big Daddy Kane and Rakim and 50 Cent and Ja Rule, the 30th Anniversary of Ice Cube's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, and much more.
In his song “Takeover,” JAY-Z says “You don’t really want it with Hov” to anyone thinking of challenging him. Now, nearly 20 years later, it’s JAY-Z who should want no parts of a battle with DMX. In the latest episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we discuss why. We also break down the epic verzuz battle between Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, debate how Michael Jordan's evolution as a social activist might have been a reaction to LeBron James, celebrate the life and legacy of Andre Harrell, react to Tekashi 6ix9ine's latest antics and much more.
Is there really a difference between mixtapes and albums these days? Should mixtapes be held to the same standards as albums in an artist's catalog? These question's and more are discussed in this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline podcast. We also talk about Nas' project with Hit-Boi, Erykah Badu vs. Jill Scott in the latest VERZUS matchup, new music from Skyzoo and Drake, Hip-Hop's equivalent of The Last Dance and more.
Mack 10 recently explained why Westside Connection broke up, but were they ever really a group? That, Kanye West's billionaire status, Erykah Badu vs. Lauryn Hill, Dr. Dre vs. Puff Daddy, Teddy Riley vs. Babyface, Griselda's rise against all odds, and more are discussed on the latest episode of Ambrosia For Heads' "What's The Headline?" podcast. We also talk about the tragic death of Fred The Godson and how COVID-19 has affected the Hip-Hop community.
Havoc from Mobb Deep joins the latest episode of Ambrosia For Head's What's The Headline? podcast. Havoc provides an in-depth look at the making of Mobb Deep's The Infamous, for its 25th anniversary. He discusses the producers influencing him at the time, the hundreds of records he combed through to make the album's beats, working with Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, why the album was the group's last chance to succeed, and more. He also talks extensively about his fallen friend and partner, Prodigy, and shares untold stories about him. Lastly, Havoc breaks down just what it was about The Infamous that made it a classic album.
In this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast, we discuss the epic beat battle between DJ Premier and RZA. In celebration of Q-Tip's 50th birthday, we also discuss his impact on Hip-Hop as a producer and MC, both through his solo work and his music with A Tribe Called Quest. We also talk about Black Thought's new music, RA The Rugged Man's next project, who is the greatest producer/MC of all-time, and much more.
RZA vs. DJ Premier: https://youtu.be/4CTm03MdPKk
Black Thought Tiny Desk: https://youtu.be/R8z4zT9n_gE
Questlove Q-Tip Tribute: https://youtu.be/bZiM9WG5Prg
In this week's episode of What's The Headline podcast by Ambrosia For Heads, Reggie Williams and Jake Paine, AFH's Founder and Editor-In-Chief, respectively, discuss whether JAY-Z has been avoiding recording a song with Black Thought, Kobe Bryant's selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame, Conway's new album with Alchemist, Alchemist vs. Madlib in a beat battle, what's next for Tekashi 69, Drake's new video and more. They also discuss Common's Like Water For Chocolate album and debate whether it is a classic, 20 years later.
In episode 2 of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast, we discuss the at home DJ movement led by D-Nice, Dr. Dre's The Chronic being included in the Library of Congress, Ice Cube's Big Brother: Big 3, and more. We also talk about Eazy-E's legacy 25 years after his death and why Eazy might not get the respect he deserves.
Welcome to episode 1 of What's The Headline, a podcast brought to you by Ambrosia For Heads. Each week, AFH’s Founder Reggie Williams and its Editor-In-Chief Jake Paine will discuss life through the lens of Hip-Hop. Conducted remotely, Jake and Reggie will talk TV, Film, Sports, Current Events and, above all, Music. In addition to conversation that invites fans to participate through comments and even occasionally joining the chat, Reggie and Jake will invite artists and others to drop in and discuss their projects. As always, the conversations will be led by the music first.
In our inaugural episode, we discuss D-Nice's virtual block party that has been a healing force for millions of people around the world, in these troubling times. We also talk about why we ended ambrosiaforheads.com, the aftermath for us and the amazing reaction from fans, friends and family since we announced our news. We also talk about recent releases from Jay Electronica and Jay-Z, Royce 5'9, Childish Gambino and more. Stay tuned, and join the conversation.